HOGRIDER 99: OCTOBER 2004

SOUTH HAMPSHIRE RAIL USERS' GROUP NEWSLETTER

INDEX

SWT SWITCHES ATTACK TO WESTMINSTER

NEW SWT TIMETABLE FROM SUNDAY 12 DECEMBER BRINGS BIG DISBENEFITS

ANOTHER DISAPPOINTING TRIP FOR ELDERLY DISABLED LADY

SWT CUSTOMER SERVICE AT SOUTHAMPTON CENTRAL- 27 AUGUST

RAIL PERFORMANCE REPORTS

MISCELLANEA

FAILURES WITH EXCUSES FOR FAILURE

NOTICE BOARD

HOGRIDER PRESS RESEARCH

Address for correspondence: SHRUG, 19 Fontwell Close, Calmore, Southampton, SO40 2TN. Website address: WWW.SHRUG.INFO. Hogrider is produced in good faith, based on reports and information from many individuals and sources including information identified from press and website research. 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.

SWT SWITCHES ATTACK TO WESTMINSTER

Christian Wolmar, in his book 'Stagecoach' attributes to the company "an arrogance and deep conviction that the company is right and everyone else is wrong".

In the early days of Stagecoach, this ethos saw aggressive expression. Remember the World in Action programme "Cowboy Country" which the High Court decided it would not be in the public interest to ban? Remember the Monopolies and Mergers Commission's view that Stagecoach's behaviour was "deplorable, predatory and against the public interest"? Remember Steven Norris' comment that "Awarding the franchise to Stagecoach was really taking the fight to the enemy… It was the most aggressive decision we could take, and if we had tried to dress privatisation in its most acceptable form, it would have been better to award it to almost anyone else". Typical was co-founder Brian Souter's remark that "…ethics are not irrelevant, but some are incompatible with what we have to do because capitalism is based on greed". Or remember director Brian Cox's comment that critics were fully paid-up members of the hindsight club"?

Our Group's considerable archives of media coverage show that Stagecoach's stewardship of SWT has been one long story of failing to give customers the standards of consideration and performance which they deserve. As Jack Charlton said of Brian Souter, "He should be grateful to his customers, not abusive". And Sir Alan Greengross, when Chairman of the London Rail Passengers Committee, commented "Many [of SWT's] passengers still face totally unacceptable levels of disruption to their daily journeys and others face totally unacceptable levels of overcrowding".

Sir Alan is now a Stagecoach director, in charge of South West Trains' passengers panel, dubbed "the independent voice of SWT's passengers". Yet the Kingston Area Travellers' Association recently reported that one member of the panel, solicitor Venessa Wilkins of Norbiton, had resigned because "passengers' suggestions were rarely acted on and a waste of time".

The passengers' panel has a substantial slot in SWT's 'E'motion' magazine, of which its trains have copious supplies. Most of the script is not attributed to members of the panel, but is presented anonymously. This is far from the aggressive talk of earlier days. Edition No. 4 contains a subtle attack on MPs: "The politician faced with a rail problem and little idea of how to deal with it cries "We have to put our passengers first". If they have no idea at all, "have" becomes "determined" and they shout even more. Isn't there a saying "the louder they shout their innocence, the faster we count the spoons". So does SWT itself put passengers first? Their commitment can be summarised by the comment of Graham Eccles, head of Stagecoach Rail, to 'Rail Professional' magazine that "If we can't get our terms we won't hesitate to walk away".

E'motion No. 6 turns the attack to the Government. "The comment "No one tells you what's going on" seems to dominate passengers' complaints lists. The [Passengers'] Panel, from its first meeting, picked up on the problem of lack of information, and South West Trains, to its credit, has done much to address it. But what about the Government's ability to share information? What does it intend? What can we reasonably expect over the coming years? Are the problems of our railways capable of being solved and, if they are, is anyone going to do anything serious to get there? If plans alone solved anything, we would today be using the world's most perfect railways.. Let us be clear, this is not an exercise in blame. It is a plea to reintroduce reality and clarity into our rail plans. If, for a whole variety of reasons, we cannot have perfection, if the costs involved really have to be as high as experience seems to have taught us, and if that sort of money just isn't available, is it too much that passengers be told honestly what is achievable - and how it is to be done?.. The lesson in communication that South West Trains has been learning applies as much to the Government as to train operators. "If only someone would tell us what is really going on it would make it all that much easier to bear".

