Unusual substitution on Waterloo - Reading line

[David Goddard]

Don't know if Anyone else saw it, but a pair of class 159s were working a Waterloo - Reading diagram on Friday.

I can see the line from my office and get used to the regular 458s going by. The sound of a diesel makes me look up for longer and having doubted myself earlier in the morning confirmed my suspicions when the 1050 ex Waterloo passed Bracknell formed of two Cl159s just before 1200.

I didn't see them again as I finished at lunchtime but they would have then done 1242 from Reading arr Waterloo 1404.

 

[swt_passenger]

Route learning for SWT drivers for the Autumn treatment trains, discussed here:

http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?t=90042

 

[Eagle]

It can't have been the 10.50 you saw. That train was bang on time throughout, and a 159 would have lost time compared to a 450 or 458 (it's a 100 mph diagram; 159s can only do 90 and they have worse acceleration).

 

[455driver]

It can't have been the 10.50 you saw. That train was bang on time throughout, and a 159 would have lost time compared to a 450 or 458 (it's a 100 mph diagram; 159s can only do 90 and they have worse acceleration).

It might be a 100mph diagram but the highest linespeed is 70mph, a 455 can just about keep time but a 159 would lose a bit due to the slow loading via the end ddors.

But as stated it wasnt a service train anyway.

 

[Cherry_Picker]

A somewhat related question, but how many people from Reading use these trains? I know the line is really about the intermediate stations, with the big city at one end and excellent connections at the other but can anybody with a bit of local knowledge say who takes the scenic route with SWT? I'd presume shoppers and students might find cheaper fares attractive?

 

[High Dyke]

I didn't see them again as I finished at lunchtime but they would have then done 1242 from Reading arr Waterloo 1404.

12:42 2C38 RDNG 456  12:42 458014 458009

All SWT services were 458's (except for the 16:35 Ex Waterloo / 18:12 Ex Reading and the 23:50 Ex Waterloo - which were 450's). The FGW services were the usual diet of 165 or 166 units. Sorry to disappoint you.

 

[Eagle]

A somewhat related question, but how many people from Reading use these trains? I know the line is really about the intermediate stations, with the big city at one end and excellent connections at the other but can anybody with a bit of local knowledge say who takes the scenic route with SWT? I'd presume shoppers and students might find cheaper fares attractive?

People trying to avoid the fact that every train out of Paddington is crush loaded in the evening peak?

 

[TEW]

The Reading fasts aren't crush loaded in the peaks. The stoppers and semi-fasts yes, but not all the fast trains.

 

[David Goddard]

Not disappointed at all, thanks to everyone for confirming what they were doing.

The time of passing seemed about right and so I suppose it was a reasonable assumption to make.

Looking at RTT I have found this working: http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/O19283/2013/09/20/advanced. This appeared to have run just five minutes after the 10:50, but that is also diagrammed for an EMU. If it was the 159s, could they have been on the 5Z42 working earlier in the day as well?

 

[Eagle]

Even so, the Waterloo route will be less crowded.

 

[High Dyke]

If it was the 159s, could they have been on the 5Z42 working earlier in the day as well?

Quite probably. The workings seem to be:

 08:47 ***** 5Z41 WOKING    07:52
 ***** 08:52 5Z42 RDNG 456  08:52
 09:47 ***** 5Z42 RDNG 456  08:52
 ***** 09:52 5Z43 RDNG 456  09:52
 11:15 ***** 5Z44 GUILDFORD 10:37
 ***** 12:07 5Z45 RDNG 456  12:07
 12:48 ***** 5Z45 RDNG 456  12:07
 ***** 12:55 5Z46 RDNG 456  12:55

5Z42 is a trip to Ascot and back and the same again with 5Z45.

 

[TEW]

Only slightly, the Reading trains are the fast trains along their line too so very busy as well. The huge increase in journey time as well means I sincerely doubt anyone uses it to avoid crowds out of Paddington. You'd be as well off waiting 30 minutes at Paddington for a less crowded train.

 

[CatfordCat]

A somewhat related question, but how many people from Reading use these trains? I know the line is really about the intermediate stations, with the big city at one end and excellent connections at the other but can anybody with a bit of local knowledge say who takes the scenic route with SWT? I'd presume shoppers and students might find cheaper fares attractive?

I don't think all that many people do the end-to-end journey Reading - Waterloo.

Depends where in London you're heading - if (for example) you're aiming at the south bank, then the convenience (and I think there's a cost saving) of not having to do the underground could outweigh the slight time penalty involved. This balance tilts towards Waterloo for each station down the line you get. (although again it depends where in central london you want to end up)

And if you're aiming at somewhere south London / south coast-ish where you can change at Clapham Junction then it's an easier journey than (say) Paddington - Victoria, and probably also cheaper.

