Portsmouth resignalling delayed... until October?!

[WessexWarrior]

Here's the official blurb:

http://www.southwesttrains.co.uk/SWTrains/News/_portsmouthengworksoverrun.htm

and here's some great insight and extra information:

http://community.livejournal.com/southwesttrains/68398.html

What do people make of it?

 

[960012]

My dad has been doing the breifing and the route maps for it and he seems to think that its a shambles down there!

 

[ChrisCooper]

I think that finalises my desision to use the coach when I go down there at the end of march. I was considering it anyway, what with a 8 car Meridien from Loughborough to London, the considerable walk to the Underground, the never simple trip from Kings Cross to Waterloo (no direct train), and a 450 down to Portsmouth. This compares to either a coach from Loughborough to Victoria coach station, then from Victoria to Portsmouth, or a us to Leicester then a coach straight through.

 

[Coxster]

Let's hope Basingstoke doesn't turn out the same!

 

[paul1609]

Well it won't be October, quite ridiculous for a resignalling project of that size, more like end of March/April - Still far too long.

I guess you havent travelled through the area Metroland.
On the Chicester side of Havant several of the signals are still not erected.
Several others are missing bits and pieces like safety cages. One signal in the Cosham area is in the wrong place.
There are several areas of wiring where the ducting has not been completed and the cabling is lying in a right mess held together by cable ties.
Allegedly one section of the new panel shorted out and was damaged beyond repair when it went live and there is a considerable lead time for a replacement.
I understand that several design faults with the axle counters have been identified in the Fratton Area that will require alterations and that the tree logic for the points at Portsmouth Harbour is faulty.

A senior Southern Manager reckons that they will not be running a full service until the Winter timetable. The SWT posters say there is no date for completion of the work but there will be a further blockade the first weekend in April.

To further complicate things its looking as if the Basingstoke scheme will have to be deferred or the Bournemouth Line Bustituted for 14 days over Easter as the are no paths through the area for diverted Bournemouth trains with the Interim signalling.

 

[paul1609]

I think that finalises my desision to use the coach when I go down there at the end of march. I was considering it anyway, what with a 8 car Meridien from Loughborough to London, the considerable walk to the Underground, the never simple trip from Kings Cross to Waterloo (no direct train), and a 450 down to Portsmouth. This compares to either a coach from Loughborough to Victoria coach station, then from Victoria to Portsmouth, or a us to Leicester then a coach straight through.

Dont know exactly when your going Chris or where in Portsmouth but I'd suggest the following as an alternative:
Any train to leicester.
MML stopping service to Luton or Luton Airport Parkway.
Over the bridge to the next FCC service to Brighton. (every 15 mins).
Alight at East Croydon for a Southern service to Fratton.
(Same Platform. You need the front 4 coaches)
The Southern Train will be a 377 you need either of the Driving cars which have 2 + 2 seating and table aligned with the windows. Its a nice run after Crawley down the Arun Valley through the South Downs and along the South Coast.
If you miss the Fratton train at East Croydon there are a further 2 tph to Chichester where its a matter of same platform change to the next Fratton service.
My Journey Planner suggests 30 to 40 mins longer than via the tube and waterloo.

Fratton is only about a mile from Portsmouth City Centre or about 2 miles from the ferries. All the Southern trains terminate at Fratton and have been fairly reliable on the revised timetable.

 

[WessexWarrior]

Let's hope Basingstoke doesn't turn out the same!

I don't think Network Rail could afford for it to take that long, what with it being at such an important position on the main line to London, added to the fact that they seem to be ****ing half of the UK off at the moment

 

[yorkie]

.. the never simple trip from Kings Cross to Waterloo (no direct train), ...

at the risk of going off-topic, I've made that journey several times and find it relatively easy - no direct train but it's as good as! Just change at Oxford Circus for cross-platform interchange (just walk through any passageway) between Vic and Bakerloo.

 

[Kris]

Just saying on Meridian News that it could go on until Xmas

Quote - 'Siemens have fitted a system that simply does not work'

Why can't they just shut the whole lot down - run buses instead (get me out of going to Pompey :razz: ) and let Notwork Rile get on with it without any trains in the way?

 

[WessexWarrior]

Well it won't be October, quite ridiculous for a resignalling project of that size, more like end of March/April - Still far too long.

It's looking like it will be. Its turning into a complete shambles.

 

[TSx]

Its not that bad unless you actually live near Portsmouth station. Fratton Trains are running fine, I just can't understand how a month-long project (it was initially due to be done by 4th Jan I believe, and started at the beginning of December) has ballooned to become a year long system.

who is paying for the buses that are running?

 

[paul1609]

Its not that bad unless you actually live near Portsmouth station. Fratton Trains are running fine, I just can't understand how a month-long project (it was initially due to be done by 4th Jan I believe, and started at the beginning of December) has ballooned to become a year long system.

who is paying for the buses that are running?

That may be so if you live in Portsmouth, However if you are travelling to or through the city (to the Isle Of Wight or Gosport) the current situation is a disaster.

