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Southern Sunday Service Through Redhill

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WizCastro197

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Every Sunday for the past few months (only what I’ve seen) Southern have decided to run their Portsmouth Harbour & Bognor Regis or Their Southampton Central & Bognor Regis Services through Redhill every Sunday. Normally these trains would follow the same route as those travelling to the likes of Brighton, Hastings, Ore and Littlehampton on the Quarry Line that bypasses Redhill.

I have 2 questions:

Why have they decided to run these services through Redhill and not on the quarry line like the other trains heading to the south coast? Is it to supplement the normal 2tph Monday to Sunday Service from Reigate that gets reduced to 1tph on Sunday?

Why not place more trains like the Brighton ones which I’m sure would be very popular for people who live in my area without the hassle of changing trains at Gatwick airport where trains to Brighton are already Full and Standing?

If anyone could answer my questions to the best of their ability it would be great!!
Thanks!
 
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Peregrine 4903

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Every Sunday for the past few months (only what I’ve seen) Southern have decided to run their Portsmouth Harbour & Bognor Regis or Their Southampton Central & Bognor Regis Services through Redhill every Sunday. Normally these trains would follow the same route as those travelling to the likes of Brighton, Hastings, Ore and Littlehampton on the Quarry Line that bypasses Redhill.

I have 2 questions:

Why have they decided to run these services through Redhill and not on the quarry line like the other trains heading to the south coast? Is it to supplement the normal 2tph Monday to Sunday Service from Reigate that gets reduced to 1tph on Sunday?

Why not place more trains like the Brighton ones which I’m sure would be very popular for people who live in my area without the hassle of changing trains at Gatwick airport where trains to Brighton are already Full and Standing?

If anyone could answer my questions to the best of their ability it would be great!!
Thanks!
These trains are booked to run via Redhill every Sunday and have been since May 18.

Not entirely sure as to why, but i would presume it's so Redhill gets 2tph to London Victoria.
 

WizCastro197

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These trains are booked to run via Redhill every Sunday and have been since May 18.

Not entirely sure as to why, but i would presume it's so Redhill gets 2tph to London Victoria.

Yes But then it would get 3tph wouldn’t it?
If one Tph from Bognor and Southampton and one from Bognor and Portsmouth and the one form Reigate?

Thanks for helping out though!
I appreciate it!
 

JonathanH

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If one Tph from Bognor and Southampton and one from Bognor and Portsmouth and the one form Reigate?
There is only one Arun Valley train an hour on Sundays - ie not one to Southampton, and the dividing point is Barnham, not Horsham.
 

WizCastro197

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There is only one Arun Valley train an hour on Sundays - ie not one to Southampton, and the dividing point is Barnham, not Horsham.
Ahh Ooops I forgot to take way the one the trains
My mistake

I knew the divide point was barnham but why not Horsham?
 

JonathanH

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Why not place more trains like the Brighton ones which I’m sure would be very popular for people who live in my area without the hassle of changing trains at Gatwick airport where trains to Brighton are already Full and Standing?
If the trains from Brighton ran through Redhill they would be full and standing.

(It also is very problematic to timetable trains running through Redhill to Brighton because of the flat junctions and the fact that they have to slot both in front of and then behind a train using the Quarry Line.)

I knew the divide point was barnham but why not Horsham?
Reduces the staff required.
 

WizCastro197

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If the trains from Brighton ran through Redhill they would be full and standing.
But so are those from Portsmouth and Bognor and Southampton?

Especially if one part from Portsmouth gets cancelled as they often do I think from short turnaround times?
It’s an extra supplement and so would be useful

 

JonathanH

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But so are those from Portsmouth and Bognor and Southampton?
Yes, that is one of the reasons they no longer go through Redhill the rest of the week and Redhill gets 'its own' services with plenty of capacity.
 

