Is the Hounslow loop still a loop?

[Dr_Intoxicated]

I want to travel between Richmond and Hounslow tomorrow lunchtime but all the planners suggest that I have to travel via Feltham. Even the timetables on the SWR site seem to suggest that the loop is no more. Is this correct? Or I am doing something stupid?

 

[swr444]

I want to travel between Richmond and Hounslow tomorrow lunchtime but all the planners suggest that I have to travel via Feltham. Even the timetables on the SWR site seem to suggest that the loop is no more. Is this correct? Or I am doing something stupid?

they full loop services only run at peak times at the moment. off peak you've only got the weybridge via hounslow service on the loop

 

[Dr_Intoxicated]

they full loop services only run at peak times at the moment. off peak you've only got the weybridge via hounslow service on the loop

Thanks for the clarification

 

[swt_passenger]

There’s 3 hours of 2 tph round the loop in the morning peak, and 4 hours in the afternoon peak, they are fairly clearly shown in the timetable. None at weekends.

https://www.southwesternrailway.com/plan-my-journey/-/media/96e4d619169245d49b8501f2bb914e82.ashx

 

[Basil Jet]

There’s 3 hours of 2 tph round the loop in the morning peak, and 4 hours in the afternoon peak, they are fairly clearly shown in the timetable. None at weekends.

https://www.southwesternrailway.com/plan-my-journey/-/media/96e4d619169245d49b8501f2bb914e82.ashx

... although it should be mentioned that Sunday p.m. has an hourly service between Waterloo and Kingston via Hounslow and a reversal at Twickenham (which obviously does not call at Richmond).

 

[30907]

... although it should be mentioned that Sunday p.m. has an hourly service between Waterloo and Kingston via Hounslow and a reversal at Twickenham (which obviously does not call at Richmond).

An intriguing piece of timetabling - when was it introduced (clearly pre-Covid)? And how often does it run as booked (not for the next few weeks per RTT).

 

[TEW]

An intriguing piece of timetabling - when was it introduced (clearly pre-Covid)? And how often does it run as booked (not for the next few weeks per RTT).

It's been running for a while now, probably 5 or 6 years. Previously the service ran via Richmond but was diverted to run via Hounslow to provide a 2tph service on Sunday afternoons via Hounslow.

 

[30907]

It's been running for a while now, probably 5 or 6 years. Previously the service ran via Richmond but was diverted to run via Hounslow to provide a 2tph service on Sunday afternoons via Hounslow.

Thanks. I tend not to look in any detail at Sunday timetables, so I missed this.

 

[Malaxa]

Can anyone explain the curious cycle carriage policy on the Hounslow loop as per above timtetable 7? In contrast, the Kingston loop policy seems quite straightforward and rational. Thanks in advance. [not that I want to take a bike round the loop....]

 

[TEW]

Can anyone explain the curious cycle carriage policy on the Hounslow loop as per above timtetable 7? In contrast, the Kingston loop policy seems quite straightforward and rational. Thanks in advance. [not that I want to take a bike round the loop....]

The main cycle restrictions on SWR are about restricting bikes on morning peak arrivals at Waterloo and afternoon peak departures. Services on the Windsor side are also very busy in the opposite direction to the Waterloo bound peak though so further restrictions are required on services heading out of Waterloo in the morning.

 

[Big Jumby 74]

Services on the Windsor side are also very busy in the opposite direction to the Waterloo bound peak though so further restrictions are required on services heading out of Waterloo in the morning.

Spot on, you are so correct. From the planning side numerous complaints about (IIRC) 2S13, 0722 Waterloo to Weybridge were received. Being a diagram that was not critical (by loadings stats) with the core inbound (to Waterloo) morning peak period, it was naturally one that remained a single unit, bearing in mind the SW never had quite enough units to cover ALL suburban services as maximum formation. It came to a head (IIRC) when 'Sky' opened one of their new offices at Brentford or near there, and they had apparently received numerous complaints from their employees travelling down from London. This was just prior to the introduction of the reformed 458's as 5 cars, and as such (being that all such routes were experiencing similar increased crowding problems) the best that could be offered was that said train was re-worked (by the planners) to be one of the first to receive a 5 car, even though this reworking in itself caused quite a long winded reworking of further plans in the 5 car (458) plan. There was much pulling of the hairs on the head by several people back then, believe me!

 

[norbitonflyer]

I don't recall when the rounders were removed as a "temporary" measure, but they have not been reinstated in the December timetable. This leaves all stations on the loop, as well as Mortlake, North Sheen and Whitton, with just 2 tph off peak, despite SWR admitting that off peak travel is back to pre-Covid levels.

 

[30907]

I don't recall when the rounders were removed as a "temporary" measure, but they have not been reinstated in the December timetable. This leaves all stations on the loop, as well as Mortlake, North Sheen and Whitton, with just 2 tph off peak, despite SWR admitting that off peak travel is back to pre-Covid levels.

It is years since I was round the Loop, so my memories of it being pretty quiet are probably out of date. Were 4tph busy off-peak pre-Covid?

 

[norbitonflyer]

4tph was introduced some years ago (c2004?) by extending the Weybridge/Staines shuttle to Waterloo via Hounslow. This may not have been unconnected with the fact that the Loop is one of the few lines operated by SWR (SWT as was) to have any real competition, as it runs close to the Piccadilly Line. Stagecoach, of course, had form for this srt of thing in its bus operations. Service enhancements elsewhere in London were never going to happen on Stagecoach's watch as they had, and SWR still have, an almost complete monopoly of rail services in SW London, with only two stations in the borough of Richmond, and none at all in Kingston, served by anyone else.

A little publicised "strategic consultation" last year proposed running the rounders only between Waterloo - Brentford- Twickenham. Protests from the LB Richmond that the stations at Whitton, St Margarets, North Sheen and Mortlake would therefore lose half their 4tph services (except, in the case of Whitton, by going the long way round or changing at Twickenham) were of no avail. On the contrary, the off peak rounder service has now disappeared altogether, leaving another seven stations (Barnes Bridge to Hounslow inclusive) with 2tph.

And yet SWR proudly proclaim that off peak travel is back to pre-Covid levels.

 

[317 forever]

Due to engineering works in the area I was able to ride a direct train from Richmond to Hounslow on Sat March 26th.

 

[swr444]

Due to engineering works in the area I was able to ride a direct train from Richmond to Hounslow on Sat March 26th.

You can at the moment too due to the Barnes bridge closure.

 

[30907]

And yet SWR proudly proclaim that off peak travel is back to pre-Covid levels.

So did SWT's attempt to compete with the Piccadilly significantly increase loadings on the Hounslow Loop? You haven't answered my question earlier, which makes me suspect that it didn't.

 

[swr444]

So did SWT's attempt to compete with the Piccadilly significantly increase loadings on the Hounslow Loop? You haven't answered my question earlier, which makes me suspect that it didn't.

I feel like it's hard to compete with a turn-up and go high frequency "metro" service which has cheaper prices than national rail, even with oyster. Places like Brentford/Syon Lane/Isleworth/Kew Bridge can be busy during peak times as there are quite a few offices and other work sectors around these areas, off-peak not so much.

 

[30907]

I feel like it's hard to compete with a turn-up and go high frequency "metro" service which has cheaper prices than national rail, even with oyster. Places like Brentford/Syon Lane/Isleworth/Kew Bridge can be busy during peak times as there are quite a few offices and other work sectors around these areas, off-peak not so much.

Thanks, this is TBH what I suspected.