South West Trains

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South West Trains
SouthWestTrainsLogo.svg
SWT 444001 Clapham Junction.jpg
Class 444 Desiro at Clapham Junction in 2011
Overview
Franchise(s) South West
4 February 1996 – 3 February 2007
South Western
4 February 2007 – 20 August 2017
Main region(s)
Other region(s)
Fleet size
Stations called at213
Stations operated185 (including Island Line)
Parent company Stagecoach
Reporting mark SW
Predecessor Network SouthEast
Island Line (Island Line franchise)
Successor South Western Railway
Route map
South West Trains route map 2010.svg

Stagecoach South Western Trains Limited, [1] trading as South West Trains (SWT), was an English train operating company owned by Stagecoach, which operated the South Western franchise between February 1996 and August 2017.

Contents

SWT operated the majority of commuter services from its Central London terminus at London Waterloo to South West London and was the key operator for outer suburban and regional services in the counties of Surrey, Hampshire and Dorset. It also provided regional services in Devon, Somerset, Berkshire, Wiltshire and on the Isle of Wight through its Island Line subsidiary. Unlike the majority of franchises, SWT operated without subsidies, being a profitable concern due to the high number of commuters that regularly used its services. [2]

The area of operation was the former South Western division of Network SouthEast, and was also roughly that of the pre-1923 London & South Western Railway (excluding everything west of Exeter). As part of the privatisation of British Rail, SWT was taken over by Stagecoach. In 2004, the franchise was retained by Stagecoach when re-tendered. In 2007, the franchise was merged with the Island Line franchise to form a newly extended South Western franchise, which was won by Stagecoach. When next tendered, the franchise was awarded to South Western Railway which took over the franchise on 20 August 2017. [3]

History

Origins

As a consequence of the privatisation of British Rail during the mid 1990s, railway operations were segmented into various franchises, one of which being the South Western franchise. These franchises were awarded to various privately owned companies following an evaluation of competitive bids. During 1995, it was announced that the Director of Passenger Rail Franchising had awarded the South West Trains franchise to the Scottish transport group Stagecoach. [4] [5] Operations commenced on 4 February 1996, with South West Trains' first train, the 05:10 Twickenham to London Waterloo; it was the first privatised scheduled train to operate for 48 years. [6]

In April 2001, the Strategic Rail Authority awarded Stagecoach a new franchise for the region, its bid having been judged to be superior to those from its rivals, FirstGroup / NedRailways and Sea Containers. [7] The 2001 franchises awarded were (as promulgated) to run for twenty years; however, only one year later, the Strategic Rail Authority decided to reduce the duration of franchises, thus South West Trains was awarded a three-year franchise starting on 1 February 2004. [8] [ full citation needed ] Shortly following this award, SWT placed a substantial order for new rolling stock for the network, it was described as being the largest such order in British history. [9]

During the early days of its franchise, SWT gained notoriety for enacting severe cuts to its services, which were typically attributed to the shortage of drivers; the company sought to remedy this by seeking to hire additional drivers. [10] SWT also implemented significant improvements upon the network, including replacing much of the inherited British Rail-era rolling stock, along with the refurbishment of most stations, which included increasing their accessibility to disabled passengers. There was also an emphasis on the improving the customer experience, such as better access to service information. During the early 2000s, improvements included the introduction of new rail services and the reopening of Chandler's Ford station in Hampshire. [11]

Changes

From May 2004, a smoking ban on all SWT services was introduced; this move, which came partly in response to a fire caused by a cigarette left next to an under-seat heater during the previous year that raised safety concerns, also pre-empting the public smoking ban that was introduced two years later. [12] Additional staff were deployed onboard trains to help enforce the change. At the time, most other commuter services had already banned smoking, and the measure was claimed by the Evening Standard to be popular with the majority of the travelling public. [13]

On 12 December 2004, the company completely recast its timetable, the first occasion that such an exercise had been performed in the South West region since 1967. This was reportedly motivated by ambitions to bring service provision into line with changing demand and to take into account the different characteristics of modern rolling stock. Within a year, the new timetable had delivered an increase in reliability and punctuality across the network, measured as a 12% improvement in the operator's Public Performance Measure. [14] Further major changes to the timetable followed in subsequent years, including the restoration of services between Yeovil and Yeovil Pen Mill that had been withdrawn under the Beeching cuts. [2]

During December 2005, the Department for Transport (DfT) announced that Arriva, FirstGroup, MTR/Sea Containers, National Express and Stagecoach had been shortlisted to tender for the new South Western franchise, which combined the South West Trains and Island Line Trains franchises; National Express later withdrew. [15] [16] In September 2006, the DfT awarded the franchise to Stagecoach, the new franchise starting on 4 February 2007, for a period of ten years. [17] [18]

Throughout the operation of the franchise, passenger numbers grew year on year, along with rapid spikes in numbers occurring in some years. [2] While many franchises required government funding to sustain their services, SWT operated without any subsidies and was a profitable venture. This outcome was largely on account of the high proportion of commuters that made frequent use of its services. One of the franchise's major ongoing concerns was the overcrowding that occurred on some services, particularly around rush hour, thus SWT's management paid considerable attention to increasing capacity when feasible. [2]

