Latest news with #SouthWesternRailway
The Irish Sun
21 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
New £1billion ‘hoover' trains rolled out across major city – they will prevent overcrowding & have powerful air con
COMMUTING in the summer heat can be an almost unbearable experience for Brits. While our temperatures may not reach the scorching highs of other countries, it can feel just as bad on a crowded train car with no air conditioning. 2 A new fleet of trains will serve commuters at one of the country's busiest stations (stock image) Credit: Alamy Certain commutes in London can feel particularly unpleasant during the summer months. Most notably, any route which takes you through This bustling south London hub has been plagued with overcrowding for years. And now steps are being taken to tackle this issue, with dozens of new trains set to roll out soon. Read More On Trains This new fleet, which has been dubbed "platform hoovers", will serve routes through Waterloo and across London. The 10-carriage trains, which total to £1 billion, will be able to carry about 50% more passengers than the current ones in service. This fleet was first promised in 2019 by South Western Railway (SWR), but currently only 14 of the proposed 90 Arterio trains are in service. These ambitious new locomotives will be air-conditioned and fully walk-through. Most read in News Travel They will also be equipped with wi-fi, charging points at every seat, real-time information, and accessible toilets. SWR hasn't confirmed when the full fleet will come into service, however it has promised that "more" trains would be rolled out "over the coming weeks". 'Do not travel' warning as London's Waterloo hit by 'major signalling failure' with trains unable to use 14 platforms This comes after Labour MP Fleur Anderson raised concerns about platforms at Putney and Wandsworth Town stations becoming overcrowded. It was reported that the station was so busy that people were unable to board trains, which the MP referred to as "extreme overcrowding". "These new trains, which are great, have been announced several times. They're coming," Anderson previously told the "The rollout has been really, really slow... But I've met with the chief executive and he is now going to consistently roll out more every week. "It is really, really late but it is finally good to have them coming." New fleet facts There has been a £1 billion investment in a fleet of up to 90 new Arterio trains. There are currently 14 of the new trains in service, running on over 160 weekday services. They were originally slated to enter service in 2019, but first passenger operations didn't begin until January 2024. The fleet can hold up to 50% more passengers than the current trains. They will feature air‑conditioning, walk‑through carriages, Wi‑Fi, charging points at every seat, real‑time passenger information, and accessible toilets. Meanwhile, a spokesperson for SWR shared a statement on the new fleet. "We've introduced eight more trains in the past two months and, as of today, we are running 14 Arterios on more than 160 services every weekday, on routes to Dorking, Guildford, Hampton Court, Kingston, Reading, Shepperton, Twickenham, and Windsor & Eton Riverside. "We're looking forward to many more customers enjoying the increased capacity and comfort the Arterios bring to journeys as we introduce more trains into service over the coming weeks." More on trains Meanwhile, a new £3 billion fleet of more than 90 air-conditioned underground trains has been And a small English town is set to open a Britain's Plus, a n And an English 2 Waterloo Station, named the busiest station in London, will see the fleet slowly introduced over the coming months Credit: AP
The Sun
21 hours ago
- Politics
- The Sun
New £1billion ‘hoover' trains rolled out across major city – they will prevent overcrowding & have powerful air con
COMMUTING in the summer heat can be an almost unbearable experience for Brits. While our temperatures may not reach the scorching highs of other countries, it can feel just as bad on a crowded train car with no air conditioning. 2 Certain commutes in London can feel particularly unpleasant during the summer months. Most notably, any route which takes you through Waterloo Station, the capital's busiest train station. This bustling south London hub has been plagued with overcrowding for years. And now steps are being taken to tackle this issue, with dozens of new trains set to roll out soon. This new fleet, which has been dubbed "platform hoovers", will serve routes through Waterloo and across London. The 10-carriage trains, which total to £1 billion, will be able to carry about 50% more passengers than the current ones in service. This fleet was first promised in 2019 by South Western Railway (SWR), but currently only 14 of the proposed 90 Arterio trains are in service. These ambitious new locomotives will be air-conditioned and fully walk-through. They will also be equipped with wi-fi, charging points at every seat, real-time information, and accessible toilets. SWR hasn't confirmed when the full fleet will come into service, however it has promised that "more" trains would be rolled out "over the coming weeks". 