SWT at Waterloo International

[cjohnson]

Apparently there was a SWT train using the International platform 20 for the first time on Monday. Anyone with more details/photos etc?

 

[trc666]

I don't have any photos but it was indeed used.

http://www.southwesttrains.co.uk/Hi...work-Rail-and-South-West-Trains-Alliance.aspx

Historic journey marks the first anniversary of the Network Rail and South West Trains Alliance

A passenger train has used an international platform at Waterloo station for the first time since the last European service left more than five years ago.
The special service from Woking pulled into platform 20 on Monday (29 April) to demonstrate that the terminal can and will be used for passenger services by April 2014.
The journey into the Waterloo International Terminal was made to mark the first anniversary of the Network Rail and South West Trains Alliance and to provide an opportunity to illustrate the alliance's commitment to provide extra capacity into the country's busiest station.
Tim Shoveller, managing director of the South West Trains-Network Rail Alliance, said: "The alliance is an industry first which was created to deliver a better railway for passengers using ways of working which have not previously been possible.
"Bringing the Waterloo International Terminal into permanent use is an example of what it can help to achieve. It has been made possible by working with many organisations, including the Department for Transport, and is vital for the much-needed development of the railway across the south and south west of England. It has been talked about for many years and we have shown it is possible and remain committed to bringing platform 20 into permanent use by April 2014 at the latest.
"The first year of the alliance has been both interesting and challenging and highlighted that by working together we can deliver better results than could be achieved by working individually. We have a strong foundation to build on and over the next six years passengers will benefit from a safer, more efficient and reliable railway with more capacity and better facilities as we continue to invest in one of the busiest railways in Europe."
A number of industry partners were onboard the train to see first-hand the improvements already underway at Waterloo and the plans in place to improve the railway for passengers.
Increasing the number of available platforms at Waterloo is vital to address the capacity challenge across the Wessex route and the alliance will continue to work with the Department for Transport to develop plans for the whole of the international terminal to be used and other platforms to be extended.
Passenger numbers are predicted to grow by 51% over the next 11 years. The introduction of over 100 extra carriages, which will start in summer, and use of platform 20 will help to provide capacity for an additional 23,000 daily peak-time passengers by December 2014.
It is just one of many improvements which will be made. The alliance is also committed to providing extra trains, additional carriages to existing services and to delivering associated infrastructure schemes including resignalling, power supply and platform extensions across the route.
Extensive work is required to ensure platform 20 can be used for full passenger services which includes opening a new exit through onto platform 19, bringing signalling back into use, re-railing parts of the track, roof repairs, platform work and installing new CCTV and lighting.
Since the alliance was created in April 2012, passenger satisfaction has increased from 83% to 85% and the efficiency of track maintenance work has increased by 25%. The timetable has been amended to allow better access to the tracks for maintenance work and an emergency intervention unit has been introduced which allows faster response times to incidents which can cause delays to passengers.

 

[WarrenTManager]

444038. Was named to coincide with the one year anniversary of the South Western Railway, the alliance between SWT and NR.

 

[Lrd]

There is a picture of 444038 at Waterloo International on the Stagecoach website, here.

 

[bluegoblin7]

I meant to ask about this; I saw the 444 go through Egham on Monday with 'Waterloo International' on the destination, checked RTT and saw that it was going to platform 20. Thought it was just an error though - clearly not! Wish I'd known in advance to go and get a photo now...

 

[mister-sparky]

So why is it going to take another year if they can do it now?

 

[causton]

So why is it going to take another year if they can do it now?

Because nobody can get to the platform 20, the roof will fall down on them, they will fall down the gap between the train and the platform and there are no departure boards there!

Or something like that... didn't the article say?

*goes back*

Extensive work is required to ensure platform 20 can be used for full passenger services which includes opening a new exit through onto platform 19, bringing signalling back into use, re-railing parts of the track, roof repairs, platform work and installing new CCTV and lighting.

 

[Eagle]

Basically, the platform's not ready for regular passenger service. They need to knock through the wall between 19 and 20 so that passengers can reach it from the main concourse and ticket barriers rather than from the non-lift accessible International concourse. Also the signalling will probably need redoing (again, this was just a special, will be different when trains have to go there all the time). Plus all the various bits of platform furniture: screens, signage, CCTV, proper lighting and all, although that's the trivial part of restoring the platform.

