Recent content by Robert Carroll

Thanks, I dont usually catch that train but I did a few weeks ago and it was 8 450 and very crowded from Worcester Park. I see it was a 701 today.

The 27/7/26 carriage workings show the 07:42 Guildford-Waterloo via Leatherhead 2D18 as 8 450, so will this one change next week too?

I travelled on 701003 yesterday morning. I also noticed that the 1736 Waterloo-Hampton Court was a single 450 and pretty crowded on leaving Waterloo. Thankfully, my train, the 1739, was 701011 with plenty of room.

On Wednesday evening, the down main slow was closed from Waterloo to beyond Wimbledon and everything was using the down main fast. The up main slow was still in use as far as the West Crossings. So, it seems that an issue with the track on the down slow is the root cause of the severe reduction...

Perhaps not as the railway definition of summer is sometimes 31 August.

And there was a berthing siding there too. Long ago, pre-1967 timetable change, there was a train that started from Worcester Park in the morning peak and one or two that were berthed in the sidings at Leatherhead where the old LSWR station had been that entered passenger service at Ashtead.

It used to be common for the longer distance trains from Charing Cross and in the peaks Cannon Street not to stop at London Bridge. This seemed to change to some extent after the platforms at London Bridge were lengthened to take 12 carriages, mainly for the abortive 12-car Networker plan. I...

Some years back, there were other unusual patters such as peak hour Hastings trains that were first stop (after Waterloo East or London Bridge) High Brooms and the peak Tunbridge Wells services were fast London Bridge to Chelsfield, then Sevenoaks and all stations. Many years ago, there were...

Used to be an all-day destination for the stopping trains from Liverpool Street. It has reversing sidings so it's operationally convenient. I believe some Elizabeth Line services reverse there on Sundays. 1777927295 Reigate is a sizeable town and the limit of electrification. Three Bridges...

Peak time calls at Crofton Park and Bellingham by Victoria-Gillingham South Eastern trains are unusual as all or virtually all other services calling at intermediate stations on the Catford Loop outside of Nunhead are Thameslink I believe. I can only think that this is largely because the peak...

Today was no better. I and a friend were going to Leeds. I only booked the tickets yesterday. We made it to Peterborough on the 09:10 from KGX, sat there for an hour then the train manager said it counted as an abandoned journey and we could go by Thameslink back to London, which we did. I...

Very historic now but for 20 or so years following the Bournemouth line electrification, Branksome saw lots of electric trains every day but none called there. The line from Bournemouth Central to Branksome was electrified as the depot access was (and is) from Branksome down the remains of the...

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.

I seem to recall from another thread that a 12-car formation of 458/4s would be too long for all but about three or four platforms at Waterloo and would only fit a couple of platforms at Portsmouth Harbour. Plus I believe there is union resistance to their use on routes where 458s have not...

Here is the 18:53 from Waterloo arriving at Worcester Park this evening.