Major measures performed by SWT to expand the network's capacity included the substantial redevelopment of its London Waterloo station and the procurement of new rolling stock. [2] [19] Christian Roth, SWT's engineering director, claimed in 2015 that the firm was in the process of delivering similar capacity improvements to the Thameslink programme at a tenth of the cost and a quarter of the time. [2] While some rival companies chose to pursue driver-only operated trains, eliminating the necessity of a guard, SWT senior manager Brian Souter promised to keep a guard on every service; one consequence of this agreement was strong relations between the company and the trade unions. [2]

Further measures were also proposed by SWT; Tim Shoveller, the company's managing director, periodically spoke out on his desire to eventually introduce double-decker trains to serve its busiest commuter routes. [2] While typically viewed as an effective means of increasing capacity, such ambitions were complicated by multiple factors, the principal of which that there were no double-deck trains in operation that were believed to be suitable for SWT's needs, thus likely necessitating the development of an original design. [2] Procuring a small fleet of bespoke rolling stock would certainly incur a steep price rise over conventional rolling stock, while handling the increased dwell times typically necessary when operating double-deck trains would also adversely impact the timetable; finally, no such rolling stock could be operated until the completion of track lowering across substantial portions of the network, particularly around bridges and tunnels, for sufficient headroom to be achieved. [2]

Between 2012 and 2015, Stagecoach partnered with the British railway infrastructure owner Network Rail to jointly operate London Waterloo via a single management team that operated both tracks and trains in and around the station from a on-site joint control room. [2] At the time, the partnership was hailed as an advancement for rail operations, However, the arrangement was dissolved in 2015 without any official explanation, although anonymous insiders claimed the cause to be Network Rail's reluctance to devolve power over its centralised infrastructure to individual routes while Stagecoach desired a local decisions made in partnership. [2]

Demise

In March 2013, the Secretary of State for Transport announced the DfT was in talks with Stagecoach to extend the franchise until April 2019. [20] At one point, it seemed certain that the franchise would be renewed, information to that effect having been included on the Government's published Rail Franchise Schedule in October 2014. [2] However, in July 2015, Stagecoach confirmed that talks had failed and the franchise would be relet. [21] This outcome was viewed by several industry commentators as being unexpected and inconvenient in its timing; the periodical Rail speculated that Stagecoach's rejection had been largely due to government officials feeling that the state was not receiving a sufficiently large share of the profits being generated. [2]

Stagecoach and a FirstGroup / MTR Corporation joint venture were shortlisted on 4 February 2016 to bid for the new franchise. [22] On 27 March 2017, the franchise was awarded to South Western Railway, [23] [24] in spite of concerns that it would result in a single company holding a monopoly on services between London and the West of England, Dorset and Somerset, due to FirstGroup also operating the Greater Western franchise in those regions. [25] [26]

Services

South West Trains was the key operator for western Surrey, Hampshire and Dorset, and also served Berkshire, Wiltshire, Somerset and Devon. In Greater London, it operated all National Rail services (other than London Overground) in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames and the London Boroughs of Richmond-upon-Thames and Hounslow, and also served the London Boroughs of Merton, Wandsworth and Lambeth.

Most SWT services ran on electrified lines using the 750  V DC third-rail system. A diesel fleet was used for services on the West of England line to Salisbury, Exeter and Bristol, using the unelectrified track beyond Worting Junction just west of Basingstoke, and for Salisbury to Southampton via Romsey services which also served Eastleigh. By 2015, SWT was reportedly operating roughly 1,600 train services each day and managing in excess of 200 stations. [2]

From Waterloo, SWT's London terminus, long-distance trains ran to southern England, including the major coastal population centres of Portsmouth, Southampton, Bournemouth, Poole and Weymouth. There were also trains to Reading, Exeter and Bristol, but these were not the principal fast services from London to those cities, which are operated from London Paddington by Great Western Railway. The majority of its passengers were on suburban commuter lines in inner and south-west London, Surrey, east Berkshire, and north-east Hampshire.

After privatisation in 1996, the network changed considerably, no longer serving West Croydon, Sutton, 'Coastway' stations between Chichester and Brighton, or the Reading to Basingstoke line. Services to Bristol (introduced in 2004 to replace withdrawn Arriva Trains Wales services), Mottisfont and Dunbridge and Dean were introduced after the start of the franchise. Its longstanding services beyond Exeter to Paignton, Plymouth and Penzance, which ran in competition with First Great Western and its predecessors, ceased in December 2009 so as to release stock for the hourly Waterloo to Exeter service. [27]

As with most rail companies, non-folding bicycles were banned from peak-time trains to and from London. However, these restrictions applied only to cyclists boarding or alighting in the area bounded by Hook, Alton, Guildford, Reading and Dorking. [28] The aim was to maximise available passenger space on the most crowded trains.

