Provision of information on the Hounslow Loop

[Farang]

Having used this line for many years, my impression - backed up by no data - is that the destinations displayed on the trains are often wrong. By which I mean that it'll say London Waterloo when it's actually going the opposite direction. As it's a loop of course that's where it'll end up, but it would be quicker for a passenger going to Waterloo to catch a train in the opposite direction.

For example, yesterday the public address system at Barnes said the 16:27 was for Hounslow via Brentford, the display on the train said it was for London Waterloo, and at Brentford the screen on the platform said the same train was for Mortlake.

Is there a logic to all this which I am missing? I'm in correspondence with SWR about this but the early signs are not good - my email has been misunderstood.

 

[Phillipimo]

The information system on most of the trains used is not so clever, it will simply display the destination of the train which is London Waterloo for loop services.
The screens on platforms have been designed to show passengers the fastest routes, so they don't show Waterloo the long way round. From Waterloo (and Barnes) loop services are advertised as Hounslow via Richmond or via Brentford.
From Brentford, that train is the quickest direct service for stations to Mortlake, however for Barnes and beyond it would be quicker on a service going the other way around the loop.

Similar advertising of destinations is used on the Kingston loop. Hope that helps.

 

[norbitonflyer]

Having used this line for many years, my impression - backed up by no data - is that the destinations displayed on the trains are often wrong. By which I mean that it'll say London Waterloo when it's actually going the opposite direction. As it's a loop of course that's where it'll end up, but it would be quicker for a passenger going to Waterloo to catch a train in the opposite direction.

For example, yesterday the public address system at Barnes said the 16:27 was for Hounslow via Brentford, the display on the train said it was for London Waterloo, and at Brentford the screen on the platform said the same train was for Mortlake.

Is there a logic to all this which I am missing? I'm in correspondence with SWR about this but the early signs are not good - my email has been misunderstood.

Not so familiar with the Hounslow Loop, but on the Kingston Loop you do get the same thing with the destinations displayed on the stations -
at Waterloo they are advertised as Strawberry Hill via Kingston (although it's usually quicker - and always cheaper - to get to Strawberry Hill via Richmond)
at Wimbledon they say Richmond,
at Kingston they say Waterloo via Richmond,

and likewise in the opposite direction:
at Waterloo the destination is shown as Teddington via Richmond (although it's usually quicker to get to Teddington via Kingston)
at Richmond they say Wimbledon
at Strawberry Hill they say Waterloo via Kingston

This makes sense as no-one travelling from, say, Putney to Earlsfield would want to go round the loop - much quicker to change at Clapham Junction. Same on the Hounslow Loop - the train is not the right one to get from Barnes to Mortlake, but it is the right one to get from Brentford to Mortlake.

AS for the displays on the trains, that is up to the crew- on the 455s, with roller blinds, the destination would usually be changed at appropriate places en route. But on later types it looks like the electronic displays are linked to the headcode of the train, and can only display the ultimate destination or, if they can be changed, it's more complicated.

 

[NSEWonderer]

701s will show Strawberry Hill as destination when leaving Waterloo via Wimbledon first and only change to London Waterloo at Strawberry Hill.

 

[Farang]

The information system on most of the trains used is not so clever, it will simply display the destination of the train which is London Waterloo for loop services.
The screens on platforms have been designed to show passengers the fastest routes, so they don't show Waterloo the long way round. From Waterloo (and Barnes) loop services are advertised as Hounslow via Richmond or via Brentford.
From Brentford, that train is the quickest direct service for stations to Mortlake, however for Barnes and beyond it would be quicker on a service going the other way around the loop.

Similar advertising of destinations is used on the Kingston loop. Hope that helps.

Thanks, it does. Thinking about it, the reason for my confusion / irritation at Barnes was that I had learned to ignore the destination displayed on the front of the old trains, but to be suddenly presented with one of the new 'platform hoovers' with a screen on the side displaying a different destination from the announcement was a real WTF? moment.

I've never seen a train Brentford with a destination of Mortlake before (I'm usually on the opposite platform). Another passenger was having a moment too, and was asking someone inside "Is this train for...?"

I suppose loops are inherently more complicated than straight lines, but I'm not convinced SWR are making life as easy as possible for their customers.

 

[w11_supremecy]

In my opinion the one major thing that would help solve a lot of confusion for non-regular passengers on SWR's loop services would be making the PIS system more clear. Particularly on the 701s as most of these services are now worked by them. I know there is a major update due on the 701s in the early months of next year, but the announcements onboard will say the train is headed for Waterloo as you are pulling out of Waterloo. Not to mention it will repeatedly after leaving every station read out the calling patten for the entire loop, which is just very poor. Not only is it very confusing for those who don't travel on these routes very regularly or for tourists, but it's just a barrage of announcements which should be avoided.

Common sense I would think is that the PIS system onboard the trains should reflect exactly the customer information boards at the stations (e.g. as stated above, Strawberry Hill until Wimbledon where it becomes advertised as to Richmond and so on), so everything is universal. I do believe there is no way to eliminate all possible confusion, it's one of those things that will invariably catch a few people out whatever you do, so I do sympathise somewhat with SWR. But they sure can do a lot more to alleviate it.

 

[sprunt]

A problem I've encountered in the past is that services on the Erith loop are treated differently in the NRE journey planner and station departure boards. An example is Lewisham to Belvedere - I've just put a search into NRE and one of the suggested services is the 10.32 on platform 4 which will go round the loop, but on the departure board this will be shown as a service to Slade Green with no calling points after Slade Green shown. I was caught out by this once - fortunately, as a relatively knowledgeable train traveller I know about things like RTT so I was able to work out what was going on, but a less regular traveller would have been confused.

 

[greatkingrat]

at Waterloo they are advertised as Strawberry Hill via Kingston (although it's usually quicker - and always cheaper - to get to Strawberry Hill via Richmond)

Not if you are using Oyster/Contactless. As there is no way to tell which way you went, you will always be charged the via Richmond fare.

 

[norbitonflyer]

Common sense I would think is that the PIS system onboard the trains should reflect exactly the customer information boards at the stations (e.g. as stated above, Strawberry Hill until Wimbledon where it becomes advertised as to Richmond and so on), so everything is universal. I

Even that can cause confusion - a friend unfamiliar with the route, travelling to Strawberry Hill for the first time had a moment of panic when the train announced presumably on leaving Kingston, that the train was the xx:xx to Waterloo, which is where he had started out - thinking that the train, no longer called the "Strawberry Hill" service, had been diverted.

Of course better use of line names or route numbers, rather tjhan an undue emphasis on the train's final destination, would help. (The last thing a Waterloo to Guildford passenger should join is the one saying GUILDFORD in big friendly letters on the board) Likewise, SHEPPERTON - is it via Kingston or Richmond - both stations whch have more passengers than the entire Shepperton branch.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 23 Oct 2025 ==

Not if you are using Oyster/Contactless. As there is no way to tell which way you went, you will always be charged the via Richmond fare.

True, but a Z1-5 Travelcard is only valid via Richmond

 

[Farang]

I got a same day response to my query from Phillipomo on this forum, but SWR aren't doing so well. I've had to explain the issue three times by phone and email and I still haven't had a meaningful reply. They've just asked me for feedback so I gave them some.