Stagecoach as the great communicator? What really concerns passengers at the moment is the December timetable changes. Since SWT has kept them closely under wraps, we have had to burrow, station by station, into the National Rail website to get you some idea (see next article). SWT claims that they consulted interested parties and that the changes are to meet current needs better. They certainly didn't consult the South Hampshire Rail Users' Group - they well know of our existence because they consulted us on their policy on carriage of cycles, a marginal issue since their trains now scarcely cater for cyclists. Indeed, the Rail Passengers Committee would not release details because they were said to be commercially confidential. Quite why that should be when we are always hearing of how the various train operators co-operate on timetable planning, is anyone's guess.

Does SWT really imagine, for example, that Totton's London commuters want a gaping hole of one hour (05.48 to 06.44) in their morning services, with a London train which was introduced to alleviate overcrowding replaced with a circuitous service to Yeovil Junction? Do they really think that people want to set out at 06.07 instead of 06.36 to connect at Southampton Central with Wessex Trains' first service of the day to Bristol and Cardiff?

Perhaps the most serious problem with companies like SWT is that they can end up believing their own storylines. The current language of the industry helps them. In normal language, "reliability" would suggest that a service is delivered to specification. In railway language, a train is reliable if it completes a bit of its journey at some time or other. The appalling recent performance on SWT, as chronicled in our 'Rail Performance Reports' below, shows that SWT has a serious problem with duff rolling stock, and when things go wrong there are not enough train crews to cope. Indeed, longer-term, the evidence suggests that there aren't enough train crews even in normal circumstances, especially around popular holiday times.

When things go wrong, operational convenience takes priority over getting passengers to their destinations, and stops are missed and trains terminated short of destination. Sometimes what is delivered is utterly ludicrous. For example Waterloo-Alton trains (journey of about 47 miles) are often "altered" to start from Farnham (journey of less than 10 miles).

When all other excuses fail, blame the passenger. So SWT introduced their "Every second counts" campaign which suggested that passengers could make a big difference to performance by hopping on and off trains quickly. Does SWT consider disabled people a bit of a nuisance in that respect? Where disabled people are seen off and met at opposite ends of journeys which have been carefully planned on direct trains, it must be devastating for them when the train is suddenly taken out of service for operational convenience, or their stop is omitted to save a couple of minutes.

In any normal terms, SWT is a story of failure:

- failure to achieve satisfactory performance on any consistent basis (we shall doubtless hear much of performance improvements in the summer months, because SWT did not have the burden of last year's speed restrictions during the exceptional heatwave. But for the period April-June performance was 3.3% worse than in the corresponding period of last year; many other companies showed an improvement, even where they started from a much better 2003 baseline);

-failure to give proper customer service (for example, passengers turned away from stations - even from the downside entrance of Southampton Central when they are trying to get to work - because the staff on duty have no change to sell a ticket);

- failure to deliver what was trumpeted ad nauseam as "Britain's biggest train order" (the Desiro fleet SWT is to hire will be 120 carriages fewer than promised).

Yet we now learn that SWT does have a spare £750,000 to publicise its "achievements", prompting the very apposite headline in the Southern Daily Echo of 28 September: "SWT singing a different tune to statistics". Since their profitability depends on public subsidy, this is effectively taxpayers' money.

Isn't SWT's real concern about alleged lack of information from the Government that they don't know whether they will continue to get the massively increased subsidies with which they were feather-bedded by Richard Bowker? That would be entirely in keeping with Brian Souter's view that capitalism is based on greed. The £60 million giveaway which he handed himself and his sister (Evening Standard 23/6/2004) would more or less have purchased the 120 carriages which SWT is no longer to hire.

