Thanks and having lived at Redhill for 30odd years I certainly don't recollect it as a booked passenger working. Personally in the current environment im surprised GWR have perpetuated this level of service as demand is light on Saturdays. Still has some merits weekdays as the Reigate college students are now coming and going all day long with there efforts to minimise numbers of students on the site through the day so helps with social distancing..
NR are obliged by their licence as well as funded to fix an asset like this The points of the Tonbridge line are standard geometry bits of the yard maybe older but given the amount of junk piled up at Redhill P.Way im sure they can knock together serviceable set of yard points
Is that a repeat occurrence? I recall a GWR unit getting stranded by derailing at the entry to Redhill stabling sidings in July 2019 - IIRC the unit had to be split into separate coaches for recovery. If it's happened twice in just over a year, does that suggest a continuing problem with the track there?
Thanks for the explanation, I understand the sequence now.
Thanks for the interesting info. It's interesting that there was a train at every singal because when I checked National Rail Enquiries live departure board for Redhill it wasn't showing any delays through Redhill for trains north of there heading south. I was kind of expecting to see delays into Redhill, if delays were occurring south of it. Hence why I then thought it wasn't the case when it was the case.
Indeed, for example westbound at Betchworth would be OK, but not EB. Platforms have been extended at some stations on the route to cope with 769s (!!) but that's only 4 cars.
How could you not stop at Redhill to get from Guildford to Gatwick? The train would have to reverse anyway.
I should have said terminating or finishing and not stopping.
Just looking at that timetable for the first time, and pleased to see the 3tph, but there will be an overtake at Guildford in both directions at around xx:15/xx:45 at the exact same times as a north bound Portsmouth-London and just a few minutes before the xx:23/xx:53 Gld-farnham services, how will this work for platforms at Guildford given that the farnham services will already be there on platform 6and the london service using platform 5? Platform 8 will be used for one but platform 4 will be in use minutes later for a southbound service, so will 3 be finally seeing some regualr use?
There are one or two exceptions as I found out when I boarded what I thought was a platform 8 stopper to Redhill, only to find myself going towards Reading. I thought the stopper departed platform 5 or something like that.
You "boarded shag" - a new service offered by GW?
I usually check my replies with preview. I must have been tired.
I thought they were starting life on the North Downs Line?
Somewhat easier to put them on Reading to Basingstoke or the Henley branch first where they won't be more than 16 miles from their home depot.
Who would do the driving between. Basingstoke and Southampton?
Does that imply that they will be allowed to use the third rail on parts of the North Downs (or Brighton line) after all? Or have I missed somewhere else that they might use DC in service?
Not sure how that follows - the DC capability has to be tested regardless of whether it is approved or not for day to day operation over a particular route.
Thanks - it was just that I thought that they will only be used on diesel power in GWR service, so little point in confirming DC performance. But I suppose as they're regarded as bimodes then either the TOC or the ROSCO will want both modes proved.
Certainly planned to be used in AC mode, once it works.
Sorry, good point, it was just DC and the North Downs I was thinking about, I was ignoring for the moment that they're due to be used on the Thames Valley branches as well as the NDL.