South West Trains had Quiet Zones, similar to the Quiet Coaches on trains operated by certain other Train Operating Companies. Quiet Zones were available on most outer-suburban services and on some express services and are indicated by notices in the windows and signs on the doors. Passengers in these zones were requested not to use mobile phones to take calls or play music out loud.[ citation needed ]

Routes

South West Trains operated suburban and long-distance trains. Main destinations included: London Waterloo, Clapham Junction, Barnes, Richmond, Twickenham, Hounslow, Ascot, Staines, Reading, Windsor & Eton Riverside, Kingston, Raynes Park, Motspur Park, New Malden, Chessington South, Surbiton, Leatherhead, Weybridge, Dorking, Effingham Junction, Woking, Guildford, Aldershot, Alton, Farnborough Main, Fleet, Basingstoke, Haslemere, Andover, Winchester, Eastleigh, Southampton Central, Romsey, Salisbury, Fareham, Portsmouth & Southsea, Brockenhurst, Portsmouth Harbour, Bournemouth, Westbury, Bristol Temple Meads, Weymouth, Yeovil Junction and Exeter St Davids.

Main lines

A Class 444 Desiro unit used on longer-distance services on the electrified railway lines. 444029 at Woking.jpg
A Class 444 Desiro unit used on longer-distance services on the electrified railway lines.
A Class 455 suburban unit at Wimbledon. These were used on inner suburban services. Gb-emudc-455732-2.jpg
A Class 455 suburban unit at Wimbledon. These were used on inner suburban services.
A Class 159 South Western Turbo unit at Clapham Junction. These were used for long distance West of England Mainline services to Salisbury and Exeter St Davids. Class159002 at Clapham Jcn.jpg
A Class 159 South Western Turbo unit at Clapham Junction. These were used for long distance West of England Mainline services to Salisbury and Exeter St Davids.

The seven main lines operated by SWT were:

Suburban services

Suburban services diverged from the above routes. Taken in order westwards from Waterloo, travelling down the SWML, they are:

Other services

Ticketing

Travelcards

London Travelcards were available and widely used for journeys into Greater London beyond any of the South West Trains stations. They were valid on London Buses, Tramlink, Docklands Light Railway, London Underground and national rail services within the London travelcard area. All tickets and (London) Travelcards were available on weekly, monthly and annual bases (such tickets are traditionally known as season tickets), a pre-requisite for which is a passport-sized photograph for a booking hall to issue a nationally valid railcard. All ticket pricing structures are regulated by the Office of Rail & Road.

Daily tickets fell into four categories: Peak 'Anytime', Off Peak, Super Off Peak and Advance (pre-booked, long distance). These were broken down into whether the user requires a Single, Return (valid for one calendar month) or a Day Return. [29]

Smartcards

Oyster pay-as-you-go could be used on services within Greater London. [30] Oyster cards holding season tickets were accepted within the London Travelcard area, in the same way as normal paper Travelcards and season tickets.

In November 2010, the DfT announced that passengers would be able to top up Oyster cards at all stations operated by South West Trains in the London Travelcard area from May 2011. SWT was the last rail company franchise to offer this facility (except at Wimbledon and Richmond stations) for passengers using suburban rail services within the London Travelcard area. [31]

The smartcard scheme for tickets on the national rail system was extended in early 2010 to cover the lines from Weymouth to Basingstoke and from Staines to Wokingham, and on the Isle of Wight, in addition to the current trial area between Staines and Windsor. It was also announced that SWT proposed to reduce operating hours at 24 of its ticket offices. [32]

Penalty fares

South West Trains issued penalty fares for passengers travelling by train without a valid ticket. However, the company had planned to install at least one self-service ticket machine at each of its served stations in the bid to stop fare evasion. In 2009, ticket gates were installed at Waterloo to improve revenue protection. [33]

Megatrain

Stagecoach, SWT's parent company, sold seats on some off-peak services under the Megatrain brand from Mondays to Saturdays. This used a similar low-cost model to its Megabus service. Megatrain tickets were available on certain services expected to be lightly loaded. Tickets were generally between London Waterloo and other principal stations, and ticket-holders are assigned to a specific train.

Performance

Latest performance figures released by Network Rail for period 5 (2014/15) were 88.2% (Public Performance Measure – PPM) and 88.9% (Moving Annual Average – MAA) for the 12 months up to 16 August 2014. [34]

Rolling stock

Electric

Desiro fleet

The introduction of Desiro rolling stock built by Siemens was to replace the old Class 411, Class 412, Class 421 and Class 423 slam-door trains, which were life-expired and did not meet modern health and safety requirements; a franchise commitment was to replace all slam-door stock by the end of 2005.[ citation needed ] The Desiro trains have on-board information systems and full air-conditioning. Their faster acceleration is counterbalanced by the need to dwell longer at each station, since they have fewer doors.[ citation needed ]

The Desiro stock comes in two variants – Class 450 units which have four 20 m cars and are mainly used on suburban and outer-suburban services, and Class 444 units which have five 23 m cars as well as intercity-style door layouts and are used on longer-distance services to Weymouth and Portsmouth Harbour.

