Utilita Bowl Cricket 10th June; Mystery extra SWML train plus EH connection question

[Ant1966]

Going to cricket at Rose Bowl this Tuesday 10th. Last train back North from Hedge End is the 22:36, trerinates Eastleigh P3 at 22:42. Normally theres a 30 minute wait for the last SWML Up train (23:12 to Woking) but there seems to be an extra train on Tuesday (1W78), timed to depart EH Platform 1 at 22:43 through to Waterloo. Any ideas what this train is? Do you reckon they'd hold it at Eastleigh for the connection? (Its the last train back to London).

If its related to the cricket (may not be) then seems odd to time it so that connections from Hedge End at EH are +1m (So not guaranteed). There are also shuttle buses to Soton Airport PW, so maybe they expect people to do that, but there are also shuttle busses to Hedge End and Hedge End is the walkable station (the queues for the shuttle buses can be long) Nothing helpful on either the SWR or Utilita Bowl websites that I can see.

 

[Horizon22]

On the rest of the week it is the 2212 departure.

On Tuesday it sits 30 mins at Southampton Central. This would either be some sort of engineering works or maybe it is related but as you say it doesn’t look like a connection.

The fact it departs at 2243 from Eastleigh the following Tuesday with the same 30 min dwell in Southampton as well, suggests that is an ongoing engineering / timetable plan.

 

[Ant1966]

On the rest of the week it is the 2212 departure.

On Tuesday it sits 30 mins at Southampton Central. This would either be some sort of engineering works or maybe it is related but as you say it doesn’t look like a connection.

The fact it departs at 2243 from Eastleigh the following Tuesday with the same 30 min dwell in Southampton as well, suggests that is an ongoing engineering / timetable plan.

Aha! Tue 17/6 is a home T20 game, as is Fri 13/6. As was Fri 6/6. All of whom have this 30 min dwell. Think between us we've nailed it; its related to the cricket.
On 6/6 the Porrtsmoth line connection arrved P3 at 21:41 1/4, this train left P1 at 22:43 1/4. Reckon thats plenty of time, although obvs not guaranteed. Will report back on Tuesday (were only going to Bsk, so can take the risk)

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 14 Jun 2025 ==

Update as promised. 1W78 was held a minute or two at EH to allow passengers to cross from P3 to P1. We ran over, but then the doors were left open for another minute or so, despite it having the road. Looked to me like normal practice, although I dont know if Id rely on it to get back to London. Game didnt finish unil 10pm or so, so even shuttle buses back to SOA would have been tight (d22:38) as there are a lot of people catching those buses. (At least walking to Hedge End you know you'll make it!)
All in all a bit of an issue at the Rose Ageas Utilita Bowl for evening games if you cant get back to London afterwards (or rather, you can, but not guaranteed!!) I suppose they would say they are catering for Hants residents, not Londoners, but London is a big market to ignore. (e.g Hants vs Surrey T20 next Tuesday, any Surrey fans wont be able to go by train)

Timing of this train is odd all the way through, left Micheldever 4 mins 'early' vs WTT, I suppose the half hour delay isnt in the public timetable?

Realtime Trains | 1W78 2006 Weymouth to London Waterloo | 10/06/2025

Real-time train running information for 1W78 2006 departure from Weymouth to London Waterloo on 10/06/2025. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk