Thanks to a tip off from a forum member on another thread I've recently discovered the Working Timetables archive of Network Rail (from 1994): https://history.networkrail.co.uk/uncategorized/SO_506bb63b-dadf-497e-901d-1673556bcffd
This has been interesting as, while I generally remember the 90s service pattern of early SWT, there were a couple of gaps.
The 1999 timetable was a particularly interesting one. Who else remembers this? This was the point at which SWT introduced high-frequency timetables on many routes, e.g. 15-min frequency down the Portsmouth Direct and 15-min Waterloo-Southampton. It allowed for 16tph out of Waterloo on the fast lines, though most hours there was only 15. The pattern on the fast lines was (with typical stock where this might not be obvious):
xx00 Wareham fast
xx03 Salisbury (only used at 1503 and 1603. By 2001, however this had become hourly all day)
xx08 Portsmouth Harbour fast, calling at Petersfield. Still 442s on the fasts, if I remember right
(xx09 455 stopper to Woking, though on the slow lines)
xx10 Basingstoke stopper
xx15 Southampton fast, now mostly 442s IIRC, backed up by the WTT. Earlier in the 90s there were several 159 diagrams on the equivalent xx10 service.
xx20 Alton, fast to Woking, Ash Vale and all. The 1hr03 journey time seemed typical of the 90s, the Alton line appeared to get more priority at this time than it does now
xx23 Portsmouth. Odd pattern, Clapham, Woking, Guildford, Farncombe, fast to Haslemere (no Godalming stop!) then all stations except Hilsea. Generally CIGs or CEPs, few or no VEPs
xx26 Guildford stopper, fast to Surbiton then all. VEP, I think. This one I had forgotten the existence of before discovering the WTT but it's now coming back to me.
xx30 Weymouth fast. The one constant through the post-1967 era is the almost unchanging departure time of the prime Weymouth service.
xx35 Exeter every two hours, other hours generally to Gillingham or Yeovil
xx38 Portsmouth fast, this one stopped at Godalming rather than Petersfield
(xx39 Woking stopper, slow lines)
xx40 Portsmouth (via Eastleigh) stopper, all from Woking. In a later version of the timetable, this terminated at Basingstoke, replaced by a diversion of the xx15 to Portsmouth via Eastleigh, restoring the semi-fast service introduced in 1990 but withdrawn in around 1994.
xx45 Poole stopper, but used the classic stopping pattern of the former Poole at xx50 (CJ, Woking, Basingstoke, Winchester, Eastleigh, Parkway). Looped at SOU and again at BCU. Much like the xx39 of the normal contemporary timetable. CIGs or CEPs
xx48 Farnham, similar to Alton but additional calls at CJ and Brookwood
xx53 Portsmouth stopper. This one called all to Haslemere, then looped to allow xx08 fast to overtake, then most stops to Portsmouth (not Rowlands Castle, Bedhampton)
xx56 Guildford stopper, as xx26
The 15tph, which then became 16tph by 2001 with the Salisbury going hourly, was impressive. This was actually better than the 2004 timetable which by my calculations was 14tph.
However there were some odd patterns on the Portsmouth Direct. The aim seemed to squeeze 4 tph down to Portsmouth Harbour but the price of that was uneven patterns to both Godalming and Petersfield, both of which got two trains 15 mins apart from Waterloo then nothing, even with changing.
Later on within the 1999-2004 period the same basic pattern remained but one of the Portsmouth stoppers (the xx23, IIRC) became a Haslemere terminator calling all Guildford to Haslemere, while the xx53 called at Farncombe, Godalming and Haslemere. This restored even interval services to Godalming and Petersfield.
A few other comments/questions:
- perhaps this was the last occasion when Portsmouth Direct fasts were considered mandatory express stock, as all services were IIRC either 442s or Greyhound CIG/BEP combos.
- the main difference from the 1999 timetable (or its 16tph 2001 variant) and the 2004 in terms of services running (obviously there were retimings too) seems to be the removal of the Guildford stoppers (xx26 and xx56 in 1999). This has necessitated adding Walton, Weybridge and/or West Byfleet stops in Basingstoke and Alton stoppers. So why did the 2004 timetable not keep these? They were a useful way of keeping the longer distance services faster by mopping up all the local stops up-line from Woking.
- as a result Alton line services were considerably slower since 2004, typically 1hr13 or 1hr14 from Waterloo. This was partly as a result of additional stops but also getting a poor path, such that it's quicker to get the following xx00 and change at Woking. So why were Altons seen as a priority for fast service in the 90s (starting 1989 in fact) but not so much since?