NEW SWT TIMETABLE FROM SUNDAY 12 DECEMBER BRINGS BIG DISBENEFITS

SOUTHAMPTON'S LONDON COMMUTERS SUFFER AS ONE MORNING AND ONE EVENING SERVICE AXED

HOUR'S GAP IN TOTTON-LONDON COMMUTER SERVICE

TWICE-HOURLY SOUTHAMPTON-TOTTON SERVICES TO RUN 10 MINUTES APART IN BOTH DIRECTIONS

24 MINUTE 'CONNECTION' FOR PASSENGERS TRAVELLING OFF-PEAK FROM THE NETLEY LINE TO LONDON

SWT declares that its new timetable, which will hit commuters from 13 December, is designed to meet current needs better. They have not yet issued details, but by spending hours on the journey planning facility on the National Rail website, we can offer the following advice. There are some obvious errors on the website and we cannot guarantee this information, but the overall picture is pretty clear.

ALL THE DETAILS IN THIS ARTICLE REFER TO MONDAY-FRIDAY SERVICES

Looking at off-peak services at Southampton Central, it is clear that, so far as Southern Hampshire is concerned, SWT have simply taken the reduced service pattern introduced in September 2003 and moved trains around the clockface. In many cases this will mean much longer journey times for passengers who rely on connections.

Off-peak arrivals/departures at Southampton Central, in minutes past the hour, will be as follows:

00 SWT service from Poole to Waterloo (compared with present service, will call additionally at Clapham Junction) departs
02 Wessex Trains' service from Cardiff to Portsmouth Harbour departs
10 Wessex Trains' service from Portsmouth Harbour to Cardiff departs
14 Arrival of SWT's service from Waterloo to Southampton
15 Northbound Virgin service departs
18 SWT's service from Totton to Romsey (via Chandlers Ford) departs
20 Southern's service from Southampton to Victoria via Hove and Gatwick Airport departs
24 SWT's service from Waterloo to Poole departs
30 SWT's service from Weymouth to Waterloo departs
35 SWT's service from Romsey to Totton departs
36 Arrival of SWT's Portsmouth-Southampton stopping service
42 Virgin service to Bournemouth departs
42 SWT's Southampton to Portsmouth stopping service departs
51 SWT's service from Waterloo to Weymouth departs
51 Southern's service from Victoria to Southampton arrives
55 SWT's service from Southampton to Waterloo departs (compared with present service, will call at Fleet instead of Woking, and will be overtaken at Eastleigh by 00 from Southampton to Waterloo)

[Additional Wessex Trains services to Bristol in some hours. Wessex Trains' direct Penzance train will leave at 15.55 - currently it is formed of a unit detached at Westbury from the 15.09 to Cardiff]

There will effectively be two trains an hour from Southampton Central to London instead of the current three, because one train will overtake another en route.

Virgin trains have taken over the current slots of the Weymouth trains in both directions. The possibility put forward by SWT at a Rail Passengers Committee meeting that the northbound Virgin train would follow the Weymouth-Waterloo service to give passengers from South West Dorset reasonable connections to Reading and beyond has not been implemented.

Vital connections have been thrown to the wind. The Waterloo-Weymouth service will just miss the current connection at Southampton Central with the Portsmouth stopping train, and just miss the current connection at Brockenhurst with the Lymington Pier train.

Trains to Totton will leave Southampton Central at 24 and 35 minutes past the hour instead of 19 and around 55; this means the connection out of the Waterloo-Weymouth service will no longer exist. This is little better than an hourly service, even for local passengers. The return services from Totton will be at 51 and 01. So taxpayers are paying for what should be a half-hourly service but getting 50 minute gaps in service each hour.

Off-peak passengers from the smaller stations on the Netley line (Portsmouth - Southampton) will have to wait at Southampton Central 24 minutes for a London connection, or 48 minutes just to get to Totton. The heavily subsidised Romsey-Chandlers Ford-Totton service will lose its connections at St Denys with the Netley line trains.

