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Salisbury to Exeter

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Amlag

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The overall service on this line since SWR took over has without a doubt deteriorated noticeably.
Whilst First Rail's SWR sister GWR ran at minimum an hourly service on almost all its routes during the plague, the Waterloo/Exeter main line west of Salisbury was treated for much of the year, since March 2020,as an undeserving branch line with a train provided for most of the day, at best, just every TWO hours and with Bustitution only for some East Devon stns

Last w/e 1-3 May there were no trains between Axminster and Exeter alledgedly because SWR had not made alternative arrangements to fuel elsewhere, eg at their sister GWR's Exeter St D depot or by road tanker at Yeovil Jn up sdgs or at Yeovil PM former goods yard sdgs. There were apparently no significant works by Network Rail or it's Contractors taking place between Axmnster and Exeter that would have prevented trains running; so instead rail passengers had to endure Bustitution.
It is thought these unsatisfactory arrangements are to also apply for at least the next two weekends.
 
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tiptoptaff

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Getting a fuel tanker to a siding doesn't solve the fuel issue.

A unit when fuelled requires a fuel point exam. You cannot conduct these in sidings.

Exeter depot is undergoing huge redevelopment and for the last two years GWR has sent units empty each night to Bristol and empty back in the morning as there isn't the space in Exeter for the full overnight compliment of units. So there's no way that SWR units could be accommodated additionally at Exeter.

And just because First own both companies, doesn't mean they work together. They are completely separate entities and operationally are as separate now as they were in the SWT days.
 

Amlag

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With a bit of local (Exeter) Management the SWR units could I suspect be fuelled during the quiet daytime at this depot's fuelling road eg between 0800 and 1800 when most of GW's units are out in service. SWR units could stable as they usually do in Exeter New Yard.

During the lengthy RMT Guards dispute on SWR some Exeter GW managers helped SWR and covered some Guards duties on sister SWR trains between Exeter and Yeovil Jn.
 

tiptoptaff

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That doesn't solve the FPX issue. GW fitters aren't trained on 159s. There aren't many differences, but enough.

In plain letters. GWR fuelling SWR units at Exeter isn't feasible
 

philosopher

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The overall service on this line since SWR took over has without a doubt deteriorated noticeably.
Whilst First Rail's SWR sister GWR ran at minimum an hourly service on almost all its routes during the plague, the Waterloo/Exeter main line west of Salisbury was treated for much of the year, since March 2020,as an undeserving branch line with a train provided for most of the day, at best, just every TWO hours and with Bustitution only for some East Devon stns

Last w/e 1-3 May there were no trains between Axminster and Exeter alledgedly because SWR had not made alternative arrangements to fuel elsewhere, eg at their sister GWR's Exeter St D depot or by road tanker at Yeovil Jn up sdgs or at Yeovil PM former goods yard sdgs. There were apparently no significant works by Network Rail or it's Contractors taking place between Axmnster and Exeter that would have prevented trains running; so instead rail passengers had to endure Bustitution.
It is thought these unsatisfactory arrangements are to also apply for at least the next two weekends.
I used this line one weekend last August to visit a friend in Axminster. On the Saturday I had to change at Salisbury and I think there was only a train west of Salisbury every other hour. Oddly however on the Sunday, the train back to London was direct but I still think it was only every other hour.

No catering was provided on any of the trains, which is not great for a three hour train journey on a line with many small stations that probably have no buffet.
 

Bald Rick

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Wasn’t there a massive Covid outbreak at one of the SWR depots down that way?
 

D6975

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It isn't that long ago that 1tp2h was the normal level of service on the Waterloo-Exeter route.
 

hexagon789

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It isn't that long ago that 1tp2h was the normal level of service on the Waterloo-Exeter route.
December 2009? I think it coincided with the end of WoE extensions beyond Exeter to Paignton, Plymouth and Penzance.
 

Flange Squeal

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December 2009? I think it coincided with the end of WoE extensions beyond Exeter to Paignton, Plymouth and Penzance.
That's correct. It also saw the opening of the dynamic loop at Axminster, which helped facilitate the hourly service.
 

vikingdriver

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There was a complaint on Twitter about engineering works between Axminster and Exeter St David's and SWR stated that they were last minute. The updated engineering summary pictures they post showed the work.
 

Wilts Wanderer

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It isn't that long ago that 1tp2h was the normal level of service on the Waterloo-Exeter route.

That was the normal level of service at the Exeter end of the route. Basingstoke-Salisbury was hourly and a fair few trains continued through to Gillingham or Yeovil Junction.
 

hexagon789

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That's correct. It also saw the opening of the dynamic loop at Axminster, which helped facilitate the hourly service.
Couldn't remember if the loop coincided exactly with the increase in frequency or if it opened slightly before but lack of units meant the frequency couldn't be increased straightway
 

30907

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The overall service on this line since SWR took over has without a doubt deteriorated noticeably.
Whilst First Rail's SWR sister GWR ran at minimum an hourly service on almost all its routes during the plague, the Waterloo/Exeter main line west of Salisbury was treated for much of the year, since March 2020,as an undeserving branch line with a train provided for most of the day, at best, just every TWO hours and with Bustitution only for some East Devon stns
It isn't impressive, even allowing for covid, that it has taken a full year to restore through services across Salisbury (wef 17 May).
 

TEW

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That doesn't solve the FPX issue. GW fitters aren't trained on 159s. There aren't many differences, but enough.