British Rail EMUs (Class 455)

South West Trains operated a fleet of Class 455 metro-style commuter trains on services from London Waterloo to Shepperton, Hampton Court, Woking, Guildford, Dorking and Chessington, as well as services on the Kingston and Hounslow loops and occasionally on Windsor line services. These were built for British Rail. [35]

A full refurbishment programme started in 2004 on the fleet of 91 four-car units, and was completed in March 2008. [36] Modifications included a new 2+2 seating layout with high-back seats, CCTV, cycle storage, wheelchair space, doors that open further to allow for faster alighting, and additional passenger information systems.

British Rail EMUs (Class 456)

All 24 Class 456 two-car EMUs were transferred from Southern to SWT, with the first units entering SWT service on 23 March 2014. [37] These early 1990s-built units are compatible with the existing Class 455 fleet and are coupled with these to form ten-car trains, increasing capacity on some local services in and out of Waterloo. [38]

Coradia Juniper fleet (Class 458/0 – 458/5)

A Class 458 Juniper pre-modifications at Clapham Junction 458030 at Clapham Junction.jpg
A Class 458 Juniper pre-modifications at Clapham Junction
A Class 458/5 Coradia Juniper post-modifications at Clapham Junction Class 458534 Blue at Clapham.JPG
A Class 458/5 Coradia Juniper post-modifications at Clapham Junction

Thirty of these four-car units were ordered by South West Trains in 1998, to create extra capacity and to replace some of the ageing Class 411 (4-CEP) trains, which at the time were on short-term lease. Deliveries of these trains began in 1998.

The class suffered major technical problems, so in the end, none of the older trains were withdrawn from service at that time. It was six more years, in 2004, before the full fleet was in service. In 2003 and 2004, reliability was so poor 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. [39] Only a handful of units were required each day to help maintain services from Waterloo to Reading, and these had been 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 refused, as the class did not meet all the requirements of disability legislation.

However, later it was decided that, on or before the start of the new franchise in February 2007, the class would be reinstated and take over all operations on the Waterloo to Reading line, indirectly covering the loss of the Class 442. They have been fitted with new, larger destination screens that comply with the disability legislation, but the trains still fall foul in some other areas, such as the height of the door-open buttons.

All 30 Class 458 trains were split up and the 120 vehicles reconfigured into 36 five-car sets, incorporating 60 extra vehicles from the mechanically similar Class 460 formerly used on Gatwick Express services. [40] [ full citation needed ] [41] The five-car sets are now designated Class 458/5 and since 2014 have been coupled together to form ten-car trains. [42] [ full citation needed ] [43]

The first two of the five-car sets were delivered in October 2013, and underwent testing ahead of the introduction of the first ten-car train into service in December 2013. Passenger service started in March 2014, [44] [45] with the work concluding in 2016, thereby rendering the Class 458/0 extinct.

Diesel

Line of 3 Class 159s, 1 Class 158 and the former route learning Class 960 at Salisbury depot Salisbury TMD 159003 159017 159022 158887 960012.jpg
Line of 3 Class 159s, 1 Class 158 and the former route learning Class 960 at Salisbury depot

South West Trains had 11 two-car Class 158 units and 30 three-car Class 159 units (22 Class 159/0 and eight Class 159/1).

The Class 159/1 units were converted at Wabtec, Doncaster from Class 158s, received from First TransPennine Express in exchange for Class 170s. Eleven further two-car Class 158 units were received from First TransPennine Express, which were also refurbished at Wabtec.

The Class 159 has on occasion been used for railtours. [46]

Locomotives

Although South West Trains did not operate locomotive-hauled services, until 2009 it maintained three Class 73 locomotives for recovery duties. Locomotive 73109 had been in service with SWT since the start of the franchise; the other two, 73201 and 73235, were acquired from Gatwick Express in 2005. 73235 was the only one of the three locomotives to be owned by South West Trains at the end of the Franchise.

Fleet at end of franchise

ClassImageTypeTop speedCarriagesNumberRoutes operatedBuilt
mphkm/h
Class 73 73201 at Woking.jpg Electro-diesel locomotive 90145N/A1 Thunderbird Locomotive 1966 [47]
Class 158 Express Sprinter South West Trains class 158.jpg
South West Trains' class 158 DMU 158880 at Cardiff Central (32886440142).jpg 		DMU 211 London Waterloo – Salisbury / Exeter St Davids (Occasionally) / Bristol Temple Meads
Exeter St Davids – Honiton / Axminster (Weekday service)
Romsey – Salisbury via Southampton Central
Brockenhurst – Lymington Pier (Weekday services)		1989–1992
Class 158 South West Trains Diagram.png
Class 159 South Western Turbo Westbury - SWT 159107+159018 diverted Exeter train.JPG
SWT 159 New 2.jpg 		DMU 90145330 West of England / Heart of Wessex / Wessex Main Lines:
London Waterloo – Salisbury / Bristol Temple Meads / Exeter St Davids / Yeovil Pen Mill / Frome
Portsmouth Harbour – Basingstoke (Morning Service)
Portsmouth Harbour – Southampton Central (Occasionally)

