South West Trains?

[hexagon789]

And the 444s are being removed. Expecting hot food on a London and SE commuter route is a bit anachronistic...

These days, yes

 

[Dougal2345]

I really don't like the waiting room at Southampton

IMHO it's always worth heading to the Platform 4 waiting room, which is large, warm and brightly lit - I'd go so far as to say it's the nicest station waiting room I know.

Platform 1 however is pretty grim, poky and with all the seats facing the toilet doors...

 

[Wychwood93]

It seems that SWT's relationship with bus companies in general has not been carried forward with SWR. Often we see SWR saying that if you wish to use buses, by which they mean service buses, there's no ticket acceptance. WRT the Rowlands Castle incident I agree, that at least 12 hours before, SWR were warning of significant disruption which one might have assumed would be enough time to source replacement buses, despite the high utilisation of the surplus drivers and vehicles on school contracts at that time of day. Moreover why could they not have run the down services originating from Waterloo/Woking/Guildford to reverse at Petersfield?

When certain situations arose with SWT there was a possibility that, for an odd reason, a Stagecoach bus could have been used, without cost, by SWT customers. That may well have changed - for an obvious reason! As is obvious, bus companies have limited resources - as above, school contracts etc. which are good earners - they cut their resources as tight (ish?) as TOCs. Even with 12 hours notice it would not always be possible to sort something out. The 'Magic bus' was a Who song - and even they, bless them, could not magic one up. Mentally perhaps at one time.