Due to the exceptionally high volume of questions asked concerning the change of rolling stock on the Portsmouth line we were unable to respond to all of these individually. 

In response to these concerns, Managing Director Stewart Palmer has written an open letter explaining his position, see below.

Rolling Stock Cascade – Key Issues.

  1. There has been significant growth on South West Trains over the last 10 years. We are now carrying 40% more people in the morning and evening peak periods.
  2. The Department for Transport in its invitation to tender for the new South Western franchise made it very clear that it was asking all bidders to cater for significant further growth without the provision of additional infrastructure.
  3. Stagecoach proposed a reallocation of stock that provided 4500 extra seats in the morning and evening peaks by making best use of vehicles that were available for lease. The DfT clearly in evaluating our bid accepted the logic of our proposals.
  4. The precise allocation of stock was driven by the counts taken on trains during the Autumn of 2006. Stock was allocated both in respect of the length and type of vehicle on the basis of the number of passengers standing for the most heavily used part of the journey. (Normally between the last station before Waterloo and Waterloo in the “up” direction, and Waterloo and the first stop in the “down” direction.)
  5. It is simply not possible to run any additional trains into Waterloo in the height of the peak periods and the present changes will make the best use of the 12 car platforms at Waterloo, so we cannot lengthen trains further either.
  6. Whilst the main reaction to the changes has been on the Portsmouth line there have been other changes which have been designed to optimise the number of seats, for example on the Reading line and the Bournemouth line. It is simply not true to say that the Portsmouth line has been singled out.
  7. There is a widespread misunderstanding that all the class 444’s have been taken off the Portsmouth line. This is simply not correct. About 50% of the services are still formed by 444 stock on the Portsmouth line. The trains formed by 450 stock are those in the peaks which have the greatest loadings shown in our last passenger counts.
  8. At present because of the platform working at Waterloo and Portsmouth Harbour it is true that some off-peak “fast” services on the Portsmouth line are formed of 450 stock. We recognise the need to address this and will endeavour to provide 444 stock on all off-peak fast services from December 2007, which is the date of our next major timetable revision.
  9. There are suggestions that South West Trains is the only company to be using trains with 3 plus 2 seating on journeys of the length of Portsmouth. Again this is simply not correct. Several London train operators including “Silverlink” and “One”, north of the river and “South Eastern” and “Southern”, south of the river, operate very similar trains on journeys as long, or even longer on their routes, for precisely the same reasons as we are. To maximise the opportunity of people getting a seat. (For example South Eastern operate such trains from Victoria and Charing Cross to Ramsgate. Southern do so to a number of South Coast towns with similar journey lengths.)  
  10. There are allegations that these changes are designed to save money. Again this is simply not true. The bid asked for more seats on outer suburban and main line routes. All bidders would have reflected the costs of leasing the necessary vehicles into their bids. In fact the total lease costs for the new franchise are greater than for the old one, mostly because we are hiring more, and newer trains. The cost of leasing a 12 car 450 train is greater than a 10 car 444.
  11. I well understand that the level of comfort provided on a 450 is not as good as a class 444, but the key issue is that it gives 140 more standard class seats. Passengers from stations like Guildford, Woking and Farnborough now have more chance of a seat. I don’t believe it is defendable to say to those people that “you will have to stand”, when there is a way of providing them with the chance of a seat.
  12. Contrary to some of our passenger’s opinion, we do listen to your views and I am committed to doing a review of all the rolling stock changes when loadings have settled down. This will not be until the completion of the re-signalling work in the Portsmouth area. The review will be based though strictly on the loadings of trains, and not on the basis of satisfying one group at the expense of another.

         Stewart Palmer, Managing Director South West Trains