SWR - Further Timetable Reductions from 17/1

[deepeetw]

Spotted this on https://www.southwesternrailway.com/plan-my-journey this afternoon.

It’s going to be an interesting month! Might hide some of the rolling stock shortages as well.

The onset of the Omicron variant has led to a shortage of staff across our business – from drivers and guards to engineers and controllers. These staff shortages have inevitably had a significant impact on our services, leading to short term cancellations.

As a result, we will be introducing a new, consolidated timetable from Monday 17 January 2022. Our focus is on producing a timetable that is deliverable, so that we improve reliability for our customers, and caters to key workers, school pupils and those who cannot work from home. We will be publishing further details on our new timetable shortly.

From the beginning of January through to the introduction of the new timetable on 17 January, our services will still be subject to short notice cancellations. Please check to see if your planned train is running as close to your time of travel as possible.

 

[Bishopstone]

Understandable, but kind of depressing that 22 months into this, and in the context of a climate emergency, we’re back to the railway as provider of last resort to key workers and school children, whilst others are nudged towards alternatives.

 

[wellsa]

Hello. As of two days ago my girlfriend suddenly found there are no direct trains from Vauxhall to New Malden, morning or evening, as there had been before with good regularity. They've all been wiped off. Now you have to change at Clapham Junction at least or change twice.

 

[station_road]

Hello. As of two days ago my girlfriend suddenly found there are no direct trains from Vauxhall to New Malden, morning or evening, as there had been before with good regularity. They've all been wiped off. Now you have to change at Clapham Junction at least or change twice.

That's because of engineering work, Wednesday to Friday this week. It's been publicised for a while

Link to page on SWR website with details of Vauxhall engineering work

 

[Goldfish62]

It has been suggested on another thread that it's going to be a Sunday service all week for eight weeks. I would certainly hope though that there are additional early morning services otherwise that leaves some of us unable to get into work on time.

 

[SWT_USER]

How long has the last train from Southampton to London been 22:00, is this part of the recent cuts? I'm sure there used to be a ~22:00 from Bournemouth which called at basically all stations to Waterloo.

Such an early last train is very inconvenient for anyone attending an evening game at St Mary's and wanting to get back to London!

 

[Goldfish62]

How long has the last train from Southampton to London been 22:00, is this part of the recent cuts? I'm sure there used to be a ~22:00 from Bournemouth which called at basically all stations to Waterloo.

Such an early last train is very inconvenient for anyone attending an evening game at St Mary's and wanting to get back to London!

Unlike neighbouring TOCs SWR has continued to shut up shop early (Fri/Sat excepted) since the start of Covid with no sign of later trains ever being restored.

 

[boiledbeans2]

Hello. As of two days ago my girlfriend suddenly found there are no direct trains from Vauxhall to New Malden, morning or evening, as there had been before with good regularity. They've all been wiped off. Now you have to change at Clapham Junction at least or change twice.

Not directly relevant, but in the SWR December 2022 timetable change, on Sundays, some metro services no longer call at Earlsfield. Why is this so?

Train Timetable | South Western Railway

Our timetables can be downloaded direct to your computer or mobile phone, giving you easy access to the information wherever you are.

www.southwesternrailway.com

If you click on "Sunday", then "Main Suburban", you get

0957 Guildford (via Woking) to London Waterloo service will no longer call at Earlsfield.
1002 Dorking to London Waterloo service will no longer call at Earlsfield.
1011 Shepperton to London Waterloo service will no longer call at Earlsfield.
1032 London Waterloo to Guildford (via Leatherhead) service will no longer call at Earlsfield.
1035 Hampton Court to London Waterloo service will no longer call at Earlsfield.
1040 London Waterloo to Guildford (via Woking) service will no longer call at Earlsfield.
1048 London Waterloo to Shepperton service will no longer call at Earlsfield.
1051 London Waterloo to Chessington service will no longer call at Earlsfield.

