South West Trains

South West Trains

Overview
Franchise(s) South Western
4 Feb 1996[1] − 31 Jan 2004
1 Feb 2004 − 3 Feb 2007
4 Feb 2007 – 19 Aug 2017
Main region(s) Greater London, Surrey, Hampshire, Isle of Wight & Dorset
Other region(s) Berkshire, Wiltshire, Somerset, Devon
Fleet size 371
1 Class 73 electro-diesel locomotive
11 Class 158 Express Sprinter sets
30 Class 159 South Western Turbo sets
45 Class 444 Desiro sets
127 Class 450 Desiro sets
91 Class 455 sets
24 Class 456 sets
36 Class 458 Juniper sets
6 Class 483 sets
Stations called at 213
Stations operated 185 (including Island Line)
National Rail abbreviation SW
Parent company Stagecoach
Website www.southwesttrains.co.uk
Route map

South West Trains[2] (SWT) is a British train operating company owned by Stagecoach, which operates the South Western franchise.

It operates the majority of commuter services from its Central London terminus at London Waterloo to South West London and is the key operator for outer suburban and regional services in the counties of Surrey, Hampshire and Dorset. It also provides regional services in Devon, Somerset, Berkshire, Wiltshire and on the Isle of Wight through its Island Line Trains subsidiary.

The area of operation is the former South Western division of Network SouthEast, and is also roughly that of the pre-1923 London & South Western Railway (excluding everything west of Exeter). As part of the privatisation of British Rail, SWT was taken over by Stagecoach. In 2004 the franchise was retained by Stagecoach when re-tendered, and in 2007 merged with the Island Line Trains company to form the South Western franchise and again won by Stagecoach. When next tendered, the franchise was awarded to South Western Railway (a FirstGroup/MTR joint venture) who will take over on 20 August 2017.[3]

History

In 1995 the Director of Passenger Rail Franchising awarded the South West Trains franchise to Stagecoach.[4] Operations commenced on 4 February 1996 with South West Trains' first train, the 05:10 Twickenham to London Waterloo, the first privatised scheduled train to operate for 48 years.[1]

In April 2001 the Strategic Rail Authority awarded Stagecoach a new franchise after it beat bids from FirstGroup/NedRailways and Sea Containers.[5] The 2001 franchises awarded were (as promulgated) to run for twenty years but in 2002 the Strategic Rail Authority reduced the duration of franchises and South West Trains was awarded a three-year franchise starting on 1 February 2004.[6]

In December 2005 the Department for Transport (DfT) announced that Arriva, FirstGroup, MTR/Sea Containers, National Express and Stagecoach had been shortlisted to tender for the new South Western franchise, which combined the South West Trains and Island Line Trains franchises; National Express later withdrew.[7][8] In September 2006 the DfT awarded the franchise to Stagecoach, the new franchise starting on 4 February 2007 for a period of ten years.[9][10]

In the early days of its franchise, SWT gained notoriety for severe service cuts owing to driver shortages[11] but it later made significant improvements to the network, including replacing much of the rolling stock, refurbishing stations, making stations accessible to disabled passengers, and improving customer information. During the early 2000s, improvements included the introduction of new rail services and the reopening of Chandler's Ford station in Hampshire.[12]

A smoking ban on all SWT services was introduced from May 2004, partly in response to a fire caused by a cigarette left near a heater under a seat, and also pre-empting the public smoking ban introduced two years later.[13]

On 12 December 2004 the company completely recast its timetable, for the first time in the South West region since 1967, in an attempt to bring service provision into line with changing demand and to take into account the different characteristics of modern rolling stock, with the intention that this would improve reliability and punctuality across the network.

In March 2013 the Secretary of State for Transport announced the DfT were in talks with Stagecoach to extend the franchise until April 2019.[14] However, in July 2015 Stagecoach confirmed talks had failed and the franchise would be relet.[15]

Stagecoach and a FirstGroup/MTR Corporation joint venture were shortlisted on 4 February 2016 to bid for the new franchise.,[16] and on 27 March 2017 the franchise was awarded to South Western Railway.,[17][18] to take over the franchise from 20 August 2017.

