South West Trains
| File:South West Trains logo.gif | |
| File:Class 450 Waterloo.jpg | |
| Franchise(s) | South Western February 1996 – February 2003 February 2003 – 3. February 2007 4 February 2007 – February 2017 |
|---|---|
| Main region(s) | Greater London |
| Other region(s) | Surrey, Hampshire, Dorset, Wiltshire, Somerset, Devon |
| Fleet size | 337 |
| Stations called at | 213 (177 operated) |
| Parent company | Stagecoach Group |
| Other | |
| Website | www.southwesttrains.co.uk |
South West Trains (SWT) is a train operating company operating in the United Kingdom, providing train services to the south-west of London, chiefly in Greater London and the counties of Surrey, Hampshire, Dorset, Devon, Somerset, Berkshire and Wiltshire (the area largely covered before 1923 by the London and South Western Railway company, hence the new company's name).
The Parent Company of SWT is Stagecoach Group which also owns 49% of the Virgin Trains Franchise. The SWT franchise is stated as being the most complicated train operating company to operate because of the vast amount of services which are stated below. Its sister company is East Midlands Trains.
SWT since privatisation
A wholly owned subsidiary of the Stagecoach Group, SWT took over the operation of the old British Rail Southern Region's South Western division following the privatisation of British Rail in 1996. At the time they started changing the livery of its rolling stock to one with an orange, red, blue, and white stripe as this was an easy modification of the trains' existing British Rail Network SouthEast livery, but in recent years it has standardised on a trio of slight variations - mainly white for long-distance services, mainly blue for outer-suburban services, and a mainly red livery for metro services which is being applied to the Class 455 electric multiple units as they are refurbished. Since privatisation a number of initiatives have been undertaken including refurbishing stations, better access for disabled people, and better customer information displays at stations.
The franchise was renewed in February 2003, but for only four years instead of the 20-year franchise that the company expected. With South West Trains, winning the new South Western franchise in 2006, it was merged with Island Line Trains on the Isle of Wight. As a result the company renamed itself officially as South Western Trains Ltd, however, it was decided that passengers had become used to name South West Trains and also the uniform would have to have been changed. It was therefore decided not to alter the name in the public eye. Recent developments include the introduction of new rail services and the reopening of Chandler's Ford station in Hampshire. At the end of 2004 the company completely recast its timetable for the first time since 1967 in an attempt to bring service provision into line with changing demand and to take into account the different characteristics of modern rolling stock, with the intention that this would improve reliability and punctuality across the network.
A complete smoking ban on all SWT services was introduced from May 2004, partially in response to a fire caused by a cigarette being disposed of near a heater under a seat. In addition, there are restrictions on the carriage of bicycles: non-folding bicycles are banned from early morning and evening trains to and from London Waterloo, which has drawn criticism from integrated transport advocates and cyclists alike. The company justifies this policy by pointing out that many trains are extremely crowded during the rush hour, and that bicycles take up as much space as several people.
New franchise
A new South Western franchise, combining the Isle of Wight's Island Line with the current SWT franchise area, started on 4 February 2007 which will last for ten years until 2017. There were four bids for control of the franchise from Stagecoach, Arriva, FirstGroup and a partnership between MTR Corporation and National Express Group (originally GNER). The Department for Transport announced on 22 September 2006 that Stagecoach Group had been awarded the new franchise.[1]
Train Services
The vast majority of SWT's services are on electrified lines using the 750 V DC third-rail system. There is a relatively small diesel fleet for services on the West of England line to Exeter and Bristol. SWT operates up to 1690 trains per day. Due to the high volume of trains and years of under-investment, delays were commonplace and often led to passenger angst. Initiatives to improve performance have borne fruit and services are generally reliable. These include the introduction of a completely re-structured timetable in December 2004 and the commissioning of a unified Network Rail and SWT control centre at Waterloo, which aims to improve communication between the different organisations responsible for the operation of the railway.
The hub of the network is London Waterloo station, SWT's London terminus. It connects London to the southern and western area of England; a major portion of the company's services is also concerned with suburban commuter lines in south-west London.
