New South Western franchise: Awarded to First/MTR

[swt_passenger]

The current rumours are that 1st on a 444 will be split with provision at both ends of the unit so that units don't have to be the right way round.

Fiddling around to very little benefit then.

 

[GodAtum]

Ah yes of course. Couldn't see the wood from the trees.

How clearly does first class need to be marked anyway, it's not like it's an 11 car pendolino and also you'd struggle to see the previous first class markings at any long distance

The current rumours are that 1st on a 444 will be split with provision at both ends of the unit so that units don't have to be the right way round.

This is good news if true. Often if I was standing at the wrong end of the platform and a 444 came in, it was 50/50 I was at the correct end.

 

[Bletchleyite]

This is good news if true. Often if I was standing at the wrong end of the platform and a 444 came in, it was 50/50 I was at the correct end.

It's a problem that wouldn't need solving if the PIS was correctly updated in the event of a reverse formation.

 

[swt_passenger]

It's a problem that wouldn't need solving if the PIS was correctly updated in the event of a reverse formation.

It nearly always is...

 

[swt_passenger]

This is good news if true. Often if I was standing at the wrong end of the platform and a 444 came in, it was 50/50 I was at the correct end.

Exaggeration. They are very rarely the wrong way round, taken over a long period.

 

[Frontera2]

It nearly always is...

Ha ha ha ha ha....

I travel on the Portsmouth Direct daily and I would say only once out of the 5 most recent times when it's been the wrong way round, has it been shown on the CIS. It's only when I've moaned at them about it on social media that it's been changed.

 

[pompeyfan]

Ha ha ha ha ha....

I travel on the Portsmouth Direct daily and I would say only once out of the 5 most recent times when it's been the wrong way round, has it been shown on the CIS. It's only when I've moaned at them about it on social media that it's been changed.

I think SWT_P was getting at the fact units are nearly always the right way round, more than the fact it's the wrong way round. They rely on guards ringing up control and telling them the unit is the wrong way round usually, and if the guard is busy or the phone lines are rammed it gets missed.

 

[Monty]

I think SWT_P was getting at the fact units are nearly always the right way round, more than the fact it's the wrong way round. They rely on guards ringing up control and telling them the unit is the wrong way round usually, and if the guard is busy or the phone lines are rammed it gets missed.

That or no reception, on the Direct it's notoriously bad to the point I'll rarely use my phone to call the route controller between Havant and Guildford because I won't have signal long enough to relay the message I have. Worst case scenario I have to hold the train at Petersfield or Haslemere if the message is that urgent.

 

[pompeyfan]

That or no reception, on the Direct it's notoriously bad to the point I'll rarely use my phone to call the route controller between Havant and Guildford because I won't have signal long enough to relay the message I have. Worst case scenario I have to hold the train at Petersfield or Haslemere if the message is that urgent.

Yeah agreed, between Eastleigh - Winchester - Basingstoke the signal is just as bad.

 

[Schweir]

Yeah agreed, between Eastleigh - Winchester - Basingstoke the signal is just as bad.

You can't have travelled between Dorchester and Yeovil then,the signal is so bad the guard can not even print off tickets...

 

[BestWestern]

That or no reception, on the Direct it's notoriously bad to the point I'll rarely use my phone to call the route controller between Havant and Guildford because I won't have signal long enough to relay the message I have. Worst case scenario I have to hold the train at Petersfield or Haslemere if the message is that urgent.

Are you chaps permitted to use the GSMR phonebook?

 

[LowLevel]

Are you chaps permitted to use the GSMR phonebook?

If it's the same as ours version 3.6 has broken it so you can only call the signaller - top technology

 

[Matt Taylor]

Are you chaps permitted to use the GSMR phonebook?

It would have to be an emergency, in which case we press the big red button!

 

[Harbouring]

On another topic (vaguely related but not deserving of its own thread) the new franchise is offering opportunities to experience rare traffic movements such as the reversal on the Up fast between Northam Jn and st Denys as I experienced yesterday (was on a PMH-WAT via BSK service)

 

[LowLevel]

It would have to be an emergency, in which case we press the big red button!

We use ours routinely for day to day phone calls - the phonebook has customer service control, delays, the route controller and even on train and drivers rosters programmed in it, as well as things like depot supervisors.

