SWR Strike Timetables

[infobleep]

There is a flow of passengers I’ve noticed, which, if the up Reading train is slightly late and/or the ex Strawberry Hill is slightly early, lots of people will change platforms to move onto the faster service. Often, sometimes in rush hour the 2K service is considerably quieter leaving Twickenham.

But if the services are near full they will leave one train, may not be able to board another, and then be stuck on the platform as both trains potentially depart full.

 

[swr444]

There is a flow of passengers I’ve noticed, which, if the up Reading train is slightly late and/or the ex Strawberry Hill is slightly early, lots of people will change platforms to move onto the faster service. Often, sometimes in rush hour the 2K service is considerably quieter leaving Twickenham.

same happens with the ex sheppy that comes up via richmond in the am peak, i usually announce that there is a faster service on platform 4 at Twickenham and that we'll be held at twick for 9 mins (normal timetable stuff), you usually see 80% of the train leave and cross over. It's then full and standing by Barnes/Putney so it's good to get rid of that extra amount of pax

 

[gabrielhj07]

But if the services are near full they will leave one train, may not be able to board another, and then be stuck on the platform as both trains potentially depart full.

It’s not that severe as they would squeeze on the up Windsor instead, arrives only 5 minutes after the rounder.

 

[Goldfish62]

Playing devils advocate, why do they call at Twickenham and Richmond if no one can board?

Probably because those responsible at SWR are clueless and didn't realise that running 8-car trains twice an hour would result in hideous overcrowding. Can't think of any other reason.

The Hounslow loop, which is all 10 car and 4tph currently has 150% more capacity than the Richmond/Twickenham service each hour, which is utter madness.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 23 Dec 2022 ==

There is a flow of passengers I’ve noticed, which, if the up Reading train is slightly late and/or the ex Strawberry Hill is slightly early, lots of people will change platforms to move onto the faster service. Often, sometimes in rush hour the 2K service is considerably quieter leaving Twickenham.

Except at the moment there are no Strawberry Hill trains. If you can't board at Twickenham it's a 30 min for the next 8 car train which is provably also already full.

 

[gabrielhj07]

Except at the moment there are no Strawberry Hill trains. If you can't board at Twickenham it's a 30 min for the next 8 car train which is provably also already full.

Well quite, although there are Shepperton trains.

 

[Goldfish62]

Well quite, although there are Shepperton trains.

That's no good if you're at Twickenham!

 

[gabrielhj07]

That's no good if you're at Twickenham!

None whatsoever, but I was talking about passengers from Strawberry Hill, for whom Teddington/Fulwell is nearer.

 

[Goldfish62]

None whatsoever, but I was talking about passengers from Strawberry Hill, for whom Teddington/Fulwell is nearer.

Yes, Fulwell is the obvious one. Withing reasonable walking distance.

For Twickenham passengers it's either bus to Hounslow and then train or bus to Richmond and District line.

 

[swr444]

None whatsoever, but I was talking about passengers from Strawberry Hill, for whom Teddington/Fulwell is nearer.

Only an hourly service on the sheppy line outside of the peaks, they are probably nearly all full and standing by norbiton

 

[Goldfish62]

Only an hourly service on the sheppy line outside of the peaks, they are probably nearly all full and standing by norbiton

It's little wonder the MD was interviewed from what looked like her home office on Monday...

 

[pompeyfan]

Is this train related to the strike timetable?

Realtime Trains | 0940 London Waterloo to Salisbury | 23/12/2022

Real-time train running information for 0940 departure from London Waterloo to Salisbury on 23/12/2022. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

 

[infobleep]

I just noticed at 15:25 Waterloo to Bournemouth is running via Guildford. This wasn't running yesterday.

Is this the first time one has been able to catch a direct train from Haslemere and Petersfield to Bournemouth?

There was a 12:30 in the opposite direction too.

 

[jackot]

Is this the first time one has been able to catch a direct train from Haslemere and Petersfield to Bournemouth?

Do any of the SWML diverts stop at Haslemere or Petersfield during engineering works? I know they add on stops at Havant and Fareham.

 

[pompeyfan]

I just noticed at 15:25 Waterloo to Bournemouth is running via Guildford. This wasn't running yesterday.

Is this the first time one has been able to catch a direct train from Haslemere and Petersfield to Bournemouth?

There was a 12:30 in the opposite direction too.

Looks like they’ve been pathed to run in front of the stoppers too. I would suggest crowd busting using stock from Bournemouth although it’s odd that stock wasn’t used out of Fratton Depot.

