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You don't need all drivers within a link trained to start squadron service. Practically that would be very difficult as the drivers trained initially would be in need of a refresher before they actually drove one. You need a decent number, and it's more of a challenge to roster and deal with...
The 5-car diagram is gone too. So only 12. That is LTP diagrams though, extra diagrams could be planned STP if there are still additional units in traffic.
Weekdays it's the 0641, 0844, 1315, 1544 and 1940 from Alton, and 0653, 1123, 1353, 1755 and 1825. So up from 2 in each direction to 5. The 0653/0844 remain as a 5-car, the rest are 10.
1710285084
Still shown on the same diagram for now.
Looks like more shuffling around of stock from April to cope with 458s leaving. 450s taking over 458 diagrams. As was probably inevitable the mainline side will see capacity reductions as a result. This does seem to have been done in the way to maintain as much capacity as possible though. So...
2F02 and 2L10 were on different lines. 2F02 reported striking an object on the up slow line the London side of Hersham and a subsequent train was cautioned along the up slow line. 2L10 then had the issues on the up fast line in the Walton-on-Thames area.
Very few crews have the route knowledge to run Waterloo to Southampton via Cobham and Havant. It's only Fratton crews, and even then not all drivers so it's a difficult diversion to do ad hoc. If you run via Cobham then reverse at Guildford you can also use Waterloo crews but it still won't help...
Even worked a stopping service a few years back when IIRC there was a derailment at Clapham Yard trapping a lot of stock in. Epsom is usually limited to unplanned diversions rather than due to engineering work.
Guard's entitlement was 33 days when working a 42 hour, 5 day week. Although Christmas Day and Boxing Day were granted as additional leave on top of that. Since then they have lost 3 days annual leave, plus 2 for Christmas Day and Boxing Day some years, but have gained an additional 26 rest days...
Nope. Only on the IC, not the actual bells. There's no signal bell on the drivers desk. When they ran in multiple with 456s the actual bell could be used when being driven from the 456.
I think there may have been a bit of an oversight there. I wouldn't be surprised if an additional Milford call is added. There is a large amount of traffic around that time of day from a local school.
They are all being driven by drivers, but it's the same small pool of drivers from day one. SWRs position was that they would use the experience gained from the soft launch to develop and agree the training programme.
It's all well and good saying that but the current stock situation on SWR is such that if you were to ban 455s from running on Reading services, you'd be looking at splitting the formations in half to maintain the timetable. Nobody is saying it's ideal, but a 4-car 450 wouldn't be much better...
Yes, although reduced in number from June it seems, as there are a few more passenger services which can fulfil the same function of retaining route knowledge.
At present there are 2 daytime round trips, and 1 evening round trip. That will reduce to 1 daytime round trip and 1 down service in...
It's more complicated than that.
The 1405 Weymouth is formed off the 1306 arrival from Basingstoke and 1351 arrival from Portsmouth Harbour via Guildford, so is still a 10-car.
The 1649 arrival from Weymouth forms the 1709 Portsmouth Harbour via Basingstoke.
It's just a way of ensuring the...
They were 1705 and 1805 via Richmond for years but in May 2018 (IIRC) they became Reading services, with the services via Frimley diverted via Hounslow and retimed to run earlier.
They were then diverted back via Richmond when all the peak extra Reading trains were cut.
The extension from...