Services

South West Trains is the key operator for western Surrey, Hampshire and Dorset, and also serves London, Berkshire, Wiltshire, Somerset and Devon. Its services are described below.

Most SWT services run on electrified lines using the 750 V DC third-rail system. There is a diesel fleet for services on the West of England line to Salisbury, Exeter and Bristol, using the unelectrified track beyond Worting Junction just west of Basingstoke, and for Salisbury to Southampton via Romsey services which also serve Eastleigh. SWT operates almost 1,700 trains per day.

From Waterloo, SWT's London terminus, long-distance trains run to southern England, including the major coastal population centres of Portsmouth, Southampton, Bournemouth, Poole and Weymouth. There are also trains to Reading, Exeter and Bristol, but these are not the principal fast services from London to those cities, which are operated from London Paddington by Great Western Railway. The majority of its passengers are on suburban commuter lines in inner and south-west London, Surrey, east Berkshire, and north-east Hampshire.

Since privatisation in 1996, the network has changed considerably. It no longer serves West Croydon, Sutton, 'Coastway' stations between Chichester and Brighton, or the Reading to Basingstoke line. Services to Bristol (introduced in 2004 to replace withdrawn Arriva Trains Wales services), Mottisfont and Dunbridge and Dean have been introduced since the start of the franchise. Its longstanding services beyond Exeter to Paignton, Plymouth and Penzance, which ran in competition with First Great Western and its predecessors, ceased in December 2009 so as to release stock for the hourly Waterloo to Exeter service.[19]

As with most rail companies, non-folding bicycles are banned from peak-time trains to and from London. However, these restrictions[20] apply only to cyclists boarding or alighting in the area bounded by Hook, Alton, Guildford, Reading and Dorking. The aim is to maximise available passenger space on the most crowded trains.

South West Trains also has Quiet Zones, similar to the Quiet Coaches on trains operated by certain other Train Operating Companies. Quiet Zones are available on most outer-suburban services and on some express services and are indicated by notices in the windows and signs on the doors. Passengers in these zones are requested not to use mobile phones or play music out loud.

Routes

South West Trains operate suburban and long-distance trains. Main destinations include: London Waterloo, Clapham Junction, Barnes, Richmond, Twickenham, Hounslow, Ascot, Staines, Reading, Windsor & Eton Riverside, Kingston, Raynes Park, Motspur Park, New Malden, Chessington South, Surbiton, Leatherhead, Weybridge, Dorking, Effingham Junction, Woking, Guildford, Aldershot, Alton, Farnborough Main, Fleet, Basingstoke, Haslemere, Andover, Winchester, Eastleigh, Southampton Central, Romsey, Salisbury, Fareham, Portsmouth & Southsea, Brockenhurst, Portsmouth Harbour, Bournemouth, Westbury, Bristol Temple Meads, Weymouth, Yeovil Junction and Exeter St Davids.

Main lines

A Class 444 Desiro unit used on longer-distance services on the electrified railway lines.
A Class 455 suburban unit at Wimbledon. These are used on inner suburban services.

The seven main lines operated by SWT are:

Suburban services

Suburban services diverge from the above routes. Taken in order westwards from Waterloo, travelling down the SWML, they are:

Other services

Ticketing

Travelcards

London Travelcards are available and widely used for journeys into Greater London beyond any of the South West Trains stations. They are valid on London Buses, Tramlink, Docklands Light Railway, London Underground and national rail services within the London travelcard area. All tickets and (London) Travelcards are available on weekly, monthly and annual bases (such tickets are traditionally known as season tickets), a pre-requisite for which is a passport-sized photograph for a booking hall to issue a nationally valid railcard. All ticket pricing structures are regulated by the Office of Rail & Road.

Daily tickets fall into four categories: Peak 'Anytime', Off Peak, Super Off Peak and Advance (pre-booked, long distance). These are broken down into whether the user requires a Single, Return (valid for one calendar month) or a Day Return.[21]

Smartcards

Oyster pay-as-you-go can be used on services within Greater London.[22] Oyster cards holding season tickets are accepted within the London Travelcard area, in the same way as normal paper Travelcards and season tickets.

