Hogrider 157 (February - May 2018)
South Hampshire Rail Users’ Group Newsletter
Contents: Rolling stock developments: New opportunities for Hampshire?; Progress of transition on SWR; Timetable changes in Hampshire from 20th May 2018; A Midsummer’s Nightmare for Stagecoach; Safety – Rail Accident Investigation Branch reports lines being left in unsafe state after engineering works; Acknowledgements / Contact details / GDPR
Rolling stock developments: New opportunities for Hampshire?
From early Spring, Thames Turbo trains released from Paddington outer-suburban services started to appear on the 08.23 Southampton Central-Great Malvern service. Transfer of these trains to provide more capacity on the Portsmouth Harbour-Cardiff service has been delayed because of the suspension of electrification between Didcot Parkway and Oxford.
GWR now has a revised strategy for releasing Turbo trains. Some ex-Thameslink class 319 units are to be converted to tri-mode stock which could work on diesel, third rail, or overhead wire power. These trains would then take over services between Reading and Oxford, and Reading and Gatwick Airport via the North Downs line. They could also run on other GWR routes.
One wonders about the possibility of using tri-mode stock on a direct Southampton–Paddington service, possibly absorbing the Reading-Basingstoke local service, as a pragmatic short-term measure for improving access to Heathrow Airport from the South. There would appear to be many withdrawn electric trains which might be converted and upgraded, including the redundant new suburban trains hired by Stagecoach for SWT.
Bi-mode diesel and third rail electric units would also appear ideal for re-opening the Southampton-Fawley route. The service could possibly be timetabled as an extension of SWR’s prospective new Portsmouth-Southampton semi-fast services, providing an estuarial route comparable with GWR’s Exmouth-Paignton service round the Exe estuary.
With the Government intent on eliminating diesel traction by 2040, and severely curtailing and delaying electrification schemes, thoughts are turning to battery and hydrogen-powered trains. Alsthom is testing two protype trains with hydrogen fuel cells which generate electricity. It is planned to trial them in Britain by 2020, and they omit only condensed water and, yes, steam!
However, some people in the rail industry are sceptical because the technology is at an early stage of development and the prototype trains are lightweight vehicles currently running up to 80 kph. As for battery trains, it has been suggested that an extensive recharging infrastructure might rival the costs of electrification. An indication of whether hydrogen is really the future would come if government abandoned plans for electric power on HS2.
Meanwhile Bombardier is revisiting plans for bi-mode trains which could be part of agreements for upcoming franchise renewals such as CrossCountry. Bournemouth-Manchester trains could then run on electric power between Coventry and Manchester, and (eventually) Reading and Oxford. Southampton-Newcastle trains could potentially run on electric power north of Doncaster as well as between Reading and Oxford.
Progress of transition on SWR
It’s over eight months since transfer of the south western franchise from Stagecoach to First/MTR.
Early gains
The new operators have impressed with their readiness to engage in friendly and constructive dialogue with passengers.
Many welcome increases in train capacity have been introduced, along with a more satisfactory Delay Repay scheme.
There also appears to be a more relaxed attitude towards users. For example, guards seem happy for passengers waiting at Lymington Town to travel to Brockenhurst via Lymington Pier when this avoids their having to wait ten minutes longer on the station in cold or wet weather.
Performance still poor
Performance continues to disappoint. A major cause is likely to be the historic failure to ‘gold-plate’ infrastructure in the London area which, ironically, was a consequence of the second Stagecoach franchise being reduced from twenty years to three because of the company’s unacceptable performance.
Major engineering work has been ongoing but, as always, this causes additional disruption in the short term.
Poor Spring weather hasn’t helped, but passengers being stranded on a train overnight at Christchurch is unacceptable. Christchurch isn’t Rannoch Moor.
The Transport Secretary has commissioned an urgent independent review, and asked Network Rail and SWR to address the current failings on what is purportedly now the busiest commuter network in Europe.
Rolling stock progress
TV local news has shown Wessex Electric rolling stock for the Waterloo-Guildford-Portsmouth line being heavily upgraded in Eastleigh Works.
Improvements to the Desiro fleet, which operates most SWR trains in southern Hampshire, is expected to be completed in the first half of 2019.
A complete replacement fleet of air-conditioned suburban trains within 2-3 years will meet passenger aspirations for toilets, unlike the token fleet of new trains ordered by Stagecoach, which will be withdrawn. It needs to be remembered that station toilet facilities are nowadays very limited, and some suburban services have quite long journey times because of the number of scheduled stops.
