Reinstatement of South Eastern services to Gatwick Airport

[MatthewRead]

A few years back there use to be a Horsham to Tonbridge service using Class 508's how long did this service last for because Kent County Council wants to re-introduce services from Ashford to Gatwick Airport so what stock could be used 458's?

 

[telstarbox]

It also went up to Maidstone West at one point.

 

[73129]

Unlikely to be 458s as part of the line isnt electrified!!

Ive also never heard of such a proposition of this new service.

 

[JonathanH]

Unlikely to be 458s as part of the line isnt electrified!!

Ive also never heard of such a proposition of this new service.

Ashford via Tonbridge and Redhill to Gatwick Airport is what the original poster was referring to.

It is unlikely that there would be enough demand to sustain this. Even if there is some desire for such a service to get people from Kent to Gatwick, it doesn't serve any other new market since journeys between intermediate markets are already served by trains to London.

 

[NSE]

It is electrified. Up to Redhill and then reversal down the BML. Useful little service if it were restarted, but priority will always be capacity for London. So good luck fitting it in.

 

[swt class 450]

A few years back there use to be a Horsham to Tonbridge service using Class 508's how long did this service last for because Kent County Council wants to re-introduce services from Ashford to Gatwick Airport so what stock could be used 458's?

Ah yes i remember that. I believe there use to be services from Horsham to both Tunbridge Wells and to Strood (different services served different destinations). The section between Redhill and Tonbridge (and all intermediate stations) use to have a service every 30 minutes in each direction (compared to every 60 minutes in each direction now). It would certainly be useful to bring these back. It would add more destinations available from Gatwick Airport and make it easier for people in the Mid Sussex area to reach Tonbridge and surrounding areas of Kent.

 

[MatthewRead]

Ah yes i remember that. I believe there use to be services from Horsham to both Tunbridge Wells and to Strood (different services served different destinations). The section between Redhill and Tonbridge (and all intermediate stations) use to have a service every 30 minutes in each direction (compared to every 60 minutes in each direction now). It would certainly be useful to bring these back. It would add more destinations available from Gatwick Airport and make it easier for people in the Mid Sussex area to reach Tonbridge and surrounding areas of Kent.

When did that service end?

 

[swt class 450]

When did that service end?

I believe it was 2008 when the service ended.

 

[LA50041]

A few years back there use to be a Horsham to Tonbridge service using Class 508's how long did this service last for because Kent County Council wants to re-introduce services from Ashford to Gatwick Airport so what stock could be used 458's?

At the moment the current franchise is unable on a regular basis to turn out the right amount of stock for a full peak service, so where on earth they would get the stock from is a mystery.

 

[D6975]

At the moment the current franchise is unable on a regular basis to turn out the right amount of stock for a full peak service, so where on earth they would get the stock from is a mystery.

You're kidding - right?
The number of emus coming off lease or due to do so in the near future is considerable.

 

[ComUtoR]

At the moment the current franchise is unable on a regular basis to turn out the right amount of stock for a full peak service

Citation please. Sounds like passenger bias/general BS

 

[JamesRowden]

A few years back there use to be a Horsham to Tonbridge service using Class 508's how long did this service last for because Kent County Council wants to re-introduce services from Ashford to Gatwick Airport so what stock could be used 458's?

Simplest option would be to extend Southern's Victoria-Redhill-Tonbridge service to Dover. Redhill-Gatwick will soon be 6tph (4tph Thameslink, 2tph Great Western) so no need for a through service from Kent to Gatwick.

 

[GW43125]

so what stock could be used 458's?

Although unlikely to happen, if such a service were reinstated I doubt they'd use 458s due to their 75mph top speed.

 

[ashworth]

Simplest option would be to extend Southern's Victoria-Redhill-Tonbridge service to Dover.

That perhaps wouldn't be a bad idea. When you consider how many destinations along the South Coast all the way from Hastings to Southampton can be reached on direct services from East Croydon and even more along to Weymouth from Clapham Junction. There always seems to be crowds of people boarding these trains at both East Croydon and Clapham Junction. Perhaps extending the list of destinations eastwards into Kent would work.

 

[Antman]

Simplest option would be to extend Southern's Victoria-Redhill-Tonbridge service to Dover. Redhill-Gatwick will soon be 6tph (4tph Thameslink, 2tph Great Western) so no need for a through service from Kent to Gatwick.

Interesting idea about the extension to Dover but I think people laden with luggage want a direct service to the airport. If they have to change they'll probably go via London?

 

[JamesRowden]

Interesting idea about the extension to Dover but I think people laden with luggage want a direct service to the airport. If they have to change they'll probably go via London?

It would take substantially longer to travel via London Bridge (and require a more complicated change if changing at St Pancras). I doubt London would even be a permitted route from stations south of Tonbridge.

 

[Antman]

It would take substantially longer to travel via London Bridge (and require a more complicated change if changing at St Pancras). I doubt London would even be a permitted route from stations south of Tonbridge.

Victoria or London Bridge when Thameslink is open is fairly straightforward even if it does cost more.

 

[Starmill]

Citation please. Sounds like passenger bias/general BS

SE have recently begun to use a small number of 377/5. They applied to DfT for the use of I think about 30*4 car units to strengthen Mainline and Metro routes. Their application has been rejected on the grounds they cannot stable and/or maintain that many extra units.

No timetable changes have taken place. A significant number of peak services are formed of less than the maximum length the route can accommodate. It's fairly obvious to me what was meant.

 

[Townsend Hook]

It would seem logical that any Tonbridge - Gatwick service be in the hands of SN rather than SE, surely? Being entirely on their patch, with (at least) Redhill crews having route knowledge for the entire stretch.

 

[JamesRowden]

Victoria or London Bridge when Thameslink is open is fairly straightforward even if it does cost more.

And a single change at Redhill wouldn't be?

The Victoria-Redhill-Dover service could stop at Ashford only between Paddock Wood and Folkestone. A Reading-Redhill service could also be extended to East Kent if the 3tph North Downs service goes ahead and there is enough demand for a 2tph service between Redhill and Tonbridge. This would allow one of the services to be faster between Redhill and Tonbridge.