Portsmouth Direct - an interesting report

[paul1609]

So run a super fast
Portsmouth Harbour
Portsmouth & Southsea
Havant
Guildford
London Waterloo

Its been tried but fell apart because of 2 aspect signalling south of petersfield. Interesting to see that with 20 mins shaved off the SN service to Vic its now 7 mins quicker than the via Eastleigh service. understand that SN are to market their new faster service in the Portsmouth area under the headline "Go Green"

 

[Mojo]

Is there something wrong with the online journey planner? If you look up the 1049 BAA-VIC it says it calls Horsham only, but if you type BAA-GTW, it shows up the 1049 as calling there, with that portion calling Horsham only.

 

[paul1609]

Its a portion operated train, for some reason Nationalrail cant show these properly.
It actually calls Barnham, horsham(couple to another unit), crawley, three bridges, redhill, east croydon, clapham junction, vic.
SN see the main Pompey market as being to intermediate stations Gatwick, East Croydon and believe it or not because of SWTs weird stopping policy Clapham Junction but 2 hr 2mins will attract the budget market compared with SWTs 1 hr 31 best time, especially given Victorias better Tube connections.
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London-Portsmouth was never part of the BR InterCity network. The only InterCity trains Portsmouth ever saw were Cross-Country services.

Depends on how you define Intercity. Fast Trains from London to Brighton, Portsmouth and even down the Bournemouth branch were marketed by BR as InterCity. If you look at this 1983 London to Brighton film; http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=_fRgP-xgrdk a couple of minutes in you'll see "Inter City" displayed on the Solari indicator at Victoria even thought the stock is CIG/VEP. The manual display at Brighton also had Inter City Labels.

 

[Jim]

I didnt rate the 442s on the Pompey Direct. Underpowered for the gradients 4 BEP/cIG Greyhounds were much more enjoyable imhx. However I do rate the 377s as better than any desiro. The coffees much better on the SN trolleys than SWT I dont expect to pay well over a quid for instant in 2007.

Instant mud you mean?

 

[KeithP]

I dont mind 450s at all. There just used for standing room for commuter use. ....

Yes, I can imagine you, being in Staines, would not mind 450s. But Portsmouth is not suburban or even outer-suburban... its long distance.

 

[Tom]

I wouldn't say Portsmouth is long distance at all. Remember that a 317 has operated a London to York in the past - and that we currently frequently get 450s on Weymouth services at the moment.

 

[TheSlash]

we currently frequently get 450s on Weymouth services Bournemouth branch at the moment.

 

[Tom]

No, Weymouth services.

By that sense, Newcastle is a branch of the ECML.

 

[paul1609]

Tom,
Please find a map of Northam. Next to Scum central you will notice the line to Bournemouth branching off the main line. Just because the main line beyond has been reduced to a single line it doesnt make the Bournemouth Branch a main line. Once clear of the Southampton area the line is in every respect a branch with low speed limits and 2 aspect signalling.

 

[TheSlash]

No, Weymouth services.

By that sense, Newcastle is a branch of the ECML.

Quite possible, but we are talking about the Bournemouth branch.

 

[djw1981]

Technically Leeds is the branch of the ECML! The ECML is London Kings Cross to Edinburgh / Aberdeen (depending on whether you count the Scottish ECML (Edinburgh-Aberdeen).

 

[AlexS]

The West Coast mainline was originally from London to Birmingham, the rest of it is a branch