South West Trains

Tony Raven

Amongst all the changes going on at SWT such as bike bans at peak hours
and timetables out the window my observations (from a folder
perspective) is its not all for the bad and wondered about others with
non-folders experience.

Over the past few weeks the rolling stock seems to have been replaced on
virtually every route I've been on (London-Hampshire corridor only
admittedly) with new Siemens trains. The old slam doors and private
compartments have gone. Each of the new trains has several very clearly
marked bicycle areas with fold up seats and some have dedicated cycle
areas with racks. As I say I've only taken the Brommie on them so not
needed to use the areas but overall they seem quite well provided for
bikes. Have I got my rose coloured specs on?

Tony

[Not Responding]

On Sun, 12 Dec 2004 19:17:38 +0000, Tony Raven <junk@raven-family.com>
wrote:

>Amongst all the changes going on at SWT such as bike bans at peak hours
>and timetables out the window my observations (from a folder
>perspective) is its not all for the bad and wondered about others with
>non-folders experience.
>
>Over the past few weeks the rolling stock seems to have been replaced on
>virtually every route I've been on (London-Hampshire corridor only
>admittedly) with new Siemens trains. The old slam doors and private
>compartments have gone. Each of the new trains has several very clearly
>marked bicycle areas with fold up seats and some have dedicated cycle
>areas with racks. As I say I've only taken the Brommie on them so not
>needed to use the areas but overall they seem quite well provided for
>bikes. Have I got my rose coloured specs on?
>
>Tony

I've said before that it doesn't make sense to have trains designed to
carry large numbers of full size bikes. A quirk of history has meant
that for the past few years we've had entire guards' vans set aside
for bikes once their original use (minor freight, parcels?) was no
longer required. Lucky us - but it was always a certainty the next
generation of trains wouldn't have such a poor use of space designed
in from the start.

The new trains are good. OK, I can get a bit nostaligic for the old
private compartments but on the whole the new trains are a huge
improvement. En route to Kent yesterday I had a mix of old and new
stock. I was suprised by how much I missed the LED displays and
station announcements when on an unknown route on the old trains. One
aspect I'm not a fan of is the 3+2 seating in standard but this seems
to be only used on short distance routes where it is bearable.You
don't really see it much this far from London.

The dedicated space that there is is easy to use and a massive advance
on standing with bike in the vestibule as was the case with some
newish Network South East stock in the mid 80s.

On SWT trains the bike carriage is marked with a bike symbol -
Southern trains are a little more cryptic and use a red stripe to
indicate to those in the know (ie not me yesterday).

SWT have a reservations only policy on some routes. I have mixed
feelings about this. I stood on an icy platform yesterday evening
reading the LED panel telling me "bicycle reservations are essential
on this service" and thought "try and stop me". Fortunately, they
didn't. OTOH, had I spent a lot of cash on a long distance trip, I'd
be more put out to miss the train because it's full of locals
travelling 2 stops.

I've not taken a bike on one but I think the Portsmouth trains (444s
?) take 5 or 6 bikes per train. This is comparable with the number you
could fit into the old guards' van (you could probably crush 10 in but
the person at the bottom would be a bit stuffed if he wanted to get
out first).

Anyway, I'm hoping for a folder for Christmas

Just zis Guy, you know?

On Sun, 12 Dec 2004 21:11:33 +0000, " [Not Responding] "
<not_responding@dev.null.invalid> wrote in message
<3dapr0l3np44r0575rgkhinv84onm39s0j@4ax.com>:

>The dedicated space that there is is easy to use and a massive advance
>on standing with bike in the vestibule as was the case with some
>newish Network South East stock in the mid 80s.

Provided your bike is a standard wedgie, not a tandem, small wheeler,
recumbent, trike or other oddity.