 

[yorksrob]

A somewhat related question, but how many people from Reading use these trains? I know the line is really about the intermediate stations, with the big city at one end and excellent connections at the other but can anybody with a bit of local knowledge say who takes the scenic route with SWT? I'd presume shoppers and students might find cheaper fares attractive?

I lived in Reading for a short spell in the early noughties and used to use the line to Waterloo quite often. This was partly due to good connections to Kent and partly due to the availability of a slammer compartment. Needless to say, I would often be rendered incandescent with blind rage on those occasions when South West trains took leave of their senses and ran the line with wholly unsuitable 455‘s.

 

[JonathanH]

I lived in Reading for a short spell in the early noughties and used to use the line to Waterloo quite often. This was partly due to good connections to Kent and partly due to the availability of a slammer compartment. Needless to say, I would often be rendered incandescent with blind rage on those occasions when South West trains took leave of their senses and ran the line with wholly unsuitable 455‘s.

Very little end to end traffic but plenty into and out of Reading from local destinations. Consequently, at the Reading end it is the trains closer to 9am and 5pm that are busier than the ones earlier and later respectively.

Some of the departures from Waterloo are very busy (although in the early noughties the evening peak Waterloo to Windsor trains loaded heavier than the Waterloo to Reading trains). More recently, the peak loadings out of Waterloo are distorted by the fact that the 1805 from Waterloo goes down the Bagshot line at Ascot putting pressure on the 1750 and 1820 Waterloo departures for South Berkshire destinations. Peak trains from Reading generally have standing passengers from Ascot.

It is useful people from Reading heading for South London but very slow and I always like the fact that the line heads almost north south through Virginia Water. It wasn't laid out to be quick.

 

[yorksrob]

Very little end to end traffic but plenty into and out of Reading from local destinations. Consequently, at the Reading end it is the trains closer to 9am and 5pm that are busier than the ones earlier and later respectively.

Some of the departures from Waterloo are very busy (although in the early noughties the evening peak Waterloo to Windsor trains loaded heavier than the Waterloo to Reading trains). More recently, the peak loadings out of Waterloo are distorted by the fact that the 1805 from Waterloo goes down the Bagshot line at Ascot putting pressure on the 1750 and 1820 Waterloo departures for South Berkshire destinations. Peak trains from Reading generally have standing passengers from Ascot.

It is useful people from Reading heading for South London but very slow and I always like the fact that the line heads almost north south throuygh Virginia Water. It wasn't laid out to be quick.

I wasn‘t complaining about the speed of the route, rather the use of unsuitable rolling stock, particularly as suitable stock was used throughout during the working week at the time, so it wasn‘t due to a shortage.

 

[TEW]

I don't think all that many people do the end-to-end journey Reading - Waterloo.

Depends where in London you're heading - if (for example) you're aiming at the south bank, then the convenience (and I think there's a cost saving) of not having to do the underground could outweigh the slight time penalty involved. This balance tilts towards Waterloo for each station down the line you get. (although again it depends where in central london you want to end up)

And if you're aiming at somewhere south London / south coast-ish where you can change at Clapham Junction then it's an easier journey than (say) Paddington - Victoria, and probably also cheaper.

There's only a cost saving if you buy a ticket to London Terminals, not a Travelcard through from Reading. Even then you only save 40p, and have to arrive in London 2 hours later. There's no cost saving for a Season, unless you had to go to Waterloo, in which case the saving would be being able to a buy a season just to London Terminals rather than a Travelcard Season.

 

[JamesRowden]

A somewhat related question, but how many people from Reading use these trains? I know the line is really about the intermediate stations, with the big city at one end and excellent connections at the other but can anybody with a bit of local knowledge say who takes the scenic route with SWT? I'd presume shoppers and students might find cheaper fares attractive?

I used it (twice) for travelling to the Tennis at Wimbledon (changing at Clapham Junction). Far cheaper, simpler, less crowded than the Underground and not significantly slower if one is travelling to South or South West London during the peak. £29 rather than £44.20 (2 singles, cheaper than Travelcard) for travelling to Wimbledon.

 

[43021HST]

A somewhat related question, but how many people from Reading use these trains? I know the line is really about the intermediate stations, with the big city at one end and excellent connections at the other but can anybody with a bit of local knowledge say who takes the scenic route with SWT? I'd presume shoppers and students might find cheaper fares attractive?

Used that line many many times, a very dull run, but it was mostly to, as some of the users have stated; to use the intermediate stations en-route.

A friend of mine used to make regular journeys from Grove Park to Reading, he used to prefer catching the Waterloo - Reading trains purely because he didn't have to muck around with the tube.