Main lines
There are four main lines operated by SWT:
- The South Western Main Line (SWML) to Southampton, Bournemouth and Weymouth;
- The Portsmouth Direct Line via Guildford: leaves the main line at Woking;
- The West of England Main Line to Exeter, Paignton, Plymouth, (and Penzance): leaves the main line at Basingstoke
- Wessex Main Line (part): Southampton via Salisbury to Bristol Temple Meads
Suburban services
Suburban services diverge from the above routes. Taken in order westwards from Waterloo, travelling down the SWML, they are:
- Waterloo to Reading line: from Clapham Junction, includes the Hounslow Loop Line, the Windsor branch; the Chertsey loop line from Virginia Water to Weybridge; and the Ascot to Ash Vale line via Camberley;
- Dorking line, from Raynes Park, including:
- the Chessington branch;
- the Shepperton branch, from New Malden, including:
- the Strawberry Hill loop line;
- the New Guildford Line, to Guildford via Cobham from Surbiton. Travellers from Guildford to London can also travel via the mainline through Woking or via Camberley
- the Hampton Court branch
- the Alton branch, from Brookwood
Other services
- Southampton local lines: Totton via Chandler's Ford to Romsey
- Lymington branch Heritage Line
- Reading to Brighton
- Island Line (Isle of Wight), Ryde Pier to Shanklin
Ticketing
Tickets
Single and Return fares are available on all South West Trains routes and should be purchased before boarding, except where a ticket or permit to travel machine is not available. In these cases tickets can be purchased from the onboard Guard or the Revenue Protection officers. Travelcards are available for journeys into London. They are valid on London buses, Tramlink, Docklands Light Railway, London Underground and national rail services within the London travelcard area.
Season tickets and travel cards are also available to cover multi day regular journeys. They are available in weekly, monthly and annual periods.
In May 2007 South West Trains introduced a new fare structure for services travelling from Reading to London Waterloo. The original peak prices and times were retained, and "Off Peak" was redefined at a higher fare as services leaving after 11am or arriving in Waterloo at or before mid-day. Services after this period are now referred to as "Super Off Peak" and attract similar prices to the old Off Peak tickets [2].
Oyster Pre-Pay, Travelcards and Season Tickets
Oyster card pay as you go is not currently available on any South West Trains route, however under the new franchise, smart card ticketing is expected to launch in 2009, this is due to having to install gates at stations to "touch in". Oyster card travelcards and season tickets are valid within the London travelcard area, this is the same as normal paper travelcards and season tickets.
Penalty Fares
SWT currently issue penalty fares for customers travelling by train without a valid ticket. This fare is either £20 or double the travelled fare, which ever is greater. This does not apply west of Salisbury due to the lack of ticket machines available.
Revenue Protection officers employed by South West Trains travel the Network and are visible at stations to enforce the Penalty Fares and issue some tickets; aside from Station ticket barriers and permit to travel machines, CCTV is another method used to combat ticketless travel and prevent assaults on members of staff and customers.
As of August 2007 South West Trains have re-inforced the penalty fares policy with new announcements at stations prompting travellers to buy tickets before boarding. This new clamp-down has had some criticism due to lack of "self-service" ticketing machines and long queues at booking offices, which prevent the ability to buy tickets.
Platform Tickets
South West Trains issue platform tickets for non-travellers such as enthusiasts, they are free and are issued at most mainline stations such as Southampton Central and London Waterloo, and can by collected from the guard at the barriers. These can not be used for travelling, and if they are, a Penalty Fare may be issued as a result.
Megatrain
Stagecoach, SWT's parent company, currently sell seats on some off peak services under the Megatrain brand. This uses a similar low cost model to their Megabus service. Megatrain tickets are generally available on services that are expected to be quiet and empty. The tickets available are generally between Waterloo and other principal stations and ticket holders are assigned to a specific carriage (normally the second from the front) in the train. The Megatrain services are also operated by Virgin Trains in some regions, which has just lost the Penzance route.
Rolling Stock Details
London Underground Fleet
On the Island Line, the clearances at Ryde Esplanade are insufficient for standard trains. As a consequence, since the line was electrified, former London Underground rolling stock is used. Since 1992, Class 483 trains have been used, of which five 2-car units remain in service, with a sixth awaiting overhaul.
Greyhound Fleet
The final slam-door train on regular passenger services ran from London Waterloo to Bournemouth on 26 May 2005 with units 1396, 3536 and 1398. Some slam-door units have been preserved on heritage railways and three are retained by SWT for operations on the Lymington Branch Line and for special duties.