WizCastro197

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Yes, that is one of the reasons they no longer go through Redhill the rest of the week.
Okay
It’s such a shame because destinations from Redhill to the south are really poor.
And congestion and delays are extremely common aswell as trains leaving full because The only Platform that Reigate can turn their trains around is 6 coaches max
 

Peregrine 4903

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If the trains from Brighton ran through Redhill they would be full and standing.

(It also is very problematic to timetable trains running through Redhill to Brighton because of the flat junctions and the fact that they have to slot both in front of and then behind a train using the Quarry Line.)


Reduces the staff required.
On a Sunday its really not that problematic.
 

JonathanH

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And congestion and delays are extremely common aswell as trains leaving full because The only Platform that Reigate can turn their trains around is 6 coaches max
4 coaches maximum at Reigate platform 2 (other than by special arrangement where a unit gets pushed over the crossing). There is a 6 coach Turbo working with the rear unit locked out that hangs off the end of the platform.

Congestion and delays are a good reason to send the longer distance trains down the Quarry Line avoiding Redhill.

It’s such a shame because destinations from Redhill to the south are really poor.
Yes, its a shame that destinations to the South can't be reached without changing but, also no, it is not a shame that the trains which do serve Redhill have plenty of capacity because they aren't full of passengers from further south.
 

387star

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They have always gone via Redhill as all services from the coast used to before 2015
That combined with stopping everywhere down the Arun Valley adds up to 15 minutes to London to Chichester journey times
 

WizCastro197

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4 coaches maximum at Reigate platform 2 (other than by special arrangement where a unit gets pushed over the crossing). There is a 6 coach Turbo working with the rear unit locked out that hangs off the end of the platform.

Congestion and delays are a good reason to send the longer distance trains down the Quarry Line avoiding Redhill.


Yes, its a shame that destinations to the South can't be reached without changing but, also no, it is not a shame that the trains which do serve Redhill have plenty of capacity because they aren't full of passengers from further south.
I only partially agree with the last statement. The thameslinks always have great capacity hit with their current problems the only way forward is southern which out of peak is not great?

No I Get the point of sending trains down the quarry line but on Sundays of course service is dramatically reduced so congestion is less whcich could pave a potential way for new services they will likely never happen!

What do you mean Unit pushed over crossing?
The only way for southern to turn trains around is on plat 2 I think of the shorter one because of all the track arrangements and crossings themsleves?
 

JonathanH

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What do you mean Unit pushed over crossing?
The only way for southern to turn trains around is on plat 2 I think of the shorter one because of all the track arrangements and crossings themsleves?
When longer trains than four car trains have run to Reigate on rare occasions they are able to clear all the pointwork by passing onto the level crossing to reverse.

I have never watched it happen but there are reports on this forum - eg https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/3tph-on-north-downs-line.140595/page-17#post-3791737

I only partially agree with the last statement. The thameslinks always have great capacity hit with their current problems the only way forward is southern which out of peak is not great?
Hopefully the problems won't last forever. When Thameslink runs a full service at Redhill, there is plenty of capacity without having to rely on the short Southern services.
 

WizCastro197

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When longer trains than four car trains have run to Reigate on rare occasions they are able to clear all the pointwork by passing onto the level crossing to reverse.

I have never watched it happen but there are reports on this forum - eg https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/3tph-on-north-downs-line.140595/page-17#post-3791737
Ahh I thought you mean the crossings east of Reigate toward redhill! That I think only allows for a train from London to be routed into to the short London Bound Platform because if routed onto the westbound line it can’t get back onto the eastbound (London) one?
Is that right?

The wording is really off but I hope you can understand
 

JonathanH

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Ahh I thought you mean the crossings east of Reigate toward redhill! That I think only allows for a train from London to be routed into to the short London Bound Platform because if routed onto the westbound line it can’t get back onto the eastbound (London) one?
Is that right?
Yes, no access from Redhill to platform 1 at Reigate without a double shunt via platform 2 and the shunt signal beyond the crossover towards Redhill.
 
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