Probably the passengers worst hit will be those commuting to London. The 05.34 Bournemouth-Waterloo (Southampton Central depart 06.12), introduced to relieve overcrowding, will be axed.

The morning peak service from Totton / Southampton /Eastleigh will look like this:
(Southampton Central Trains also serve Southampton Airport Parkway; all trains stop at Winchester)

Totton 0548, Southampton Central 05.55, Eastleigh 06.08, Waterloo 07.26.

[Totton 06.07, Southampton Central 06.17, Eastleigh 06.31 (replaces the 06.05 from Totton and 06.12 from Southampton Central to Waterloo, but runs to Yeovil Junction). Passengers from Totton will have to wait 15 minutes at Southampton for a London train]

Eastleigh 06.43, Waterloo 08.01 (from the Hedge End line)

Southampton Central 06.30, Waterloo 07.49. Does not stop at Totton - no train from Totton to London between 05.48 and 06.44. Connection from Netley line stations arrives Southampton Central at 06.14. Connection via Southampton Airport Parkway leaves Chandlers Ford at 06.12.

Eastleigh 06.55, Waterloo 08.10 (from Southampton Airport Parkway)

Totton 06.44, Southampton Central 07.00, Waterloo 08.16

Eastleigh 07.13, Waterloo 08.34 (from the Hedge End line)

Totton 07.16, Southampton Central 07.30, Waterloo 08.48. Connection from Netley line stations arrives Southampton Central at 07.21. Connection via Southampton Airport leaves Chandlers Ford at 07.12. Connection via Winchester leaves Eastleigh at 07.28.

Eastleigh 07.28, Waterloo 09.11 (arrive Waterloo 08.48 by changing at Winchester)

Eastleigh 07.43, Waterloo 09.03 (from the Hedge End line)

Totton 07.45, Southampton Central 08.00, Waterloo 09.22.

Standard times of mainline trains from Waterloo, in minutes past the hour, will be:

00 Portsmouth Harbour via Guildford
05 Poole (calls additionally at Clapham Junction). Change at Southampton Central for the Netley line and Brockenhurst for Lymington
09 Portsmouth Harbour via Eastleigh (compared with present service, calls additionally at Woking and Farnborough) Change at Eastleigh for Chandlers Ford
20 Yeovil Junction (extends to Exeter in even hours)
30 Portsmouth Harbour via Guildford
35 Weymouth
39 Southampton (compared with present service, calls at Fleet instead of Woking)
50 Salisbury

This pattern will continue through the evening peak, but with the 17.05, 17.35 and 18.35 having portions for Weymouth and for stations between Southampton and Bournemouth, and the 16.39 and 17.39 diverting from Eastleigh to the Hedge End line, leaving Southampton with a reduced, half-hourly, peak service. The 16.35 will continue to have a connection for Totton. There will effectively be one fewer Waterloo-Southampton train in the evening peak than at present.

ANOTHER DISAPPOINTING TRIP FOR ELDERLY DISABLED LADY

The 88 year old disabled Ashurst lady whose needs were ignored by SWT on a trip from Salisbury to Paignton (Hogrider No 98) received a bunch of flowers accompanied by an apology card. This was a nice gesture but gave her no confidence about using SWT trains for future trips.

Her son therefore decided to take her for a trip to Weston-Super-Mare by Wessex Trains on 25th September. As SWT's Wessex Electric trains are not available to wheelchair users at Ashurst station, they drove to Southampton Central. The only parking bay for disabled people on the downside was short-stay, so they had to pay £4.60 to park.

They then had to wait nearly 90 minutes for their train, because a SWT unit had failed at Portsmouth, blocking the tracks. They travelled to Bristol in horrifically overcrowded conditions - passengers waiting at Trowbridge had to be left behind. Naturally, the pre-arranged help with the wheelchair was not available. Their time at Weston was much reduced.

On the return journey, when Wessex Trains' services were not being disrupted by SWT, everything was fine, and the staff very helpful. However, the lady is now very apprehensive about making any future trips by train.

