Southampton engineering works Jan 2018

[Donny158]

Hi.

I'm looking to help a friend travel from London to Bournemouth on Saturday Jan 13th and come back Sunday Jan 14th. National rail enquiries suggest a normal train timetable is operation but with a warning there is engineering work and warning no trains at all through Southampton. This to me is contradictory. Surely they will know what is planned for January?Could anyone shed any light on what exactly is going on please as they don't fancy a replacement coach.

Many thanks in advance.

 

[30907]

http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/service_disruptions/currentAndFuture.aspx?TravelDate=13/01/2018&TOC=sw

The info is confusing and obviously the correct timetable has not yet been loaded.
If the main NRE site is correct, it might be possible to do the outward journey by changing onto Cross Country services at Basingstoke, but this doesn't seem possible for the return.

 

[pompeyfan]

Works in the Southampton and Petersfield area next week still aren’t being shown in NRE, for whatever reason SWR haven’t uploaded the data

 

[PHILIPE]

Works in the Southampton and Petersfield area next week still aren’t being shown in NRE, for whatever reason SWR haven’t uploaded the data

They can't be uploaded until Network Rail have finalised their validation and make timings available to all and sundry concerned. TOCs can do nothing until this has been done. Network have been very slow processing of late, T-12 having gone right out of the window,

 

[pompeyfan]

They can't be uploaded until Network Rail have finalised their validation and make timings available to all and sundry. TOCs can do nothing until this has been done Network have been very slow processing of late, T-12 having gone right out of the window,

Oh right that’s interesting to know. Either way passengers checking now for next weekend (which is fairly reasonable) are being shown incorrect information on journey planners.

 

[Wirewiper]

According to the Cross-Country website, on Saturday 13th January their trains will divert via an alternative route (i.e. Laverstock) between Basingstoke and Southampton Central. So yes, for the outward journey your friend would be able to use Cross-Country to Basingstoke to avoid rail replacement buses/coaches. On Sunday 14th January, rail replacement coaches will operate between Southampton Airport Parkway and Bournemouth.

There is nothing yet on the South Western Railway website, although the National Rail website states that buses will operate between Eastleigh & Southampton Central all weekend (although some trains will continue to and Southampton Airport Parkway). The NR website does state explicitly that the SWR changes are not yet in the Journey Planner.

 

[swt_passenger]

When Eastleigh-Southampton is closed SWT (and now SWR) tend to transfer longer distance through passengers direct to Bournemouth, from Airport or Eastleigh, rather than back into Southampton Central for a train. Coach down the M27 etc is probably faster. The down service to Southampton Airport is fairly limited because they use pilotman working down the up main from Eastleigh, which is not signalled for that move.

 

[87015]

They can't be uploaded until Network Rail have finalised their validation and make timings available to all and sundry concerned. TOCs can do nothing until this has been done. Network have been very slow processing of late, T-12 having gone right out of the window,

You seem to presume T-18 has been met and it's all going as procedure in your rush to lay the blame at NR plannings door, I'm pretty sure you'll find it is far from rosy at SWTs side too.

 

[Wirewiper]

When Eastleigh-Southampton is closed SWT (and now SWR) tend to transfer longer distance through passengers direct to Bournemouth, from Airport or Eastleigh, rather than back into Southampton Central for a train. Coach down the M27 etc is probably faster. The down service to Southampton Airport is fairly limited because they use pilotman working down the up main from Eastleigh, which is not signalled for that move.

Thank you for that explanation, I did not know about the need for pilot working. Maybe only the Cross Country services will do this?

Of course running the buses to & from Eastleigh also gives a convenient* connection out of SWR's XX:45 London Waterloo - Portsmouth Harbour/Bournemouth services and their return workings, which instead of dividing at Eastleigh will operate complete to Portsmouth & back.

It seems like it won't be possible for the OP's friend to avoid a rail replacement bus/coach in some form on the Sunday.

* insofar as any rail replacement bus service can be called "convenient"!

 

[swt_passenger]

What has happened in the past is that alternating SWT and XC services have run Eastleigh to Parkway under the same pilotman working conditions, but without an advertised XC down call at Eastleigh, then in the up direction XC sit in Platform 1 at Eastleigh for over half an hour to pick up their normal up direction path.

I think previously there were unusual outcomes in journey planners because the up XC up service from Parkway gets overtaken by a bus while sitting at Eastleigh, hence the journey planners don't offer it.

In other words the XC down service is change at Parkway for coach to Brockenhurst and Bournemouth, but the return version is change from the coach at Eastleigh...

 

[TheManBehind]

You seem to presume T-18 has been met and it's all going as procedure in your rush to lay the blame at NR plannings door, I'm pretty sure you'll find it is far from rosy at SWTs side too.

It's rosier on SWR's than MK's, that much is certain. Several timetables on weekends haven't activated until the day before, despite being bid for in good time.

 

[SpacePhoenix]

Is the National Express coach service 035 not an option?

 

[Donny158]

Thanks for all the informative replies, it is appreciated.

 

[SpacePhoenix]

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@50.7...6-_mNofWkh4bt3RmAoyw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656?hl=en

In that Streetview image, Bournemouth Station is to the right and the National Express service 035 stops at one of the blue stands to the left. There's a ASDA store to the left which iirc has a McDonalds there is your friend is looking to get something to eat after a coach journey

 

[emil]

You seem to presume T-18 has been met and it's all going as procedure in your rush to lay the blame at NR plannings door, I'm pretty sure you'll find it is far from rosy at SWTs side too.

NR have been short of staff due to completions for May 2018 hence timetables can't be updated. Work is planned up to the closure during Christmas and New Year and afterwards.

 

[Class 170101]

You seem to presume T-18 has been met and it's all going as procedure in your rush to lay the blame at NR plannings door, I'm pretty sure you'll find it is far from rosy at SWTs side too.

Both are short of staff especially experienced staff from what I read and hear sadly.

 

[The Planner]

No penalty for a TOC to miss T-18 though.