My morning Southern train to Portsmouth Harbour ( 4 car 377) is normally 2/3 full when it arrives at Portsmouth & Southsea. Currently it is carrying an average of 10 passengers when it arrives at Fratton to terminate. If you want to commute in to Portsmouth by Car it is easy a 6 lane motorway (M275) terminates on the edge of the city centre. Passengers are voting with their feet and with a year break may never return to rail.

I understand that ticket income for SWT in the Portsmouth Area has been down on average by just under £1 million a week since the work started which is why SWT are taking Network Rail to Court.

Apparently the temporary signalling system is to be broke in to 2 sections to allow 5 trains per hour to terminate at Portsmouth Harbour.

SWT are adamant that the Basingstoke Resignalling will not go ahead until the Portsmouth Scheme is fully completed as Havant can not handle diverted services.
However informed sources say that the PW at Basingstoke Junction is now in such a poor state that unless the work is carried out at Easter the Junction will have to be taken out of use and the Basingstoke to Reading Line reduced to a shuttle service!

Negotiations continue watch this space!

 

[Dennis]

If I was SWT management, I'd be absolutely livid about this situation; to loose that much cash in ticket sales must be having a disastrous impact on their finances.

If this goes on much longer and SWT are not suitably recompensed by NR, then I expect to hear the words 'franchise renegotiation' being uttered.

 

[Kris]

To re-iterate; why don't they just shut the lot down for a couple of months. They can then have free rein to get on with the works and run buses as rail replacement services.

 

[class 313]

This is the South West for ya,

So glad I'm on the MML, you don't get this kind of...

I would finish the sentence, but it would require a very strong swear filter

 

[Tom]

You're actually on the Southern MML, which is covered roughly by the Southern region parts of Network Rail because of the dual voltage 319s in parts.

 

[Coxster]

You're actually on the Southern MML, which is covered roughly by the Southern region parts of Network Rail because of the dual voltage 319s in parts.

It was certainly Network SouthEast.

 

[class 313]

It was certainly Network SouthEast.

Indeed it was!

 

[Mojo]

If I was SWT management, I'd be absolutely livid about this situation; to loose that much cash in ticket sales must be having a disastrous impact on their finances.

I've heard that Network Rail pays for the replacement buses and reimburses the TOC(s) the weeks takings - which is why most TOCs don't bother collecting fares on replacement services.

 

[Tom]

SWT have actually bothered collecting fares on some RRBs though, upon boarding. Caught a lot of dodgers apparently! hock:

 

[WessexWarrior]

This is the South West for ya,

To be fair, I'd much rather be down here on brand new trains, well kept stations and helpful and polite staff than back up in Herts where the opposite is true on the shoddy 'one' network.

 

[class 313]

To be fair, I'd much rather be down here on brand new trains, well kept stations and helpful and polite staff than back up in Herts where the opposite is true on the shoddy 'one' network.

Now,

Come to the west Herts and I'm sure you will think it is in a totally different county

FCC are doing VERY well with what they have atm..., Refurbishments 319s, also with having 90% of the Thameslink Stations in check with safety.

 

[TSx]

SWT have actually bothered collecting fares on some RRBs though, upon boarding. Caught a lot of dodgers apparently! hock:

RRB's?

Is fratton going to be barriered (effectively) permanently now they have the slow London trains going from platform 2. They must have caught a lot of people out with that setup initially

Also, a guard had the cheek to tell me I should have brought a ticket from the Hilsea ticket office before boarding. He insisted that it was open and I might have to pay a penalty fare when I got off. Double checked and Hilsea booking office is still closed due to a fault!

 

[Hydro]

Also, a guard had the cheek to tell me I should have brought a ticket from the Hilsea ticket office before boarding.

You'll be lucky! Evenwhen it is up and running I think the Hilsea office is shut most of the time anyway...

 

[Kris]

Hilsea has a ticket office? hock:

 

[paul1609]

Hilsea is actually a relatively busy station theses days as there are a lot of people employed in the area.
Passenger figures are slightly above Pokesdown on the Bournemouth Branch and in the same league as Tiverton Parkway.

 

[Coxster]

RRB's?

Rail Replacement Buses

the Bournemouth Branch

Don't let Tom catch you saying that

 

[Tom]

I'd say it's more the Portsmouth branch...

I shall now quote Wikipedia - which is 99.9% right:
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Western_Main_Line)

That clearly says that the SWML is London - Weymouth, whereas the Portsmouth Direct line is a branch from this line at Woking.

 

[class 313]

I'd say it's more the Portsmouth branch...

I shall now quote Wikipedia - which is 99.9% right:
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Western_Main_Line)

That clearly says that the SWML is London - Weymouth, whereas the Portsmouth Direct line is a branch from this line at Woking.

You just cant trust Wiki though, could be done by anyone.

 

[Donny Dave]

You just cant trust Wiki though, could be done by anyone.

Although on this occasion, Tom has nothing to do with it....

I've checked through the history of that page, and the last update was in January.