SWT CUSTOMER SERVICE AT SOUTHAMPTON CENTRAL- 27 AUGUST

On this day, the 16.30 Waterloo-Weymouth was several minutes late at Southampton Central as is customary, meaning that passengers for the 17.47 Portsmouth train had to race across the footbridge. The 16.30 was followed into platform 4 by the 17.45 Virgin service to Bournemouth, which increased its 2 minute stop to about 30 minutes for no apparent reason.

Meanwhile the 16.42 Poole-Waterloo blocked platform 1 for over 10 minutes because its empty-stock rear portion arrived late. This in turn caused several minutes' delay to the slower 17.54 to Waterloo which was switched to platform 2, as were the Wessex Trains' service to Portsmouth and Virgin Trains' service to Leeds. Lots of last-minute hauling of cases over the footbridge for passengers on this busy pre-bank holiday Friday evening.

The coaches for the 17.55 local train to Brockenhurst were blocking platform 3 for 25 minutes as scheduled. At 17.57, passengers started leaving this service, word of mouth circulating that it was cancelled due to no crew. There was no announcement about this either on the train or the platform, and the departure simply disappeared from the information screen. The next train from platform 3 was then advertised as the 18.01 to Totton, which should have been the 17.14 from Romsey. An empty unit appeared in due course, but from the wrong direction. The screens told passengers to stand away from the edge of the platform as it was not scheduled to stop. Fortunately it did stop, otherwise a smash with the unit which should have formed the 17.55 to Brockenhurst would have been inevitable. Passengers were told the empty train would form the 18.01, but the doors remained locked even though the departure time had passed.

The 17.14 from Romsey then arrived at the now-vacant platform 1. The screens on platform 3 immediately changed to say that there was a platform alteration and the 18.01 would leave from platform 1. Some passengers rushed over the footbridge, not knowing that the passengers rushing in the opposite direction had been thrown off the train from Romsey, which had a duff motor, and had been told to switch to the train at platform 3. Having boarded the train at platform 1, they in turn were thrown off and sent back to platform 3.

The replacement 18.01 finally left almost 14 minutes late. The Virgin train to Bournemouth, now 30 minutes late, then came back to life and caused it to suffer a signal check at Millbrook.

Meanwhile the 16.30 Waterloo-Weymouth was being delayed down the line by a duff train in front. It was then 18 minutes late. In turn the 16.45 Waterloo-Poole was 26 minutes late, the 17.15 Waterloo-Weymouth 23 minutes late (neither of these was shown on SWT's website as late), the 17.45 Waterloo-Weymouth 16 minutes late, and the 18.50 Waterloo-Poole 21 minutes late.

Perhaps if SWT didn't waste time chiding their passengers for boarding trains too slowly because 'every second counts', they might sort out some of the idiotic incidents for which they themselves must take responsibility.

RAIL PERFORMANCE REPORTS

Note: These details are snapshots, based on passengers' own experiences and website information. The Group does not have the resources to provide a full picture of the performance shortcomings which passengers suffer. Trains can become increasingly late during the course of their journeys - or make up time where stops are omitted and passengers thrown off - and the "minutes late" figures may not represent the position at the end of a journey. We are able to provide better coverage on some days than on others.

18/8/04 05.10 Exeter-Waterloo axed due to duff stock. 06.20 Guildford-Waterloo cancelled due to duff stock. 06.56 Waterloo-Hampton Court axed between Waterloo and Surbiton. 08.17 Waterloo-Windsor and 09.18 Windsor-Waterloo axed due to duff stock. 08.24 Reading-Waterloo and 08.29 Teddington-Waterloo axed due to duff stock. 09.02 Waterloo-Kingston-Waterloo 13 minutes late. 09.45 Waterloo-Dorking and 10.49 Dorking-Waterloo axed due to duff stock. 10.03 Weybridge-Waterloo axed between Weybridge and Staines due to duff stock. 10.15 Woking-Waterloo omitted stops at West Byfleet and Byfleet & New Haw. 16.42 Poole-Waterloo 15 minutes late. 17.17 Portsmouth-Waterloo 22 minutes late. 17.25 Portsmouth-Waterloo 24 minutes late. 17.42 and 19.24 Waterloo-Guildford cancelled due to duff stock. 17.45 Waterloo-Weymouth 10 minutes late. 17.51 Weybridge-Waterloo 11 minutes late. 18.39 Reading-Brighton axed between Reading and Basingstoke. 18.50 Guildford-Waterloo cancelled due to duff stock. 21.33 Waterloo-Alton 17 minutes late due to duff stock.

