Southeastern to Waterloo Mainline (29/8~1/9/17, next Xmas 2017)

[Cletus]

Oh yeah, it went back in time somewhere between Vauxhall and Waterloo?

 

[MotCO]

Pretty impressive - look at the detail version

Why (and how) does it go through Denmark Hill (DMK) twice?

 

[MrB]

Been lots of random timings.

This one apparently skipped Sevenoaks and arrived at Waterloo 26 minutes early!
http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/J00785/2017/08/31

This is what I'm hoping for tomorrow afternoon when I'm travelling

Trains on this route are often shown as not stopping at Sevenoaks on RTT even when they do. Possibly an issue with the feed somewhere.

 

[30907]

Why (and how) does it go through Denmark Hill (DMK) twice?

Not for nothing is it known as the Catford Loop line

The previous train supposedly did the same, but avoided the Vauxhall timewarp BTW

 

[Cletus]

OTT has the correct timings by the look of it.
http://www.opentraintimes.com/schedule/J00785/2017-08-31

 

[MotCO]

Why (and how) does it go through Denmark Hill (DMK) twice?

Looking at it again, it seems to go through

Denmark Hill [DMK]
Cambria Jn
Canterbury Road Junction
Brixton [BRX]

then seems to reverse back through the same points

Canterbury Road Junction
Cambria Jn
Denmark Hill [DMK]

Does this mean tickets are invalid because of the 'doubling back' rule?

 

[urpert]

Just got to Sevenoaks in time to see this tweet

https://twitter.com/Se_Railway/status/903536571709784065

 

[island]

One begins to wonder why they bothered.

 

[Kite159]

Hopefully the diversions will resume later this afternoon once the signalling has been repaired

 

[SpacePhoenix]

Hopefully the diversions will resume later this afternoon once the signalling has been repaired

According to NRE the problems at Waterloo will last until 16:00, platform 1 is shown on NRE as being OOU atm with a points problem.

 

[Cletus]

Just boarded 375827/375803 on the 1658 ez-Dover Prory.

 

[Kite159]

These services make the Thameslink crawl from Croydon to Blackfriars seem fast! Currently heading back to Waterloo after a quick spin to Sevenoaks.

 

[Joe Paxton]

These services make the Thameslink crawl from Croydon to Blackfriars seem fast! Currently heading back to Waterloo after a quick spin to Sevenoaks.

Yep, glacial timing!

 

[Joe Paxton]

One begins to wonder why they bothered.

It's hard not to wonder that, given the issues this week.

Still I got the novelty of it in whilst making a journey I actually needed to!

What's with the ugly breeze-block bunkers on the platforms at Waterloo ex-International? Don't think Nicholas Grimshaw would approve! They are vaguely reminiscent of photos of the GDR border guard 'bunker rooms' on closed 'ghost station' U-Bahn platforms in Berlin where trains from the Western side ran under the Eastern side.

Precautions against rail-based invasion from the Chunnel? (Though isn't Southeastern the invader here?)

 

[class303]

Took the 16.57 from Waterloo yesterday. So that's the Waterloo curve done.

Not much to do in Sevenoaks! quickly got a train back to London.

Was it worth it? Probably not.

 

[theageofthetra]

Took the 16.57 from Waterloo yesterday. So that's the Waterloo curve done.

Not much to do in Sevenoaks! quickly got a train back to London.

Was it worth it? Probably not.

Plenty to do in Sevenoaks but unfortunately it involves a 15 min walk up Tubbs Hill.

 

[bb21]

Plenty to do in Sevenoaks but unfortunately it involves a 15 min walk up Tubbs Hill.

There is a nice chippy across the road from the station. All food freshly cooked and their fish cake is second to none ime.

 

[theageofthetra]

There is a nice chippy across the road from the station. All food freshly cooked and their fish cake is second to none ime.

The Halfway House pub is 5 mins from the station and also decent. Sadly both of the station pubs went years ago with the site of The Farmers a derelict hole for over 15 years.

 

[Bromley boy]

There is a nice chippy across the road from the station. All food freshly cooked and their fish cake is second to none ime.