'Do not travel' warning as London's Waterloo hit by 'major signalling failure' with trains unable to use 14 platforms This comes after Labour MP Fleur Anderson raised concerns about platforms at Putney and Wandsworth Town stations becoming overcrowded. It was reported that the station was so busy that people were unable to board trains, which the MP referred to as "extreme overcrowding". "These new trains, which are great, have been announced several times. They're coming," Anderson previously told the Standard. "The rollout has been really, really slow... But I've met with the chief executive and he is now going to consistently roll out more every week. "It is really, really late but it is finally good to have them coming." New fleet facts There has been a £1 billion investment in a fleet of up to 90 new Arterio trains. There are currently 14 of the new trains in service, running on over 160 weekday services. They were originally slated to enter service in 2019, but first passenger operations didn't begin until January 2024. The fleet can hold up to 50% more passengers than the current trains. They will feature air‑conditioning, walk‑through carriages, Wi‑Fi, charging points at every seat, real‑time passenger information, and accessible toilets. Meanwhile, a spokesperson for SWR shared a statement on the new fleet. "We've introduced eight more trains in the past two months and, as of today, we are running 14 Arterios on more than 160 services every weekday, on routes to Dorking, Guildford, Hampton Court, Kingston, Reading, Shepperton, Twickenham, and Windsor & Eton Riverside. "We're looking forward to many more customers enjoying the increased capacity and comfort the Arterios bring to journeys as we introduce more trains into service over the coming weeks." More on trains Meanwhile, a new £3 billion fleet of more than 90 air-conditioned underground trains has been delayed for another year. And a small English town is set to open a new £42 million train station that will reopen key link shut for over 60 years. Britain's busiest railway will be shutting down for three weeks next month for a £20 million demolition. Plus, a n ew £15 million train station linking tiny town to three major destinations has been unveiled in a new satellite photo. And an English train station is set to shut for two years ahead of a major £11.5 million revamp. 2
BBC News
2 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Reduced summer timetable on South Western Railway
South Western Railway (SWR) has reduced its summer timetable in order to train drivers on its long-delayed new operator, which became the first to be re-nationalised under Labour in May, said there would be some "minor alterations to services in our suburban area" until 29 said the timetable would affect less than 5% of its 1,600 daily services "at a time when fewer customers are travelling with us" but did not provide specific details on which services were affected.A spokesperson said: "Over the summer holiday period, customer numbers drop by 12-17% and the services we have removed are those with the lowest forecast demand." They added that since the transfer to public ownership, a new trains programme has been unlocked and 14 Arterios are in daily timetable reduction will help protect the driver training programme, while also minimising the risk of on-the-day cancellations due to "colleagues taking their annual leave during the school holidays", the spokesperson would only state an amended timetable would run on the following routes:AltonChessington SouthGuildford via Cobham & Stoke D'AbernonGuildford via WokingHampton CourtLondon Waterloo via RichmondReadingSheppertonWeybridge via ChertseyWindsor & Eton RiversideWoking (stopping services) Earlier this year, the BBC used the Freedom of Information Act to try to uncover the total public cost of the delay in delivering a new fleet of trains, including the additional cost of keeping older trains the Department for Transport responded that, although it did hold the information, it would not reveal the said the number would "prejudice the commercial interests of South Western Railway and the department".
BBC News
3 days ago
- BBC News
Dorset Police officers tackling anti-social behaviour over summer
More than 130 dispersal orders have been issued by police in a bid to keep beaches safe, a force has Police confirmed the orders were issued by officers in recent weeks to tackle anti-social 35 dispersal orders grant police extra powers to move people on from an area if officers have reasonable grounds to suspect they are there to engage in crime or Friday, the force worked with British Transport Police at Bournemouth train station to "engage with visitors to the area" and "ensure they were behaving". In a statement, Dorset Police said officers took part in the operation to "take action against those likely to cause anti-social behaviour in Bournemouth".South Western Railway staff also took part in the day of action, tackling people travelling on the rail network without a ticket. Insp Matt Buller, from the Bournemouth neighbourhood policing team, said: "Our role is to engage with people, show we're accessible and try to prevent suspected crime from happening."He said reports of anti-social behaviour in the area had reduced by 5% since April, compared to the same period in 2024. 'Good, safe summer' "Over recent weeks, more than 130 dispersal notices have been issued by Dorset officers to ensure the beach is a safe space for everyone to enjoy," Insp Buller would be patrolling "key locations" to reassure communities and ensure people are "safe and can feel safe within the town", he said, adding: "Our message is very clear that we want everyone to have a good, safe summer but anyone who is found to be involved in crime or disorder is not welcome here." You can follow BBC Dorset on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
BBC News
4 days ago
- BBC News
South Western Railway reduces some off-peak services in August
A train operator which runs services between London and the home counties has announced a temporary summer Western Railway is reducing some of its services from London Waterloo to destinations in Surrey, Berkshire and Hampshire between 28 July and 29 will affect off-peak services, which the company said have fewer customers during the summer advised customers to check its journey planner before setting off. Surrey stations affected are Shepperton, Guildford, Woking, Weybridge, Chertsey, Chessington South, Cobham and Stoke D' Berkshire Reading and Windsor and Eton Riverside will see reduced services, as will Alton in London stations affected are Hampton Court and Richmond.