 

[Peregrine 4903]

I’m not sure how it’s an over reaction if that is all that can be resourced within the operational staff available.

Are you sure about that though?

 

[Bumpkin]

Do any of the SWML diverts stop at Haslemere or Petersfield during engineering works? I know they add on stops at Havant and Fareham.

Normally they only call additionally at Fareham, Havant and Guildford. Not aware of any Haslemere stops on the Weymouth/Bournemouth services.

 

[TEW]

Do any of the SWML diverts stop at Haslemere or Petersfield during engineering works? I know they add on stops at Havant and Fareham.

Not booked, but have seen stops added during disruption occasionally.

 

[30907]

Looking at RTT, there seem to have been a number of additional trains.

 

[HamworthyGoods]

Are you sure about that though?

Wasn’t the issue the available number of operational staff to make the timetable changes?

 

[infobleep]

Not booked, but have seen stops added during disruption occasionally.

So it isn't the first time but it is extremely rare. I like taking services with rare stopping patterns. Alas, no time or reason to go to Bournemouth today. They did well to be able to path it in amongst the other services that would be running.

When I got the 19:26 Guildford to Godalming service the other night, Tuesday, it was 10 carriages but not rammed. I got a seat

 

[30907]

Wasn’t the issue the available number of operational staff to make the timetable changes?

Certainly AN issue - so they seem to have started from their standard emergency timetables.

 

[infobleep]

I see that the New Line Guildford via Cobham is getting services after midnight on New Year's Eve / Day. but the Epsom branch won't.

I'm surprised they have managed to resource such a service but that is really good news. Thanks to the planners for arranging it

I am assuming people can get back from London to Oxshott but you can't get to London from Oxshott, as the daytime timetable doesn't include trains via Cobham.

Just as one can get to London from Bookham but not back again after midnight.

New Year’s Eve: Trains on Saturday 31 December and Sunday 1 January
Accordion title Accordion title
We are pleased to confirm that additional services will be provided from London Waterloo following New Year’s Eve celebrations.

If you are travelling to London and back for New Year’s Eve festivities, please check both parts of your journey.

Saturday 31 December
Due to industrial action, a reduced service will operate across the SWR network. Services will start at 0700 and end at 2200.

Services to London Waterloo will depart much earlier than 2200. Customers should check their journeys using journey planners.

Sunday 1 January – additional services after midnight on New Year’s Eve
After the last services on Sunday 31 December, an additional 21 trains will run from London Waterloo. These trains are expected to be very busy.

The first of these additional trains leaves at 0030 and the last leaves at 0315.

Trains will run from London Waterloo to:

• Basingstoke
• Guildford
• Kingston
• Reading
• Staines
• Strawberry Hill
• Twickenham
• Woking

Please note that trains will have different calling patterns. For example, there are two services to Guildford, one calling at Vauxhall, Clapham Junction, and Woking, with the other calling at all stations via Cobham & Stoke D’Abernon.

Live Train Times & Travel Information | South Western Railway

Our journey planner provides live train times and train disruption information. Plan your journey and check for changes that might affect your journey

www.southwesternrailway.com

 

[Goldfish62]

I see that the New Line Guildford via Cobham is getting services after midnight on New Year's Eve / Day. but the Epsom branch won't.

I'm surprised they have managed to resource such a service but that is really good news. Thanks to the planners for arranging it

It's all very welcome of course.

The Reading line has never had additional NYE overnight services before. On a normal Saturday the last train would be 0020. I see on this night it's at 0035.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 29 Dec 2022 ==

I see SWR are up to their tricks again by claiming that Thursday 5th Jan is a national RMT strike day, therefore giving SWR the excuse to run a strike day timetable on that day. There's no overtime ban excuse to fall back on either.

On the last "in between strikes day" , 15th Dec a normal service with a late start was operated.

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3 to 8 January 2023 RMT strike​

The RMT has notified us of national strike action on Tuesday 3, Wednesday 4, Thursday 5, Friday 6 and Saturday 7 January.

 

[HamworthyGoods]

It's all very welcome of course.

The Reading line has never had additional NYE overnight services before. On a normal Saturday the last train would be 0020. I see on this night it's at 0035.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 29 Dec 2022 ==

I see SWR are up to their tricks again by claiming that Thursday 5th Jan is a national RMT strike day, therefore giving SWR the excuse to run a strike day timetable on that day. There's no overtime ban excuse to fall back on either.

On the last "in between strikes day" , 15th Dec a normal service with a late start was operated.

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The detail is incorrect as it’s actually an ASLEF strike day on the 5th but the outcome is the same!