Guy
--
"then came ye chavves, theyre cartes girded wyth candels
blue, and theyre beastes wyth straynge horn-lyke thyngs
onn theyre arses that theyre fartes be herde from myles
around." Chaucer, the Sheppey Tales

Tony Raven

Just zis Guy, you know? wrote:
> On Sun, 12 Dec 2004 21:11:33 +0000, " [Not Responding] "
> <not_responding@dev.null.invalid> wrote in message
> <3dapr0l3np44r0575rgkhinv84onm39s0j@4ax.com>:
>
>
>>The dedicated space that there is is easy to use and a massive advance
>>on standing with bike in the vestibule as was the case with some
>>newish Network South East stock in the mid 80s.
>
>
> Provided your bike is a standard wedgie, not a tandem, small wheeler,
> recumbent, trike or other oddity.
>

At least there's half a gnats chance of getting one in the new trains
whereas with the old slam doors fuggeddit

Tony

Mike Causer

On Sun, 12 Dec 2004 21:39:31 +0000, Just zis Guy, you know? wrote:

>>The dedicated space that there is is easy to use and a massive advance on
>>standing with bike in the vestibule as was the case with some newish
>>Network South East stock in the mid 80s.
>
> Provided your bike is a standard wedgie, not a tandem, small wheeler,
> recumbent, trike or other oddity.

Praise goes to Anglia Rail, whose carriages have taken my 17"-wheeled
Moulton upright and Ross recumbent without fuss. Not only that, the staff
are quite happy (even occasionally enthusiastic) to have bicycles on their
trains. And ..... when their schedules are completely screwed by
problems outside their control, they've laid on a taxi service for delayed
passengers provided the bike could be stowed in the boot of said taxi. On
Moulton that day, so no problem ;-)


Mike

Just zis Guy, you know?

On Sun, 12 Dec 2004 21:49:20 +0000, Tony Raven <junk@raven-family.com>
wrote in message <323sn0F3fh0opU1@individual.net>:

>At least there's half a gnats chance of getting one in the new trains
>whereas with the old slam doors fuggeddit

<sings>
I love HSTs
So put another bike in the guard's van baby
I love HSTs
So come and put your bike on the train with me...
</sings>

Guy
--
"then came ye chavves, theyre cartes girded wyth candels
blue, and theyre beastes wyth straynge horn-lyke thyngs
onn theyre arses that theyre fartes be herde from myles
around." Chaucer, the Sheppey Tales

Tony Raven

Just zis Guy, you know? wrote:
> On Sun, 12 Dec 2004 21:49:20 +0000, Tony Raven <junk@raven-family.com>
> wrote in message <323sn0F3fh0opU1@individual.net>:
>
>
>>At least there's half a gnats chance of getting one in the new trains
>>whereas with the old slam doors fuggeddit
>
>
> <sings>
> I love HSTs
> So put another bike in the guard's van baby
> I love HSTs
> So come and put your bike on the train with me...
> </sings>
>


Guard's van? Not on the ones I used. They had enought problems with
the platforms being long enough as it was.

Tony

Just zis Guy, you know?

On Sun, 12 Dec 2004 22:38:32 +0000, Tony Raven <junk@raven-family.com>
wrote in message <323vj9F3iq436U2@individual.net>:

>> <sings>
>> I love HSTs
>> So put another bike in the guard's van baby
>> I love HSTs
>> So come and put your bike on the train with me...
>> </sings>

>Guard's van? Not on the ones I used. They had enought problems with
>the platforms being long enough as it was.

Well of you will live in the wild and wooly vest...

FGW have just bought another 8 HST sets. Hurrah!
And laid on at least four additional peak time class 166 services
direct from Reading to Didcot. Hurrah again!

God's Wonderful Railway indeed...

Guy
--
"then came ye chavves, theyre cartes girded wyth candels
blue, and theyre beastes wyth straynge horn-lyke thyngs
onn theyre arses that theyre fartes be herde from myles
around." Chaucer, the Sheppey Tales

JohnB

"Just zis Guy, you know?" wrote:

>
> FGW have just bought another 8 HST sets. Hurrah!
> And laid on at least four additional peak time class 166 services
> direct from Reading to Didcot. Hurrah again!
>
> God's Wonderful Railway indeed...

Yep, nearly an hour late for my trip from Stroud to Reading last week.
Luckily I had the Brommie so went for a ride out to Stonehouse.

John B