South Western Railway (train operating company)

SWR operates regular services on four mainline routes:[36][37]

• The South West Main Line (SWML) runs between London (Waterloo station) and the town of Weymouth; the route passes through several large towns and cities, including Woking, Basingstoke, Winchester, Southampton, Bournemouth, Poole and Dorchester. South Western Railway operates trains along the entire length of the line. Almost all trains operated by the company start from or terminate at London Waterloo with the exception of a Winchester - Bournemouth / Poole stopping service; these include semi-fast services to/from Southampton and Poole, and express services to/from Weymouth. There are also trains to and from Portsmouth; these trains branch off the SWML at Eastleigh, then proceed via the Eastleigh to Fareham and West Coastway lines to Portsmouth Harbour station.
• The Portsmouth Direct line (PDL) branches off the SWML at Woking and runs to Portsmouth via Guildford, Haslemere, Petersfield and Havant. South Western Railway operates all passenger trains on this route; these include fast and semi-fast services between London and Portsmouth, and semi-fast services as far as Haslemere.
• The West of England line (WEL) is the only mainline route that is not fully electrified.[38] It leaves the SWML at Basingstoke and runs to Exeter via Andover, Salisbury, Gillingham and Yeovil. South Western Railway is the only operator on the line, with most services running between London and either Salisbury or Exeter St Davids. Some peak-time services terminate at various other destinations on the line, including Gillingham and Andover. On Summer Saturdays, there is also a daily return service to Weymouth, which leaves the WEML at Yeovil Junction and continues via the Heart of Wessex Line.
• The Alton line leaves the SWML at Brookwood (just after Woking) and runs to Alton via Aldershot and Farnham. It is the shortest of the four mainline routes and as such it is sometimes considered an outer suburban route instead (however for ticketing purposes, it is classed as a mainline route). Services usually run the full length of the line between London and Alton, though some services terminate at Farnham.

In total, there are 14 mainline trains per hour departing London Waterloo in the off-peak; this number increases in the peak hours.[37] The majority of mainline services are operated by Class 444 or Class 450 EMUs, except for the West of England Main Line which is always operated by Class 158 or Class 159 DMUs (because it is unelectrified) and the Alton Line which also sees the occasional use of Class 458 units.

South Western Railway also operates many suburban "Metro" services in and around London. These all run between London Waterloo and Clapham Junction, where they split into two separate routes: via Putney and via Wimbledon.[36] All services on the suburban part of the network are operated by Class 450, Class 455, Class 458 and Class 707 electric multiple units.

The main route via Putney is known as the Waterloo to Reading Line. It runs between London and Reading and passes through towns such as Staines-upon-Thames, Ascot and Bracknell. It operates as a fast service as far as Staines, with Reading trains only calling at Clapham Junction, Richmond, Twickenham and Feltham. Branch lines on this route include:[36][37]

• The Hounslow Loop Line, which leaves the main line at Barnes, runs via Brentford and rejoins the line between Whitton and Feltham (with junctions in both directions). Most services on the branch run either between London and Weybridge (described below), or run in a loop from Waterloo to Waterloo via Brentford, Whitton and Richmond (these services run both clockwise and anticlockwise).
• The Kingston Loop Line, which branches off at Twickenham, runs via Kingston and joins the South West Main Line at New Malden. Most services on this line run in an anticlockwise loop, from Waterloo to Waterloo, via Putney, Strawberry Hill, Kingston and Wimbledon.
  • There is also a branch line to Shepperton, however, this is only served by Putney trains at peak times.
• The Staines to Windsor Line, which branches off the main line at Staines-upon-Thames and runs to Windsor & Eton Riverside station. Most services run semi-fast between London and Windsor.
• The Chertsey Branch Line, which leaves the main line at Virginia Water and runs to Weybridge. Most services on the line run between London and Weybridge via the Hounslow Loop Line; a few services are extended beyond Weybridge, to and from Woking.
• The Ascot to Guildford Line, which is only served by through trains at peak times; these services run between London and Aldershot.