Initial thinking for the Isle of Wight suggests that electrification may be abandoned, with the savings used to introduce more-satisfactory diesel trains – possibly comprising converted stock of the type until recently used on London Underground’s District Line. In addition, the passing loop could be relocated to facilitate a 30-minute service instead of the existing 20-minute / 40-minute pattern.
Stations
Clapham Junction and Guildford stations have been taken over by Network Rail to facilitate major upgrades planned for both stations. As at Waterloo, Network Rail will be responsible for renewal and maintenance work and all commercial activities except tickets sales. SWR staff roles will not be directly affected.
1,500 extra station car parking spaces are promised across the network, with electric vehicle charging points at key stations.
Major enhancements are promised at Southampton Central, Wimbledon and Pokesdown (including provision of lifts).
It would be good if the westbound platform at Totton could be made accessible by replacing the short flight of steps with a ramp.
Ticketing
Time restrictions on super off-peak fares at weekends, Stagecoach’s final grab from SWT passengers, persist. Hopefully this will change as part of the new initiative to simplify Britain’s 55 million individual fares, if not before.
Cleaning
Trains are to be deep-cleaned every 30 days, which is a considerable improvement.
Wi-fi
Service should be available on all mainland trains by the end of 2018. A programme covering all mainland stations is due to be rolled out from 2019 until May 2020.
December 2018 timetable
[Please note that this is our understanding of how things look at present; some features may be modified and the whole package is subject to Network Rail approval]
Looking at SWR’s original draft timetable and the changes they hope to introduce following their extensive public consultation, it appears that the new service pattern in Hampshire will be something like this:
* Many trains will run to revised times.
* Sunday afternoon services to reflect Saturday off-peak levels.
* Four trains per hour between Waterloo and Portsmouth via Guildford (one of these being restoration of a service which Stagecoach axed south of Haslemere.
* The half-hourly semi-fast Waterloo-Portsmouth services to be formed of high-quality Wessex Electric stock and be extended to Sundays (when only an hourly service runs currently).
* Half-hourly Waterloo-Weymouth services to be retained. One service would stop at Woking, Winchester, Southampton Airport, Southampton Central, Brockenhurst, Bournemouth (as now), and main stations to Weymouth. There would be a connection at Southampton Central for Totton and all stations to Bournemouth. This would be an extension of the Portsmouth-Southampton all-stations service.
* The other hourly service would divide at Southampton. The front portion would similarly have five intermediate stops before Bournemouth (Clapham Junction, Basingstoke, Winchester, Southampton Airport and Southampton Central) and then call at Poole and all stations to Weymouth. The rear portion would serve Totton, Brockenhurst, New Milton, Christchurch and all stations to Poole. This should accelerate journeys between Southampton Central and Bournemouth/Poole, double the service frequency at Totton, and minimise the number of trains which are longer than the platforms at which they call.
* Ashurst, Sway and Hinton Admiral are to retain peak London trains, but will otherwise be served by the Bournemouth-Portsmouth services.
* Many of the additional hourly services between Portsmouth and Southampton will serve Netley and Woolston.
* On the Waterloo-Exeter line, the off-peak services between Waterloo and Salisbury will generally extend to Yeovil Pen Mill in alternate hours (the Salisbury-Yeovil Junction line was singled with London commuter services in mind; it only has capacity for a half-hourly service, in conjunction with the Exeter trains, in one direction in any hour).
* Sunday Waterloo-Exeter services will cease to call at Overton, Whitchurch and Grateley. These stations will be served by an hourly service between Salisbury and Reading in the morning, and Salisbury and Waterloo in the afternoon.
This will be the most ambitious timetable ever to operate in Hampshire, and First/MTR is to be congratulated on the scale of the consultation which helped to shape it.
A number of suggestions which our Group submitted in response to the original stakeholder consultation in January 2016 [Hogrider Issue 149] have been adopted. These include the doubled service frequency at Totton; the additional hourly Portsmouth-Southampton service, including more services at Woolston and Netley; extension of the Portsmouth-Southampton stopping service just as far as Bournemouth; and retention of two trains per hour between Waterloo and Weymouth.
There is some disappointment west of Brockenhurst that our suggestion of incorporating an all-stations Poole-Brockenhurst local service, providing good connections with London and Manchester trains, could not be included. Connection times at Southampton Central with CrossCountry (and GTR and GWR) trains will in many cases be longer than currently. It also seems that Chandlers Ford and Romsey will have a poorer connection from London, and London connections from the Netley line will be missed in certain hours.
