Grecian 1998
Member
As others have said, this line needs more double tracking / crossing loops far more than it needs new trains. The 159s are still very reliable and work the service well. The line needs trains which can accelerate quickly to linespeed (85mph -Exeter-Salisbury, 90mph Salisbury-Worting Jc, and 100mph Worting Jct to approx Surbiton), due to the start-stop nature of the route (most trains make 12 stops in 88 miles between Salisbury and Exeter). They also need reliable trains to keep to the timetable due to both the long single track sections at the western end, and the need to fit into the busy timetable at the eastern end. It also ideally needs trains with unit end gangways so units can be added and remove at Salisbury, but one guard and caterer can cover the whole train.
If the 185s were free and had end gangways, they might be useful. But they don't. Their weight might lead to speed restrictions in places anyway. The 159s can't do more than 90mph, but they only appear to be approximately 1-2 minutes slower than 444s between Basingstoke - Woking or Woking - Clapham Jct, and that's over 20 miles or so where the 444s can travel at 100mph.
The 159s were able to do Waterloo-Exeter Central in just under 3 hours just after they were introduced in the 1990s. This involved calling at all stations west of Salisbury except those between Honiton and Exeter Central. This was with a 2 hourly timetable designed to minimise waiting times. The journey time on the congested lines east of Basingstoke is pretty much unchanged. Additional double tracking or loops in the right places (extending Tisbury loop being an obvious one) would probably save far more time replacement trains could with the existing infrastructure. If a loop is ever added at Whimple allowing GWR services to run from Exeter to Axminster, that would also save time as Feniton, Whimple and Pinhoe could be served by GWR rather than SWR.
Whilst I agree the 159s don't need replacement for a while yet, Salisbury-Exeter is a well-used line. There's a sizeable amount of commuter and leisure travel east of Yeovil Jct and west of Axminster. I've been on numerous 6 coach trains which arrive into Exeter from the east or Salisbury from the west almost full. Axminster, Honiton and Gillingham all see nearly 400,000 passengers a year - not bad for 3 small market towns. There's also a fair amount of traffic from Exeter to Southampton and beyond, as whilst via Westbury is often faster, the connections are much more consistent and reliable at Salisbury.
If the 185s were free and had end gangways, they might be useful. But they don't. Their weight might lead to speed restrictions in places anyway. The 159s can't do more than 90mph, but they only appear to be approximately 1-2 minutes slower than 444s between Basingstoke - Woking or Woking - Clapham Jct, and that's over 20 miles or so where the 444s can travel at 100mph.
The 159s were able to do Waterloo-Exeter Central in just under 3 hours just after they were introduced in the 1990s. This involved calling at all stations west of Salisbury except those between Honiton and Exeter Central. This was with a 2 hourly timetable designed to minimise waiting times. The journey time on the congested lines east of Basingstoke is pretty much unchanged. Additional double tracking or loops in the right places (extending Tisbury loop being an obvious one) would probably save far more time replacement trains could with the existing infrastructure. If a loop is ever added at Whimple allowing GWR services to run from Exeter to Axminster, that would also save time as Feniton, Whimple and Pinhoe could be served by GWR rather than SWR.
Whilst I agree the 159s don't need replacement for a while yet, Salisbury-Exeter is a well-used line. There's a sizeable amount of commuter and leisure travel east of Yeovil Jct and west of Axminster. I've been on numerous 6 coach trains which arrive into Exeter from the east or Salisbury from the west almost full. Axminster, Honiton and Gillingham all see nearly 400,000 passengers a year - not bad for 3 small market towns. There's also a fair amount of traffic from Exeter to Southampton and beyond, as whilst via Westbury is often faster, the connections are much more consistent and reliable at Salisbury.