New South Western franchise: Awarded to First/MTR

[bb21]

Personally, I'd prefer the Southamptons to run through to/from the Harbour all day as well.

Probably not the best way to use limited space at Harbour given that South Hants locals stay there for the best part of an hour in most cases.

 

[swt_passenger]

Probably not the best way to use limited space at Harbour given that South Hants locals stay there for the best part of an hour in most cases.

In the peaks in earlier timetables I'm fairly sure they just sat at the buffers with the GWR Cardiff coming in behind them, so that probably wouldn't be difficult or cause any limitations.

But at the moment the peak Southamptons interwork with other routes - presumably that could extend into more hours if they really needed to...

 

[infobleep]

Skip-stopping is obviously very bad for people making local journeys, but I don't know how many of those there are on that line.

They do it on the North Downs Line. Not great if a service is cancelled, as the next one might be two hours away. There are help points but they connect to National Rail Enquiries and not GWR.

 

[Nammer]

The only time a 2Exx stopper Southampton sits on the buffers/blocks end at PMH with a GWR on top is Saturdays 1723 GWR and 1733 SOU. It used to happen on Mon - Fri up til about 2 years ago. Most 2Exx stoppers coming into PMH in the Mon - Fri peaks attach to form 1Txx Waterloo via Eastleigh services and 1Txx coming in form 2Exx stopper Southamptons on return.

 

[Mainline421]

That sounds like "Dynamic Lines", which much as I like it is basically dead as a livery. I would expect gSWr or similar, though First being First they might surprise us with something completely bizarre like Horizon Trains that was going to be used for the WCML.

The name has been confirmed as South Western Railway in the staff roadshow presentation.

Currently all signs seem to point a blue based livery, though yes I would very surprised to see dynamic lines.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

Probably not the best way to use limited space at Harbour given that South Hants locals stay there for the best part of an hour in most cases.

Well, sadly I can't do this because I always travel using tickets only valid with SWT because I get them free, but if you aren't the same it would be much easier to just take GWR direct or even SN to Cosham and change than to sit on the SWT stopper to Southsea and change/walk! Besides the Southampton stopper takes much longer, calls everywhere and is often a 450. I'd much rather get a GWR 158, or even an Electrostar!

 

[pompeyfan]

Well, sadly I can't do this because I always travel using tickets only valid with SWT because I get them free, but if you aren't the same it would be much easier to just take GWR direct or even SN to Cosham and change than to sit on the SWT stopper to Southsea and change/walk! Besides the Southampton stopper takes much longer, calls everywhere and is often a 450. I'd much rather get a GWR 158, or even an Electrostar!

Unfortunately though, the railway is built to move as many people as efficiently as possible, we'd all like things for a purely selfish reason (apparently Liphook should be served by 2 fast trains an hour(!)) but we work with what we've got. This new semi fast service that SWR are introducing is likely to be a 450 displaced off the Pompey direct. The stopper is due into Fratton at XX:37, with the GWR arriving 7 minutes later to run passengers down the harbour. Agree 20 minutes is 20 minutes but it's not the be all and end all to avoid the stopper.

 

[Bletchleyite]

sWr then...I think the "big W" could become a nice FirstGroup signature

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

sWr then...I think the "big W" could become a nice FirstGroup signature

Surely First wouldn't be so boring as to just use the same for all their franchises?

What next? tPe? HT? (not enough letters on the last one) Only joking.

But by sWr ing the SW franchise it takes the special, traditional and uniqueness of the format of gWr away!

 

[Muzer]

Surely First wouldn't be so boring as to just use the same for all their franchises?

What next? tPe? HT? (not enough letters on the last one) Only joking.

But by sWr ing the SW franchise it takes the special, traditional and uniqueness of the format of gWr away!

I think you have a point here. Though I'm not going to rule it out completely, it would surprise me if First want to ruin the "premium" image of their GWR brand by applying something similar to a "mere" commuter operator.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

What a shame that First didn't win the franchise earlier, I always wanted to see the sW franchise with Dynamic lines trains!

 

[swt_passenger]

The only time a 2Exx stopper Southampton sits on the buffers/blocks end at PMH with a GWR on top is Saturdays 1723 GWR and 1733 SOU. It used to happen on Mon - Fri up til about 2 years ago. Most 2Exx stoppers coming into PMH in the Mon - Fri peaks attach to form 1Txx Waterloo via Eastleigh services and 1Txx coming in form 2Exx stopper Southamptons on return.

That's what I meant by 'in earlier timetables'. Just didn't bother to look up the exact date it changed...

 

[adamello]

Unfortunately though, the railway is built to move as many people as efficiently as possible, we'd all like things for a purely selfish reason (apparently Liphook should be served by 2 fast trains an hour(!)) but we work with what we've got. This new semi fast service that SWR are introducing is likely to be a 450 displaced off the Pompey direct. The stopper is due into Fratton at XX:37, with the GWR arriving 7 minutes later to run passengers down the harbour. Agree 20 minutes is 20 minutes but it's not the be all and end all to avoid the stopper.

You mean there won't be a Totton to Waterloo non stop?

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

You mean there won't be a Totton to Waterloo non stop?

Totton has nothing do with Portsmouth Direct Line services.

Besides, Totton is a minor station on the SWML. A nonstop service will almost never happen.

If you were joking sorry I'm quite gullible.

 

[pompeyfan]

There's a plan to run a diesel service from Totton loop to Waterloo calling at Totton and Liphook only as part of the 2025 franchise commitment.

 

[adamello]

Totton has nothing do with Portsmouth Direct Line services.

Besides, Totton is a minor station on the SWML. A nonstop service will almost never happen.

If you were joking sorry I'm quite gullible.

yes don't worry - it was in response to Pompeyfan's

we'd all like things for a purely selfish reason

 

[GW43125]

If you were joking sorry I'm quite gullible.

Hey, it says "gullible" on the ceiling.... I'm a child at heart

 

[Suraggu]

What a shame that First didn't win the franchise earlier, I always wanted to see the sW franchise with Dynamic lines trains!

If you wanted to see a Desiro in dynamic lines you had plenty of time with Transpennine Express...

Dont forget the 455 fleet has the same origins as the class 150 fleet with FGW had local lines, which again was similar, and the 158's....

 

[pompeyfan]

I'm hearing on the grapevine that RMT is about to ballot guards in regards to SWT acting in bad faith in terms of spare turns... information is currently limited as it stands.

 

[Dougal2345]

Besides the Southampton stopper [...] is often a 450. I'd much rather get a GWR 158, or even an Electrostar!

Good lord, really? What don't you like about 450s?

Unlike the 158s they offer acceptable legroom in all seats (I'm only 6'1" but find I cannot move my legs or use the seatback table in a 158). And of course have none of the rattle and roar and smell of the diesel...

I'd also choose a 158 over an Electrostar... The latter has harder seats, and too many table seats where once again you can't move your legs without kicking the person opposite you. I find the interiors gloomy and claustrophobic too.

450s are light, airy and welcoming, with a good balance of airline and facing seating. The only place where a 450 loses out is its noisy air conditioning, in my view... Please First Group, don't 'refurbish' the interiors into some gloomy colour scheme that changes that...

 

[Bletchleyite]

Good lord, really? What don't you like about 450s?

3+2, probably. 350s are nice though.

 

[bb21]

3+2, probably. 350s are nice though.

You know what is coming.

350/2s are even worse than 450s. I wouldn't say 350/1s are that much better, mainly due to their tatty interior. Perhaps red wears much better.

 

[Bletchleyite]

350/2s and 450s are basically identical.

 

[FenMan]

I'm hearing on the grapevine that RMT is about to ballot guards in regards to SWT acting in bad faith in terms of spare turns... information is currently limited as it stands.

Well they best get a move on, the target of their complaint is only around for another 28 days ...

 

[The Ham]

Hey, it says "gullible" on the ceiling.... I'm a child at heart

Really (doesn't look up), in what font?

 

[Rick1984]

Hope the livery isn't blue as that's not very original. I'm holding out for a deep red version of the GWR livery.

 

[swt_passenger]

Hope the livery isn't blue as that's not very original. I'm holding out for a deep red version of the GWR livery.

Dark blue is already carried by 127 450s that will remain with the franchise. About another 85 units that remain are white over a similar blue.

Wonder if that has 'coloured' their decision at all...

 

[Matt Taylor]

I'm hearing on the grapevine that RMT is about to ballot guards in regards to SWT acting in bad faith in terms of spare turns... information is currently limited as it stands.

Correct, got my ballot paper today!

 

[pompeyfan]

Correct, got my ballot paper today!

I'm actually a bit surprised you're with the RMT, but we'll leave that conversation for a different time/place.

 

[Dougal2345]

Dark blue is already carried by 127 450s that will remain with the franchise. About another 85 units that remain are white over a similar blue.

Wonder if that has 'coloured' their decision at all...

Can't help thinking that people in SWT land now associate blue with 450s, semi-fast services and so on, so if First paint everything blue it's going to feel like all the expresses have been downgraded.

White/light grey is a great base colour for fast electric trains... DB, RENFE, and Eurostar can't all be wrong (although Eurostar have gone a little more blue recently) so I think it'll be a sad day when someone takes a dark blue paint pot to the 444s...