South West Trains - Train Services

Train Services

South West Trains is the key operator for Surrey, Hampshire and Dorset, and also serves London, Berkshire, Wiltshire, Somerset and Devon. Its services are described below.

Most SWT services are on electrified lines using the 750 V DC third-rail system. There is a small diesel fleet for services on the West of England line to Salisbury, Exeter and Bristol, which is unelectrified beyond Basingstoke, the Wessex Main Line to Romsey, which is unelectrified past Redbridge, and for the Eastleigh to Romsey line, which is unelectrified past Eastleigh. SWT operates almost 1,700 trains per day. The intense service and past chronic under-investment led to many delays, but performance has improved in part due to a completely restructured timetable from December 2004, and the commissioning of a unified Network Rail and SWT control centre at Waterloo which improves communication between the two organisations.

From Waterloo, SWT's London terminus, long-distance trains run to southern England, including the major coastal population centres of Portsmouth, Southampton, Bournemouth, Poole and Weymouth; the company also operates many local services on suburban commuter lines in south-west London and Surrey. There are also trains to Reading, Exeter and Bristol, but these are not the principal fast services from London to those cities, which are operated from London Paddington by First Great Western.

As with most rail companies, non-folding bicycles are banned from peak-time trains to and from London Waterloo. However, these restrictions apply only to cyclists boarding or alighting in the area bounded by Hook, Alton, Guildford, Reading and Dorking. The policy is designed to maximise available passenger space on the most crowded trains.

South West Trains also has Quiet Zones, similar to certain other Train Operating Companies. Quiet Zones are available on certain outer suburban services and are recognised by the notices in the windows and the signs on the doors. Passengers are advised to respect others using the Quiet Zones by not using mobile phones and not playing music out loud. These Quiet Zones are, however, pretty much universally ignored by customers and not enforced by train staff, who by dint of their contracts are required to focus primarily on revenue protection.