I can't see suburban services being restored to pre-Covid levels. I very much doubt Reading services will go back to 4tph for four hours across each peak. We'll be lucky to see one additional service in each peak. I also doubt, unfortunately, that Hounslow loop services will be restored in the off-peak.
In simple terms, if the timetable reverted to how it was at the handover from SWT to SWR (so pre covid in essence), with the suburban entirely covered by 701's, including Readings, there would be adequate stock (450/444) to cover everything else, elecy wise, with all main line trains at maximum (10 or 12 car length) in the peaks. The only limiting factor being certain platforms at Waterloo (5,6 & 7 primarily).
Anything additional is of course welcomed. The elephant in the room (in relation to the Pompey Direct) has always been that some commentators refuse to accept that the nature of the SW network is such, that most services on all the longer routes, PDL included, have to form a part of the overall integral service pattern, just to keep up with demand, as the infrastructure from Woking Junction inwards will not permit any one route being given cart blanche to run everything for the sole benefit of those who travel from/to the outer reaches of those routes.
As HamworthyGoods has replied, end of !
Depends to a degree to whom you spoke to, but I and one other in particular (whom has a lot of respect even in retirement) from our time in planning (both 1970's entrants) have always understood Waterloo to be the main focus. Going back to steam days and a timetable that was somewhat less intensive (at Waterloo) within the Main line group of platforms, Woking Junction may well have been perhaps on a more equal footing with Waterloo at that time?
The main difference with new timetable is that the performance of the trains can be factored in. Gone are the 442s with their weaker acceleration lower to mid speed.
Without going in to details, the SW has, since the introduction of Desiro's, suffered from power (for traction) restrictions at odd places/times over the years, so AFAIK there has never been any period of timetable when all services have been unrestricted in draw power. I will stand corrected, as such matters were - to my knowledge - never fed down anyone in planning other than (perhaps?) the Head of. Blind leading the blind comes to mind.
The 2004 revamp was based on the old 400 stock (VEP/CIG days) schedules, because that was the only TT info in place at the time. Only later could schedules be modified to take account of Desiro capabilities.
IMHO, all long-haul services should stop at Woking and Basingstoke - naturally, I put in my claim for more stops at Farnborough!
In addition to the rather slow Woking stopper, most stations served by the service also have a faster train into London provided by a longer-distance service. Basingstoke trains serve Weybridge and Walton, with Alton trains picking up the West Byfleet stop. I presume users of both the Alton/Aldershot service and the Basingstoke stopper would prefer if the train ran somewhat faster. But then which service would you stop at West Byfleet, Weybridge, Walton and Surbiton?
The Alton to Waterloo service is 2tph
Is it really 4tph though, or effective 2tph to Waterloo plus a 2tph stopper? I'm not sure what other service would be specified? Just the stopping train?
Sleepy hollows? Walton and Weybridge both have passenger figures of around 2.5 million (including people changing at Weybridge), which if anything is enough to justify more than the 4tph they currently have.
They're not sleepy hollows at all - busy commuter towns, with station usage ranging from 1.2M to 2.4M per year. Furthermore, Weybridge is the main interchange for Chertsey and Addlestone, another 500k or so. The Woking stopper can't handle all those passengers, particularly at peak times, and it's anyway 10-15 mins slower than the semifasts. Realistically, Esher, Hersham and Byfleet&NewHaw probably justify 4tph too, the stations aren't as well located but there's surely some suppression of demand by the relatively infrequent service.
Presumably this would only work if the Alton/Basingstoke services were diverted onto the fast lines, but I'm not sure you could fit them in.
Drifting into speculative territory here, but I wonder if it would be worthwhile sending the fast Portsmouth trains via the New Guildford Line, so that the paths via Woking can be used for an additional half-hourly Waterloo - Woking stopper which extends to Guildford. No direct links would be lost as the slow Portsmouth train would provide the link between Woking and all stations south of Haslemere. The Haslemere stopper would scale this up to 2tph from there to Woking.
I don't think that is correct, these aren't sleepy.
Norbiton is busier than Farnborough, so if Farnborough deserves non stop trains, so does Norbiton. Actually Norbiton and Kingston together are over 6600k (more than the total of all stations Brookwood to Hook). But this sort of analysis does question where the fast flights should start to call, operational convenience or where passenger numbers justify it.
Before the current or at least pre COVID timetable came in these stations were served by a 2tph Woking to Waterloo stopper and 2tph Guildford to Waterloo stopper. Worplesdon was generally only served by the Guildford stopper. For some reason SWT withdrew the Guildford stopper and extra calls got added to the Basingstoke and Alton trains as a result. So I suspect the answer is no 4tph to Woking bay is not feasible but routing to of them to Guildford probably would be.
This is fine until a delay at the country end of the Pompey fast means that the fast service gets routed behind the new line stopper, or the new line stopper is delayed and then joins the mainline late and misses its turnaround at Waterloo.
You must be talking at LEAST pre 2013 there?
Correct yes. The Guildford trains were withdrawn when it was still SWT.
What was the reason for withdrawal? Were the paths eventually used for something else?
Quite a bit earlier than "pre-COVID" that
When was there 6tph between Effingham Junction and Guildford?
You’d have to send 2tph stoppers to Guildford as there isn’t much capacity for stuff leaving the bay I’d say. Too many conflicts
southern used to run peak time services to Guildford plus the 2tph via Epsom and cobham