In November 2010 the Department for Transport announced that passengers would be able to top up Oyster cards at all stations operated by South West Trains in the London Travelcard area from May 2011. SWT was the last rail company franchise to offer this facility (except at Wimbledon and Richmond stations) for passengers using suburban rail services within the London Travelcard area.[23]

The smartcard scheme for tickets on the national rail system was extended in early 2010 to cover the lines from Weymouth to Basingstoke and from Staines to Wokingham, and on the Isle of Wight, in addition to the current trial area between Staines and Windsor. It was also announced that SWT proposed to reduce operating hours at 24 of its ticket offices.[24]

Penalty fares

South West Trains currently issues penalty fares for passengers travelling by train without a valid ticket. However, the company has planned to install at least one self-service ticket machine at each of its served stations in the bid to stop fare evasion. In 2009, ticket gates were installed at Waterloo to improve revenue protection.[25]

Megatrain

Stagecoach, SWT's parent company, currently sells seats on some off-peak services under the Megatrain brand from Mondays to Saturdays. This uses a similar low-cost model to its Megabus service. Megatrain tickets are available on certain services expected to be lightly loaded. Tickets are generally between London Waterloo and other principal stations, and ticket-holders are assigned to a specific train.

Performance

Latest performance figures released by Network Rail for period 5 (2014/15) were 88.2% (Public Performance Measure – PPM) and 88.9% (Moving Annual Average – MAA) for the 12 months up to 16 August 2014.[26]

Future of the franchise

In January 2016 Transport for London announced a proposal to take over the London suburban parts of the franchise in 2021 through a partnership with the Department for Transport to form a new suburban metro service.[27][28] However, the plan was rejected by Transport Secretary Chris Grayling in December 2016.[29]

Rolling stock

Electric

Desiro fleet

The introduction of Desiro rolling stock built by Siemens was to replace the old Class 411, Class 412, Class 421 and Class 423 slam-door trains which were coming to the end of their useful lives, and which did not meet modern health and safety requirements. The Desiros have on-board information systems and full air-conditioning. Their faster acceleration is counterbalanced by the need to dwell longer at each station, since they have fewer doors.

The Desiro stock comes in two variants – Class 450 units which have four 20 m cars and are mainly used on suburban and outer-suburban services, and Class 444 units which have five 23 m cars as well as intercity-style door layouts and are used on longer-distance services to Weymouth and Portsmouth Harbour.

British Rail EMUs (Class 455)

South West Trains operates a fleet of Class 455 metro-style commuter trains on services from London Waterloo to Shepperton, Hampton Court, Woking, Guildford, Dorking and Chessington, as well as services on the Kingston and Hounslow loops and occasionally on Windsor line services. These were built for British Rail.[30]

A full refurbishment programme started in 2004 on the fleet of 91 four-car units and was completed in March 2008.[31] Modifications included a new 2+2 seating layout with high-back seats, CCTV, cycle storage, wheelchair space, doors that open further to allow for faster alighting, and additional passenger information systems.

British Rail EMUs (Class 456)

All twenty-four Class 456 2-car EMUs were transferred from Southern to SWT, with the first units entering SWT service on 23 March 2014.[32] These early 1990s-built units are compatible with the existing Class 455 fleet and are coupled with these to form 10-car trains, increasing capacity on some local services in and out of Waterloo.[33]

Juniper fleet (Class 458/0 – 458/5)

A Class 458 Juniper pre-modifications at Clapham Junction
A Class 458/5 Juniper post-modifications at Clapham Junction

Thirty of these four-car units were ordered by South West Trains in 1998, to create extra capacity and to replace some of the ageing Class 411 (4-CEP) trains, which at the time were on short-term lease. Deliveries of these trains began in 1998.

The class suffered major technical problems, so in the end, none of the older trains were withdrawn from service at that time. It was six more years, in 2004, before the full fleet was in service. In 2003 and 2004, reliability was so poor that, although they were only six years old, South West Trains decided that the units should be replaced by 2005 with the newer Class 450 Desiro units.[34] Only a handful of units were required each day to help maintain services from Waterloo to Reading, and these had been expected to cease after 31 July 2006, when the lease with the rolling stock company expired. An application by SWT to extend this by six months was refused, as the class did not meet all the requirements of disability legislation.

