SWT Exeter-Waterloo services

[Dood75]

Evening all...just spent some time down in Devon last week and noticed that most if not all services from Waterloo to Exeter were arriving anywhere between 20-40 minutes late with hardly any turn around time before departing back to Waterloo.....most of the delay tended to be occurring around the Honiton area...this appeared to be most days...is this regular or just an issue last week due to track problems or something??

Dudz

 

[Jrocks]

It's quite a regular occurrence unfortunately, mainly down to it being mostly single track west of Salisbury. Has been particually bad over the past week and a half due to heat speed restrictions and a track defect in the Tisbury area. As soon as one service is delayed, it ripples out throughout the rest of the day causing a multitude of service alterations.

 

[dk1]

I noticed that today too. This was quite unusual as have always found it pretty reliable. Another thing I've noticed is the lack of ticket checks onboard. Staff move positions for door opening but dont seem to carry ticket machines.

 

[Dood75]

Cheers for the replies guys

 

[Grecian 1998]

There seems to be a habit of holding late-running down trains at Honiton to keep the up train on time as it has to negotiate Worting Junction - Waterloo on time if at all possible. This does however mean it arrives in Exeter around the time it's due to leave again.

I did notice passing through Exeter on Sunday that the 1725 to Waterloo was being started at Central to keep it on time after late running, again through Tisbury. St Davids staff were directing passengers onto the preceding Exmouth service to connect at Central.

Network Rail's 2020 route study has identified there's too much single track to allow a resilient timetable - as soon as problems occur, delays spiral. Can't really argue with that.

 

[Jrocks]

Unfortunately spinning at Central happens fairly often. Customers who arrive early are able to head up on an Exmouth service, customers who dont arrive early have to board the next available service - usually one hour after. SWR often advise of alterations at the last minute aswell and they can be rather spontaneous at times too. If I see a late running service, I usually advise customers to go to Exeter Central on the Exmouth service to ensure they can get on the train incase they decide to spin it at Central last minute.

 

[Parallel]

I’ve only ever used this route once and we left Exeter St David’s and Exeter Central on time but then got delayed at Pinhoe for 40 minutes waiting for a late running Exeter-bound train. We then got further delayed at Honiton and then kicked off the train at Axminster (on a winter evening) due to a train fault which meant the train had to run back to the depot at Salisbury empty.

The following train was around 35 minutes late and I missed my connection at Salisbury and was put in a taxi home. I’ve avoided the route since!

 

[route101]

Last time I used this service it was a packed 2 car 158!

 

[Edsmith]

I use this route quite a bit and find it preferable to GWR, generally it's quite reliable but as others mentioned the single track sections can exacerbate any late running and London bound trains seem to get priority and understandably so. I think they normally get around 40 minutes turnaround at St David's.

 

[Kite159]

It must be something serious as issues between Tisbury & Gillingham are expected until the 31st August looking at the SWR journey check.

Looks like Andover has effectively dropped to 1tph towards Basingstoke as most of the delayed trains from Exeter are skipping Andover, Woking & Clapham.

 

[pompeyfan]

Believe it’s currently a 4.5 mile 40mph on a section that should be 85mph. The clay embankment is crumbling due to the lack of rain and the whole section supposedly needs relaying and tamping but NR can’t do that until the rain has come.

 

[Martin_1981]

There seems to be a habit of holding late-running down trains at Honiton to keep the up train on time as it has to negotiate Worting Junction - Waterloo on time if at all possible. This does however mean it arrives in Exeter around the time it's due to leave again.

I did notice passing through Exeter on Sunday that the 1725 to Waterloo was being started at Central to keep it on time after late running, again through Tisbury. St Davids staff were directing passengers onto the preceding Exmouth service to connect at Central.

Network Rail's 2020 route study has identified there's too much single track to allow a resilient timetable - as soon as problems occur, delays spiral. Can't really argue with that.

I was travelling from Keynsham back to Cranbrook on Sunday, got off the XC service at Exeter SD which luckily was on time and had to leg it to Exeter Central to catch the 17.30 service, made it with barely 30 secs to spare.

 

[Kite159]

Believe it’s currently a 4.5 mile 40mph on a section that should be 85mph. The clay embankment is crumbling due to the lack of rain and the whole section supposedly needs relaying and tamping but NR can’t do that until the rain has come.

Surprised they haven't axed some of the short workings of the stoppers which go that way. Only as a 6 minute delay into Basingstoke is all that's needed to break the connection to the London train it is meant to connect into.

I.e. 0918 Gillingham (Dorset) to Basingstoke