19/8/04 06.47 Waterloo-Kingston-Waterloo reduced to 4 coaches due to duff stock. 06.50 Waterloo-Farnham 16 minutes late due to duff stock. 07.16 Guildford-Aldershot cancelled due to duff stock. 07.20 Waterloo-Portsmouth axed between Waterloo and Guildford due to duff stock. 07.50 Aldershot-Waterloo cancelled due to duff stock. 07.55 Shepperton-Waterloo axed between Shepperton and Strawberry Hill due to duff stock. 08.23 Waterloo-Portsmouth 16 minutes late due to duff stock. 08.29 Teddington-Waterloo and 08.34 Alton-Waterloo reduced to 4 coaches. 09.01 Haslemere-Waterloo 22 minutes late; all intermediate stops except Guildford and Woking omitted. 09.15 Haslemere-Waterloo 16 minutes late due to no rolling stock. 09.25 Ascot-Guildford axed between Ascot and Aldershot due to duff stock. 10.53 Waterloo-Portsmouth 15 minutes late. 11.47 Portsmouth-Waterloo 25 minutes late. 14.30 Waterloo-Weymouth axed due to duff stock. 14.33 Waterloo-Plymouth 36 minutes late. 14.36 Portsmouth-Southampton 11 minutes late. 16.08 / 16.23 Waterloo-Portsmouth, 16.15 Waterloo-Kingston-Waterloo and 17.43 Waterloo-Windsor all reduced to 4 coaches. 17.42 Poole-Waterloo 31 minutes late; all stops after Southampton Central omitted for operational convenience. 18.05 Waterloo-Poole reduced to 5 coaches. 18.37 Waterloo-Reading reduced to 4 coaches due to duff stock. 19.54 Reading-Waterloo 22 minutes late. 20.20 Waterloo-Portsmouth 25 minutes late. 20.50 Waterloo-Poole axed due to duff stock. 21.26 Waterloo-Reading 12 minutes late due to duff stock.

20/8/04 08.01 Teddington-Waterloo cancelled due to duff stock. 16.27 Guildford-Ascot cancelled. 18.37 Waterloo-Reading reduced to 4 coaches due to duff stock. 19.32 Waterloo-Kingston-Waterloo 12 minutes late. 20.07 Weymouth-Waterloo 16 minutes late. 21.49 Dorking-Waterloo 12 minutes late.

21/8/04 Trains between Waterloo and Hampton Court unable to call at Raynes Park, New Malden and Berrylands all day due to a points failure. 07.37 Guildford-Waterloo omitted all intermediate stops after Epsom due to duff stock. 08.30 Waterloo-Weymouth 15 minutes late due to a duff train in front. 10.08 Waterloo-Portsmouth 17 minutes late. 12.05 Paignton-Brighton 15 minutes late. 13.55 Windsor-Waterloo 18 minutes late; all intermediate stops after Twickenham axed for operational convenience. 13.48 Poole-Waterloo 30 minutes late; all intermediate stops after Southampton Central axed for operational convenience. Passengers on the 14.05 Brockenhurst-Wareham thrown off at Bournemouth due to duff stock. 17.30 Alton-Waterloo only got to Farnham (less than 10 miles) before passengers thrown off. 18.48 Waterloo-Alton cancelled. 19.27 Windsor-Waterloo 26 minutes late. All intermediate stops after Richmond axed. 20.30 Alton-Waterloo axed between Alton and Farnham. 21.30 Alton-Waterloo axed between Woking and Waterloo. 22.09 Waterloo-Guildford axed.