Overall, there was a big response to First/MTR’s consultations, and it appeared that there was a substantial degree of consensus among stakeholders about aspirations for the new timetable.
Timetable changes in Hampshire from 20th May 2018
The following information has been collated as an overview. It is not intended to be definitive and we cannot take responsibility for its accuracy or for any changes. Users always need to check when planning journeys as temporary interruptions to normal service, planned or unplanned can occur at any time. Some services will have been retimed by a minute or two for operational reasons.
Cross Country
From 22 July to 7 October, major engineering work at Derby will affect services to and from the North East, including the 13.46 Mondays-Fridays train from Southampton Central which continues to Edinburgh. Full details are not yet advertised, but it appears that services will be diverted to bypass Derby station.
On Saturdays until 21 July, the 17.47 train from Bournemouth (18.20 from Southampton Central) to Manchester diverts to Leeds. From 15/16 September it will revert to running to Manchester. Details for the intervening period are not yet advertised, but is likely to run to Leeds as the Manchester path is used north of Birmingham by the seasonal 15.30 service from Newquay.
Great Western
The 07.09 Mondays-Fridays train from Portsmouth Harbour to Brighton calls additionally at Emsworth, Southbourne, Angmering and Portslade (probably the first time ever for a GWR service!)
Disappointingly, the worse early morning (Monday-Friday) connection for Hampshire-Cornwall passengers has not been mitigated. It takes 40 minutes longer to reach Cornish mainline stations than it did a year ago,
South Western Railway
Many more trains have extra carriages.
The additional Saturday services between North Hampshire and Weymouth via Yeovil, which last ran in 2016, operate until 8 September inclusive at: 07.22 Basingstoke-Weymouth and 16.54 Weymouth-Waterloo. There are also short infill workings at 12.10 Weymouth-Yeovil Junction, and 14.12 Yeovil Junction-Weymouth. All these services provide journey opportunities between Weymouth and Exeter.
The 07.23 (Mondays-Fridays) Portsmouth Harbour-Waterloo calls at Fleet.
The 07.45 (Mondays-Fridays) Waterloo-Portsmouth & Southsea calls at all stations from Guildford to Haslemere instead of detaching a Haslemere portion.
The 13.39 Waterloo-Poole and 16.50/19.50 Poole-Waterloo all call at Beaulieu Road on Mondays Fridays and Saturdays.
The 18.35 (Mondays-Fridays) Waterloo-Weymouth calls at Wool.
Govia Thameslink (Southern)
Prospective changes were described in Hogrider 155. Details of weekend changes are now available and there are some further minor changes to Monday-Friday services.
All services from Brighton to Southampton now run via Swanwick, which represents a significant timetable change on Saturdays.
In the opposite direction, the afternoon service from Southampton to Brighton via Southampton Airport continues to run on that route only on Saturdays. On Mondays to Fridays it runs via Swanwick and is overtaken at Worthing by the GWR service from Great Malvern.
However, the 09.26 and 11.26 Monday-Friday services from Southampton to Brighton switch to running via Southampton Airport and, unusually, do not call at Fareham. These residual services via the Airport are presumably to maintain crew route-familiarisation for any necessary diversions. Previously, Govia was looking to build up through services between Sussex and Southampton Airport as a regular timetable feature.
Sunday trains between Victoria and Portsmouth Harbour have followed all other Hampshire services in switching to the Horsham route. The 15.30 and 17.30 Sunday trains from Brighton to Portsmouth are now overtaken by GWR services at Barnham, with consequent time constraints meaning they turn back at Fratton.
service patterns in the South East becoming more like a jigsaw puzzle with regular, tight-fitting hourly services, the early demise of GWR services to Brighton in their current form looks increasingly likely.