- what was the rationale for the slightly bizarre service pattern on the Direct, why didn't they go with the "two fasts, one slow, one Haslemere terminator" from the outset in 1999, which IMO is a very sensible service pattern?
This has been interesting as, while I generally remember the 90s service pattern of early SWT, there were a couple of gaps.
The 1999 timetable was a particularly interesting one. Who else remembers this? This was the point at which SWT introduced high-frequency timetables on many routes, e.g. 15-min frequency down the Portsmouth Direct and 15-min Waterloo-Southampton. It allowed for 16tph out of Waterloo on the fast lines, though most hours there was only 15. The pattern on the fast lines was (with typical stock where this might not be obvious):
xx00 Wareham fast
xx03 Salisbury (only used at 1503 and 1603. By 2001, however this had become hourly all day)
xx08 Portsmouth Harbour fast, calling at Petersfield. Still 442s on the fasts, if I remember right
(xx09 455 stopper to Woking, though on the slow lines)
xx10 Basingstoke stopper
xx15 Southampton fast, now mostly 442s IIRC, backed up by the WTT. Earlier in the 90s there were several 159 diagrams on the equivalent xx10 service.
xx20 Alton, fast to Woking, Ash Vale and all. The 1hr03 journey time seemed typical of the 90s, the Alton line appeared to get more priority at this time than it does now
xx23 Portsmouth. Odd pattern, Clapham, Woking, Guildford, Farncombe, fast to Haslemere (no Godalming stop!) then all stations except Hilsea. Generally CIGs or CEPs, few or no VEPs
xx26 Guildford stopper, fast to Surbiton then all. VEP, I think. This one I had forgotten the existence of before discovering the WTT but it's now coming back to me.
xx30 Weymouth fast. The one constant through the post-1967 era is the almost unchanging departure time of the prime Weymouth service.
xx35 Exeter every two hours, other hours generally to Gillingham or Yeovil
xx38 Portsmouth fast, this one stopped at Godalming rather than Petersfield
(xx39 Woking stopper, slow lines)
xx40 Portsmouth (via Eastleigh) stopper, all from Woking. In a later version of the timetable, this terminated at Basingstoke, replaced by a diversion of the xx15 to Portsmouth via Eastleigh, restoring the semi-fast service introduced in 1990 but withdrawn in around 1994.
xx45 Poole stopper, but used the classic stopping pattern of the former Poole at xx50 (CJ, Woking, Basingstoke, Winchester, Eastleigh, Parkway). Looped at SOU and again at BCU. Much like the xx39 of the normal contemporary timetable. CIGs or CEPs
xx48 Farnham, similar to Alton but additional calls at CJ and Brookwood
xx53 Portsmouth stopper. This one called all to Haslemere, then looped to allow xx08 fast to overtake, then most stops to Portsmouth (not Rowlands Castle, Bedhampton)
xx56 Guildford stopper, as xx26
The 15tph, which then became 16tph by 2001 with the Salisbury going hourly, was impressive. This was actually better than the 2004 timetable which by my calculations was 14tph.
However there were some odd patterns on the Portsmouth Direct. The aim seemed to squeeze 4 tph down to Portsmouth Harbour but the price of that was uneven patterns to both Godalming and Petersfield, both of which got two trains 15 mins apart from Waterloo then nothing, even with changing.
Later on within the 1999-2004 period the same basic pattern remained but one of the Portsmouth stoppers (the xx23, IIRC) became a Haslemere terminator calling all Guildford to Haslemere, while the xx53 called at Farncombe, Godalming and Haslemere. This restored even interval services to Godalming and Petersfield.
A few other comments/questions:
- perhaps this was the last occasion when Portsmouth Direct fasts were considered mandatory express stock, as all services were IIRC either 442s or Greyhound CIG/BEP combos.
- the main difference from the 1999 timetable (or its 16tph 2001 variant) and the 2004 in terms of services running (obviously there were retimings too) seems to be the removal of the Guildford stoppers (xx26 and xx56 in 1999). This has necessitated adding Walton, Weybridge and/or West Byfleet stops in Basingstoke and Alton stoppers. So why did the 2004 timetable not keep these? They were a useful way of keeping the longer distance services faster by mopping up all the local stops up-line from Woking.
- as a result Alton line services were considerably slower since 2004, typically 1hr13 or 1hr14 from Waterloo. This was partly as a result of additional stops but also getting a poor path, such that it's quicker to get the following xx00 and change at Woking. So why were Altons seen as a priority for fast service in the 90s (starting 1989 in fact) but not so much since?
- what was the rationale for the slightly bizarre service pattern on the Direct, why didn't they go with the "two fasts, one slow, one Haslemere terminator" from the outset in 1999, which IMO is a very sensible service pattern?
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