Brighton-Bournemouth

[387star]

Hi does anybody know when Connex discontinued this wonderful service and the reason why? I used to put my bikes in the guards van and head to the new forest. Any idea when the service ended would be interested to know because I believe South Central (before it was Southern) also ran these services for a while.

Were 377s ever used??

 

[thefab444]

It was mainly Victoria - Bournemouth rather than Brighton - Bournemouth. It was supposedly cut to improve performance and allow Virgin Trains access to a better path out of Bournemouth.

I don't believe 377s have ever been used in service beyond Southampton, but I think they visited Bournemouth on test runs.

 

[Oracle]

It was originally a BR NSE service from Victoria-Bournemouth. I recall when it started as we lived near Swanwick Station and supposedly a local MP campaigned for trains to stop there rather than fast-run from Fareham to Southampton Central. I agree that I thought that it was cut-back to allow VT to have a better run to/from Poole via Bournemouth. Of course the Poole service was then cut back to Bournemouth although I think they still run ECS SuO to Poole to reverse? Also, I think that the 1-an-hour service was having timing problems between Southampton and Bournemouth and delaying the return runs.

 

[thefab444]

Looking at the 2001 timetable, the up Connex services were only 5-7 minutes behind the Weymouth - Waterloo fast services and replicated their calling pattern completely, apart from the handful of trains that called at New Milton and Christchurch. Southbound the path was a bit more spread out although they got stuck behind the Waterloo - Poole stopper after Brockenhurst.

I would welcome a return of Bournemouth - Victoria services, although the timetable would mean a 50 minute turnaround at Bournemouth (although that would at least encourage Southern not to cancel their services so frequently).

 

[swt_passenger]

Much reduced passenger usage beyond Southampton, and withdrawal would make one less unit needed for the service? So they probably just found a better use for the unit somewhere else.

Now, if an extended Victoria was reintroduced (with the current SN timings), it would be following within 10 mins behind the xx51 from Southampton, which itself follows the xx43 XC, so 3 of the 4 fast tph Southampton to Bournemouth would be pretty much packed together. From Brockenhurst to Bournemouth a SN service would then either be right behind or right in front of the Poole stopper depending on how they pathed it.

If OTOH you extended the Brighton beyond Southampton, it would be running just ahead of the SWT xx24, and xx30 to Brock.

No easy answer.

 

[thefab444]

Well, ideally the Southern service would call at Totton, New Milton and Christchurch, although it would follow the down Poole stopper.

xx:05 SOU
xx:10 TTN
xx:21 BCU
xx:30 NWM 
xx:39 CHR
xx:47 BMH

xx:32 BMH
xx:38 CHR
xx:45 NWM
xx:53 BCU
xx:03 TTN
xx:08 SOU

 

[Oracle]

Hang on...make it stop at ANF [Ashurst New Forest] please!

When I lived a walk away from Swanwick I used to use the Connex 'all-stations' train in the morning that stopped pretty well everywhere from Fareham to Southampton. That was handy for a lot of commuters.

 

[RobShipway]

I lived in Bournemouth between 1991 - 1996 and for the first 4 of those years would be using the Bournemouth - Victoria service as far as Hove, then changing for a train to Brighton so that I could go to see my parents. I think even up to the point where it was cut back to Southampton, the service was run with MK1 stock. The 377's only came into service when Southern took over the servives from Connex if my memory is correct? I don't think Connex ever operated the class 377 trains?

 

[MCR247]

Connex operated 375s, but I don't think they got the 377s. The did get to spec the interior for the /3s and some /1s though

 

[thefab444]

The service ended in 2003, so ran for two years under the South Central Trains brand.

 

[RobShipway]

Connex operated 375s, but I don't think they got the 377s. The did get to spec the interior for the /3s and some /1s though

Weren't the Connex 375's converted into being class 377's with the change of the buffer connection?

 

[MCR247]

No. Connex ran the SE 375s. Only some 375/3s were converted to 377/3s. All 375s are now effectively 377s anyway as they all have since been fitted with Dellner couplers

 

[RobShipway]

But the 377/3's where originally built as 375's without the Dellner couplings as I believe from something I read that they were fitted out in connext colours before Sothern had them converted to Dellner Couplings along with the rest of the 377 trains that were built after the 377/3's?