A total of 12 trains per hour run between London Waterloo and Putney in the off-peak; this number increases in peak hours.[37]

The main route via Wimbledon uses the slow tracks of the quadruple-track South West Main Line. Suburban trains run along the mainline between London and Woking. Branch lines on this route include:[36][37]

• The Mole Valley Line, which branches off the main line at Raynes Park and runs via Epsom to Leatherhead, where the branch line itself splits into two lines: one to Guildford and one to Horsham via Dorking. SWR runs regular services to both Guildford and Dorking; the section between Dorking and Horsham is operated by Southern.[39]
  • The Chessington Branch Line branches off the Mole Valley Line at Motspur Park and runs to Chessington.
• The Kingston Loop Line, which leaves the SWML at New Malden, runs via Kingston and joins the Waterloo to Reading line at Twickenham. Most services on this line run in a clockwise loop, from Waterloo to Waterloo, via Wimbledon, Kingston, Strawberry Hill and Putney.
  • The Shepperton Branch Line, which branches off the Kingston Loop Line at Teddington. Most services on the branch line run between Waterloo and Shepperton via Wimbledon.
• The Hampton Court Branch Line, which leaves the main line at Surbiton and runs directly to Hampton Court.
• The New Guildford Line, which also branches off at Surbiton, running to Guildford via Claygate. The line joins the Guildford branch of the Mole Valley Line at Effingham Junction.

A total of 16 trains per hour run between London Waterloo and Wimbledon in the off-peak; this number increases in peak hours.[37]

Routes that do not start or terminate at London Waterloo include:[36][37]

• The Ascot to Guildford Line, which runs between Ascot and Guildford via Aldershot. Most services on the line run only between Ascot and Guildford, with no extension in either direction; however, some peak-time services do run between London and Farnham via Ascot. The shuttle services are usually operated by Class 450 units.
• The western section of the West Coastway Line between Portsmouth and Southampton. Class 450 units are usually in operation on this route.
• The Eastleigh to Romsey Line between Romsey and Eastleigh. Services on the line are extended beyond Eastleigh to and from Salisbury via Southampton Central and Romsey, in effect calling at Romsey twice. These services are operated using Class 158 units.
• The Wessex Main Line between Salisbury and Southampton. Services are extended beyond Southampton via the Eastleigh to Romsey Line, as described above.
• The Lymington Branch Line between Brockenhurst and Lymington Pier runs every 30 minutes between these two stations. This is done entirely by Class 450 units on this line.
• The Island Line on the Isle of Wight, between Ryde Pier Head and Shanklin. These services are operated using former London Underground Class 484 converted from London Underground D78 stock.

Details of each route, including maps and timetables, are on the South Western Railway official website (see External links below). As of May 2023, its routes off-peak Monday to Friday, with frequencies in trains per hour (tph), include:[40]

Improvements promised under the 2017 contract were:[41]

• Refurbished trains
• Journeys to London eight minutes faster from Southampton, nine minutes faster from Bournemouth, ten minutes faster from Exeter and 14 minutes faster from Weymouth
• Free Wi-Fi at all stations and on mainland trains
• 29 additional weekday and Saturday services between Portsmouth & Southsea and Southampton Central
• Hourly direct trains from Weymouth to Portsmouth to begin before 2019
• 35 additional weekday and Saturday services between Portsmouth & Southsea and London Waterloo
• More Sunday services
• Investment in stations, including improvements to Southampton Central station
• Live information on seating availability and crowding levels via a new mobile phone app

As of May 2019, there is also an hourly Sunday service between Reading and Salisbury via Basingstoke (with trains running between morning and evening).[42]

In August 2021, the company announced the launch of "assisted boarding points" at all 189 stations on its network, allowing disabled or elderly passengers to ask for assistance onboard trains with as little as ten minutes' notice.[43] The scheme will include clear signage at stations, with QR codes allowing customers to send details of the assistance they require and their planned journey to staff, replacing older systems wherein assisted journeys had to be booked six hours to a day in advance.