 

[londonboi]

i thought i was seeing things when i was on a train on platform 18 leaving Waterloo hopefully they will begin to use those international platforms soon rather than 2014 the congestion going into Waterloo sometimes is bad sometimes i have sat outside the platforms for 10 minutes waiting for a train to depart a platform for us to pull into

it does look really smart with that 444 in the international platforms though brings back memories of the old Eurostar trains sitting there

 

[Eagle]

It is only 20 that's being brought back into use at the moment, because as mentioned they can open it up to platform 19 and use the main station. 21-24 would require reopening and refitting the International concourse with barriers and lifts and everything.

 

[londonboi]

ahh sorry i get it is that the big metal like wall to the left of 19 with the big iron gates there going to knock down

how will the make entry to 21,22,23 will it be the way the Eurostar entrance was set out via the little escalators that were across from the entry barriers on plat 19 where you go down the stairs through the entrances then up to the platforms?? would make sense to do that as there was i don't know if its still there a lift that went down to the concourse so would save money in the long run

 

[DarloRich]

ahh sorry i get it is that the big metal like wall to the left of 19 with the big iron gates there going to knock down

how will the make entry to 21,22,23 will it be the way the Eurostar entrance was set out via the little escalators that were across from the entry barriers on plat 19 where you go down the stairs through the entrances then up to the platforms?? would make sense to do that as there was i don't know if its still there a lift that went down to the concourse so would save money in the long run

Have you read the article? No one is using 21-23. It is simply platform 20 at this stage.

There is a shed load of infrastructure work needed to get the platform fit for use.

 

[bluegoblin7]

Doesn't 19 already have access to 20 through a number of locked gates? There's certainly signage and departure boards up on the 19 side. Forgive me if I'm wrong, I never used Waterloo before International closed. I'll try and remember to take a photo when I pass through on Tuesday if no-one knows what I'm on about?

 

[causton]

Doesn't 19 already have access to 20 through a number of locked gates? There's certainly signage and departure boards up on the 19 side. Forgive me if I'm wrong, I never used Waterloo before International closed. I'll try and remember to take a photo when I pass through on Tuesday if no-one knows what I'm on about?

Like the ones on the right in the distance in this photo?

http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/SME/html/NRE_WAT/images/photos/800/o3322-0000278.jpg

I think getting access is the easy part though...!

 

[swt_passenger]

Doesn't 19 already have access to 20 through a number of locked gates? There's certainly signage and departure boards up on the 19 side. Forgive me if I'm wrong, I never used Waterloo before International closed. I'll try and remember to take a photo when I pass through on Tuesday if no-one knows what I'm on about?

There's signage and departure boards on the P20 side as well; which is what you'd expect given that it has already been declared available for use once before, about three years ago, (if not more). I remember SWT stating in a webchat that P20 could be used, but they had no reason to do so as the platforming in the peaks did not yet require it.

It was being reported locally in 2011 that the work had been done 3 years earlier, so in 2008:
http://www.london-se1.co.uk/news/view/5529

So either it was all done completely wrong the first time, or someone's press release has been exaggerating what needs to be done now?

 

[heart-of-wessex]

I wonder what part of signalling is required? I did wonder if the route set-up, overlaps is exactly as it was before, which is no issue using the Windsor line only (the Reversible I believe is the only exit route?)

I'd imagine the platform starter will be left untouched, when I went to London a couple of months ago arriving into Waterloo on a 159, I noticed all the starter signals were single aspect, looked like one of those newer LED type signals. Has that type been there since Eurostar?

 

[NSEFAN]

I wonder what part of signalling is required? I did wonder if the route set-up, overlaps is exactly as it was before, which is no issue using the Windsor line only (the Reversible I believe is the only exit route?)

I'd imagine the platform starter will be left untouched, when I went to London a couple of months ago arriving into Waterloo on a 159, I noticed all the starter signals were single aspect, looked like one of those newer LED type signals. Has that type been there since Eurostar?

Well it is possible to access the international platforms from the Up Windsor Fast and Reversible, with departures on the Down Windsor Fast or Reversible lines. This was fine in the days of Eurostar as access was only needed as far as Nine Elms to get onto the curve to Linford Street Junction (which was done using the reversible line 95% of the time, so Eurostar and SWT were separated). For the SWT Suburban trains however, you'd have departures and arrivals crossing over each others' paths, which isn't efficient. In my opinion, International Junction needs to be completely reworked for all the platforms to be properly used.

As for the signalling, this must have been put in later by NR as LED single aspect signals have only been used since the mid 2000s or so.