"Nice" is a strong word for that particular chippy. Patchy qualify to say the least, but there is very little else within striking distance!

 

[Alteran Ancient]

So, that's it. Southeastern will be back in their normal places as of tomorrow.

I gave the Waterloo to Dover service a run on Thursday. It was certainly a nice change of scenery to straddle the South Bank of the Thames up to Battersea. The Linford curve was nothing particularly special, but did its job. The running time from Waterloo up to Linford was probably not that different from the time it normally takes leaving Victoria and navigating the points and the incline up to Grosvenor Bridge to the same pont.

It was only the awkward routing via the Catford Loop and then getting stuck at Lewisham Vale whilst waiting for several Cannon Street trains to go through that slowed the service down. A friend of mine made the same journey at a different time, and due to problems at Lewisham, his train was routed via Bromley South not stopping, and this was apparently a lot smoother.

Also to Southeastern's credit, they were very quick to preemptively divert the service to run to Blackfriars as Waterloo had several signal-related issues throughout the week.

All in all, this temporary change of home to Waterloo felt like an experiment more than a necessity - "we'll give a try because the option is on the table and it hasn't been done before". Whilst I see little point of having regular Kent services to Waterloo Main, it certainly does look viable in the future as an alternative during planned engineering works or other times of disruption. At least, perhaps once they've re-opened the international platforms again.

 

[Cletus]

Southeastern are also planning to go into Waterloo during the Christmas-New Year works too.

 

[Antman]

Southeastern are also planning to go into Waterloo during the Christmas-New Year works too.

Hopefully this will become the norm when there is engineering works at Victoria, Waterloo is a lot more convenient than Blackfriars.

 

[pompeyfan]

Hopefully this will become the norm when there is engineering works at Victoria, Waterloo is a lot more convenient than Blackfriars.

Pie in the sky idea time, but if SWR wanted to/had to divert to another London 3rd rail London terminus, which one is the closest/most convenient in terms of track miles, capacity etc etc?

 

[infobleep]

Southeastern are also planning to go into Waterloo during the Christmas-New Year works too.

I might give myself a Christmas present and travel on it.

 

[swt_passenger]

Pie in the sky idea time, but if SWR wanted to/had to divert to another London 3rd rail London terminus, which one is the closest/most convenient in terms of track miles, capacity etc etc?

I think nearest would be off the Windsor side to Victoria via the Ludgate lines, the route the charter trains go. Pretty useless for a significant service though.

I don't think any other terminus allows decent platform capacity or operating ease, which is probably why it would never be likely to happen.

Planned engineering work routinely reduces Waterloo to half the approach tracks at weekends and they have always managed without diversions elsewhere.

 

[swt_passenger]

I might give myself a Christmas present and travel on it.

Hope you feel lucky. I ended up with a random Sevenoaks to Blackfriars run, as I posted a few days ago... :cry:

 

[pompeyfan]

I think nearest would be off the Windsor side to Victoria via the Ludgate lines, the route the charter trains go. Pretty useless for a significant service though.

I don't think any other terminus allows decent platform capacity or operating ease, which is probably why it would never be likely to happen.

Planned engineering work routinely reduces Waterloo to half the approach tracks at weekends and they have always managed without diversions elsewhere.

Completely agree it'll never happen, I asked purely to satisfy my curiosity.

 

[urpert]

Hope you feel lucky. I ended up with a random Sevenoaks to Blackfriars run, as I posted a few days ago... :cry:

You and I both :-/

 

[Dr_Intoxicated]

There is a nice chippy across the road from the station. All food freshly cooked and their fish cake is second to none ime.

Can they be as good as West Yorkshire fish cakes where you get a real piece of fish sandwiched between two slices of potato?

 

[godfreycomplex]

Can they be as good as West Yorkshire fish cakes where you get a real piece of fish sandwiched between two slices of potato?

Oh what delights of wonder and fulfilment
(Incidentally for those of us in the beautiful South fancying one of these delights should make tracks for the fisheries in Brookwood as that's the only one I've found)