Classes 455, 456 and 707 fleets will be replaced by 30 five-car and 60 ten-car Class 701 units built at Bombardier's Derby Litchurch Lane Works, financed by ROSCO Rock Rail for £1 billion,[54] for use on Reading, Windsor and London suburban services.[55][56][57]

Following delays caused by software faults, the new trains are expected to be deployed in December 2023.[58] As of September 2023, 47 of the 90 trains ordered has been accepted from Alstom.[59]

Family	Class	Image	Type	Top speed		Number	Carriages	Routes operated	Enter Service
				mph	km/h
Alstom Aventra	701/0 Arterio		EMU	100	160	60	10	Reading, Windsor and south west London suburban services	December 2023 (planned)[58]
	701/5 Arterio					30	5

Train types formerly operated by South Western Railway include:

• Class 483, all withdrawn from service on 3 January 2021 after 82 years of service, including their time with London Transport.[60]
• Class 442, permanently withdrawn in April 2021.[61]
• Class 456 withdrawn from service 17 January 2022.[62]

Family	Class	Image	Type	Top speed		Carriages	Number	Routes operated	Built	Withdrawn	Notes
				mph	km/h
1938 tube stock	483		EMU	45	72	2	6	Island Line	1938	2020–2021	Replaced by Class 484
BR Second Generation (Mark 3)	442 Wessex Electrics			100	160	5	18	London Waterloo – Portsmouth Harbour	1987–1989	2021	Replaced by Class 444
	455			75	120	4	9	Inner suburban routes: London Waterloo – Shepperton, Hampton Court, Woking London Waterloo via Hounslow or Strawberry Hill London Waterloo – Dorking, Guildford via Oxshott or Epsom, Chessington South, or Windsor & Eton Riverside	1982-1985	2022	Scrapped[50]
	456					2	24	Inner suburban services in conjunction with services operated by Class 455 units to make 10 coach trains.	1990–1991		Scrapped[63]

Bournemouth depot is southwest of Bournemouth station, occupying the approach to the former Bournemouth West station. Until their withdrawal in February 2007, the depot was home to the Class 442 (5-WES) Wessex Electrics, and became so again during their reintroduction from 2019 to 2021. The branch turns off at Branksome station where trains can be seen stopping at platform 2 and reversing into the depot.

Farnham Traincare Depot, in Weydon Lane, was opened by the Southern Railway at the time of the electrification of the Portsmouth and Alton lines in 1937.[64] It was refurbished for the introduction of modern units when slam-door trains were replaced circa 2005. At the same time, disused quarry and ballast dump sidings behind the carriage shed were removed and a number of outdoor sidings were laid for overnight storage and servicing of units.

Feltham depot was completed in 2021; it is intended to provide stabling for the Class 701 units.[65]

Fratton Traincare Depot is located on central Portsea Island, alongside Fratton station. It has a carriage washer and is the fuelling point for the 158s and 159s. The depot has a train shed with two pitted roads for maintenance of rolling stock. Class 444 and 450 units berth overnight. Stabling sidings and bay platforms at Portsmouth & Southsea station are co-ordinated from the depot.

Northam Traincare Facility was built by Siemens in 2002 as the home depot for the Desiro fleet as part of a 20-year maintenance contract.[66] It is located south of St Denys station and is near Southampton Football Club's St Mary's Stadium.

Ryde Traincare Depot, alongside Ryde St John's Road on the Isle of Wight serviced the Class 483 units that used to operate on the Island Line.[67][68][69]

This has been refitted to allow the new Class 484 to be serviced.

Salisbury depot provides servicing for the South Western Railway diesel fleet.

Strawberry Hill train maintenance depot in south west London, was built in 1897, is inside the triangular junction of the Shepperton Branch Line with the Kingston Loop Line, just yards from Strawberry Hill railway station.

Wimbledon Traincare Depot is located between Wimbledon and Earlsfield stations, on the main line to Waterloo, next to the Wimbledon railway viaduct. It is currently the home of the Class 455, 456, 458/5 and 707 fleets, although other classes from the SWR fleet berth overnight there.