Cross Country Olympics services to Weymouth

[andyc20050]

Here is the additional services Cross Country will be running to Weymouth during the Olympics.

Mondays to Fridays, 30 July to 10 August and
Monday 3 to Thursday 6 September
0604 Birmingham New Street to Weymouth (arrives 1015).
0511 Manchester Piccadilly to Weymouth (arrives 1113).
1741 Weymouth to Manchester Piccadilly (arrives 2337).
1830 Weymouth to Birmingham New Street (arrives 2245).
1135 Weymouth to Bournemouth (arrives 1228) calling at
Wareham (1205) and Poole (1216).
1235 Bournemouth to Weymouth (arrives 1323) calling at
Poole (1248) and Wareham (1259).

Saturdays, 4, 11 August and 1 September
0604 Birmingham New Street to Weymouth (arrives 1015).
0511 Manchester Piccadilly to Weymouth (arrives 1106).
1735 Weymouth to Manchester Piccadilly (arrives 2332).
1836 Weymouth to Birmingham New Street (arrives 2248).
1135 Weymouth to Bournemouth (arrives 1228) calling at
Wareham (1205) and Poole (1216).
1235 Bournemouth to Weymouth (arrives 1323) calling at
Poole (1248) and Wareham (1259).

Sundays, 29 July, 5 August and 2 September
0851 Southampton Central to Weymouth (arrives 1008).
1838 Weymouth to Birmingham New Street (arrives 2242).
1038 Weymouth to Bournemouth (arrives 1124) calling at
Wareham (1104) and Poole (1115).
1135 Bournemouth to Weymouth (arrives 1222) calling at
Poole (1144) and Wareham (1155)

 

[Eagle]

Glad to see they've remembered the Paralympics exist.

 

[jopsuk]

is the Weymouth-Bournemouth return journey mainly to free up space as there will be extra SWT services as well?

 

[Eagle]

is the Weymouth-Bournemouth return journey mainly to extract revenue as there will be extra SWT services as well?

FTFY

More seriously, you can't have two Voyagers hanging around in Weymouth for two hours; there's only three platforms and one siding. The other one has to go away for a while. Not sure why they've bothered adding stops to them though, other than to relieve SWT of fares capacity.

 

[Schnellzug]

How exciting. Where did they find the stock to fit these in?

Birmingham New Street to Weymouth (arrives 1015).
0511 Manchester Piccadilly to Weymouth (arrives 1113). ? The normal trains from London Waterloo arrive 1009 and 1113, this seems rather optimistic scheduling. How many people are going to want to flock to see the Olympic Sailing Events from Manchester at 0511?

Does anyone, really imagine, though, as Dorset county Council apparently do, that 60,000 Spectators every single day will flock to Weymouth & Portland? They claim that there'll be a fleet of <between> 60 and 100 Park & Ride Buses as well.

 

[andyc20050]

From another forum Ive heard the additional services from the north will be routed via Castle Cary and not Bournemouth.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

I can't imagine they'd miss out Southampton etc

 

[Eagle]

From another forum Ive heard the additional services from the north will be routed via Castle Cary and not Bournemouth.

Not true; these are extensions of Bournemouth services, as can be seen by checking the standard timetable.

 

[Minilad]

These are just extensions of the Bournemouth services so they will go via Southampton

 

[Eagle]

Also I doubt the mostly single-track Cary–Dorchester line is cleared or even suitable for Voyagers.

Wonder how many additional services SWT are putting on? Being as the electrification west of Poole can't take EMUs in multiple, and there's a single-track bottleneck between Moreton and Dorchester.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

Also I doubt the mostly single-track Cary–Dorchester line is cleared or even suitable for Voyagers.

Wonder how many additional services SWT are putting on? Being as the electrification west of Poole can't take EMUs in multiple, and there's a single-track bottleneck between Moreton and Dorchester.

thefab444 (RIP) posted a long time ago that it was occupied I think 40 minutes of an hour off-peak on a standard timetable if that helps.

 

[MCR247]

Also I doubt the mostly single-track Cary–Dorchester line is cleared or even suitable for Voyagers.

Wonder how many additional services SWT are putting on? Being as the electrification west of Poole can't take EMUs in multiple, and there's a single-track bottleneck between Moreton and Dorchester.

I'm sure its been posted a lot by someone (can't remember, sorry!) that SWT will only be running the 2tph 5 444 and thats it, since it will be overloaded with any more

 

[swt_passenger]

I'm sure its been posted a lot by someone (can't remember, sorry!) that SWT will only be running the 2tph 5 444 and thats it, since it will be overloaded with any more

I may have posted it, quoting SWT's announcement:

http://www.southwesttrains.co.uk/Olympics.aspx

There are definitely NO additional SWT Weymouth services. As I said at the time, the 2nd hourly service introduced in the current franchise was the extra service for the Olympics - it just happened to start a few years ago...

XC's service extensions were mentioned back in December when the timetable became available, IIRC...

--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

More seriously, you can't have two Voyagers hanging around in Weymouth for two hours; there's only three platforms and one siding. The other one has to go away for a while. Not sure why they've bothered adding stops to them though, other than to relieve SWT of fares capacity.

Why can't they have two trains in either of platforms 2 or 3, they're both 12 car length.

Unless permissive working isn't allowed?

 

[150222]

Been a while since voyagers have been down that way eh.

 

[The Planner]

Permissive is ok at Weymouth.

 

[Eagle]

If you leave both XCs in one platform, it still only leaves two platforms free for SWT and FGW services, which are timetabled to have long waits there between services.