Yeovil Junction – Yeovil Pen Mill (Peak Hours only)

  • 159/0: 1992–1993
  • 159/1: Converted 2006–2007
Class 159 South West Trains Diagram.PNG
Class 444 Desiro 444029 at Woking.jpg EMU 100160545Main Line Routes:
London Waterloo – Poole / Weymouth

London Waterloo – Portsmouth Harbour (Shared with Class 450s Weekdays and Sundays)
Limited Outer Suburban Routes

2003–2004
Class 444 South West Trains Diagram.PNG
Class 450 Desiro Reading - SWR 450115+450554 (SWT livery).jpg EMU 1001604127Main Line Routes: London Waterloo – Portsmouth Harbour (Shared with Class 444s weekdays and Sundays)/ Alton / Basingstoke / Poole (Occasionally) / Reading
Southampton Central – Portsmouth & Southsea
Brockenhurst – Lymington Pier (Weekend services)


Outer Suburban Routes: London Waterloo – Windsor & Eton Riverside / Weybridge via Staines-upon-Thames / London Waterloo via Hounslow
Ascot – Guildford
Limited Express and Inner suburban services

2002–2006
Class 450 South West Trains Diagram.PNG
Class 455 Reading SWT - 455721-455863.JPG
Guildford railway station MMB 24 455853.jpg
455904 D London Waterloo.JPG 		EMU 75120491Inner Suburban Routes:
London Waterloo – Shepperton / Hampton Court / Woking / London Waterloo via Hounslow /London Waterloo via Strawberry Hill / Dorking / Guildford via Oxshott or Epsom / Chessington South / Windsor & Eton Riverside
  • 1982–1985
  • 2004–2007 (refurbished)
Class 455 South West Trains Diagram.PNG
Class 456 SWR 456 014 at Guildford.jpg EMU 75120224Used on suburban services in conjunction with services operated by Class 455 units to make 8 & 10 coach trains.

Ascot – Guildford

1990–1991
Class 456 South West Trains Diagram.png
Class 458/5 Coradia Juniper 458 526 leaving Waterloo.jpg EMU 75120536Outer Suburban Services:

London Waterloo – Weybridge / Windsor & Eton Riverside via Staines upon Thames

  • 2013–2016
  • (199–2002 as Class 458/0)
  • (2000–2001 as Class 460)
Class 4585 South West Trains Diagram.png
Class 707 Desiro City Reading - SWT 707004+707006 on test (GWR 166220).JPG EMU 10016052 London Waterloo – Windsor & Eton Riverside via Staines upon Thames 2016–2017
Class 707 South West Trains Diagram.png

Isle of Wight Fleet

ClassImageTypeTop speedCarriagesNumberRoutes operatedBuilt
mphkm/h
Class 483 483004 Smallbrook Junction.JPG EMU 4572.526 Ryde Pier Head – Shanklin
  • 1938
  • 1989–1992 (refurbished)

Past fleet

Former units operated by South West Trains include:

 Class  File  Type  Number  Withdrawn 
Class 170 Turbostar Stdenys 170392.jpg DMU 9July 2007
Class 411 (4Cep) CEP (Corridor Electro-Pneumatic) in a Quarry - geograph.org.uk - 639863.jpg EMU 29May 2005
Class 412 (4Bep) 2325 departing London Waterloo.jpg 7
Class 421 (4Cig) 1313 at London Waterloo.JPG 34
Class 423 (4Vep) 3414 and 3419 at London Waterloo.JPG 66
Class 442 Wessex Electrics 2407 at Moreton, Dorset.JPG 24February 2007
Class 442 041.png
Class 960 960012.jpg DMU 1March 2009
Class 458/0 Coradia Juniper Clapham Junction railway station MMB 24 458004 458XXX.jpg EMU 302013–2015
Class 458 in swt livery.png

Wessex Electrics fleet

These Class 442 units were initially dedicated to the Weymouth line but, in the 1990s, began to be operated on the London to Portsmouth direct line also. In preparation for 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.[ citation needed ]

South West Trains announced that it would be withdrawing these units, and they last ran on 3 February 2007. This move coincided with SWT reinstating all Class 458s for the Waterloo–Reading line. As a result, the Class 444 inherited the Waterloo–Weymouth route and the Class 450 took over some Portsmouth Harbour services, while the Class 442 units went into storage at Eastleigh. From 2008 to 2017, [48] Southern leased these trains for its Gatwick Express service and operated them on services from London Victoria to Gatwick Airport and Brighton. Eighteen Class 442 units were supposed to return to the franchise when the changeover to South Western Railway occurred, [49] but the fleet was withdrawn in 2021 and will now be replaced by modified class 458s.