However, later it was decided that, on or before the start of the new franchise in February 2007, the class would be reinstated and take over all operations on the Waterloo to Reading line, indirectly covering the loss of the Class 442s. They have been fitted with new, larger destination screens that comply with the disability legislation, but the trains still fall foul in some other areas, such as the height of the door-open buttons.

All 30 Class 458 trains were split up and the 120 vehicles reconfigured into 36 five-car sets, incorporating 60 extra vehicles from the mechanically similar Class 460s formerly used on Gatwick Express services.[35][36] The five-car sets are now designated Class 458/5 and coupled together to form ten-car trains from 2014.[37][38]

The first two of the 5-car sets were delivered in October 2013, and underwent testing ahead of the introduction of the first 10-car train into service in December 2013. Passenger service started in March 2014,[39][40] with the work concluding in 2016, thereby rendering the 458/0s extinct.

Diesel

Line of 3 Class 159s, 1 Class 158 and the former route learning Class 960 at Salisbury depot

South West Trains currently has 11 two-carriage Class 158s and 30 three-carriage Class 159s (22 159/0s and 8 159/1s).

The 159/1s were converted at Wabtec, Doncaster from Class 158s, received from First TransPennine Express in exchange for Class 170s. Eleven further two-carriage 158s were received from First TransPennine Express, which were also refurbished at Wabtec.

Two Class 158s transferred from Central Trains entered service in July 2005 on the new Bristol Temple Meads service, moving to First ScotRail in February 2007.[41]

Class 159s have on occasion been used for railtours.[42]

Locomotives

Although South West Trains does not operate locomotive-hauled services, until 2009 it maintained three Class 73 locomotives for recovery duties. Locomotive 73109 had been in service with SWT since the start of the franchise; the other two, 73201 and 73235, were acquired from Gatwick Express in 2005. 73235 is now the only one of the three locomotives to be owned by South West Trains.

Current fleet

Class Image Type Top speed Carriages Number Routes operated Built
mph km/h
Class 73 locomotive Electro-diesel 90 145 N/A 1 Thunderbird Locomotive 1966[43]
Class 158 Express Sprinter DMU 90 145 2 10 London WaterlooSalisbury / Exeter St Davids (Occasionally) / Bristol Temple Meads
Exeter St DavidsHoniton / Axminster (Weekday service)
RomseySalisbury via Southampton Central
BrockenhurstLymington Pier (Weekday services)
1989–1992
Class 159 South Western Turbo DMU 90 145 3 30 West of England / Heart of Wessex / Wessex Main Lines:
London WaterlooSalisbury / Bristol Temple Meads / Exeter St Davids / Yeovil Pen Mill / Frome
Portsmouth HarbourBasingstoke (Morning Service)
Portsmouth HarbourSouthampton Central (Occasionally)

Yeovil JunctionYeovil Pen Mill (Peak Hours only)

159/0 1992–1993
159/1 Converted 2006–2007
Class 444 Desiro EMU 100 160 5 45 Main Line Routes:
London WaterlooPoole / Weymouth

London WaterlooPortsmouth Harbour (Shared with Class 450s Weekdays and Sundays)
Limited Outer Suburban Routes

2003–2004
Class 450 Desiro EMU 100 160 4 127 Main Line Routes: London WaterlooPortsmouth Harbour (Shared with Class 444s weekdays and Sundays)/ Alton / Basingstoke / Poole (Occasionally) / Reading
Southampton CentralPortsmouth & Southsea
BrockenhurstLymington Pier (Weekend services)


Outer Suburban Routes: London WaterlooWindsor & Eton Riverside / Weybridge via Staines-upon-Thames / London Waterloo via Hounslow
AscotGuildford
Limited Express and Inner suburban services

2002–2006
Class 455
EMU 75 120 4 91 Inner Suburban Routes:
London WaterlooShepperton / Hampton Court / Woking / London Waterloo via Hounslow /London Waterloo via Strawberry Hill / Dorking / Guildford via Oxshott or Epsom / Chessington South / Windsor & Eton Riverside
1982–1985
2004–2007 (refurbished)
Class 456 EMU 75 120 2 24 Currently used on suburban services in conjunction with services operated by Class 455 units to make 8 & 10 coach trains.