 

[swt_passenger]

Permissive is ok at Weymouth.

I'd have been surprised if it wasn't - and I've since checked the CWNs, and the last four 444s to arrive berth overnight to form the first four trains out in the morning...

 

[Nym]

But what if XC are nice and run 8, 9 or 10 car services?

 

[RobShipway]

But what if XC are nice and run 8, 9 or 10 car services?

The services to Bournemout are normally either four car class 220 or five car 221's if they are available, so I cannot see them having anything larger than this considering that the 5 car Class 444's on some platforms only just fit, unless these platforms have been extended in recent years?

 

[MidnightFlyer]

The services to Bournemout are normally either four car class 220 or five car 221's if they are available, so I cannot see them having anything larger than this considering that the 5 car Class 444's on some platforms only just fit, unless these platforms have been extended in recent years?

All stations served by XC between Basingstoke and Bournemouth, as well as Weymouth, could handle a 8-10 Voyager set. Reading could, but only if a through platform was used for reversal, not a bay. Through platforms (the old p8 to be precise) are what is booked to happen with Manchester-Bournemouth trains.

 

[Nym]

Shove some of the HSTs on this route and give the pax a comfy ride to the Olympics in actual British Engineering?

 

[Schnellzug]

Also I doubt the mostly single-track Cary–Dorchester line is cleared or even suitable for Voyagers.

Wonder how many additional services SWT are putting on? Being as the electrification west of Poole can't take EMUs in multiple, and there's a single-track bottleneck between Moreton and Dorchester.

It can take 3 x class 73s, though, as was proved only this week. (And 2 x class 442 on occasion previously). I do wonder if this is not actually an urban myth.

The services to Bournemout are normally either four car class 220 or five car 221's if they are available, so I cannot see them having anything larger than this considering that the 5 car Class 444's on some platforms only just fit, unless these platforms have been extended in recent years?

That's only really an issue at Parkstone, Wool etc, where I doubt if they'd ever be likely to call.

 

[Nym]

It can take 3 x class 73s, though, as was proved only this week. (And 2 x class 442 on occasion previously). I do wonder if this is not actually an urban myth.


That's only really an issue at Parkstone, Wool etc, where I doubt if they'd ever be likely to call.

There will be a power draw limit on the feeder stations, but I don't think it's that well published, perhaps someone could ask Network Rail to provide details.

One would also note that depending on the type of rectifiers being used, it could simply end up reducing the available voltage, and thanks to their crazy sounds, 444s can run on less than 750V if needs be, wouldn't be happy about it, but they should run for the type of inverters they use.

 

[RobShipway]

It can take 3 x class 73s, though, as was proved only this week. (And 2 x class 442 on occasion previously). I do wonder if this is not actually an urban myth.


That's only really an issue at Parkstone, Wool etc, where I doubt if they'd ever be likely to call.

The listed stations above are some of the one's that I had in mind along with Branksome as well, but one of the main stops is gong to be Wareham surely for the Cross Country trains which as memory serves also has an issue with trains with more than 8 carriages?

 

[Nym]

IIRC, the whole of the 22x series has magic buttons on the dash board for short platforms, if it's even going to be calling there...

 

[MidnightFlyer]

The listed stations above are some of the one's that I had in mind along with Branksome as well, but one of the main stops is gong to be Wareham surely for the Cross Country trains which as memory serves also has an issue with trains with more than 8 carriages?

Ah, stations Basingstoke-Bournemouth and Poole can all take 12 cars, as can Weymouth. Wareham can only take 8.

 

[Minilad]

IIRC, the whole of the 22x series has magic buttons on the dash board for short platforms, if it's even going to be calling there...

If you mean SDO then no. XC 220 and 221 do not have SDO
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

If you leave both XCs in one platform, it still only leaves two platforms free for SWT and FGW services, which are timetabled to have long waits there between services.

I would imagine the XC trains will not sit in Weymouth all day but return to Bournemouth ECS to form a service from there. XC just hasn't the spare trains to leave some sitting at Weymouth all day

 

[ChrisCooper]

It can take 3 x class 73s, though, as was proved only this week. (And 2 x class 442 on occasion previously). I do wonder if this is not actually an urban myth.


That's only really an issue at Parkstone, Wool etc, where I doubt if they'd ever be likely to call.

When the Southern Belle railtour ran to Weymouth with 3 slammers (2 CIGs and a CEP) it had to get special permission from NR, the driver was restricted to using series only climbing out of Weymouth, and NR staff were positioned in the sub stations and motor coaches to monitor power draw. Perhaps though after that they realised the situation was not as bad as thought? One thing that often pops up on the railways is cases where things are "banned" not because they are proven to be a problem, but because they haven't been proven not to be. Particularly for one off runs it's not worth going to the expense or testing if things are possible, so it's easier just to ban them, or allow them but under restrictions (and use them as a sort of live test).

 

[swt_passenger]

It can take 3 x class 73s, though, as was proved only this week. (And 2 x class 442 on occasion previously). I do wonder if this is not actually an urban myth.

The restrictions are definitely included in the sectional appendix. Anything more than one 444 or one 450 requires special approval.

 

[MCR247]

It can take 3 x class 73s, though, as was proved only this week. (And 2 x class 442 on occasion previously). I do wonder if this is not actually an urban myth.
l.

But honestly, it isn't very hard to believe that there is a probably a MASSIVE difference between 2x444 and 2x442 in the amount of electricity drawn! :P