Services from Hampshire
M-F = Mondays to Fridays
M-S = Mondays-Saturdays
SAT = Saturdays only
SUN = Sundays only
04.55 (SAT) Portsmouth & Southsea-London Victoria via Gatwick
05.20 (M-F) Havant-London Victoria via Gatwick
05.28 (M-F) Portsmouth Harbour-London Bridge
05.46 (M-F) Southampton Central-Brighton
05.57 (SAT) Portsmouth & Southsea-Littlehampton
05.57 (M-F) Portsmouth Harbour-London Victoria via Gatwick
06.10 (M-F) Southampton Central-London Bridge
06.13 (SAT) Southampton Central-London Victoria via Gatwick
06.11 (SAT) Portsmouth Harbour-London Victoria via Gatwick
06.12 (M-F) Portsmouth Harbour-Littlehampton
06.13 (SAT) Southampton Central-London Victoria via Gatwick
06.26 (SAT) Southampton Central-Brighton
06.29 (SAT) Portsmouth Harbour-Brighton [Additional GWR train at 06.50]
06.32 (M-F) Portsmouth Harbour-Brighton
06.36 (M-F) Southampton Central-London Victoria via Gatwick
06.57 (SAT) Portsmouth & Southsea-Littlehampton
07.11 (SUN) Havant-London Victoria via Gatwick
07.11 (SAT) Portsmouth Harbour-London Victoria via Gatwick
07.12 (M-F) Southampton Central-London Victoria via Gatwick
07.13 (SAT) Southampton Central-London Victoria via Gatwick
07.14 (SUN) Portsmouth Harbour-Brighton
07.18 (M-F) Portsmouth Harbour-Brighton [Faster GWR train at 07.09]
07.26 (SAT) Southampton Central-Brighton
07.29 (SAT) Portsmouth Harbour-Brighton
07.30 (SUN) Southampton Central-Brighton
07.32 (M-F) Portsmouth & Southsea-Littlehampton
07.33 (M-F) Southampton Central-Brighton
07.57 (M-S) Portsmouth & Southsea-Littlehampton
08.01 (SUN) Portsmouth Harbour-London Victoria via Gatwick
08.10 (M-F) Southampton Central-London Victoria via Gatwick
08.11 (SAT) Portsmouth Harbour-London Victoria via Gatwick
08.13 (SAT) Southampton Central-London Victoria via Gatwick
08.14 (M-F) Portsmouth & Southsea-London Victoria via Gatwick
08.14 (SUN) Portsmouth Harbour-Brighton
08.21 (SUN) Southampton Central-Brighton [Additional GWR train at 08.31]
08.26 (M-S) Southampton Central-Brighton
08.29 (M-S) Portsmouth Harbour-Brighton
08.57 (M-S) Portsmouth & Southsea-Littlehampton
09.01 (SUN) Portsmouth Harbour-London Victoria via Gatwick
09.11 (M-S) Portsmouth Harbour-London Victoria via Gatwick
09.13 (M-S) Southampton Central-London Victoria via Gatwick
09.14 (SUN) Portsmouth Harbour-Brighton
09.26 (M-F) Southampton Central-Brighton [Via Airport, and fast Eastleigh-Cosham]
09.26 (SAT) Southampton Central-Brighton
09.29 (SAT) Portsmouth Harbour-Brighton
09.30 (SUN) Southampton Central-Brighton
09.33 (M-F) Portsmouth & Southsea-Brighton
09.57 (M-S) Portsmouth & Southsea-Littlehampton
10.01 (SUN) Portsmouth Harbour-London Victoria via Gatwick
10.11 (M-S) Portsmouth Harbour-London Victoria via Gatwick
10.13 (M-S) Southampton Central-London Victoria via Gatwick
10.14 (SUN) Portsmouth Harbour-Brighton
10.26 (M-S) Southampton Central-Brighton
10.29 (SAT) Portsmouth Harbour-Brighton
10.30 (SUN) Southampton Central-Brighton
10.33 (M-F) Portsmouth & Southsea-Brighton
10.57 (M-S) Portsmouth & Southsea-Littlehampton
11.01 (SUN) Portsmouth Harbour-London Victoria via Gatwick
11.11 (M-S) Portsmouth Harbour-London Victoria via Gatwick
11.13 (M-S) Southampton Central-London Victoria via Gatwick
11.14 (SUN) Portsmouth Harbour-Brighton
11.26 (M-F) Southampton Central-Brighton [Via Airport, and fast Eastleigh-Cosham]
11.26 (SAT) Southampton Central-Brighton
11.29 (M-S) Portsmouth Harbour-Brighton
11.30 (SUN) Southampton Central-Brighton
11.57 (M-S) Portsmouth & Southsea-Littlehampton
12.01 (SUN) Portsmouth Harbour-London Victoria via Gatwick
12.11 (M-S) Portsmouth Harbour-London Victoria via Gatwick
12.13 (M-S) Southampton Central-London Victoria via Gatwick
12.14 (SUN) Portsmouth Harbour-Brighton
12.26 (SAT) Southampton Central-Brighton
12.29 (M-F) Southampton Central-Brighton
12.29 (M-S) Portsmouth Harbour-Brighton
12.30 (SUN) Southampton Central-Brighton
