Woking SWT services take 1 hour to Waterloo?

[Envy123]

I was of the impression that it takes 24-30 minutes on an express service, but according to NRE's departure boards, a lot of services take about an hour from Woking to Waterloo, including the faster Exeter and Portsmouth services.

That contradicts what the commuter guide says (http://www.commuterguide.co.uk/counties/surrey/woking#.Vu18NPmLS1s) - "24 minutes".

Is the Commuter Guide just underestimating the train times (e.g. 24 minutes is peak-only) or has SWT services become a lot slower lately? Or maybe there's another reason?

 

[higthomas]

That is likely due to engineering/suicide/something else/error in your reading. The fast services do take 24-30 minutes as you say at all times of day.

Edit: It seems it is engineering. They're currently going via Twickenham it seems.

 

[Envy123]

Thay is likely due to engeneering/suicide/something else/error in your reading. The fast services do take 24-30 minutes as you say at all times of day.

Pretty relieved.

The live departure boards seem to say that it takes about an hour on pretty much any service at this moment, for some reason:
http://ojp.nationalrail.co.uk/service/ldbboard/dep/WOK

Edit: Oh, thank you. I didn't know that there were engineering works.

 

[iantherev]

Trains diverted via Chertsey and Richmond so extended journey times.

 

[NSEFAN]

I await HarleyDavidson to come along to tell us how the increased journey times are due to padding / SWT putting extra stops in / stupid timetabling / why can't we just go back to the 1985 WTT it was so much better.

 

[HarleyDavidson]

I await HarleyDavidson to come along to tell us how the increased journey times are due to padding / SWT putting extra stops in / stupid timetabling / why can't we just go back to the 1985 WTT it was so much better.

I will deal with you later...

 

[swt_passenger]

I await HarleyDavidson to come along to tell us how the increased journey times are due to padding / SWT putting extra stops in / stupid timetabling / why can't we just go back to the 1985 WTT it was so much better.

You forgot lack of route knowledge, I'm pretty sure that sometimes comes up...

 

[HarleyDavidson]

Yep, that's a major issue on SW, they pruned the route knowledge to the bone and now it just causes major headaches and adds to the delay when things go wrong.

I used to sign the Chertsey & East Putney roads, but they wouldn't give me the refreshers so off they came from my route ticket. Its a decision that's come back to bite them hard on the backside several times.

 

[NSEFAN]

Yep, that's a major issue on SW, they pruned the route knowledge to the bone and now it just causes major headaches and adds to the delay when things go wrong.

I agree with you on that one! It's no wonder that the service can fall apart so easily if drivers don't sign the routes. Fortunately I've never had to experience first hand the effects of it but have heard enough horror stories. Who takes the Addlestone-diverted mainline services, then?

 

[HarleyDavidson]

I agree with you on that one! It's no wonder that the service can fall apart so easily if drivers don't sign the routes. Fortunately I've never had to experience first hand the effects of it but have heard enough horror stories. Who takes the Addlestone-diverted mainline services, then?

Woking, Basingstoke, some Wimbledon & Waterloo, Staines crews.

Like I said I used to sign it but don't anymore, I'd love to have that handy bit of track back on my ticket, however it also means learning both Waterloo via Hounslow & Richmond and via Kingston (as the backup) and the last thing I want to do is learn the Kingston loop, even if it is a fallback route.