Regarding the Southampton - Westbury corridor there's also this ongoing proposal about combining the GWR Swindon - Westbury and the SWR Salisbury Romsey into one through service. Supposed to be gaining support with the various local authorities on the route.
Indeed, it's part of a wider project called 'TransWilts' - which is why one of the routes the DfT wants SWR to look into is Swindon - Westbury - Southampton. I think SWR is to operate the service using 158s, with the aim of having Romsey, Dean and Mottisfont stations transferred under their management as well.
It's essentially going to start either December or early next year apparently, from somewhere in or near Southampton (i.e. Romsey), go via the Airport, come up to Salisbury, Westbury, Melksham and then terminate in the bay at Swindon once every two hours (although a once an hour service will continue to operate Southampton - Salisbury). Then progressively in one of the following timetable changes, it will become a standard hourly service all the way to Swindon once passenger numbers begin to drum up.
It will require about 5 trains for a full hourly service all the way to Swindon. The arrangement on the Southampton end is still to be confirmed as there's a few questions that have been raised in regards to reliability and punctuality of the line if it continues to terminate at Romsey (with only 4 minutes turnaround time, that's all you get after a 120 or so minute journey). The smallest delay could somewhat impact the following journey.
I've been an advocate to have it start at Southampton Central and work it's way round Chandler's Ford and then go onto Salisbury / Swindon. It's more practical to work the line this way. However Millbrook and Redbridge obviously lose out on this, so to compensate, have a stopping Desiro service make additional calls there (either the one from Portsmouth - Weymouth or the proposed London Waterloo - Southampton service then extended to Brockenhurst also calling at Totton). The latter option to London Waterloo is the better one as the two stations will continue to hold a direct link all stations up to Eastleigh (which is useful for the Airport access too).
That's very interesting information - thank you. My particular concern about the 16.25 from Waterloo in the draft timetable is that it was going to omit stops at Overton and Grateley. The current 16.20 does stop at those stations. I wondered whether one reason for the proposed omissions was to help ensure that the train would leave Salisbury at the scheduled time. It would be most annoying if SWR were worsening the service for passengers in their core area for the benefit of passengers from Warminster westwards. I've been told (in a letter written from my MP) that SWR are reviewing the proposal and considering retaining those two stops. I hope they'll do the same for the 20.25 as well.
March is the month when SWR said they'd publish their new proposals, so I'm looking forward to seeing what they are.
No worries. A lot of things have been mentioned in regards to the table 160 services (West of England), particularly around stops between London and Salisbury. Campaigning from an MP has potentially resulted in all Exeter services calling at Clapham Junction, and omitting Woking. For the smaller stations between Basingstoke and Salisbury, it has also resulted in slightly less trains in the peak hours which wasn't obviously welcomed either, such as the example you mentioned. The following trains after that all do call at Overton and Grateley providing a half-hourly service. Oddly Whitchurch gets the call on the 1625, though.
The Sunday service, as part of the franchise commitment, should hopefully go up at these stations as well.