SWR timetable refresh - consultation in Autumn 2026

[chrisp37]

Apologies if this has already been mentioned; I couldn't find any reference to it from a quick search. Feel free to merge with an existing thread if there is one!

Anyway, it appears SWR will be undertaking a full timetable refresh, the first one in 20 years, with a full public consultation to be run in Autumn 2026.

Further details and an opportunity to have your say here.

Following our recent transfer to public ownership and the rollout of our new Arterio trains, maximising fleet capacity across the network, we’re taking the opportunity to fully refresh our timetable – the first major timetable change on this network in over 20 years.

As we develop our plans, we’ll seek views and feedback on our proposals from stakeholders, customers and the wider community, including running a full public consultation in Autumn 2026. We’re committed to the consultation being accessible to everyone, and we’re planning a range of online and in-person opportunities to take part.

Throughout this process we’ll be working to improve performance by building a timetable to deliver a reliable service that customers can rely on. We need to balance our three priorities - customer experience, reliability, and value for money to the taxpayer...

 

[adc82140]

Thank you. I have just offered my two'penneth on the form, regarding earlier westbound weekday departures on the West of England line.

 

[Class450/4DES]

One of the things I've mentioned about is the fact the Alton service leaves before the Ascot service gets to Aldershot. It's really irritating going to Alton from that line as I have to wait half an hour for the next train. Originally the Ascot service got to Aldershot right before the Alton train. To this day, I still don't understand why this was swapped around as it doesn't effect the Guildford-Farnham services I think.

 

[chrisp37]

My main bugbear is the reduction in services on the Waterloo to Guildford/Dorking via Epsom lines. My local station is Worcester Park and it's really galling that we still only have 2 tph in the off-peak with a few additional services in the peak. Prior to Covid it was 6 tph to Waterloo in the peak and 4 tph in the off-peak (dropping to 2 tph in the late evenings and Sundays). It makes such a big difference to the usefulness of the service and can lead to (close to) 30 minute waits at Clapham Junction for a connecting service to various destinations. Also only 1 tph to Guildford instead of 2 tph is annoying as we go to Guildford a fair bit at weekends.

 

[WTT Gremlin]

One of the things I've mentioned about is the fact the Alton service leaves before the Ascot service gets to Aldershot. It's really irritating going to Alton from that line as I have to wait half an hour for the next train. Originally the Ascot service got to Aldershot right before the Alton train. To this day, I still don't understand why this was swapped around as it doesn't effect the Guildford-Farnham services I think.

The SWML et al timetable is very interconnected which can pose some very significant pathing challenges particularly in between the main timetable structures (falling out of phase where +minute(s) are required is relatively simple to resolve, being in a position of -minute(s) is very substantially more difficult a puzzle). Reversing the order may have been the trade-off for making services align within the wider structures. And whilst not ideal, on a 2tph line, with not the greatest demand, is a completely understandable trade-off.

Apologies if this has already been mentioned; I couldn't find any reference to it from a quick search. Feel free to merge with an existing thread if there is one!

Anyway, it appears SWR will be undertaking a full timetable refresh, the first one in 20 years, with a full public consultation to be run in Autumn 2026.

Further details and an opportunity to have your say here.

The timing makes a lot of sense and it aligns with significant changes in performance capabilities of the fleet. Now the 455s are gone (for when any WTT recast occurs) services which they operated on no longer need to be timed down to their performance with the 450/701 fleets having at least twice the power, not accounting for any power control advances

My main bugbear is the reduction in services on the Waterloo to Guildford/Dorking via Epsom lines. My local station is Worcester Park and it's really galling that we still only have 2 tph in the off-peak with a few additional services in the peak. Prior to Covid it was 6 tph to Waterloo in the peak and 4 tph in the off-peak (dropping to 2 tph in the late evenings and Sundays). It makes such a big difference to the usefulness of the service. Also only 1 tph to Guildford instead of 2 tph is annoying as we go to Guildford a fair bit at weekends.

Depending on exactly how GBR is structured, areas like this I could see benefitting from not having 'split allegiances'. Additionally, performance gains from rolling stock in a recast WTT might make increasing frequencies more economically viable.

Is also a positive that they are openly asking for 'passenger' engagement to help inform decisions and priorities.

 

[VT 390]

One of the things I've mentioned about is the fact the Alton service leaves before the Ascot service gets to Aldershot. It's really irritating going to Alton from that line as I have to wait half an hour for the next train. Originally the Ascot service got to Aldershot right before the Alton train. To this day, I still don't understand why this was swapped around as it doesn't effect the Guildford-Farnham services I think.