Services on the Lymington Branch Line are now operated as a "heritage" operation using one of two refurbished 3Cig units, nos. 1497 and 1498. The two units have been repainted into their original liveries, one in classic Southern green and the other in British Rail blue and grey, and were launched into service on 12 May 2005.
Desiro Fleet
The introduction of Desiro rolling stock built by Siemens was to replace the old slam-door trains which were coming to the end of their useful lives, and had been posing health and safety problems. The introduction was delayed because of the additional power needs of this type of stock: Network Rail spent £1 billion upgrading the power supply to take account of this. The new trains are generally proving popular with passengers. They have on-board information systems and full air-conditioning. Their faster acceleration is counterbalanced by the need to stop longer at each station, since they have fewer doors (although the fact that the old trains' doors could be opened while in motion was considered a safety hazard). In addition, the Desiros have many more components: all are computerised and subject to the possibility of breakdowns. It is estimated that the slam-door trains could achieve 60,000 miles (96,000 km) without breakdown; the Desiros an estimated 13,000 miles (20,800 km) but this is gradually improving.
The Desiro stock comes in two variants - Class 450 units which have four 20m cars and are mainly used on outer suburban services and Class 444 units which have five 23m cars as well as intercity style door layouts and are used on longer-distance services to Weymouth.
- The 450 Desiro Fleet includes 450001-127.
- The 444 Desiro Fleet includes 444001-045.
British Rail Electrics
South West Trains operate a fleet of Class 455 metro style commuter trains. These were built by BREL in the early and mid 1980s.
The fleet is currently undergoing a refurbishment program, due for completion by the end of 2007. Modifications include a 2+2 seating layout with high back seats, doors can open further to allow for faster alighting and passenger information systems are being fitted. Finished units are painted in a new red "Metro" version of the South West Trains livery.
Juniper Fleet
Thirty of these four-carriage units were ordered by South West Trains in 1998, to create extra capacity and to replace some of the ageing 4Cep units, which at the time were on short-term lease. Deliveries of these units commenced in 1998.
The class suffered from major technical problems, so none of the older units were withdrawn from service. It was six more years, in 2004, before the full fleet was in service. In 2003 and 2004, reliability was so dire that although they were only six years old, South West Trains decided that the units should be replaced by 2005 with the newer Class 450 Desiro units [3]. Only a handful of units are required each day to help maintain services from Waterloo to Reading, and these were expected to cease after 31 July 2006 when the lease with the rolling stock company expired. An application by SWT to extend this by six months was declined as the class does not meet all the requirements of disability legislation.
However, since then it has been decided that on or before the start of the new franchise in February 2007, the class will be reinstated and take over all operations on the Waterloo to Reading line, indirectly covering the loss of the class 442s. They are being fitted with new larger destination screens that comply with the disability legislation, however, still fall foul in some other areas such as the height of the door open buttons. It is believed a small exemption is being made for this class in those respects.
Diesel Fleet
South West Trains currently has 30 three car Class 159s (22 159/0s and 8 159/1s) and 11 two car Class 158s.
The 159/1s were converted at Wabtec Doncaster from Class 158s, exchanged with TransPennine Express for Class 170s, to expand the current fleet. 11 further two car 158s were received from TransPennine Express, which were refurbished and renumbered. All SWT 159/0s are currently undergoing refurbishment at Wabtec Doncaster to look like the newly received and refurbished class members. They will however retain their more powerful engines.
The Class 159/1s were converted from TransPennine Express Class 158s as follows:
159101 ex 158800 159102 ex 158803 159103 ex 158804 159104 ex 158805 159105 ex 158807 159106 ex 158809 159107 ex 158811 159108 ex 158801
The Class 158s were refurbished and renumbered as follows:
158880 ex 158737 158881 ex 158742 158882 ex 158743 158883 ex 158744 158884 ex 158773 158885 ex 158775 158886 ex 158779 158887 ex 158781 158888 ex 158802 158889 ex 158808 158890 ex 158814
Two ex SWT 158s, 786 and 789, have been allocated to First ScotRail and are currently based at Edinburgh Haymarket DMUD.