AscotGuildford

1990–1991
Class 458/5 (5Jop) Juniper (Originally class 460) EMU 75 120 5 36 Outer Suburban Services:

London WaterlooWeybridge / Windsor & Eton Riverside via Staines upon Thames

2013–2016
(1998–2002 as Class 458/0)
(2000–2001 as Class 460)

Isle of Wight Fleet

Class Image Type Top speed Carriages Number Routes operated Built
mph km/h
Class 483 EMU 45 72.5 2 6 Ryde Pier HeadShanklin 1938
1989 – 1992 (refurbished)

Future fleet

SWT planned to introduce 30 new five-car Class 707 Desiro City trains from 2017.[44][45]

Class Image Type Top speed No. Built Year Built Cars per Set
mph km/h
Class 707/0 Desiro City EMU 100 160 30 2016–2017 5

Past fleet

Former units operated by South West Trains include:

 Class   File   Type   Number   Withdrawn   Notes 
Class 170 Turbostar DMU 9 July 2007 8 transferred to First TransPennine Express, 1 to Southern where it was converted to a Class 171[46][47][48]
Class 411 (4Cep) EMU 29 May 2005
Class 412 (4Bep) 7 May 2005
Class 421 (4Cig) 32 May 2005 Two were retained for heritage operations on the Lymington Branch Line until May 2010, as 3Cig units. These units have been preserved and lengthened back to 4 coaches. One other unit has been preserved.[49][50]
Class 421 (3Cig) 2 May 2010 421497 preserved to the Mid Norfolk Railway.
421498 preserved by the Epping Ongar Railway.[51]
Class 423 (4Vep) 66 May 2005 423417 preserved by the Bluebell Railway.[52]
Class 442 (5Wes) Wessex Electric 24 February 2007 Withdrawn in favour of Class 444 Desiro units. Later operated Gatwick Express/Southern services, before being displaced by Class 387.[53]
Class 960 DMU 1 March 2009 Preserved on Swanage Railway[54]
Class 458/0 (4Jop) Juniper EMU 30 2013–15 Converted to 458/5[55]

Wessex Electrics fleet

These Class 442 units were initially dedicated to the Weymouth line but, in the 1990s, began to be operated on the London to Portsmouth direct line also. In preparation for the Class 444 and Class 450 "Desiro" units taking over from the slam-door fleet, the Wessex Electrics were withdrawn from Portsmouth line services and were again wholly dedicated to the Weymouth line.

South West Trains announced that it would be withdrawing these units, and they last ran on 3 February 2007. This move coincided with SWT reinstating all Class 458s for the Waterloo–Reading line. As a result, the Class 444s inherited the Waterloo–Weymouth route and the Class 450s took over some Portsmouth Harbour services, while the 442s went into storage at Eastleigh. From 2008[56] to 2017, Southern leased these trains for its Gatwick Express service and operated them on services from London Victoria to Gatwick Airport and Brighton. Eighteen Class 442 units will return to the franchise when the changeover to South Western Trains occurs.[57]

Turbostar fleet

In 2000, South West Trains acquired eight 2-car Class 170/3 units to supplement its existing Class 159 fleet. They were used on London to Salisbury services as well as a new Southampton local service, and on Reading to Basingstoke services. They were sometimes pressed into use on Waterloo-Exeter services but, as they were not fitted with end gangways for catering or selective door opening for the short platforms at some stations, this was not a regular route.

From late 2006 to mid-2007, the Class 170s were gradually transferred to First TransPennine Express in exchange for a larger number of Class 158 units, to expand and standardise the fleet. One, 170392, originally built to Southern specifications but taken over by SWT soon after its construction, went to Southern and was converted to a Class 171.

Preserved trains

423417 on display at an Open Day at Eastleigh Works in May 2009, alongside one of the operational 3CIG units.

Of the Classes 411, 412, 421 and 423 slam-door trains, several complete former SWT units have been preserved.

In contrast, just two former Southern units have been preserved – one Class 421 and one Class 423. No complete units from South Eastern Trains have been preserved.

Class 121/Class 960 55028 is preserved on the Swanage Railway.[54]

Liveries

Depots

Wimbledon

Wimbledon Traincare depot is located between Wimbledon and Earlsfield stations, on the main line to Waterloo, next to the Wimbledon railway viaduct.

