SWT Circular routes

[GW43125]

The connections might change if the service reduces to a shuttle to Virginia Water though; as is suggested in the ITT to make room for the 4 tph Reading service.

That of course makes it even less likely that another circular service could ever run as suggested by the OP...

If it were cut back to a shuttle, what would pick up the extra Hounslow Loop stopper path?

 

[HarleyDavidson]

Either a Reading or another around the world set.

Just loading the tracks with all of these unnecessary services is ridiculous.

 

[GW43125]

Either a Reading or another around the world set.

Just loading the tracks with all of these unnecessary services is ridiculous.

If you pull one off, it's got to be replaced by something.

 

[bb21]

No, but the curve from the Longcross side onto the Chertsey line could provide a significant amount of journey opportunities and keep the Camberley Society quiet and better use of the Byfleet curve.

As well as providing the ability to run direct to Waterloo in times of disruption.

I don't quite get it. What is it they are campaigning for?

 

[HarleyDavidson]

I don't quite get it. What is it they are campaigning for?

The Camberley Society want a train to London all day and they want to go from Camberley to London in 50' or less.

Currently there's just two through trains a day to/from Waterloo, there used to be an hourly service all day from Guildford to Waterloo via Ascot (it took about 2hrs! IIRC).

I see the disused chord at Virginia Water as being exceptionally useful, as it could provide:

1. A through service from Weybridge to Reading

2. A circular service from Farnham to Farnham via Camberley, which would relink Woking and Ascot/Camberley or Reading for many years.

3. A diversionary route for Reading services should the primary route via Staines get shut (which it does quite regularly).

4. A diversion for freight or XC services to the North when Basingstoke to Reading gets shut abruptly.

 

[backontrack]

Great idea. I see this has just been announced:

Weymouth??? Bit of a typo there yorkie

 

[infobleep]

What would be nice is a direct Staines-Woking and back as the 25-minute connection is a right pain.

There's one on a Sunday if that's any use to you?

I do regularly hydrotherapy via evening classes organised by branches of the National Ankylosing Spondylitis Society. There is a branch that meets at the hospital in Chertsey. However if one was wishing to get their from say Guildford, it would take an hour, with half your journey time spent waiting for connecting trains. Then there's the 20 minute walk to the hospital. Needless to say I found a group elsewhere.

I'm not saying they can do anything about the connection a but it certainly puts people off travelling. It put me off.

Saying all of this, the connections can't be so bad in the morning high peak, as they recommend the Chertsey line as a route to reach places like Kew Gardens if you want to avoid going in and out of Waterloo.

 

[infobleep]

Great idea. I see this has just been announced:

[emoji38]

I think it's more likely the DfT would agree in an ITT that service would run via Weybridge as a loop and then once signed off, Network Rail would say no chance.

 

[infobleep]

No one has mentioned the Woking to Windsor service that ran in the days of the London South Western Railways. How about a campaign to bring that back? After all things were better in the old days

 

[Deepgreen]

The Camberley Society want a train to London all day and they want to go from Camberley to London in 50' or less.

Currently there's just two through trains a day to/from Waterloo, there used to be an hourly service all day from Guildford to Waterloo via Ascot (it took about 2hrs! IIRC).

I see the disused chord at Virginia Water as being exceptionally useful, as it could provide:

1. A through service from Weybridge to Reading

2. A circular service from Farnham to Farnham via Camberley, which would relink Woking and Ascot/Camberley or Reading for many years.

3. A diversionary route for Reading services should the primary route via Staines get shut (which it does quite regularly).

4. A diversion for freight or XC services to the North when Basingstoke to Reading gets shut abruptly.

Interesting. What's the state of the chord at the moment (is the whole section clear and available for re-laying)?

Is there a demand for a through Reading to Weybridge service? I suspect the argument for diversions onto the SWML would encounter strong resistance owing to the apparent lack of any spare paths (at least on weekdays).

 

[HarleyDavidson]

Interesting. What's the state of the chord at the moment (is the whole section clear and available for re-laying)?

Is there a demand for a through Reading to Weybridge service? I suspect the argument for diversions onto the SWML would encounter strong resistance owing to the apparent lack of any spare paths (at least on weekdays).

As far as I know the trackbed and bridge are fully intact, apart from some trees which have grown up on the trackbed which are easily removed.

As for any Weybridge - Reading & vv service it doesn't need any access to the mainline as it would go in the bay.
They already do diversions to/from the mainline when it suits them, such as fatalities between Egham & Barnes inc.

Also, if they were to construct a chord at Ash Vale from the single line to the Alton line you could have a complete circular service via Ascot & Woking all day long with no conflicts apart the odd one for trains coming from Guildford to Woking at Woking Jn, so maybe best if left until the flyover is constructed (if ever).

 

[pompeyfan]

If we're playing silly buggers with SWT circular routes, how about this extra 4th train an hour on the Portsmouth Direct hang a right at Farlington and go back up to Waterloo via Eastleigh. There's a lot of traffic from Haslemere -> Havant going through to Cosham -> Eastleigh. But it involves, up to 2 changes. It might improve journey times from Waterloo to Fareham/Portchester/Cosham. it would also give Botley and Hedge end that 2nd train an hour to London. Food for thought surely?

 

[HarleyDavidson]

There's a fundamental flaw in that idea and that's the single line section from Botley to Fareham.

If you could extend the double track from Botley through Tapnage tunnel to Knowle halt, then it might just be feasible, but you also have the single line at Eastleigh South, past the works to deal with too, so there are in fact two bottlenecks you need to deal with to get it right.

 

[pompeyfan]

There's a fundamental flaw in that idea and that's the single line section from Botley to Fareham.

If you could extend the double track from Botley through Tapnage tunnel to Knowle halt, then it might just be feasible, but you also have the single line at Eastleigh South, past the works to deal with too, so there are in fact two bottlenecks you need to deal with to get it right.

I forgot about that, you'd think I would know better! I assume that even though there's occasionally an extra train an hour that way (Southern and GWR route refresh) where it's an exception rather than the norm, it's not an issue.

 

[swt_passenger]

I forgot about that, you'd think I would know better! I assume that even though there's occasionally an extra train an hour that way (Southern and GWR route refresh) where it's an exception rather than the norm, it's not an issue.

There's two trains per hour one way in the peak flow direction, but it isn't that long ago that the combination of the extra peak Portsmouth services and the Basingstoke or Reading to Brighton service meant it was 2 tph all day.

 

[HarleyDavidson]

The Botley line does have a poor reputation when it comes to reliability, it's also highly susceptible to flooding during the winter and summer thunderstorms, at which point trains get diverted either via Guildford or Netley and St Denys/Southampton Central before going to London.

 

[swt_passenger]

The Botley line does have a poor reputation when it comes to reliability, it's also highly susceptible to flooding during the winter and summer thunderstorms, at which point trains get diverted either via Guildford or Netley and St Denys/Southampton Central before going to London.

Well yes it can be flaky, but that should not be a reason why a second service cannot be timetabled.