 

[pompeyfan]

It’s the outcome of the Surbiton fatality, both slow lines are under a line block to allow inspection. The removal of Earlsfield prevent congestion.

Similar happens on a Friday in the Portsmouth area with 2P38 and 2P42 running fast Fratton - Havant.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

I’m sorry, but I honestly believe that the cuts are secretly being made due to the severe shortage of stock and that they’re using the pandemic as an excuse. The only reason they’re getting by at the moment is because there isn’t a full timetable.

 

[Goldfish62]

I’m sorry, but I honestly believe that the cuts are secretly being made due to the severe shortage of stock and that they’re using the pandemic as an excuse. The only reason they’re getting by at the moment is because there isn’t a full timetable.

Yes. It seems very strange that they're able to predict weeks ahead for the pandemic when the finest scientists in the world can't predict with any certainty what's going to happen next week.

Looking at daily cancellations on Journeycheck, they're very low compared with other TOCs. Doesn't seem like a company with a staff sickness crisis to me (I'm talking in relative Covid terms here).

 

[deepeetw]

Yes. It seems very strange that they're able to predict weeks ahead for the pandemic when the finest scientists in the world can't predict with any certainty what's going to happen next week.

It’s a fair point - three weeks notice seems odd bearing in mind the crippling absence rate seen in other sectors at this moment.

At this rate, by 17/1 everybody will have had it already!

One thing you can predict though is when stuff will be coming up for exams.

If you can’t cover those exams due to a shortage of staff / stock / sending trains for scrap or storage, you need to drop services…..

 

[Goldfish62]

If you can’t cover those exams due to a shortage of staff / stock / sending trains for scrap or storage, you need to drop services…..

Especially if the 456s really are all being withdrawn in February.

 

[boiledbeans2]

It’s the outcome of the Surbiton fatality, both slow lines are under a line block to allow inspection. The removal of Earlsfield prevent congestion.

Similar happens on a Friday in the Portsmouth area with 2P38 and 2P42 running fast Fratton - Havant.

I'm not sure I understand what you mean.

I'm unfamiliar with the Surbiton fatality, but it seems like a one off incident? So a one off inspection after the incident would be normal.

But here, Earlsfield is skipped every Sunday. Do they have to repeat the inspection every Sunday?

 

[deepeetw]

I'm not sure I understand what you mean.

I'm unfamiliar with the Surbiton fatality, but it seems like a one off incident? So a one off inspection after the incident would be normal.

But here, Earlsfield is skipped every Sunday. Do they have to repeat the inspection every Sunday?

The slow lines have to be closed for inspections now (rather than being done with live traffic), meaning trains would need to cross to/from them to serve Earlsfield.

This is impractical so the stops are omitted.

 

[30907]

Yes. It seems very strange that they're able to predict weeks ahead for the pandemic when the finest scientists in the world can't predict with any certainty what's going to happen next week.

Looking at daily cancellations on Journeycheck, they're very low compared with other TOCs. Doesn't seem like a company with a staff sickness crisis to me (I'm talking in relative Covid terms here).

HMG thinks it is going to get worse before it gets better - the headline summarises the article nicely:
BBC News - Covid: Workplaces told to plan for absences of up to 25% https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-59848109

17 Jan is presumably the earliest date SW could put a reduced timetable (as opposed to random cancellations) in place.

 

[XAM2175]

I'm unfamiliar with the Surbiton fatality, but it seems like a one off incident? So a one off inspection after the incident would be normal.

The original post referencing it was a bit unclear - the incident wasn't one of suicide or trespass but rather the death of a track worker who was undertaking a programmed inspection, and as a result those inspections now require increased protection.

 

[wellsa]

That's because of engineering work, Wednesday to Friday this week. It's been publicised for a while

Link to page on SWR website with details of Vauxhall engineering work

Right, thanks.

Seems the reductions are going on an extra week at least

 

[30907]

Right, thanks.