Turbostar fleet

In 2000, South West Trains acquired eight 2-car Class 170/3 units to supplement its existing Class 159 fleet. They were used on London to Salisbury services as well as a new Southampton local service, and on Reading to Basingstoke services. They were sometimes pressed into use on Waterloo-Exeter services but, as they were not fitted with end gangways for catering or selective door opening for the short platforms at some stations, this was not a regular route.

From late 2006 to mid-2007, the Class 170 units were gradually transferred to First TransPennine Express in exchange for a larger number of Class 158 units, to expand and standardise the fleet. One unit, 170392, originally built to Southern specifications but taken over by SWT soon after its construction, went to Southern and was converted to a Class 171.[ citation needed ]

Preserved trains

423417 on display at an Open Day at Eastleigh Works in May 2009, alongside one of the operational 3CIG units. 3417 Eastleigh 100.JPG
423417 on display at an Open Day at Eastleigh Works in May 2009, alongside one of the operational 3CIG units.

Of the Classes 411, 412, 421 and 423 slam-door trains, several complete former SWT units have been preserved.

In contrast, just two former Southern units have been preserved – one Class 421 and one Class 423.[ citation needed ] No complete units from South Eastern Trains have been preserved.[ citation needed ]

Class 121/Class 960 55028 is preserved on the Swanage Railway. [50]

Liveries

Depots

Wimbledon

Wimbledon Traincare depot is located between Wimbledon and Earlsfield stations, on the main line to Waterloo, next to the Wimbledon railway viaduct.

Bournemouth

Bournemouth depot is southwest of Bournemouth station, occupying the approach to the former Bournemouth West station. Until their withdrawal in February 2007, the depot was home to the Class 442 (5Wes) Wessex Electrics. The branch turns off at Branksome station where trains can be seen stopping at platform 2 and reversing into the depot.

Clapham

Clapham Junction depot provides stabling for the Desiro fleet.

Northam

Northam depot was built by Siemens in 2002 as the home depot for the Desiro fleet as part of a 20-year maintenance contract. [51] It is located south of St Denys station and is near Southampton Football Club's St Mary's Stadium.

Effingham

Located next to Effingham Junction station, the depot is used for the berthing of MPVs (Multipurpose Vehicles). It has two pitted roads and a fuel point.

Salisbury

Salisbury depot provides servicing for South West Trains' diesel fleet.

Fratton

Fratton Traincare depot is in central Portsea Island, alongside Fratton station. It has a carriage washer and is the fuelling point for the 158s and 159s. The depot has a train shed with two pitted roads for maintenance of rolling stock. Class 444 and 450 units berth overnight. Stabling sidings and bay platforms at Portsmouth & Southsea station are co-ordinated from the depot.

Farnham

Farnham depot, in Weydon Lane, was opened by the Southern Railway at the time of the electrification of the Portsmouth and Alton lines in 1937. [52] [ full citation needed ] It was refurbished for the introduction of modern units when slam-door trains were replaced circa 2005. At the same time, disused quarry and ballast dump sidings behind the carriage shed were removed and a number of outdoor sidings were laid for overnight storage and servicing of units.

See also

Related Research Articles

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The British Rail Class 456 was an electric multiple unit passenger train introduced by Network SouthEast on inner-suburban services in South London to replace the elderly Class 416 2EPB units. Twenty-four two-car units were built by British Rail Engineering Limited's York Carriage Works in 1990 and 1991.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">British Rail Class 458</span> Class of British electric multiple-unit trains built in 1998–2002

The British Rail Class 458 Juniper (5-JUP) is a class of electric multiple-unit passenger trains of the Alstom Coradia Juniper family, built at Washwood Heath between 1998 and 2002 for South West Trains. The order for the original fleet of 30 four-car trains was placed in 1997, and delivery of the first unit followed in October 1998. The fleet entered passenger service between 2000 and 2003 and is maintained at Bournemouth depot.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">British Rail Class 450</span> British electric passenger train

The British Rail Class 450 Desiro are third-rail DC electric multiple unit (EMU) passenger trains that entered service during 2003. Used for outer-suburban services, they were built with both first- and standard-class accommodation. They have a maximum speed of 100 mph (160 km/h).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">British Rail Class 442</span> British Electric passenger trains

The British Rail Class 442 (5-WES) Wessex Electrics were electric multiple unit passenger trains introduced in 1988 by Network SouthEast on the South West Main Line from London Waterloo to Weymouth to coincide with the electrification of the line from Bournemouth. Twenty-four five-car units were built by British Rail Engineering Limited's Derby Litchurch Lane Works.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">British Rail Class 444</span> British electric passenger train

The British Rail Class 444 Desiro is an electric multiple-unit passenger train built by Siemens Transportation Systems in Austria between 2002 and 2004. The Class 444 currently operate on express passenger services for South Western Railway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Guildford railway station</span> Railway station in Surrey, England

Guildford railway station is at one of three main railway junctions on the Portsmouth Direct Line and serves the town of Guildford in Surrey, England. It is 30 miles 27 chains down the line from London Waterloo via Woking.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sutton and Mole Valley lines</span> Railway line in the UK