Bournemouth

Bournemouth depot is southwest of Bournemouth station, occupying the approach to the former Bournemouth West station. Until their withdrawal in February 2007, the depot was home to the Class 442 (5Wes) Wessex Electrics. The branch turns off at Branksome station where trains can be seen stopping at platform 2 and reversing into the depot.

Clapham

Clapham Junction depot provides stabling for the Desiro fleet.

Northam

Northam depot was built by Siemens in 2002 as the home depot for the Desiro fleet as part of a 20-year maintenance contract.[58] It is located south of St Denys station and is near Southampton Football Club's St Mary's Stadium.

Effingham

Located next to Effingham Junction station, the depot is used for the berthing of MPVs (Multipurpose Vehicles). It has two pitted roads and a fuel point.

Salisbury

Salisbury depot provides servicing for South West Trains' diesel fleet.

Fratton

Fratton Traincare depot is in central Portsea Island, alongside Fratton station. It has a carriage washer and is the fuelling point for the 158s and 159s. The depot has a train shed with two pitted roads for maintenance of rolling stock. Class 444 and 450 units berth overnight. Stabling sidings and bay platforms at Portsmouth & Southsea station are co-ordinated from the depot.

Farnham

Farnham depot, in Weydon Lane, was opened by the Southern Railway at the time of the electrification of the Portsmouth and Alton lines in 1937.[59] It was refurbished for the introduction of modern units when slam-door trains were replaced circa 2005. At the same time, disused quarry and ballast dump sidings behind the carriage shed were removed and a number of outdoor sidings were laid for overnight storage and servicing of units.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 First privatised train in 50 years will be a bus The Independent 31 January 1996
  2. Companies House extract company no 5599788 Stagecoach South Western Trains Limited
  3. FirstGroup and MTR welcome South Western rail franchise award London Stock Exchange 27 March 2017
  4. Companies House extract company no 2938995. South Western Trains Limited.
  5. "Stagecoach Group Welcomes South West Trains Decision" (Press release). Stagecoach Holdings. 2 April 2001.
  6. "SRA cuts SWT's new franchise plan from 20 years to just three" Rail Magazine 13 November 2002 page 4
  7. "Stagecoach Group shortlisted for South Western rail franchise" (Press release). Stagecoach Group. 20 December 2005. Retrieved 4 February 2011.
  8. South Western stakeholder briefing. Department for Transport. 4 April 2006.
  9. "Stagecoach wins railway franchise". BBC News. 22 September 2006.
  10. Davidson, Ros (22 September 2006). "Stagecoach Wins South West Trains Contract". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 25 September 2012.
  11. "South West Trains to hire drivers after £90m order". The Independent. London. 14 May 1997. Retrieved 27 April 2010.
  12. "First trains call at Chandler's Ford station" Rail Magazine issue 463 11 June 2003 page 21
  13. "Smoking ban on trains extended". BBC News. 22 May 2004. Retrieved 4 February 2011.
  14. "Railway plan puts new focus on passengers". Secretary of State for Transport statement 26 March 2013.
  15. "South West Trains franchise 'out to competition'". BBC News. 7 July 2015. Retrieved 13 December 2015.
  16. Two companies shortlisted to compete for the next South Western rail franchise Department for Transport 4 February 2016
  17. First MTR South Western Trains Limited wins South Western franchise Department for Transport 27 March 2017
  18. Improving South Western Railway FirstGroup plc, 27 March 2017
  19. "SWT Exeter – Paignton / Plymouth will stop in December 2009.". Rail (595). Peterborough. 2 July 2008. p. 20.
  20. "Cycle policy". South West Trains. Retrieved 26 December 2013.
  21. "Single and Return Tickets". South West Trains. 21 November 2015.
  22. "Passengers to benefit from roll-out of Oyster pay as you go to South West Trains services". South West Trains. Retrieved 19 November 2010.
  23. "Top up expansion makes journeys easier for rail users" (Press release). Department for Transport. 12 November 2010.