Rolling Stock
Current fleet
- Currently under going refurbishment.
- Used on the Lymington to Brockenhurst as part of the heritage line.
- Fleet being refurbished; expected to be finished end of 2007.
- Currently being modified with larger destination displays.
Past fleet
| Class | Image | Type | Built | Withdrawn | Notes |
| Class 170 Turbostar | 
|
Diesel multiple unit | 2000 | 2006-2007 | Transferred to First TransPennine Express |
| Class 411 (4Cep) | Electric multiple unit | 1956-1963 | December 2004 | ||
| Class 412 (4Bep) | 
|
Electric multiple unit | 1956-1963 | March 2005 | |
| Class 421 (4Cig) | 
|
Electric multiple unit | 1964-1972 | May 2005 | Two retained for heritage operations on Lymington Branch Line, now 3Cig units |
| Class 423 (4Vep) | 
|
Electric multiple unit | 1967-1974 | May 2005 | One retained for railtour work, but now for disposal to a suitable heritage railway |
| Class 442 (5Wes) Wessex Electric | 
|
Electric multiple unit | 1988-1989 | February 2007 | Currently Stored at Alstoms Eastleigh Works |
Wessex Electrics Fleet
These units (Class 442) were initially dedicated to the Weymouth line, but through the 1990s began to be diagrammed on the London Waterloo to Portsmouth direct line. In preparation of the Class 444 and Class 450 "desiro" units taking over from the slam-door fleet, the Wessex Electrics were withdrawn from Portsmouth line services and were again wholly dedicated to the Weymouth line.
The Class 442 was one of the first types to make extensive use of plastics in construction, earning them the nickname among staff of "Plastic Pigs". When they were first introduced they were plagued by minor technical failures but subsequently became among the most reliable EMUs operating in the UK. South West Trains announced that they would be withdrawing these units with the last official workings of these units will take place on Saturday 13th January 2007. The last operated SWT service was on the 4th February. This move also coincides with SWT reinstating all Class 458s for the Waterloo-Reading line. As a result the Class 444s will inherit the Waterloo - Weymouth route and the Class 450s will take over some of the Portsmouth Harbour services, whilst the 442s went into storage at the Alsthom works at Eastleigh. The Department for Transport has suggested that the 442's are now likely to complement the Southern fleet and will be used on services out of London Victoria.[4]
Turbostar Fleet
In 2000 south West Trains acquired a fleet of eight 2-car Class 170/3 units , to supplement it existing Class 159 fleet. Units were pressed into service on London Waterloo to Salisbury as well as a new Southampton local train, and Reading to Basingstoke trains. They are sometimes used on Exeter services, but as they are not fitted with end gangways for catering or selective door opening for the short platforms at some stations, this is not a regular route. From late 2006 through to mid 2007, the Class 170s were transferred to TransPennine Express in exchange for Class 158 units, to expand and standardise their fleet. One Class 170, 170392, which was originally built to Southern specification, but taken over by SWT soon after its construction, has returned to Southern and is now 171730.
Preserved SWT trains
Of the Classes 411, 412, 421 and 423 slam-door trains, several former SWT units have been preserved.
- Class 411, no. 1198 at Dartmoor Railway
- Class 412, nos. 2311 and 2315 at Eden Valley Railway
- Class 412, no. 2325 at East Kent Railway (heritage)
- Class 421, nos. 1392 and 1499 at Dean Forest Railway
- Class 421, no. 1393 at Great Central Railway
- Class 421, no. 1399 at Dartmoor Railway
- Class 423, no. 3417 likely to be preserved
In contrast, just two former Southern units have been preserved - one Class 421 and one Class 423. No complete units from South Eastern Trains have been saved.
Depots
Wimbledon Traincare depot
Wimbledon Traincare depot is one of Europe's most advanced train servicing complexes. It is located between Wimbledon and Earlsfield stations, on the main line to Waterloo, and is coincidentally situated next to South West Trains' other iconic landmark, the Wimbledon Train Viaduct.
References
- ^ "Stagecoach wins railway franchise". BBC News. September 22 2006.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "Buying tickets on the day".
- ^ "Train firm to replace new fleet". BBC News Online. January 12 2004.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "More trains arriving on busy rail routes (Note 5)". Department for Transport. April 4 2007.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help)
External links