The Sutton and Mole Valley lines were constructed between 1847 and 1868 by the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway, the London and South Western Railway and the LBSCR-sponsored Horsham, Dorking and Leatherhead Railway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aldershot railway station</span> Railway station in Hampshire, England

Aldershot railway station is located near the town centre of Aldershot in Hampshire, England. It is 35 miles (56 km) down the line from London Waterloo. It is on the Alton Line, part of the National Rail network, with train services and station facilities provided by South Western Railway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alton line</span> Railway branch line in south-east England

The Alton line is a railway line in Hampshire and Surrey, England, operated by South Western Railway; it is a relatively long branch of the South West Main Line.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Woking railway station</span> Railway station in Woking, England

Woking railway station is a major stop in the town of Woking in England, on the South West Main Line used by many commuters. It is 24 miles 27 chains (39.2 km) down the line from London Waterloo. The station is managed by South Western Railway, who operate all trains serving it.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">British Rail Class 455</span> Electric multiple-unit passenger train built by BREL York between 1982 and 1985

The British Rail Class 455 is an electric multiple unit passenger train built by BREL between 1982 and 1985. It is operated on suburban services in Greater London and Surrey by South Western Railway, as well as formerly by Southern.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Portsmouth Harbour railway station</span> Railway station in Hampshire, England

Portsmouth Harbour railway station serves the city of Portsmouth, in Hampshire, England. It is situated in Portsmouth Harbour, between the Gunwharf Quays shopping centre and the Historic Dockyard. It is an important transport terminal, with a bus interchange and ferry services to Gosport and the Isle of Wight. Unusually for a main line railway station, it is built over water as the station was originally constructed on wooden piles, which were later replaced by iron supports.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bedhampton railway station</span> Railway station in Hampshire, England

Bedhampton railway station serves the former village of Bedhampton, now a suburb lying a mile west of the centre of Havant, in Hampshire, England.

The Southern Region was a region of British Railways from 1948 until 1992 when railways were re-privatised. The region ceased to be an operating unit in its own right in the 1980s. The region covered south London, southern England and the south coast, including the busy commuter belt areas of Kent, Sussex and Surrey. The region was largely based upon the former Southern Railway area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Island Line (brand)</span> Brand of South Western Railway operating railway services on the Isle of Wight

Island Line is a brand of South Western Railway which runs the 8.5-mile (13.7 km) Island Line on the Isle of Wight. A stand-alone franchise from 1996 until 2007, it then became part of the South Western franchise operated by South West Trains until August 2017 and since by South Western Railway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">British Rail Class 707</span> Electric multiple unit train built by Siemens

The British Rail Class 707 is an electric multiple unit passenger train built by Siemens Mobility on its Desiro City platform, and operated in England by Southeastern. The units were previously operated by South Western Railway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Western Railway</span> British train operating company

South Western Railway is a British train operating company owned by FirstGroup (70%) and MTR Corporation (30%) that operates the South Western franchise.