In plain letters. GWR fuelling SWR units at Exeter isn't feasible
A 159 is booked to visit Exeter Depot on weekdays in the new timetable. Arrives 1142 and leaves at 1425. I'm not quite sure why, maybe a lack of space to stable in New Yard.
 

northernbelle

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With a bit of local (Exeter) Management the SWR units could I suspect be fuelled during the quiet daytime at this depot's fuelling road eg between 0800 and 1800 when most of GW's units are out in service. SWR units could stable as they usually do in Exeter New Yard.

During the lengthy RMT Guards dispute on SWR some Exeter GW managers helped SWR and covered some Guards duties on sister SWR trains between Exeter and Yeovil Jn.
There isn't enough time between the unit arriving (xx45) and it going back out again (xx25) to reliably get it across to the depot, fuel and back again.


That doesn't solve the FPX issue. GW fitters aren't trained on 159s. There aren't many differences, but enough.

In plain letters. GWR fuelling SWR units at Exeter isn't feasible
It will be feasible in the near future - SWR 158/9s will receive light overnight servicing at Exeter once the new depot is fully operational.
 

randyrippley

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..............Last w/e 1-3 May there were no trains between Axminster and Exeter alledgedly because SWR had not made alternative arrangements to fuel elsewhere, eg at their sister GWR's Exeter St D depot or by road tanker at Yeovil Jn up sdgs or at Yeovil PM former goods yard sdgs.................
Getting a tanker to Yeovil Junction is surprisingly awkward. Trucks are banned on the direct route along Newton Road from Yeovil (weak bridge) while you'd have to be brave to use Two Tower Lane.
You could send a tanker on a circuitous route via Stoford, but it would have to be a small tanker.
As for Pen Mill, what would be the use of that? It's the wrong line!
 

158747

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That doesn't solve the FPX issue. GW fitters aren't trained on 159s. There aren't many differences, but enough.
158s and 159s are the same, the 158/0s were originally built as 158s and the 159/1s were originally Trans Pennine 3-car 158s.
 

HamworthyGoods

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A 159 is booked to visit Exeter Depot on weekdays in the new timetable. Arrives 1142 and leaves at 1425. I'm not quite sure why, maybe a lack of space to stable in New Yard.

I believe this is about getting GWR fitters etc familiarised on 159s etc to allow servicing to be undertaken there.

158s and 159s are the same, the 158/0s were originally built as 158s and the 159/1s were originally Trans Pennine 3-car 158s.

They aren’t the EXACT same. The 159s had certain modifications at Rosyth before entering traffic. The differences are minimal but still in railway terms sufficient to require a short conversion course/briefing.
 

Grecian 1998

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The service west of Salisbury was 1tp2h plus some extras to Yeovil Jct or Gillingham until December 2004, when it became hourly to Yeovil Jct plus peak extras to there and Gillingham. This did lead to up trains spending about 10 minutes at Tisbury loop which wasn't ideal, as it mean Yeovil - London was around 2.5 hours and Exeter Central - London 3 hours 35 minutes, although faster in the down direction. Axminster loop was completed just in time for the December 2009 change. It also led to down trains generally sitting at Tisbury loop for a shorter time, reducing journey times from Exeter Central - London to just under 3 hours 20 minutes in both directions.

I do recall when SWR took over they were publishing their intended improved journey times from various stations to London. Salisbury-London was highlighted but not Exeter or Yeovil, even though the hourly train from Exeter was the one to be accelerated. I also seem to recall there were also numerous short-formed trains for some time due to SWR changing the maintenance regime. It has always seemed like a service SWR aren't very interested in.

A further irritant is the long layovers at Yeovil Junction in both directions. If the route is almost entirely self-contained other than on the approaches into Exeter and Salisbury, it doesn't seem that it should be too difficult to speed up journey times.
 

Parham Wood

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Could someone explain why it is weekends only that is the issue, surely they have to be fuelled during the week as well? Also why is this suddenly an issue and why could it not have been foreseen and planned for, or is it COVID disrupting things?
 

swt_passenger

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Could someone explain why it is weekends only that is the issue, surely they have to be fuelled during the week as well? Also why is this suddenly an issue and why could it not have been foreseen and planned for, or is it COVID disrupting things?
if the engineering work originally planned for last weekend was the same as this weekend, the line was closed Salisbury to Gillingham (and Warminster), with an isolated SWR service running between Gillingham and Exeter. So the implication is the allocated units were stuck at that end of the route for all day Sat and Sun, ie it’s nothing like the normal weekday situation...
 

vikingdriver

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Could someone explain why it is weekends only that is the issue, surely they have to be fuelled during the week as well? Also why is this suddenly an issue and why could it not have been foreseen and planned for, or is it COVID disrupting things?

I mentioned further up the thread, this was raised on their twitter account and the reply was there were last minute engineering works between Axminster and Exeter. Looks like posters on stations didn't show it but those online did. So either they've made up the engineering works or the no fuel is a red herring!
 

swt_passenger

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I mentioned further up the thread, this was raised on their twitter account and the reply was there were last minute engineering works between Axminster and Exeter. Looks like posters on stations didn't show it but those online did. So either they've made up the engineering works or the no fuel is a red herring!
Sounds feasible about the fuel. Didn’t the Lymington unit spend a few days away from Salisbury at a time on one tankful?
 
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