The decision by the Department for Transport to fund 17 new trains is excellent news for commuters who travel on our busy peak-time services.
March’s announcement that an extra 17 Desiro trains have been ordered for South West Trains is welcome news for commuters.
Since the South West Trains franchise was launched in 1996, passenger numbers have risen by more than 40% and many services, particularly in the busy suburban area, are now bulging at the seams.
Over the past 10 years, extra trains have been added wherever possible to try to cope with this growth, but after a complete recast of South West Trains’ timetable in 2004—which provided an extra 12 morning peak-time trains—there is no longer any room for further manoeuvre in the busiest periods.
The solution to the capacity issues facing South West Trains lies in the long term, and the recently published South Western Rail Utilisation Strategy outlines how this may be achieved. The document, prepared by Network Rail following extensive consultation with train and freight operators, proposes a number of capacity improvements, including:
- The lengthening of suburban platforms to allow 10- rather than eight-carriage trains
- The redevelopment of London Waterloo station to facilitate longer trains and greater concourse capacity
- The use of the Waterloo International Terminal for domestic services, to provide more platform capacity
- The development of the West of England line to allow additional services to Exeter.
These improvements—proposed for the next eight years and beyond—will bring little immediate relief to those commuters on South West Trains currently battling to find a seat. However, the extra new Desiros announced by the Department for Transport will provide more than 4,500 extra seats at peak times when they start to arrive this summer. The plan is to have all 17 trains in passenger service by the end of the year.
“We are delighted that the Department for Transport has recognised the need to introduce more trains for the ever-growing number of passengers travelling on our busy network,” says Stewart Palmer, Managing Director, South West Trains.
Announcing the additional trains, Rail Minister Derek Twigg said: “This is good news for passengers. The new trains will ease overcrowding on busy routes and boost reliability. Record numbers of people are travelling by train, and these extra services will allow us to support future growth.”
“The new trains will be deployed where they can bring maximum passenger benefit,” adds Stewart. “However, it will obviously not be possible to lengthen trains already at the current maximum length that can be accommodated at platforms.”
South West Trains is also working to provide additional capacity on its busy West of England route by arranging to swap its nine two-carriage 170 diesel trains for nine refurbished, three-carriage 158 trains. This simple exchange will add nearly 650 additional seats to the fleet.
“We recognise that capacity is a major concern for our passengers and share their frustration that there is no easy answer,” says Stewart. “But we hope the extra trains and seats will make travelling to work a bit easier. Meanwhile, our parent group, Stagecoach, will be considering the longer-term solutions as part of its bid for the next franchise.”