I only use my company phone to ring through to locations not in the GSMR now - being able to ring someone while you're in the middle of a tunnel is grand.

 

[spark001uk]

In answer to who asked about goody bags on launch, the short answer is no there weren't any, and even so it was press etc only!
I wouldn't have minded but the bod on twitter said it was public and even gave me the time and place! However upon arrival I quickly noted it was very much a "your name's not down you're not coming in" scenario! So I watched from p20, which was open due to the fact it was in use.

 

[Matt Taylor]

Another day, same problem, platform one currently out of use at Waterloo due to a points failure.

 

[Monty]

We use ours routinely for day to day phone calls - the phonebook has customer service control, delays, the route controller and even on train and drivers rosters programmed in it, as well as things like depot supervisors.

I only use my company phone to ring through to locations not in the GSMR now - being able to ring someone while you're in the middle of a tunnel is grand.

If the GSM-R is in use in one cab (ie being used by the guard) can the driver still use the one located in leading cab to contact the signaller or does he have to wait for the guard to finish?

 

[SpacePhoenix]

Another day, same problem, platform one currently out of use at Waterloo due to a points failure.

Is it the same points that failed yesterday?

 

[infobleep]

It's free for a reason. Best avoided.

I actually don't usually read it but as SWR were advertising I wanted to. Then I wanted to see if they reported the disruption as I was expecting them not to, since SWR were advertising with them.

I don't know if SWR were advertising in the Evening Standard on the Tuesday as I didn't get a copy.

 

[infobleep]

That or no reception, on the Direct it's notoriously bad to the point I'll rarely use my phone to call the route controller between Havant and Guildford because I won't have signal long enough to relay the message I have. Worst case scenario I have to hold the train at Petersfield or Haslemere if the message is that urgent.

Yeah agreed, between Eastleigh - Winchester - Basingstoke the signal is just as bad.

You can't have travelled between Dorchester and Yeovil then,the signal is so bad the guard can not even print off tickets...

Aren't SWR going to improve the WiFi offering and speeds. If they do this, won't someone need to improve the mobile coverage? Or does the WiFi use a different service to your work mobiles?

 

[infobleep]

Another day, same problem, platform one currently out of use at Waterloo due to a points failure.

This has lead to the 7.50 Waterloo to Woking making additional stops at Raynes Park, New Malden and Berrylands as the 6.36 Hampton Court service is cancelled.

The 7.23 Hampton Court to Waterloo service is also cancelled. Have they added in any extra stops? No of course not. I can only assume that the extra stops could only be added to Woking stoppers and as the Woking stoppers run fast north of Surbtion in the morning peak, tough.

Either that or too many trains run northwards so it would lead to disruption, even though one or two other services are canceled. I am assuming less trains run down. Would make sense as heading up must be much more popular at this time of day.

Yesterday the 16.37 Guildford to Waterloo was delayed by about 10 minutes due to trespassers between Haslemere and Guildford. This lead to the usual cancelation of Wimbledon, Earlsfield Clapham Junction and Vaxhuall stops. I understand why they do it.

However I do hope SWR don't claim that they try to avoid disadvanging the same people each time, as South West Trains once claimed. I could never quite figure out how they possibly could put such a thing into practice, what with crew diagrams and needing trains to try and make up time for later services. It didn't seem to happen on the Cobham services at least or if it did, so rarely I didn't notice.

 

[pompeyfan]

Aren't SWR going to improve the WiFi offering and speeds. If they do this, won't someone need to improve the mobile coverage? Or does the WiFi use a different service to your work mobiles?

The pods are roof mounted on the carriage and have lots of different sim cards in the pods attached to different networks, the system pipes out the strongest network, but if they're all showing as no service no Wifi will be provided.

You can't have travelled between Dorchester and Yeovil then,the signal is so bad the guard can not even print off tickets...

I've spoken to GWR guards and it would appear their new Fujitsu system needs to be live at all times (possibly something to do with QR codes). envoy using mag stripes can sell tickets offline with cash, and can force card transactions through if necessary. oddly though, the system will also let you force contactless transactions through offline, which I thought was against the T&Cs of a contactless licence.