If the Ascot to Aldershot arrived before the London Waterloo to Alton at Aldershot it would be around 10 minutes earlier which would break the more important connection from the London Waterloo to Reading service at Ascot.

 

[Class450/4DES]

If the Ascot to Aldershot arrived before the London Waterloo to Alton at Aldershot it would be around 10 minutes earlier which would break the more important connection from the London Waterloo to Reading service at Ascot.

Ah, okay. I stand corrected. Thanks.

 

[Flange Squeal]

If the Ascot to Aldershot arrived before the London Waterloo to Alton at Aldershot it would be around 10 minutes earlier which would break the more important connection from the London Waterloo to Reading service at Ascot.

And even before the Guildford to Ascot service was split into today’s pair of shuttle services, the train from Ascot still arrived at Aldershot just behind the Alton service. It was the train from Guildford towards Ascot that arrived at Aldershot xx17, just before the Alton. The Aldershot to Ascot section still runs to the same basic off-peak timetable as pre-split (xx00/30 off Aldershot and xx23/53 off Ascot, with scheduled waits at Camberley in both directions).

 

[Big Jumby 74]

There were two locations that always proved difficult to provide 'ideal' connections in every instance each hour, when all other considerations on the various routes were taken in to account, and they were (are) Weybridge, and Aldershot, the latter being particularly complex with other connections (as said by others above) at Ascot, junction conflictions at Ash Vale, Aldershot North Jn (and consequently Aldershot South Jn and through to Guildford (minimum 5 min turn round on Ascot services in my time).
In those two places there will likely always be winners and losers in the 'ideal' connection time aspect if the overall level of service (for all) is to be given a fair chance of operating robustly.

 

[WTT Gremlin]

There were two locations that always proved difficult to provide 'ideal' connections in every instance each hour, when all other considerations on the various routes were taken in to account, and they were (are) Weybridge, and Aldershot, the latter being particularly complex with other connections (as said by others above) at Ascot, junction conflictions at Ash Vale, Aldershot North Jn (and consequently Aldershot South Jn and through to Guildford (minimum 5 min turn round on Ascot services in my time).
In those two places there will likely always be winners and losers in the 'ideal' connection time aspect if the overall level of service (for all) is to be given a fair chance of operating robustly.

Indeed so… and the services are not impacted enough/not enough new services to demand interventions.

 

[Big Jumby 74]

Indeed so… and the services are not impacted enough/not enough new services to demand interventions.

It will ever be a no win situation for some, somewhere...!

But for the sceptics out there, I can say first hand, that in TT planning circles, those involved always (in my 40 years on the job) tried their best to resolve any undesirable situations within the overall timetable plan, so any instances of longer than desirable waiting time at connecting stations was always kept to a minimum.

 

[WTT Gremlin]

It will ever be a no win situation for some, somewhere...!

But for the sceptics out there, I can say first hand, that in TT planning circles, those involved always (in my 40 years on the job) tried their best to resolve any undesirable situations within the overall timetable plan, so any instances of longer than desirable waiting time at connecting stations was always kept to a minimum.

Seconded entirely

 

[Sad Sprinter]

My main bugbear is the reduction in services on the Waterloo to Guildford/Dorking via Epsom lines. My local station is Worcester Park and it's really galling that we still only have 2 tph in the off-peak with a few additional services in the peak. Prior to Covid it was 6 tph to Waterloo in the peak and 4 tph in the off-peak (dropping to 2 tph in the late evenings and Sundays). It makes such a big difference to the usefulness of the service and can lead to (close to) 30 minute waits at Clapham Junction for a connecting service to various destinations. Also only 1 tph to Guildford instead of 2 tph is annoying as we go to Guildford a fair bit at weekends.

Yes same over on Southern. The Hounslow Loop as well is still only 2 an hour.

 

[Robert Carroll]

My main bugbear is the reduction in services on the Waterloo to Guildford/Dorking via Epsom lines. My local station is Worcester Park and it's really galling that we still only have 2 tph in the off-peak with a few additional services in the peak. Prior to Covid it was 6 tph to Waterloo in the peak and 4 tph in the off-peak (dropping to 2 tph in the late evenings and Sundays). It makes such a big difference to the usefulness of the service and can lead to (close to) 30 minute waits at Clapham Junction for a connecting service to various destinations. Also only 1 tph to Guildford instead of 2 tph is annoying as we go to Guildford a fair bit at weekends.

I agree. I live in Worcester Park too and the service is basically half what it was during the privatisation era. The evening peak is partiuclarly poor with only eight trains across three hours where there used to be 16. Also some long gaps in the morning peak.