22/8/04 10.40 Weymouth-Waterloo 23 minutes late at Southampton. 11.55 Bournemouth-Waterloo 13 minutes late. 16.40 Weymouth-Waterloo 17 minutes late. 19.28 Weybridge-Waterloo 26 minutes late. 20.12 Portsmouth-Eastleigh 37 minutes late due to duff stock. 21.27 Reading-Basingstoke cancelled.

23/8/04 08.10 Waterloo-Basingstoke cancelled. 14.38 Waterloo-Portsmouth 25 minutes late; all stops between Guildford and Portsmouth & Southsea axed. 14.45 Waterloo-Southampton 15 minutes late. 14.53 Waterloo-Portsmouth 17 minutes late. 15.15 Waterloo-Portsmouth axed between Waterloo and Woking. 15.48 Weymouth-Waterloo 17 minutes late; all intermediate stops after Bournemouth omitted except Southampton Central. 16.42 Poole-Waterloo 15 minutes late. 16.48 Weymouth-Waterloo 44 minutes late; passengers thrown off at Woking. 16.54 Portsmouth-Waterloo axed between Portsmouth Harbour and Portsmouth & Southsea. 17.55 Southampton-Brockenhurst started 5 minutes late due to no crew.

24/8/04 05.42 Poole-Waterloo delayed 10 minutes outside Southampton Airport Parkway due to signalling problems and driver of the second train in front completing a report; this appears to mean that a signal had been passed at red. 06.10 Portsmouth-Waterloo also about 10 minutes late. 13.25 Portsmouth-Waterloo 59 minutes late; passengers thrown off at Woking. 13.30 Waterloo-Weymouth cancelled due to a fatality. 14.00 Waterloo-Poole 17 minutes late. 14.30 Waterloo-Weymouth 26 minutes late. 15.23 Waterloo-Portsmouth axed between Waterloo and Woking. 15.27 Windsor-Waterloo axed between Windsor and Staines. 16.57 Portsmouth-Waterloo 20 minutes late. 17.21 Weybridge-Waterloo 23 minutes late. 17.25 Portsmouth-Waterloo 10 minutes late. 17.26 Reading-Waterloo 12 minutes late. 17.47 Portsmouth-Waterloo 22 minutes late. 17.56 Windsor-Waterloo 14 minutes late. 18.11 Twickenham 12 minutes late. 18.47 Waterloo-Staines 22 minutes late. 18.55 Waterloo-Guildford cancelled due to duff stock. 19.00 Waterloo-Portsmouth 17 minutes late. 19.47 Portsmouth-Waterloo 27 minutes late due to no crew. 20.00 Guildford-Waterloo 12 minutes late. 20.07 Alton-Waterloo 10 minutes late. 20.38 Chessington-Waterloo 12 minutes late. 20.39 Hampton Court-Waterloo 11 minutes late. Another fatality: 20.40 Waterloo-Portsmouth diverted via Eastleigh; 21.00, 21.20 and 22.20 diverted via Cobham.

25/8/04 05.09 Yeovil-Waterloo 10 minutes late. 05.25 Salisbury-Waterloo 33 minutes late. 07.10 Waterloo-Exeter 25 minutes late. 07.30 Woking-Waterloo axed between Woking and Weybridge due to no rolling stock. 07.41 West Byfleet-Waterloo reduced to 8 coaches. 08.15 Waterloo-Portsmouth 15 minutes late. 08.16 Effingham Junction-Waterloo reduced to 4 coaches. 08.33 Eastleigh-Portsmouth axed due to duff stock. 09.32 Portsmouth-Southampton 31 minutes late due to no rolling stock. 10.02 Alton-Waterloo 26 minutes late due to duff stock; passengers thrown off at Woking. 10.47 Southampton-Portsmouth 18 minutes late. 11.18 Waterloo-Alton axed between Waterloo and Woking. 13.00 Waterloo-Poole 11 minutes late; doors closed at Totton after 4 small children had alighted, the guard then having to open the doors again to let the accompanying adults off. 16.12 Waterloo-Southampton 18 minutes late due to duff stock. 16.56 Windsor-Waterloo axed between Windsor and Staines. 18.12 Waterloo-Guildford omitted all stops between Surbiton and Effingham Junction. 19.50 Waterloo-Poole 22 minutes late due to duff stock.

