SWT vs FGW

[43021HST]

I reguarly take the Gatwick express to North camp and then walk to Ash Vale Where I take the train to Alton. On the way back I usually hit peak traffic. Firstly SWT are the best in comfort because they provide clean air conditioned 12 car trains and also the ride is very smooth. Whilst at North Camp you are crammed into a 3 car class 166. The journey to Reading is very bumpy and noisy. Will FGW learn that commuters are not cattle:-x
Basicly SWT are the best for comfort whilst FGW are the best for transporting cattle. One thing I have in favour for FGW is there cross country services are quite comfortable and you have class 43 haulage.

 

[support-uk-rail]

Yeah, I'm roughly Exeter-based and commute all everywhere quite regularly.

South West Trains have an odd choice of train (Class 59) for a London-westcountry service but they are very punctual, helpful and comfortable. The passenger really does come first.

However, First Great Western offer a great service if you travel at the right time.

 

[thefab444]

Klambert, you'd better tell Gatwick Express that they service North Camp, as I don't think they know themselves!

 

[43021HST]

Yeah, I'm roughly Exeter-based and commute all everywhere quite regularly.

South West Trains have an odd choice of train (Class 59) for a London-westcountry service but they are very punctual, helpful and comfortable. The passenger really does come first.

However, First Great Western offer a great service if you travel at the right time.

A class 59?

 

[Fuzzy Logic]

A class 59?

One assumes he meant class 159 dmu's.

 

[starrymarkb]

The 159s were built specifically* for the Waterloo to Exeter route so I'm not sure why using them is odd. They were a massive improvement on the loco-hauled services (where you had a 50/50 chance of making it**...)


*Well OK they are 158s customised by NSE for the route

**Locomotives were not suited to the stop start nature of the route and if one sat down on one of the long single track sections then the day's service would be destroyed

 

[Techniquest]

SWT ought to be punctual, the timetables have enough slack in them!

I would much rather FGW myself, far better motive power (not just the HSTs) than SWT's lot. Usually enjoy a trip with FGW far more than I do with SWT, not so stressed on-board with FGW as I am when on a SWT service. Why that is I have no idea but merr.

FGW wins by a country mile from the South West to London, far superior ride and the journey isn't anywhere near as boring!

As for the OP's opinion on the 166s and the 'bumpy ride', I found my journey between Reading and Gatwick Airport in January to be lovely and smooth with the only downside to it being that I was on the last train from Reading thus it being an all-shacks. But it certainly wasn't bumpy and my First Class seat was quite comfortable!

 

[43021HST]

I wasnt traveling first class, and also if you were on the way going to Reading the tracks are very bumpy.

 

[MCR247]

Gatwick express run to North Camp and have 166s??!! I need to get down to London!

 

[HSTfan!!!]

i'll tell you my opinion if/when I ever travel with SWT!

 

[thefab444]

We await your opinion with baited breath...

 

[devon_metro]

The SWT service is better, but only because they have about 400,000 trains to operate it with!

 

[MCR247]

The SWT service is better, but only because they have about 400,000 trains to operate it with!

True, like Southern

 

[asylumxl]

For journeys in and around South Devon, I'd say the SWT service is superior, where speed is irrelevant. FGW though for intercity travel, say London to Plymouth is far superior, taking roughly 3 hours 30 minutes in some cases.

 

[devon_metro]

For journeys in and around South Devon, I'd say the SWT service is superior, where speed is irrelevant. FGW though for intercity travel, say London to Plymouth is far superior, taking roughly 3 hours 30 minutes in some cases.

Or 3hrs on the 0600 and 1144 departures.

And 3hr 7 on the 0655 "Golden Hind"

Most are timed 3hr22.

 

[Jim]

SWT ought to be punctual, the timetables have enough slack in them!

I'd argue that point, the actual station to station journey times (for example Andover-Whitchurch, Totton-Ashurst, Millbrook-Redbridge, are very tight and you normally end up pulling in to the platform as the 30second mark approches.

 

[thefab444]

The larger stations, such as Basingstoke and Southampton Central have masses of slack. On the xx05 from Waterloo, it's not uncommon to reach Basingstoke 4 - 5 minutes before booked arrival time (which is 2 minutes before departure time anyway!).

 

[moonrakerz]

They were a massive improvement on the loco-hauled services (where you had a 50/50 chance of making it**...)

But it was a great ride behind a Class 50 with a driver trying to make up time !!

 

[starrymarkb]

The larger stations, such as Basingstoke and Southampton Central have masses of slack. On the xx05 from Waterloo, it's not uncommon to reach Basingstoke 4 - 5 minutes before booked arrival time (which is 2 minutes before departure time anyway!).

You could say that was prudent - given the single line sections (I'm pretty sure they are/were some of the longest in England) everything must make it's slot...

 

[Techniquest]

I'd argue that point, the actual station to station journey times (for example Andover-Whitchurch, Totton-Ashurst, Millbrook-Redbridge, are very tight and you normally end up pulling in to the platform as the 30second mark approches.

Fair enough, I'll conceed that not every section is full of slack. Although don't forget that on the Southern Region (of which two of those examples are in) that it runs principally (or at least used to) on the 20-second station stop system. That said, that system does seem to have been abandoned on some parts of the Southern Region.

 

[knight2004]

yes SWT seem to be excellently supplied they should consider giving their sister EAST MIDLANDS a few spare carriages again to sort their awful overcrowding out!

 

[thefab444]

You could say that was prudent - given the single line sections (I'm pretty sure they are/were some of the longest in England) everything must make it's slot...

The only single line section the xx05 encounters is between Moreton and Dorchester South, miles away from Basingstoke. I was merely making a point about the slack in SWTs timetables.

 

[fireincairo]

^ If i'm not mistaken there are singleline sections down the route from Basingstoke to Exeter? If not building the passing loop at Axminster is a big mistake..

However that doesn't apply to the xx05 as it's not a west country bound train right? I seem to recall trains bound for Salisbury leaving at xx20 and xx50.

 

[thefab444]

Yeah, plenty of single line along that section:

• Basingstoke - Salisbury: double (quadruple as far as Worting Junction)
• Salisbury - Templecombe: single (with loops at Tisbury and Gillingham)
• Templecombe - Yeovil: double
• Yeovil - Pinhoe: single (with loops at Chard and Honiton, soon Axminster also)
• Pinhoe - Exeter St Davids: double

You're quite right about timings of trains also, the xx05 is a Weymouth service, WoE trains leave at xx20 (to Yeovil/Exeter) and xx50 (to Salisbury).