 

[Big Jumby 74]

I agree

Ditto. Not my normal route, but was a frequent traveller to/from Stoneleigh some years ago, and Worcester Park was so obviously very close (along that route) behind Raynes Park in packed platforms in the peaks, possibly on an equal with Epsom, which had/has two London termini as destinations, unlike WP.

 

[Michaeco]

The main bugbear is the lack of a proper pattern of fast/express, semi-fast and stopping services on the main lines. If you compare Cambridge (about 60 miles from London), with two non-stop services per hour @ eg 50 minutes, with Southampton (about 70 miles from London) with two semi-fasts @ eg 70/80 minutes, you will see what I mean. The Portsmouth Direct is even worse.

 

[swt_passenger]

The main bugbear is the lack of a proper pattern of fast/express, semi-fast and stopping services on the main lines. If you compare Cambridge (about 60 miles from London), with two non-stop services per hour @ eg 50 minutes, with Southampton (about 70 miles from London) with two semi-fasts @ eg 70/80 minutes, you will see what I mean. The Portsmouth Direct is even worse.

It’s houses for courses. Winchester isn’t a sleepy little village, so it also wants fast trains. Southampton Airport is on the main route rather than on a short branch, maybe if Stansted was on the main through route fast trains would stop there as well, and then how about Cambridge South, are fast trains going to stop?

 

[evergreenadam]

It’s houses for courses. Winchester isn’t a sleepy little village, so it also wants fast trains. Southampton Airport is on the main route rather than on a short branch, maybe if Stansted was on the main through route fast trains would stop there as well, and then how about Cambridge South, are fast trains going to stop?

The fast trains to Cambridge will be stopping at Cambridge South when it opens.

 

[shakermaker_86]

Looks like the consultation may now be live, as shared by the MP for Sutton and Cheam Luke Taylor:

Have your say on the SWR Future Timetablele

We’re taking the opportunity to fully refresh our network. Share your feedback to help us build a timetable fit for the future.

www.southwesterntimetable.com

Ahead of the consultation, and to shape our timetable planning, we want to hear from you. We want to know about your experience, insights and aspirations for our future timetable.

Whether you are a customer, commuter, local resident, employer, railway employee or anyone else who cares about our railway, please complete the form below to share your views and receive updates on our future timetable and upcoming public consultation.

Have your say on the future of the SWR timetable

Help us understand your local community and shape a timetable that works for everyone...

 

[Goldfish62]

Looks like the consultation may now be live, as shared by the MP for Sutton and Cheam Luke Taylor:

Have your say on the SWR Future Timetablele

We’re taking the opportunity to fully refresh our network. Share your feedback to help us build a timetable fit for the future.

www.southwesterntimetable.com

That's been circulating for a while. It's not the full consultation, which SWR state will be in the autumn.

 

[Concorde9289]

One thing I'd like to see improved is how the Bournemouth/Winchester stopping train runs. For some reason, in the southbound direction the service is split in two. The service starts at Winchester but terminates at Southampton Central (and then that train forms the next service to Portsmouth & Southsea). And the stops from Southampton to Bournemouth are picked up by train that arrives from Portsmouth & Southsea. This weird interworking just seems to make the service way more complicated than it needs to be.

 

[cle]

The main bugbear is the lack of a proper pattern of fast/express, semi-fast and stopping services on the main lines. If you compare Cambridge (about 60 miles from London), with two non-stop services per hour @ eg 50 minutes, with Southampton (about 70 miles from London) with two semi-fasts @ eg 70/80 minutes, you will see what I mean. The Portsmouth Direct is even worse.

Cambridge really has a much higher service - if you think about 5-6tph from the KXSP lines, and 2tph more from Liverpool St.

Southampton really does rely on this single 2-3tph service, but is a much smaller demand destination - and Winchester is busier than Southampton for London Waterloo traffic, so definitely needs the call, even if it skips others like Basingstoke and Woking - or Airport Parkway on the odd fast.

One thing I'd like to see improved is how the Bournemouth/Winchester stopping train runs. For some reason, in the southbound direction the service is split in two. The service starts at Winchester but terminates at Southampton Central (and then that train forms the next service to Portsmouth & Southsea). And the stops from Southampton to Bournemouth are picked up by train that arrives from Portsmouth & Southsea. This weird interworking just seems to make the service way more complicated than it needs to be.

A Reading-Bournemouth service would be useful - or reinstating XC - even increasing it to hourly to Southampton, giving 2tph Reading-Southampton (all calling Basingstoke, Winchester, SAP) - boosting the local service and any connections at Basingstoke.

