Cross Country and Winchester stops

[Spongthrush]

I'm sure that Crosscountry used to stop at Winchester more frequently than they do - it seems to me, especially southbound - these days.

XC Winchester timetable

Assuming that my perception that they're skipping Winchester more frequently than of old, could anyone explain why?

Many thanks
Ian

 

[duncanp]

There used to be an hourly service from Bournemouth to Manchester, supplemented by a two hourly service from Southampton Central to Newcastle.

All these trains used to call at Winchester.

No doubt COVID is responsible for the reductions in service, but I can see no reason why those trains which do run can't call at Winchester.

It is not as if the very small gain in time arising from failing to call at Winchester is going to release an extra path for South Western Railway trains.

Perhaps Cross Country are trying to discourage passengers from Winchester by making things inconvenient, so that they can eventually stop serving the station altogether.

 

[444045]

Winchester isnt the only station XC arent stopping at, Brockenhurst has had no XC services stop there for a considerable time, passengers
have change at Southampton to connect into/out of XC services.

 

[Wilts Wanderer]

Isn’t it part of a drive (COVID related) to try and discourage local journeys from being made on their long distance services?

 

[Spongthrush]

Pre-COVID, and pre the very cheap Advance SWR fares, I used to use XC quite a bit when going up to London on a bog atndard off peak day return. Going Winchester to Reading to Paddington was often my choice and coming home often Waterloo-Basingstoke then XC Basingstoke to Winchester. Both were often rammed irrespective of engineering works which did make me wonder if the short trips were an issue.

 

[swt_passenger]

Isn’t it part of a drive (COVID related) to try and discourage local journeys from being made on their long distance services?

Definitely, it’s been explained quite a few times now…

 

[tommy2215]

From December 12th only a small number will continue to omit Winchester. Chesterfield will get a big uplift too.

Winchester isnt the only station XC arent stopping at, Brockenhurst has had no XC services stop there for a considerable time, passengers
have change at Southampton to connect into/out of XC services.

A couple of months ago XC reinstated a few Brockenhurst as well as Audley End stops. But only a few.

 

[Starmill]

Definitely, it’s been explained quite a few times now…

Lots of people post every time to express general disagreement, which isn't too surprising given the way it has been done. So I imagine it will keep on happening. Unless all of the stops, or nearly all of them, end up coming back?

 

[Ianno87]

Winchester isnt the only station XC arent stopping at, Brockenhurst has had no XC services stop there for a considerable time, passengers
have change at Southampton to connect into/out of XC services.

Also Audley End.

 

[Kite159]

Isn’t it part of a drive (COVID related) to try and discourage local journeys from being made on their long distance services?

Yet they call at all 4 stations in the West Midlands, so the train fills up at Birmingham New Street with Coventry passengers one way and Wolverhampton passengers going the other way. I suspect the number of passengers who would have used XC to travel Basingstoke to/from Winchester or Southampton to/from Winchester are easily outnumbered by Coventry to/from New Street & Wolverhampton to/from New Street.

 

[nw1]

Winchester isnt the only station XC arent stopping at, Brockenhurst has had no XC services stop there for a considerable time, passengers
have change at Southampton to connect into/out of XC services.

I noticed that on Sunday, two XCs in quick succession passed straight through the station at around 1700. First time they've missed Brockenhurst for a long while, certainly in the mid 90s they were all stopping, maybe before (I clearly recall hearing the HSTs accelerating out of Brockenhurst when walking in the New Forest around summer 1997). Not sure why this is, the XCs are rarely overcrowded in this section. Tighter turn around at Bournemouth compared to previously?

Definitely, it’s been explained quite a few times now…

Though I'm not sure why there is a concern for Southampton to Brockenhurst, given XC is pretty quiet beyond Southampton. I doubt these double Voyagers are going to see unsafe levels of usage if they made the Brockenhurst stop.

One could argue that by stopping XC, the SWR Weymouth services get a little less busy, which would improve the safety of the trains, not reduce it.

 

[swt_passenger]

I noticed that on Sunday, two XCs in quick succession passed straight through the station at around 1700. First time they've missed Brockenhurst for a long while, certainly in the mid 90s they were all stopping, maybe before (I clearly recall hearing the HSTs accelerating out of Brockenhurst when walking in the New Forest around summer 1997). Not sure why this is, the XCs are rarely overcrowded in this section. Tighter turn around at Bournemouth compared to previously?



Though I'm not sure why there is a concern for Southampton to Brockenhurst, given XC is pretty quiet beyond Southampton.

One could argue that by stopping XC, the SWR Weymouth services get a little less busy, which would improve the safety of the trains, not reduce it.

The SWR services through Brockenhurst have far more capacity normally. AIUI the idea is to force local journeys such as school travel onto SWR.

 

[ValleyLines142]

Also Audley End.

And Chesterfield.

 

[Dave Beeching]

Lots of people post every time to express general disagreement, which isn't too surprising given the way it has been done. So I imagine it will keep on happening. Unless all of the stops, or nearly all of them, end up coming back?

I'm in general disagreement as I now have a 40min wait in Basingjoke to connect to Winchester when this XC service passes straight through from Reading. This is off the back of an earlier cancellation as well!

 

[Starmill]

I'm in general disagreement as I now have a 40min wait in Basingjoke to connect to Winchester when this XC service passes straight through from Reading. This is off the back of an earlier cancellation as well!

I certainly don't agree personally with the removal of the stops.