Hounslow

[Bedpan]

Indeed, especially as the trains are formed of only a single 455. The same goes for the Kingston loop/Shepperton branch which is equally poorly served on Sundays, although there are additional Waterloo - Kingston via Richmond services on Sunday afternoons/evenings. I've never understood why Chessington and Hampton Court warrant a half hourly Sunday service, but Shepperton/Hounslow don't.

Does this have anything to do with palaces and worlds of adventure?

 

[thefab444]

Quite possibly, although I'm not sure how far/pleasant the walk is from CSS to the said theme park. And it's not as though Shepperton or especially Hounslow Loop trains are empty on Sundays.

 

[Bedpan]

I walked it last summer (not to go to the theme park, but to the village of Malden Rushett just beyond it) and it was onle 10 minutes or so. Can't imagine that there's much patronage for Sunday trains on the Chessington South branch when the theme park is closed for the winter though.

 

[455driver]

This is particularly noticeable when you get a 444 + 450 service calling at Clapham Junction; because the 9 coach rule is set up for 159s it will tell you to join the front 6 coaches (should be either front 4 or 5).

Even though the whole 9 coaches (of the 444/450) are accomodated on platform 9, it really gets my goat that it has to be SDO'd.

The "best" bit is when it is a Weymouth train where it splits at Southampton (with the rear unit forming a stopper to Poole), digital Doris on platform 9 will tell people who want the Poole stopper to board the rear 4 (or 5) coaches, well if the doors were released they would but because it has to be SDO'd they cant. Why cant it be changed to tell them to board the front 5 and then walk through, surely it isnt beyond the wit of man to sort it out!
(rant over)