12.57 (M-S) Portsmouth & Southsea-Littlehampton
13.01 (SUN) Portsmouth Harbour-London Victoria via Gatwick
13.11 (M-S) Portsmouth Harbour-London Victoria via Gatwick
13.13 (M-S) Southampton Central-London Victoria via Gatwick
13.14 (SUN) Portsmouth Harbour-Brighton [GWR train passes at Worthing]
13.26 (M-S) Southampton Central-Brighton
13.29 (M-S) Portsmouth Harbour-Brighton
13.30 (SUN) Southampton Central-Brighton [Earlier GWR service at 13.04]
13.57 (M-S) Portsmouth & Southsea-Littlehampton
14.01 (SUN) Portsmouth Harbour-London Victoria via Gatwick
14.11 (M-S) Portsmouth Harbour-London Victoria via Gatwick
14.13 (M-S) Southampton Central-London Victoria via Gatwick
14.14 (SUN) Portsmouth Harbour-Brighton
14.26 (M-F) Southampton Central-Brighton [14.34 GWR train passes at Worthing]
14.26 (SAT) Southampton Central-Brighton [Via Airport; 14.34 GWR train overtakes]
14.29 (M-S) Portsmouth Harbour-Brighton
14.30 (SUN) Southampton Central-Brighton
14.57 (M-S) Portsmouth & Southsea-Littlehampton
15.01 (SUN) Portsmouth Harbour-London Victoria via Gatwick
15.11 (M-S) Portsmouth Harbour-London Victoria via Gatwick
15.13 (M-S) Southampton Central-London Victoria via Gatwick
15.14 (SUN) Portsmouth Harbour-Brighton [GWR train passes at Barnham]
15.26 (M-S) Southampton Central-Brighton
15.29 (M-S) Portsmouth Harbour-Brighton
15.30 (SUN) Southampton Central-Brighton [Earlier GWR train at 15.06]
15.57 (M-S) Portsmouth & Southsea-Littlehampton
16.01 (SUN) Portsmouth Harbour-London Victoria via Gatwick
16.11 (M-S) Portsmouth Harbour-London Victoria via Gatwick
16.12 (M-F) Southampton Central-London Victoria via Gatwick
16.13 (SAT) Southampton Central-London Victoria via Gatwick
16.14 (SUN) Portsmouth Harbour-Brighton
16.26 (M-S) Southampton Central-Brighton
16.29 (SAT) Portsmouth Harbour-Brighton
16.30 (SUN) Southampton Central-Brighton
16.33 (M-F) Portsmouth & Southsea-Brighton
16.57 (M-S) Portsmouth & Southsea-Littlehampton
17.01 (SUN) Portsmouth Harbour-London Victoria via Gatwick
17.11 (M-S) Portsmouth Harbour-London Victoria via Gatwick
17.12 (M-F) Southampton Central-London Victoria via Gatwick
17.13 (SAT) Southampton Central-London Victoria via Gatwick
17.22 (SUN) Fratton-Brighton
17.26 (M-S) Southampton Central-Brighton
17.29 (SAT) Portsmouth Harbour-Brighton
17.30 (SUN) Southampton Central-Brighton
17.33 (M-F) Portsmouth & Southsea-Brighton
17.57 (M-S) Portsmouth & Southsea-Littlehampton
18.01 (SUN) Portsmouth Harbour-London Victoria via Gatwick
18.11 (M-S) Portsmouth Harbour-London Victoria via Gatwick
18.12 (M-F) Southampton Central-London Victoria via Gatwick
18.13 (SAT) Southampton Central-London Victoria via Gatwick
18.14 (SUN) Portsmouth Harbour-Brighton
18.26 (M-S) Southampton Central-Brighton
18.29 (SAT) Portsmouth Harbour-Brighton
18.30 (SUN) Southampton Central-Brighton
18.33 (M-F) Portsmouth & Southsea-Brighton
18.57 (M-S) Portsmouth & Southsea-Littlehampton
19.01 (SUN) Portsmouth Harbour-London Victoria via Gatwick
19.11 (M-S) Portsmouth Harbour-London Victoria via Gatwick
19.12 (M-F) Southampton Central-London Victoria via Gatwick
19.13 (SAT) Southampton Central-London Victoria via Gatwick
19.21 (SUN) Southampton Central-Brighton [19.28 GWR train passes at Worthing]
19.22 (SUN) Fratton-Brighton
19.26 (M-S) Southampton Central-Brighton
19.29 (SAT) Portsmouth Harbour-Brighton
19.33 (M-F) Portsmouth & Southsea-Brighton
19.57 (M-S) Portsmouth & Southsea-Littlehampton
20.01 (SUN) Portsmouth Harbour-London Victoria via Gatwick
20.11 (M-S) Portsmouth Harbour-London Victoria via Gatwick
20.13 (M-S) Southampton Central-London Victoria via Gatwick
20.14 (SUN) Portsmouth Harbour-Brighton
20.26 (M-S) Southampton Central-Brighton
20.28 (SUN) Southampton Central-Brighton
20.29 (SAT) Portsmouth Harbour-Brighton
20.33 (M-F) Portsmouth & Southsea-Brighton
20.57 (M-S) Portsmouth & Southsea-Littlehampton
21.01 (SUN) Portsmouth Harbour-London Victoria via Gatwick