References

  1. ↑ "STAGECOACH SOUTH WESTERN TRAINS LIMITED". Companies House . HM Government. Archived from the original on 21 January 2021. Retrieved 28 January 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 "End of the line for South West Trains?". Rail. Peterborough. 5 August 2020.
  3. ↑ FirstGroup and MTR welcome South Western rail franchise award Archived 26 June 2018 at the Wayback Machine London Stock Exchange 27 March 2017
  4. ↑ "Bus firm Stagecoach is first franchisee". Rail Magazine . No. 269. 3 January 1996. p. 8.
  5. ↑ Companies House extract company no 2938995. South Western Trains Limited.
  6. ↑ "First privatised train in 50 years will be a bus". The Independent . 31 January 1996.
  7. ↑ "Stagecoach Group Welcomes South West Trains Decision" (Press release). Stagecoach Holdings. 2 April 2001.
  8. ↑ "SRA cuts SWT's new franchise plan from 20 years to just three". Rail Magazine . 13 November 2002. p. 4.
  9. ↑ "SWT retains franchise – and places Britain's biggest-ever train order". The Railway Magazine . No. 1202. June 2001. p. 5.
  10. ↑ "South West Trains to hire drivers after £90m order" . The Independent. London. 14 May 1997. Archived from the original on 24 May 2022. Retrieved 27 April 2010.
  11. ↑ "First trains call at Chandler's Ford station". Rail Magazine . No. 463. 11 June 2003. p. 21.
  12. ↑ "Smoking ban on trains extended". BBC News. 22 May 2004. Retrieved 4 February 2011.
  13. ↑ "Smoking 'safety scare' sparks SWT ban". Evening Standard. 1 December 2003.
  14. ↑ "Creating the Right Time Railway". Modern Railways. 27 February 2020. Retrieved 29 September 2023.
  15. ↑ "Stagecoach Group shortlisted for South Western rail franchise" (Press release). Stagecoach Group. 20 December 2005. Retrieved 4 February 2011.
  16. ↑ "South Western stakeholder briefing". Department for Transport. 4 April 2006.
  17. ↑ "Stagecoach wins railway franchise". BBC News. 22 September 2006.
  18. ↑ Davidson, Ros (22 September 2006). "Stagecoach Wins South West Trains Contract". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 25 September 2012.
  19. ↑ "London commuters to benefit from longer peak time trains" (Press release). South West Trains. 23 December 2011. Archived from the original on 17 January 2012. Retrieved 23 December 2011.
  20. ↑ "Rail franchising: Railway plan puts new focus on passengers". Department for Transport. 26 March 2013.
  21. ↑ "South West Trains franchise 'out to competition'". BBC News. 7 July 2015. Retrieved 13 December 2015.
  22. ↑ "Two companies shortlisted to compete for the next South Western rail franchise" (Press release). Department for Transport. 4 February 2016.
  23. ↑ "First MTR South Western Trains Limited wins South Western franchise" (Press release). Department for Transport. 27 March 2017.
  24. ↑ Improving South Western Railway FirstGroup plc, 27 March 2017
  25. ↑ FirstGroup and MTR / SouthWestern rail franchise merger inquiry Competition & Markets Authority
  26. ↑ Gerrard, Bradley (18 August 2017). "Rail fares set to be capped between London and Exeter". The Telegraph. London. Retrieved 29 August 2017.
  27. ↑ "SWT Exeter – Paignton / Plymouth will stop in December 2009". Rail Magazine . No. 595. Peterborough. 2 July 2008. p. 20.
  28. ↑ "Cycle policy". South West Trains. Archived from the original on 30 April 2013. Retrieved 26 December 2013.
  29. ↑ "Single and Return Tickets". South West Trains. 21 November 2015. Archived from the original on 27 November 2015.
  30. ↑ "Passengers to benefit from roll-out of Oyster pay as you go to South West Trains services". South West Trains. Archived from the original on 27 November 2009. Retrieved 19 November 2010.
  31. ↑ "Top up expansion makes journeys easier for rail users" (Press release). Department for Transport. 12 November 2010.
  32. ↑ "South West Trains proposes new ticket office opening hours". South West Trains. Archived from the original on 26 December 2013. Retrieved 26 December 2013.
  33. ↑ "Waterloo ticket gates longest in Europe". The Railway Magazine . No. 1295. March 2009. p. 76.
  34. ↑ "Rail performance results period 7". Network Rail. Archived from the original on 8 December 2015. Retrieved 7 September 2014.
  35. ↑ "Our trains". South West Trains. Archived from the original on 21 December 2010. Retrieved 19 November 2010.
  36. ↑ "South West Trains' last class 455 returns from refurbishment" (PDF). Rail Technology Magazine. 28 March 2008. Retrieved 19 November 2010.
  37. ↑ "CLASS 456 ENTERS SERVICE". Southern Electric Group. Archived from the original on 17 April 2014. Retrieved 26 June 2021.
  38. ↑ "Cascaded 456s to give SWT commuters more seats". Rail Magazine . No. 696. 16 May 2012. p. 10.
  39. ↑ "Train firm to replace new fleet". BBC News. 12 January 2004.
  40. ↑ Clinnick, Richard (25 January 2012). "Class 460 driving vehicles made redundant". Rail Magazine . Peterborough. p. 28.
  41. ↑ Walmsley, Ian. "Junipers United: Darth Vader goes suburban". Modern Railways . No. February 2012. London. p. 40.
  42. ↑ "£42m for longer Waterloo trains". Rail Magazine . Peterborough. 11 January 2012. p. 7.
  43. ↑ "London commuters to benefit from longer peak time trains" (Press release). South West Trains. 23 December 2011. Archived from the original on 17 January 2012. Retrieved 30 December 2011.
  44. ↑ "South West Trains prepares to introduce longer trains". Railway Gazette. London. 23 October 2013.
  45. ↑ "Improving Your Railway – Longer Trains". South West Trains. Archived from the original on 26 June 2014. Retrieved 11 March 2014.
  46. ↑ "UK Railtours". UK Railtours. Retrieved 28 April 2014.
  47. ↑ "Rail UK Diesel/Electric Locomotive Information". railuk.info. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
  48. ↑ "More trains arriving on busy rail routes (Note 5)". Department for Transport. 4 April 2007. Archived from the original on 6 September 2009.
  49. ↑ First MTR joint venture wins South Western franchise Railway Gazette International 27 March 2017
  50. ↑ "55028 Class Class 121 Driving Motor Brake Second". Preserved Railcar. 21 July 2016.
  51. ↑ "Desiro UK demands a pit stop approach". Railway Gazette. 1 March 2002.
  52. ↑ Railway Gazette, 1937
Preceded by Operator of South West franchise
1996–2007		Succeeded by
South West Trains
South Western franchise
Preceded by
Island Line
Island Line franchise
 Operator of South Western franchise
2007–2017		Succeeded by
Preceded by
South West Trains
South West franchise
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