South Western Mainline Improvements.

[TrainTube]

The SWR franchise is said to be at risk of nationalisation, but I believe most of the disruption is down to capacity and bottlenecks rather than poor management. Network rail could improve the South West Mainline and minimise disruption, here are some ideas:

- Improving track layout before Surbiton as trains currently are slowing down much earlier than the station. If trains on the slow line were running late they should be able to maintain speed and arrive into platform 3, this would recover about 2 mins.
- A 5th track between Raynes Park and Clapham Junction, bi directional. This would alleviate congestion on the fast lines and a switch for trains on the slow lines to the parallel fast line would also alleviate congestion, e.g. morning/evening services stopping at New Malden could run fast to Waterloo.
- Crossrail 2 is proposed, albeit a very long way away but the current proposal is trains leave the main line after Wimbledon going Northbound. This is a bad idea as it puts enormous pressure on the track between Raynes Park and Wimbledon.
- ATO operation. When things do go wrong, trains wont be held back as much as they are now because the train would be driven automatically. This would be done with the introduction of 701s.

I'm not trying to be biased here, but the SWR network is the most heavily used network in the country and the terminus at Waterloo is the 3rd busiest station complex in Europe. The route needs upgrading so there is less disruption and a better service for the millions that use it each day.

 

[PTR 444]

I've probably said this hundreds of times before, but I would like to see:

• Grade separated flyover at Woking.
• Faster services between Waterloo and Weymouth.
• A more frequent local service between Southampton Central and Portsmouth.
• More through trains from the Aldershot - Ascot line to London Waterloo.
• Remaining metro services transferred to London Overground once Crossrail 2 is fully operational.
• An additional train per hour on the West of England line west of Salisbury. This could be done by splitting two class 158s at said station so one runs semi-fast to Exeter and the other calls at all stations.
• New stations at Oakley (west of Basingstoke), Knowle (north of Fareham) and Wilton (west of Salisbury).
• Double-tracking of the line between Moreton and Dorchester South.

 

[Bald Rick]

The SWR franchise is said to be at risk of nationalisation, but I believe most of the disruption is down to capacity and bottlenecks rather than poor management. Network rail could improve the South West Mainline and minimise disruption, here are some ideas:

- Improving track layout before Surbiton as trains currently are slowing down much earlier than the station. If trains on the slow line were running late they should be able to maintain speed and arrive into platform 3, this would recover about 2 mins.
- A 5th track between Raynes Park and Clapham Junction, bi directional. This would alleviate congestion on the fast lines and a switch for trains on the slow lines to the parallel fast line would also alleviate congestion, e.g. morning/evening services stopping at New Malden could run fast to Waterloo.
- Crossrail 2 is proposed, albeit a very long way away but the current proposal is trains leave the main line after Wimbledon going Northbound. This is a bad idea as it puts enormous pressure on the track between Raynes Park and Wimbledon.
- ATO operation. When things do go wrong, trains wont be held back as much as they are now because the train would be driven automatically. This would be done with the introduction of 701s.

I'm not trying to be biased here, but the SWR network is the most heavily used network in the country and the terminus at Waterloo is the busiest station complex in Europe. The route needs upgrading so there is less disruption and a better service for the millions that use it each day.

I’m sure the station manager at Gare du Nord would be interested to hear how Waterloo is busier than his/her station.

 

[TrainTube]

I’m sure the station manager at Gare du Nord would be interested to hear how Waterloo is busier than his/her station.

Edited, I didn't realise how much Hamburg Hbf and Gare du Nord had, the complex of London Waterloo (Railway station+Underground) is around 195 million. Its still ver busy though!

 

[TrainTube]

I've probably said this hundreds of times before, but I would like to see:

• Grade separated flyover at Woking.
• Faster services between Waterloo and Weymouth.
• A more frequent local service between Southampton Central and Portsmouth.
• More through trains from the Aldershot - Ascot line to London Waterloo.
• Remaining metro services transferred to London Overground once Crossrail 2 is fully operational.
• An additional train per hour on the West of England line west of Salisbury. This could be done by splitting two class 158s at said station so one runs semi-fast to Exeter and the other calls at all stations.
• New stations at Oakley (west of Basingstoke), Knowle (north of Fareham) and Wilton (west of Salisbury).
• Double-tracking of the line between Moreton and Dorchester South.

Double tracking of the West of England line is needed aswell!

 

[randyrippley]

...............................An additional train per hour on the West of England line west of Salisbury. This could be done by splitting two class 158s at said station so one runs semi-fast to Exeter and the other calls at all stations.................

Is there enough capacity through the long signal blocks to do that, especially through the single sections? Two trains per hour each way could be pushing things

 

[swt_passenger]

The SWR franchise is said to be at risk of nationalisation, but I believe most of the disruption is down to capacity and bottlenecks rather than poor management. Network rail could improve the South West Mainline and minimise disruption, here are some ideas:

- Improving track layout before Surbiton as trains currently are slowing down much earlier than the station. If trains on the slow line were running late they should be able to maintain speed and arrive into platform 3, this would recover about 2 mins.
- A 5th track between Raynes Park and Clapham Junction, bi directional. This would alleviate congestion on the fast lines and a switch for trains on the slow lines to the parallel fast line would also alleviate congestion, e.g. morning/evening services stopping at New Malden could run fast to Waterloo.
- Crossrail 2 is proposed, albeit a very long way away but the current proposal is trains leave the main line after Wimbledon going Northbound. This is a bad idea as it puts enormous pressure on the track between Raynes Park and Wimbledon.
- ATO operation. When things do go wrong, trains wont be held back as much as they are now because the train would be driven automatically. This would be done with the introduction of 701s.

I'm not trying to be biased here, but the SWR network is the most heavily used network in the country and the terminus at Waterloo is the 3rd busiest station complex in Europe. The route needs upgrading so there is less disruption and a better service for the millions that use it each day.

Crossrail 2 or 5th tracking (but definitely not both) are assessed in depth in the last Wessex route study. Crossrail 2 brings with it six tracking through New Malden and Raynes Park. So it’s all covered.

The 701s are supposed to have computer assisted braking and automatic door opening.

You aren’t really coming up with any new ideas...

 

[TrainTube]

The 701s are supposed to have computer assisted braking and automatic door opening.

You aren’t really coming up with any new ideas...

Computer assisted braking and automatic door braking isn't good enough though, ATO is needed due to the amount of congestion.

I'm not trying to come up with new ideas, just improvements that would be effective and realistic. I haven't heard ATO or the Surbiton track layout mentioned before either.