Seems the reductions are going on an extra week at least

Do you have a source for this? Nothing on SWR website apart from this weekend's major work.

 

[Deepgreen]

Understandable, but kind of depressing that 22 months into this, and in the context of a climate emergency, we’re back to the railway as provider of last resort to key workers and school children, whilst others are nudged towards alternatives.

Absolutely. However, despite the use of the term "emergency", the response to the issue has been anything but that of an emergency - things are pretty much continuing as before, or even worse with C19 thrown in. The railways surely can only steadily lose traffic during the remainder of the pandemic, which may still be many years if variants continue to appear. People are being put off rail travel by the proximity to others and the increasing unreliability and sparseness of services, which can only continue or worsen, perpetuating the negative cycle. Staff shortages caused by the ease of testing will not go away and attracting new staff may prove difficult. The government also has to find trillions of pounds to recoup the full cost of the pandemic and Johnson's already hollow words concerning a green recovery will prove even more false.

 

[boiledbeans2]

The original post referencing it was a bit unclear - the incident wasn't one of suicide or trespass but rather the death of a track worker who was undertaking a programmed inspection, and as a result those inspections now require increased protection.

Thanks, now I understand.

 

[wellsa]

Do you have a source for this? Nothing on SWR website apart from this weekend's major work.

Just from the timetable now, in a new week.

 

[philosopher]

Understandable, but kind of depressing that 22 months into this, and in the context of a climate emergency, we’re back to the railway as provider of last resort to key workers and school children, whilst others are nudged towards alternatives.

The phrasing of the SWR statement I think is concerning. It almost sounds like unless you are a key worker or school pupil you are not welcome on SWR, which is not exactly going to encourage people to use them.

 

[Goldfish62]

The phrasing of the SWR statement I think is concerning. It almost sounds like unless you are a key worker or school pupil you are not welcome on SWR, which is not exactly going to encourage people to use them.

Yes, it's strangely regressive wording.

 

[Bishopstone]

The phrasing of the SWR statement I think is concerning. It almost sounds like unless you are a key worker or school pupil you are not welcome on SWR, which is not exactly going to encourage people to use them.

I assumed the choice of words was deliberate and that this TOC, at least, needs to suppress demand in the weeks ahead: maybe in the peaks (what is left of them), or alternatively for weekend event-driven traffic.

If the choice of words was accidental - an understandable rush job over the holiday period - then it would have been edited by now.

 

[deepeetw]

It'll be interesting tomorrow to see just how much of the timetable they run successfully. The case for 17/1 will not look very strong if they have a good day....

 

[Goldfish62]

It'll be interesting tomorrow to see just how much of the timetable they run successfully. The case for 17/1 will not look very strong if they have a good day....

Zero cancellations so far today. Hardly smacks of an operator with a staff absence crisis.

 

[swr444]

It’s the dft telling TOCs to cut the service.

Zero cancellations so far today. Hardly smacks of an operator with a staff absence crisis.

 

[Goldfish62]

It’s the dft telling TOCs to cut the service.

Or it's the rolling stock shortage, which will become especially acute if as claimed the 456s are all being withdrawn in February.

There's an increasing scientific consensus that Omicron infections may have peaked in London, if not started declining, and extrapolations predict that it could start declining elsewhere in one to two weeks time. I simply do not believe that the reason for this timetable reduction, which I was told about before Christmas, is directly related to Covid.

 

[Capvermell]

I simply do not believe that the reason for this timetable reduction, which I was told about before Christmas, is directly related to Covid.

Quite right Goldfish62.

COVID-19 as being used as an excuse by cynical senior executives in the rail industry to permanently do away with Meet The Manager sessions (which have not been transferred on to Zoom just because the rail managers always hated having them at all and now think they have a perfect excuse to avoid them entirely) and to vastly reduce services below the service levels committed to in their franchises with the DfT in order to ramp up rail operator profits (given that most of the train operating companies no longer receives the ticket revenue, which instead goes directly to the DfT).