Did you really expect additional diagrams after just 5-6 weeks training? Typically new trains start to appear in service very slowly 3-4 months after training starts. The logistics of getting enough staff trained to be able to start even a minimal service have been detailed on this thread by those in the know.
Of course it isn't, lighting changes every single day of the year. And a network where the lines head approximately east-west will be worse than north-south
Incredible...
Thanks, not following the local media but this makes sense. There’s nothing that can be done to the Reading Line really, the line has over the years gained a lot non-London-going passengers in every segment along the line and is now impossible to speed up; while the 15-minute frequency of the Elizabeth Line plus the half hourly Didcot semi-fast makes the GWML much more attractive. Reading Line would only ‘need’ 701s when all other lines on the Windsor side are converted so as to improve timekeeping and not let the slow door operation of 450s blocking the line…
Personally I'm more than happy to retain the 450s. I just want rid of the pesky 455 interlopers!
But if it was done some time ago, I assume they need to check that nothing has changed since then - e.g. growth of foliage, new signs put up obscurring line of sight, location of stop signs, etc.
To be fair I can understand the negativity, particularly on a day like today where the 701 service was cancelled and at least one peak service on the Windsor side was a single 450. Passengers can see all the 701 units stabled at Clapham and will rightly be wondering why they can't be used in service yet.
I agree nothing can be done in terms of speeding it up but service frequency could definitely be improved. It's really unappealing to use now, especially in the evenings .
Yep. I know a couple of people in Wokingham who would always use the train to go to evening shows in London, but since the absurd reduction to hourly Mon-Fri now drive in instead.
I’d rather have some of the peak extras back, particularly the 1735/1805/1835 off Waterloo. A 2 hour door-to-door journey time for a distance of less than 35 miles is frankly unacceptable and a big reason why WFH is the norm for me. Quality of life is so much better without using SWR’s squalid service every day.Personally I'm more than happy to retain the 450s. I just want rid of the pesky 455 interlopers!
Curiously, although 2U09 is shown as cancelled, 2U19 is not shown on RTT at all.
www.realtimetrains.co.uk
Interesting that one line is apparently so far below pre-covid.
Worth keeping in mind WFH has disproportionately affected the Southeast of the UK so I wouldnt be surprised if SWR had about 70%Interesting that one line is apparently so far below pre-covid.
Today DfT updated its usage since covid, and for most recent dates (21 Aug - 1Sep) is nationally at 90-94% each day (excluding Elizabeth line) or 100-105% (including Elizabeth line)
Daily domestic transport use by mode
Daily usage of selected domestic transport by mode for Great Britain.www.gov.uk
Obvious question is, why if national average is at least 90% and on some days 94% how can SWR justify such swinging cuts compared to pre covid, or are they simply going out their way to discourage rail use.
Yes, and all the data by TOC is published on a regular basis.
I imagine that no-one believes anything that SWR say any more, they've endlessly promised things that they've failed to deliver. Even after staff have been trained I expect that they'll find some new excuses for not running more of these trains in real passenger service as opposed to the pretence of "soft launch", which is beyond a joke now.
What was once a reliable service sinks further into the mire . Is it any wonder that SWR's passenger numbers are still so poor?
Looks like 2R53 is expected to run though.
Yes exactly. SWR specifically has quite low passenger numbers compared to before COVID, I think one of the biggest drops of any overall TOC. This is the new normal
Possibly because the longer the saga drags on, with seemingly new snags at every stage, the worse the overall delay gets (and the more impatient some get with the state of the rail industry that can allow this to happen).
Greater Anglia replaced their entire fleet and successfully introduced all their new trains. It is only South Western Railway that has totally failed so far to introduce their new trains.
Interesting that one line is apparently so far below pre-covid.
Today DfT updated its usage since covid, and for most recent dates (21 Aug - 1Sep) is nationally at 90-94% each day (excluding Elizabeth line) or 100-105% (including Elizabeth line)
Daily domestic transport use by mode
Daily usage of selected domestic transport by mode for Great Britain.
Obvious question is, why if national average is at least 90% and on some days 94% how can SWR justify such swinging cuts compared to pre covid, or are they simply going out their way to discourage rail use.
Is there actually any hard evidence that there are "new snags" that will result in further delays to the introduction programme?
People are just fed up, and rightfully so. They wonder why we’re in another period of silence and because of SWR’s track record still have little faith in the introduction picking up any time soon.
I don't see capacity being improved at all for a while on the suburban. I imagine it's low down on the priority list for the 701s for some reason.
