R A I LT R AC K - The Railways Archive

Route characteristics
DESCRIPTION This route forms the principal rail connection between Dorset,
Hampshire, West Surrey, and South West and central London.
There are eight tracks between Waterloo and Clapham Junction, where the
lines diverge into a route to Reading (see Route 23: Clapham–Reading) and a
four-track main line to Basingstoke.
Beyond Basingstoke, the route is generally two track, although east of
Dorchester there is a short section of single line. Maximum speeds are
60–75mph in the London area and 90–100mph between Surbiton and Eastleigh.
Speeds are more restricted beyond Eastleigh, although a maximum of 85mph is
possible on some sections.
The main line from Woking to Portsmouth Harbour is two track and
maximum linespeeds vary due to severe curves and gradients. The route also
contains a number of other feeder routes.
Suburban routes branch off the main lines at Raynes Park for Chessington,
Dorking and Epsom, at New Malden for Kingston and Shepperton, and at
Surbiton for Hampton Court and Guildford via Effingham Junction. The suburban
stations are capable of accepting eight-vehicle trains and this, together with the
limiting capacity of the main line at Waterloo, limits the short-term options to
reduce overcrowding on trains at peak times.
A p a rt from Basingstoke–Reading, the route is third-rail electri fied throughout.
Route vision
Our vision is to improve further the route to maintain and grow the market
share, providing a smooth and fast route for passengers to the coast and a
frequent, punctual and comfortable suburban network for South West London.
This will be achieved by working with our customers to enable the introduction
of new rolling stock, concentrating resources on track quality and linespeeds and
on using the last ten miles into London in the most cost-effective manner to
manage the continuing demands for peak capacity.
On this route, there has been a substantial increase in passengers travelling
at peak times in and out of Waterloo Station which has created severe
overcrowding on many of South West Trains’ main line and suburban trains. Our
forecasts show that this growth will continue .
With the approaches to Waterloo operating close to capacity throughout
the day, opportunities for immediate improvements are limited. A joint study of
Route development and customer requirements
Train performance is an area that we and our customers take very seriously. We
are developing a strategy that will see a rapid and steady reduction in
infrastructure failures on the critical section between Raynes Park and Waterloo.
We anticipate that this improvement will be tangible by the next NMS, and this
will be achieved through enhanced maintenance and targeted renewals of
infrastructure. Together with our contractors, we have developed teams of
specialists who target persistent infrastructure failures until they are eliminated.
We see this as an essential part of our endeavouring to drive down train delays
and improve train punctuality. We are also working with our customers on
initiatives that will yield performance improvements through train timetabling and
contingency planning.
Working with train operators, we will improve charter punctuality by two
percentage points over the next two years. This improvement, which will vary
across service groups, will typically result in 16% fewer trains arriving at their
destinations more than five minutes late.
We are continually looking at ways in which journey times can be improved
by taking opportunities afforded by track renewals, resignalling schemes and
major maintenance.
The resignalling of the Bournemouth area will provide opportunities for
minor enhancements to the operational flexibility and capacity of the route.
Our analysis of future freight train volumes shows that projected
movements can be accommodated up to 2004. The position beyond 2004 and
the proposed growth of Southampton’s deep-water port facilities at Dibden Bay
requires further evaluation. This will be complete by May this year and will
include an assessment of provision of larger-gauge freight trains to W10 gauge.
During our regular discussions with local authorities and user groups, many
suggestions are made that have the potential to improve our network. Two such
developments are improvements to the Alton Line where journey times and
The route is primarily a passenger railway but with freight carried on many of the
lines. Freight tonnage and traffic levels are particularly significant between
Southampton and Reading.
BOTTLENECK ANALYSIS The route between Southampton and
Bournemouth was identified in the 1998 NMS as a potential bottleneck. Further
analysis has shown that there is sufficient capacity for all the identified existing
and future passenger demand. However, we may need to make some specific
provision if the new Southampton–Dibden Bay container terminal traffic exceeds
current expectations.
MAJOR STAT I O N S
London Waterloo Waterloo’s important role as an interchange between
domestic, international and underground routes will be enhanced with the
completion of the Jubilee Line Extension. SRP work has been reprogrammed to
enable improvements to station facilities to be incorporated and will begin in
1999/2000. We will work with South West Trains to develop proposals for
automatic ticket gates and new customer-information systems to be
implemented by 2000/01.
suburban capacity is under way with South West Trains to develop potential
solutions. Any immediate solutions will be announced before the next NMS. We
anticipate that short- and medium-term possibilities will include higher-density
rolling stock which could include double-decker trains and longer trains coupled
with a platform lengthening programme. The longer-term solutions will include
major infrastructure enhancements on the main line to Waterloo. Where
solutions are uneconomical, we will be offering options to potential funders to
assist us. In anticipation that short-term, commercially viable improvements will
arise from the study, we have set aside £5M to spend by 2003 to reduce
congestion and overcrowding. The results of the study will be available for the
next NMS.
capacity improvements are sought, and the reopening of the freight-only spur
between Eastleigh and Chandler’s Ford (on Route 22) to passenger operation.
We will be looking at the economics of these proposals and will be discussing
them with funding bodies when the studies are complete.
With the Purbeck Rail Partnership, we are examining the feasibility of
restoring the rail link between the Swanage Railway and the national rail network.
This would enable a direct train service to operate between Swanage, Wareham,
Poole and Bournemouth.
Work is going forward with Basingstoke and Deane BC and Thames Trains
on a proposal for a new station at Chineham on the Basingstoke–Reading Line.
A potential further new station at Grazeley, between Mortimer and Reading
West, is planned in association with a major residential development. This is
currently subject to a planning enquiry.
Work at Wimbledon Depot is being carried out to accommodate South
West Trains’ new Class 458 rolling stock. Work at Fratton Depot is complete,
and work at Bournemouth Depot will be completed in July 1999.
Planning permission has been sought for a major development at Woking
Station. If successful, the opportunity will be taken to improve station facilities at
the same time.
We intend to work with customers to improve the attractiveness of
stations through completion of the regeneration programme and we will be
renewing customer-information systems on South West Trains’ operating area
over the next two years. In addition, major works will begin at Southampton
Central Station during 2000.
A review of car-park capacity is under way and, together with our
customers, we have identified some that could be extended. Currently,
extension works are to be undertaken at Winchester and Basingstoke.
243