Recent content by Bessie

I’m on 404/412 on my commute into London. They’re on 6:42 departure from Reading. Aircon is working OK. Very few passengers as today’s another heatwave day. Let’s see if SWR can get me home tonight

004 is in service. Saw it at Ascot just after 1pm whilst I was waiting for the Class 31 and 4-Vep to come through on their trip back to Strawberry Hill

I can see SWR have made a hash of their recent ticket website and app upgrade. I used to be able to get to my flexi-ticket smartcard record and see how many journeys I had remaining. This information seems to have disappeared, all it now says I booked a flexi-ticket on xx date and it's valid for...

I've just enjoyed/endured a trip on a pair of Class 455s on 17.58 off Clapham Junction heading to Reading. Platform announcer at CJ was telling us all to make the most of travelling on some vintage 1980's units. We were all squeezed in like sardines making the experience even more memorable!!!!

Yes, it moved down to the Watercress line today and they are already advertising Class 150 driver experiences next year on their website.

Enjoying/enduring a 5 car 458/5 on the morning commute, ex 7:19 departure from Reading. Standing room only! Guard keen to tell us one of the new trains failed in the yard and this was all that was available. Better than no train I suppose

The 7:03 off Martins Heron to Waterloo (leaves Reading at 6:39) was a Class 701 today. Diagram used to be Class 450. Has this moved over to being a 701? And to answer my own question post 15,304 said it moved across last week. I was working away from home last week so missed this!

The 7:09 Reading to Waterloo service (booked as a 701) was cancelled today. I assume due to lack of stock.

Now several have been in use for a few months what‘s the verdict from drivers and guards on this forum? As a Waterloo-Reading line commuter I appreciate their quicker acceleration and their crowd busting qualities at Clapham Junction when changing trains. PIS seems a bit hit and miss.

701s better acceleration is really obvious on Reading services. On the 9:20 service from Waterloo last night and at most stations we had a much longer dwell time as service arrived early at each station.

On a 458/4 service to Reading. Got on at Martins Heron where platform PIS displayed it as an 8 carriage SWR Arterio service. Platform announcement was the same. Is there an official re-branding of these to Arterio as well?

As a fairly new suffering commuter on Waterloo to Reading I'm not happy with this. I don't understand why surplus 450s don't work these services and we still have plenty of 455s making us bake on the 1 hour plus homeward journey!

Will there be just the one unit 001 coming into revenue service this summer? How many train crews are getting trained to work on this?

It's factually accurate - the reality is the 2 rear coaches have disappeared :lol:. PIS also has says front 7 coaches for Longcross which is also correct. Does anyone think Waterloo-Reading will be this fleet's dedicated route in due course? There's no sign of any 701 diagrams anytime soon and...

Thanks for the update. It seems like one new unit per week entering into service.