SW Trains and Southampton

[38Cto15E]

Guys
For a change, and the first time in about 30 years I am going from WAT to Southampton and then Red Funnel ferry to East Cowes, out Tues 6th about 1230 and RTN Wed 7th about 1630-1700 from SOU.

I note that Advance fares are not available to SOU, would it be better for me to purchase WAT-Brockenhurst rtn and a Brockenhurst-SOU rtn, or is there a simpler way around things?
I have a senior Railcard, I want to go with Red Funnel from Southampton because it is a 1 hour boat trip each way, the only cruise I'll be going on this year
TIA

 

[OwlMan]

Try megatrain.

See www.megabus.com

tickets are available from £1 upwards
for example

Tue 06 July 2010
London Waterloo - Southampton Central 1 seat = £4.00
1 passenger
11:39 Depart London Waterloo
Southampton Central 13:17
This service is operated by South West Trains

Tue 06 July 2010
London Waterloo - Southampton Central 1 seat = £1.00
1 passenger
10:39 Depart London Waterloo
Southampton Central 12:17
This service is operated by South West Trains

Wed 07 July 2010
Southampton Central - London Waterloo 1 seat = £4.00
1 passenger
17:55 Depart Southampton Central
London Waterloo 19:38
This service is operated by South West Trains

Wed 07 July 2010
Southampton Central - London Waterloo 1 seat = £1.00
1 passenger
18:55 Depart Southampton Central
London Waterloo 20:34
This service is operated by South West Trains

Booking Fee: £0.50


Peter

 

[wintonian]

Splitting at Basingstoke normally saves a couple of quid down here.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
A saver return from Waterloo to East Cowes is £49.50 splitting at Basingstoke it's £62.60 but would be cheaper if you were going and coming back the same day.

I don't know though if the £49.50 is cheaper or not than separate ferry/ train tickets, but you do get your 1/3 off with a railcard i.e. £32.65 making up most of the £25 outlay for a Network card.

 

[sonic2009]

an idea here..

6th July.

1132 London Victoria to Southampton Central arr 1359

Southampton Central Bus to Southampton Town Quay

1500 Southampton Town Quay to East Cowes

7th July .

1530 East Cowes to Southampton Town Quay arr 1625

Bus Southampton Quay to Southampton Central

1713 Southampton Central to London Victoria

£18.50 Off Peak Return London to Southampton Southern Trains only
£14.40 Off Peak Return Southampton to East Cowes

total cost £32.90

 

[Oracle]

The bus to the ferry terminal is free by the way, and goes from the bus stand on the south side, next to the usual arrivals platform.

 

[thefab444]

Brighton - East Cowes route NOT LONDON £24.40 (SVR) compared to £32.65 for the Waterloo - East Cowes SVR.

This will only be valid from Clapham Junction so you'll need to get there, but I'm guessing you'll be buying a travelcard/using Oyster on both days to get to Waterloo anyway. If you're not in a hurry, Megatrain will be the cheapest option.

 

[Southern]

6th July

0932 Victoria - Southampton Central, 1201
Southern
£2.50 Advance Single

1300 Southampton - East Cowes
£9.20 Period Return (Valid 90 days)

7th July

1730 East Cowes - Southampton

1911 Southampton Central - Victoria, 2148
Southern
£2.50 Advance Single

Total = £14.20

If you want to use SWT, there is currently a £4.00 megabus fare available for the 1039 from Waterloo, arriving Southampton 1217. On the return, assuming the ferry does take 55 minutes and you can disembark, get the bus and be back at Southampton in in half an hour, the 18:55 to Waterloo has a £1 seat available, booked at megabus.com.

 

[38Cto15E]

Thanks for the input guys, just a quickie. What is the stock like on WAT-SOU trains, the trains to Weymouth? seem better than than the (Megabus) stopping trains.
I am not desperate to save money if it means travelling a little better, I may go for the off peak return with railcard which seems to work out at £23-15 and get the faster train.
Then I would get a bus to Town quay and then cruise up the Solent to East Cowes.
I have nothing against the newer Catamaran type boats, but it is nice to get on an old fashioned boat now and again.
Binoculars out, I may spot Jack Rolfe near Hamble. (You young guns won't know Jack Rolfe)

 

[wintonian]

More than likely a class 444 from Waterloo to Weymouth or maybe a 450 with 3 + 2 seating on a Poole train (internal pictures in links). personally I find the 444 a little more comfortable for longer journeys.

Strangely I have never even noticed a Megatrain coach, though I have never used it but they are the same trains just a special coach, though again I am not sure if they use the 444 Weymouth trains or the 450/ 444 Poole ones.