21.11 (M-S) Portsmouth Harbour-London Victoria via Gatwick
21.13 (M-S) Southampton Central-Brighton [Via Littlehampton]
21.14 (SUN) Portsmouth Harbour-Brighton
21.30 (SUN) Southampton Central-Brighton
21.32 (M-S) Southampton Central-Three Bridges
21.33 (M-F) Portsmouth & Southsea-Brighton
21.40 (SAT) Portsmouth Harbour-Littlehampton
22.01 (SUN) Portsmouth Harbour-Brighton
22.14 (SUN) Portsmouth Harbour-Littlehampton
22.15 (M-S) Portsmouth Harbour-Brighton
22.21 (M-S) Southampton Central-Littlehampton
22.26 (SAT) Southampton Central-Littlehampton
22.30 (SUN) Southampton Central-Littlehampton
22.33 (M-F) Southampton Central-Littlehampton
22.40 (M-S) Portsmouth Harbour-Brighton
22.58 (SUN) Southampton Central-Littlehampton
23.01 (SUN) Portsmouth Harbour-Littlehampton
23.12 (M-F) Southampton Central-Barnham
23.15 (M-S) Portsmouth Harbour-Littlehampton
23.16 (SAT) Southampton Central-Littlehampton
A Midsummer’s Nightmare for Stagecoach
Even having an extremely pro-privatisation Transport Secretary has not saved Virgin Trains East Coast, in which Stagecoach has a 90 per cent interest. The franchise is now to be taken into the public sector from Midsummer’s Day (24 June) until a new operator is appointed.
We have been pointing out for years that Stagecoach was grabbing franchises by overbidding and then ruthlessly reducing costs and raising fares. After losing SWT and East Coast ten months apart, it now retains just East Midlands and its 49% interest in Virgin Trains West Coast, with both these franchises due to be re-let next year.
Safety – Rail Accident Investigation Branch reports lines being left in unsafe state after engineering works
Excerpt from Urgent Safety Advice 02/2018:
“Over the last four years there have been a number of incidents in which railway lines have been returned to service in an unsafe condition following engineering works. The most recent of these occurred at Cradlehall near Inverness, on 25 February 2018. In all such cases there is a real potential for serious harm to people on subsequent train services.
In light of these incidents, and given the serious nature of the most recent incident, the RAIB advises Network Rail to take urgent steps to review the effectiveness of the steps it has already taken to address this risk, and to implement any additional measures that are required to ensure the safety of the line following engineering works.”
Acknowledgements / Contact details / GDPR
As always, thanks to everyone who has been kind enough to contact us. Without your support and input, this newsletter would be much less comprehensive. It is produced in good faith, based on reports and information from individuals and sources including the press and news websites.
Contributions are always welcome. We aim for accuracy at all times, because our good reputation depends on it. We do not use material which could be offensive or which appears unlikely to be correct.
We do not process information of a personal nature and, in view of GDPR, we will maintain our approach that the names of those who contribute news items or articles will be acknowledged in newsletters only where they have indicated that they consent to this. So, when submitting articles or items for collation, please indicate if you would like them to be attributed to you.
Railways are a public service and our Group is open to any interested parties. This newsletter is available on-line. It is e’mailed to recipients involved in the Group, and individuals or organisations who have asked to be included in the circulation list or otherwise have close links (for example, through HCC’s New Forest Transport Forums). If you receive the newsletter by e’mail and do not wish to do so, please let us know and further issues will not be sent.
Address for correspondence: Denis Fryer, 19 Fontwell Close, Calmore, Southampton SO40 2TN. E’mail: denisfryer44@gmail.com