 

[swt_passenger]

One thing I'd like to see improved is how the Bournemouth/Winchester stopping train runs. For some reason, in the southbound direction the service is split in two. The service starts at Winchester but terminates at Southampton Central (and then that train forms the next service to Portsmouth & Southsea). And the stops from Southampton to Bournemouth are picked up by train that arrives from Portsmouth & Southsea. This weird interworking just seems to make the service way more complicated than it needs to be.

When it was the down Waterloo to Poole service, it had about a 20 min wait at Southampton, while the following fast service overtook it. Then about 25 mins more waiting at Brockenhurst while the next fast service overtook it. Interworking with the Portsmouth trains removed all that extra waiting time. Having so much waiting time meant you would hardly ever want the ‘Poole train’ if going to Poole.

 

[Big Jumby 74]

One thing I'd like to see improved is how the Bournemouth/Winchester stopping train runs. For some reason, in the southbound direction the service is split in two. The service starts at Winchester but terminates at Southampton Central (and then that train forms the next service to Portsmouth & Southsea). And the stops from Southampton to Bournemouth are picked up by train that arrives from Portsmouth & Southsea. This weird interworking just seems to make the service way more complicated than it needs to be

At Southampton it may also be partly due to platform availability. As swt_passenger has mentioned there were some long waits in platforms 2 & 3, which left only 1 & 4 for through services and freights etc. It was always a bit of a bottleneck.

 

[Concorde9289]

When it was the down Waterloo to Poole service, it had about a 20 min wait at Southampton, while the following fast service overtook it. Then about 25 mins more waiting at Brockenhurst while the next fast service overtook it. Interworking with the Portsmouth trains removed all that extra waiting time. Having so much waiting time meant you would hardly ever want the ‘Poole train’ if going to Poole.

Indeed. If it was down to me I'd reinstate the old Poole service but only as far as Southampton Central, which would give Eastleigh a 2nd train per hour to Waterloo, and would give Fleet and Farnborough an additional fast service to Waterloo. For the stations between Southampton and Bournemouth I'd extend the stopper from Portsmouth & Southsea. Though again platform availability might come into play.

 

[Goldfish62]

The revised timetable is clearly some way off, being introduced either in December 2027 or May 2028. However, Lawrence Bowman stated that incremental improvements would be made before then to the existing timetable. A start is being made in May with Reading evening service improvements.

Establishing a secure connection ...

A big timetable change is planned for December 2027 or May 2028 at the latest but incremental changes are being made now. In May, some late night Reading trains which had been terminating at Bracknell since the pandemic are returning to the full route. “There’s customer desire for that, so we’re taking what I’d call small steps now to improve the customer offer.” Over the next 12 months, changes to train planning rules are being implemented in line with the network performance board framework, but the critical path remains driver establishment...

 

[Michaeco]

Excellent plan! The stopper to Winchester could usefully be extended to Basingstoke. With the advent of GBR, the Southern service from Brighton could be extended to Bournemouth or perhaps Brockenhurst, so that this no longer blocked platforms at Southampton Central.

 

[Sealink]

Travelling from Weymouth/Dorchester, we have two trains an hour to Waterloo
Back in 2018, a consultation suggested reducing this to one train to Waterloo, with a second to Portsmouth. There was uproar down here.
I think it would have improved connectivity along the South Coast, (always feels down here that "all roads lead to London"), one change at Ford for Bognor Regis and Brighton.
Now, whether there is the passenger demand for that is the other thing. SWR seemed to think so for Portsmouth.

 

[Big Jumby 74]

Travelling from Weymouth/Dorchester, we have two trains an hour to Waterloo
Back in 2018, a consultation suggested reducing this to one train to Waterloo, with a second to Portsmouth. There was uproar down here.

Once any improvement in service provision is put in place (ie; 2 vice 1 tph to Waterloo from Weymouth) any subsequent plan to back track will struggle to change that. In real passenger footfall, with 2 tph from Weymouth to Waterloo, there needs to be a discussion (if not already had) as to how many people from that additional London train are those heading for the South coastway.
I suspect the number changing at Southampton for the SCW is somewhat less than those making use of the 2nd tph to Waterloo, and that's what counts when all said and done.

 

[cle]

Excellent plan! The stopper to Winchester could usefully be extended to Basingstoke. With the advent of GBR, the Southern service from Brighton could be extended to Bournemouth or perhaps Brockenhurst, so that this no longer blocked platforms at Southampton Central.

I agree. This side should also have coastway services for local service too - and Portsmouth / Brighton are good termini. You could even use Littlehampton too.