 

[Goldfish62]

The detail is incorrect as it’s actually an ASLEF strike day on the 5th but the outcome is the same!

Last time I looked it was only depot drivers involved. When was the vote for strike action for all drivers? I missed that.

 

[HamworthyGoods]

Last time I looked it was only depot drivers involved. When was the vote for strike action for all drivers? I missed that.

It is only depot drivers - that’s why it’s a reduced service. If it was all ASLEF drivers it would be no service.

They are unable to run a full service with no depot drivers. As you are aware the RMT have been undertaking a work to rule/overtime ban since the ASLEF depot drivers strike was announced, that means there isn’t the planning resource due to working to rule to plan a different timetable. That is why it has switched from the full timetable on the 5th to the RMT overtime ban timetable as there’s no other option on the shelf.

It’s all very easy to look at who is taking industrial action on the day but don’t forget plans are done in advance so what is also relevant is the industrial action taking place in the run up.

Hope that helps explains things. This is where with the impact of the strike the railway starts to chase its own tail as industrial action prevents the railway planning for future industrial action!

 

[Goldfish62]

It is only depot drivers - that’s why it’s a reduced service. If it was all ASLEF drivers it would be no service.

They are unable to run a full service with no depot drivers. As you are aware the RMT have been undertaking a work to rule/overtime ban since the ASLEF depot drivers strike was announced, that means there isn’t the planning resource due to working to rule to plan a different timetable. That is why it has switched from the full timetable on the 5th to the RMT overtime ban timetable as there’s no other option on the shelf.

It’s all very easy to look at who is taking industrial action on the day but don’t forget plans are done in advance so what is also relevant is the industrial action taking place in the run up.

Hope that helps explains things. This is where with the impact of the strike the railway starts to chase its own tail as industrial action prevents the railway planning for future industrial action!

Thanks for the explanation. On this occasion it does indeed make perfect sense!

 

[HamworthyGoods]

Thanks for the explanation. On this occasion it does indeed make perfect sense!

Thanks! It’s quite difficult to explain!!

@Bald Rick is the absolute expert in industry planning but it was in a mess before the industrial action starting with the constant reworking of plans. The industrial action has near enough broken planning teams, add in some of them taking action themselves and it becomes impossible to come up with a variation on a theme so you have to pick the best available plan you have on the shelf.

 

[444045]

What has happened to the train service on Thursday 5th Jan, not a strike day, not on overtime ban, SWR Drivers are not involved in
the strikes, yet the service is the same as strike days, earlier this month when there were 2 48hrs strikes, SWR still managed a service
starting later from 0730, SO WHY cant they do the same on 5th Jan. Surely they can copy the same service alterations and crew diagrams.

Believe it or not, there are people who live in parts of Hampshire, Dorset & Surrey who would be very pleased to see a limited train
service across the network rather than those lucky to live in Southampton and above who get 2 trains an hour!!!!

 

[pompeyfan]

It is only depot drivers - that’s why it’s a reduced service. If it was all ASLEF drivers it would be no service.

They are unable to run a full service with no depot drivers. As you are aware the RMT have been undertaking a work to rule/overtime ban since the ASLEF depot drivers strike was announced, that means there isn’t the planning resource due to working to rule to plan a different timetable. That is why it has switched from the full timetable on the 5th to the RMT overtime ban timetable as there’s no other option on the shelf.

It’s all very easy to look at who is taking industrial action on the day but don’t forget plans are done in advance so what is also relevant is the industrial action taking place in the run up.

Hope that helps explains things. This is where with the impact of the strike the railway starts to chase its own tail as industrial action prevents the railway planning for future industrial action!

What has happened to the train service on Thursday 5th Jan, not a strike day, not on overtime ban, SWR Drivers are not involved in
the strikes, yet the service is the same as strike days, earlier this month when there were 2 48hrs strikes, SWR still managed a service
starting later from 0730, SO WHY cant they do the same on 5th Jan. Surely they can copy the same service alterations and crew diagrams.

Believe it or not, there are people who live in parts of Hampshire, Dorset & Surrey who would be very pleased to see a limited train
service across the network rather than those lucky to live in Southampton and above who get 2 trains an hour!!!!

As mentioned above, SWR depot drivers and Island Line drivers are on strike, this effects the ability to prep and form trains on the depot, along with RMT shunters not working the Tuesday Night Shift, getting rolling stock off the depot will be a challenge. I’d imagine Northam will be fine though as the employees there are Siemens, which is why the strike timetable can run using Desiro stock.