 

[infobleep]

The pods are roof mounted on the carriage and have lots of different sim cards in the pods attached to different networks, the system pipes out the strongest network, but if they're all showing as no service no Wifi will be provided.

Thanks for that explanation. I didn't know that. Now fascinating. Well there are clearly parts of the South Western Railway network where no mobile phone provider is any good.

Incidentally once 15 minute relay repay goes live, I can see the situation where SWR are constantly having to pay out compensation at Wimbledon for people missing the Sutton loop services. The official connection time is 6 minutes.

I was only 3 minutes late into Wimbledon. Alas it takes so long to leave the platform that you miss the train. I had 2-3 remaining. The footbridge wasn't even that busy. It's just the lack of stairs up and down that's the issue. I was stood at the wrong end of the platform, which was my fault, so I was towards the back of this queue. However unless I was at the very front of the queue, not sure I'd have made it. Of course delay repay doesn't state where you need to stand or sit on the train in order to claim.

Perhaps SWR could just make the official connection time at Wimbledon 10 minutes. Then they wouldn't need to pay out as much compensation.

SWR did say in their recent advert that Wimbledon station would see improvements. I hope this includes an additional footbridge at the be other end of the station. I am aware I was planned and cancelled but maybe it can be reintroduced as an idea.

After all they added platform 7 at Gatwick Airport and extended the footbridge to it. They even made a waiting room and changes to entrance to platforms 5 and 6, the ones most used by Gatwick Express services. All this despite the fact that the they are planning to remodel the station anyway in the coming years.

Could they just not put up a temporary bridge at Wimbledon for the intervening period?

 

[LowLevel]

If the GSM-R is in use in one cab (ie being used by the guard) can the driver still use the one located in leading cab to contact the signaller or does he have to wait for the guard to finish?

On all multiple units with the exception of class 153 yes - the GSMR equipment in each cab is totally independent. On class 153 due to the size of the train only one set of GSMR kit is available so if you're on a single car unit with a key in only the interface with the desk with the key in it will work, the other won't power up.

 

[swt_passenger]

On another topic (vaguely related but not deserving of its own thread) the new franchise is offering opportunities to experience rare traffic movements such as the reversal on the Up fast between Northam Jn and st Denys as I experienced yesterday (was on a PMH-WAT via BSK service)

I remember that was done for a few weeks after the Botley embankment slip.

 

[embers25]

Aren't SWR going to improve the WiFi offering and speeds. If they do this, won't someone need to improve the mobile coverage? Or does the WiFi use a different service to your work mobiles?

My last 2 159 trips the wifi has connected super quick but constantly disconnects and so is basically as useless now as the rest of SWT. Even 159001 let me down and that is usually the most reliable. After 1 year of commuting with well over 95% success at wifi the whole way from Exeter to London this is a massive retrograde step. Also, unlike SWT, when they curtail the Exeter trains at Basingstoke they aren't holding back the 09 past Pompey train until 20 past to cover. SWT didn't do this every time but SWR don't seem to even think about it.

 

[WelshBluebird]

The pods are roof mounted on the carriage and have lots of different sim cards in the pods attached to different networks, the system pipes out the strongest network, but if they're all showing as no service no Wifi will be provided.

I'd have thought the systems would be clever enough to bond all the channels together (similar to the kit that broadcasters like Sky etc have), so that it isn't just hammering one network but using all available ones. Is that not the case? Obviously doesn't help if no networks are available, but could be helpful in other areas.

 

[pompeyfan]

I'd have thought the systems would be clever enough to bond all the channels together (similar to the kit that broadcasters like Sky etc have), so that it isn't just hammering one network but using all available ones. Is that not the case? Obviously doesn't help if no networks are available, but could be helpful in other areas.

I would assume it does do what you mentioned above, but honestly don't know above the brief detail i'd mentioned above.

 

[infobleep]

Another evening with congestion. Only up to 15 minutes though so if it were December 2017, claim numbers wouldn't be too high as most trains delayed by under 10 minutes.

They did feel the need to put a notice on National Rail Enquiries about the disruption though. That didn't always happen under SWT when delays were up to 15 minutes. Whether it's something SWR want to do more often going forward only time will tell.