  24. "South West Trains proposes new ticket office opening hours". South West Trains. Retrieved 26 December 2013.
  25. "Waterloo ticket gates longest in Europe" The Railway Magazine issue 1295 March 2009 page 76
  26. "Rail performance results period 7". Network Rail. Retrieved 7 September 2014.
  27. "TfL to control all London commuter services and new metro network".
  28. Bull, John (22 January 2016). "Peace on our line? Devolving London's railways". London Reconnections. Retrieved 11 March 2016. Of all of them, the most explicit suggestion is that all the inner London services which form part of the South West franchise will be passed to TfL – explicit because the consultation confirms that such a change cannot happen in 2017, but that a transfer in 2019 would be possible thanks to a breakpoint in the franchise, which is currently out to tender.
  29. Gillett, Francesca (7 December 2016). "Sadiq Khan hits back after government blocks suburban rail takeover plan". London Evening Standard. Retrieved 29 June 2017.
  30. "Our trains". South West Trains. Retrieved 19 November 2010.
  31. "South West Trains' last class 455 returns from refurbishment" (PDF). Rail Technology Magazine. 28 March 2008. Retrieved 19 November 2010.
  32. Southern Electric Group http://www.southernelectric.org.uk/news/swt/2014-456-enter-service.html
  33. "Cascaded 456s to give SWT commuters more seats" Rail Magazine issue 696 16 May 2012 page 10
  34. "Train firm to replace new fleet". BBC News. 12 January 2004.
  35. Clinnick, Richard (25 January 2012). "Class 460 driving vehicles made redundant". Rail. Peterborough. p. 28.
  36. Walmsley, Ian (February 2012). "Junipers United: Darth Vader goes suburban". Modern Railways. London. p. 40.
  37. "£42m for longer Waterloo trains". Rail. Peterborough. 11 January 2012. p. 7.
  38. "London commuters to benefit from longer peak time trains" (Press release). South West Trains. 23 December 2011. Retrieved 30 December 2011.
  39. "South West Trains prepares to introduce longer trains". Railway Gazette. London. 23 October 2013.
  40. "Improving Your Railway – Longer Trains". South West Trains. Retrieved 11 March 2014.
  41. Class 158 scot-rail.co.uk
  42. "UK Railtours". UK Railtours. Retrieved 28 April 2014.
  43. Rail UK Diesel/Electric Locomotive Information for 73235
  44. http://www.rail.co.uk/rail-news/2014/swt-new-train-order
  45. "Class 707s to boost SWT capacity". Modern Railways. 71 (793): 10.
  46. "South West Trains to swap Class 170s" Rail Magazine issue 534 1 March 2006 page 22
  47. "SWT and TransPennine to swap DMUs" The Railway Magazine issue 1261 May 2006 page 76
  48. "SWT to lose 170s in favour of 158s" Today's Railways issue 53 May 2006 page 56
  49. "Last door slams on SR Mk 1s" Rail Magazine issue 645 2 June 2010 page 19
  50. "The end of the Slammers" The Railway Magazine issue 1311 July 2010 page 8
  51. "Rolling Stock Department Multiple Units". EOR. 21 July 2016.
  52. "British Rail – EMU 4 Vep unit 3417 "Gordon Pettitt"". Bluebell Railway. 21 July 2016.
  53. "GTR completes Gatwick Express fleet renewal". www.railtechnologymagazine.com. Retrieved 10 January 2017.
  54. 1 2 "55028 Class Class 121 Driving Motor Brake Second". Preserved Railcar. 21 July 2016.
  55. "First 458/5 delivered" Today's Railways issue 143 November 2013 page 67
  56. "More trains arriving on busy rail routes (Note 5)". Department for Transport. 4 April 2007. Archived from the original on 6 September 2009.
  57. First MTR joint venture wins South Western franchise Railway Gazette International 27 March 2017
  58. "Desiro UK demands a pit stop approach". Railway Gazette. 1 March 2002.
  59. Railway Gazette, 1937

Media related to South West Trains at Wikimedia Commons

Preceded by
Network SouthEast
As part of British Rail
Operator of South West franchise
1996–2007
Succeeded by
South West Trains
South Western franchise
Preceded by
Island Line
Island Line franchise
Operator of South Western franchise
2007–2017
Succeeded by
South Western Railway
South Western franchise
Preceded by
South West Trains
South West franchise
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.