Edit: Having just looked at the timetable it appears Megatrain runs on the Poole trains in 1hr 38min compared to 1hr 14min on the fast Weymouth ones so likely to be a 450.

 

[38Cto15E]

wintonian
Many thanks for those links, blow the saving, I am going by 444.
I am not sure if megatrain pax all have to sit in the same coach, like the cheap charley coach
Anyway it's the 444 4 me

 

[wintonian]

Oh and don't forget to bring an iPod or ear plugs for the constant barrage of SWT announcements.

 

[thefab444]

Of the Megatrain workings people suggested, the 1139 WAT - POO is booked 4 450, and the 1239 WAT - POO is booked 5 444. The 1755 SOU - WAT (1650 from POO) is booked 5 444 and the 1855 SOU - WAT (1750 from POO) is booked 4 450. On weekdays it's about half and half between 444s and 450s on the Poole stopping services, on weekends they are entirely 444 operated.

With regards announcements, you'll be welcomed leaving Waterloo, possibly Clapham Junction, Basingstoke and Winchester or Eastleigh. So that's 4 readings of the calling pattern (compared with 8 if it was a Southern 377). You'll also get a handful of extra security announcements (probably about 3, two after leaving Waterloo and one after leaving Basingstoke). The other announcements are so short as to be insigificant. In reality, that's no worse than Southern and the voice is much quicker.

 

[Southern]

1039 is also booked for a 444.

 

[paul1609]

I commute on Southern and find I dont notice the announcements.
The ones on desiros sound like Daleks. i think they must get queued in the system they endlessly nag between Pompey Harbour and Fratton.
The best one is on a London Bound 444/450 combo at Fratton where having droned on about fare evaders being exterminated. it suddenly realises its at a short platform and starts announcing "move forward". The panic this causes as everyone realises they have to get off through the 450 has to seen to be believed. You have a 50/50 chance of someone operating the emergency door release!

 

[wibble]

Strangely I have never even noticed a Megatrain coach, though I have never used it but they are the same trains just a special coach, though again I am not sure if they use the 444 Weymouth trains or the 450/ 444 Poole ones.

Megatrain isn't labelled on any SWT service.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

But they do put a notice board up at the buffer line on the departing platform at Waterloo saying "Megatrain passengers must travel in the front carriage" ( or whatever carriage it is ).

 

[bb21]

They used to designate a special coach when Megatrain operation first started but I can't say that I have noticed them lately. EMT has never had such designations which leads me to believe that such practice has been discontinued

 

[Peter Mugridge]

I saw the Megatrain notice board on my most recent trip from Waterloo to Southampton ( well, actually through to Lymington! ) on 12th March this year. The train in question was the 10.35*.


*Or at least it was when I boarded it; it was cancelled ( no driver ) at around 10.50 and the same stock immediately became a very crowded 11.05, although the board was certainly in place for the 10.35.

 

[38Cto15E]

Just a quick resume of my trip, the 1305 from WAT was 444001 a 5 car set.
It rode pretty well, was quiet, other than the PA announcements both from the TM and auto announce.
The toilets are a bit spartan on these sets.
The seats align pretty good to the windows with a large glass area compared with say 222s although they didn't seem that comfortable.
The train both ways was on time, as I said rode pretty good and nice not to have a diesel engine under the floor as per the 222s.
Sir Lamiel was at Clapham looking magnificent, although not in steam.
The Red Funnel car ferry is a nice journey to Cowes up Southampton water.
Free bus is excellent from SOU to Red Funnel.
All in all, very pleased, £23-15 off peak return plus £9.20 return for the boat, I did not see any Megatrain signs and I am not sure if you can sit where you want with a Mega ticket and if the TM will move you if you are not in the right seat.
Once agin BMs thanks for your help

 

[wintonian]

Glad you had a good day.

SWT stopped doing seat reservations at the December timetable change, not that they normally bothered to put them out for trips from Waterloo anyway.

 

[Oracle]

The main problemo with reservations was on the first train to arrive at Waterloo after 10,30...whole cars reserved for foreign students sterilising seats that us regulars would have liked.

 

[wibble]

The main problemo with reservations was on the first train to arrive at Waterloo after 10,30...whole cars reserved for foreign students sterilising seats that us regulars would have liked.

The first train from into Waterloo that offered seat reservations arrived at 0953 from Weymouth or 1019 from Exeter (although you were lucky if the staff at Exeter put the reservations out!).

 

[wintonian]

True the 10 o’clock ish trains were full of reserved seats without anyone sitting in them. :roll:

 

[wibble]

True the 10 o’clock ish trains were full of reserved seats without anyone sitting in them. :roll:

That's why SWT got rid of seat reservations! They're only really of benefit if you're elderly/disabled and actually need a seat, IMHO.