26/8/04 08.08 Waterloo-Portsmouth cancelled. 16.26 Waterloo-Portsmouth 15 minutes late due to duff stock. 16.48 Weymouth-Waterloo 34 minutes late. 16.55 Southampton-Waterloo 10 minutes late. 17.42 Poole-Waterloo 10 minutes late. 18.09 Waterloo-Woking reduced to 4 coaches. 18.17 Waterloo-Shepperton cancelled due to duff stock. 18.30 Waterloo-Weymouth 39 minutes late de to duff stock. 18.48 Weymouth-Waterloo 18 minutes late. 19.42 Poole-Waterloo 15 minutes late. 19.50 Waterloo-Poole axed between Waterloo and Woking. 20.33 Weybridge-Waterloo cancelled. 21.24 Reading-Portsmouth axed between Reading and Basingstoke.

27/8/04 13.30 Exeter-Waterloo 26 minutes late due to duff stock. 13.32 Plymouth-Waterloo axed between Plymouth and Newton Abbot. 13.48 Weymouth-Waterloo 30 minutes late. 14.38 Waterloo-Portsmouth 31 minutes late; stops at Woking and Guildford axed. 16.30 Waterloo-Weymouth 18 minutes late due to broken down train in front. 16.42 Poole-Waterloo 11 minutes late due to rear unit arriving late at Southampton Central. 16.45 Waterloo-Poole 26 minutes late. 17.15 Waterloo-Weymouth 23 minutes late; 17.45 16 minutes late. 17.47 Portsmouth-Waterloo 15 minutes late. 17.48 Weymouth-Waterloo 15 minutes late. 17.54 Waterloo-Haslemere 20 minutes late. 17.55 Southampton-Brockenhurst and 18.44 Brockenhurst-Southampton cancelled due to no crew. 18.20 Portsmouth-Waterloo 10 minutes late. 18.50 Waterloo-Poole 21 minutes late. 18.51 Weybridge-Waterloo 12 minutes late. 19.42 Poole-Waterloo cancelled due to no driver. 19.52 Waterloo-Chessington and 20.38 Chessington-Waterloo cancelled due to no guard. 22.30 Waterloo-Bournemouth cancelled due to no driver.

28/8/04 10.15 Waterloo-Dorking axed between Waterloo and Raynes Park due to duff stock. 10.38 Waterloo-Portsmouth axed due to duff stock. 12.57 Brighton-Reading axed between Brighton and Worthing due to no stock. 13.12 Reading-Waterloo 20 minutes late. 13.30 Exeter-Waterloo 25 minutes late due to no crew; Woking and Clapham Junction stops axed for operational convenience. 13.33 Weybridge-Waterloo 17 minutes late. 16.03 Weybridge-Waterloo ran non-stop to Clapham Junction, where passengers were thrown off. 15.48 Waterloo-Alton formed of duff stock; passengers thrown off at Clapham Junction. 17.33 Waterloo-Yeovil 20 minutes late. Passengers on the 18.48 Weymouth-Waterloo were thrown off at Bournemouth, where the train terminated. 20.47 Southampton-Portsmouth 23 minutes late due to no stock. 21.23 Ascot-Guildford cancelled due to duff stock. 22.30 Waterloo-Bournemouth cancelled due to no driver.

29/8/04 Passengers on the 12.57 Waterloo-Weybridge thrown off at Wandsworth Town due to duff stock. 14.28 Weybridge-Waterloo cancelled due to duff stock. 15.03 Waterloo-Exeter 29 minutes late. 15.25 Paignton-Waterloo 28 minutes late. 17.25 Yeovil-Waterloo 24 minutes late. 19.39 Waterloo-Guildford cancelled due to no guard. 20.52 Guildford-Waterloo cancelled due to no guard; 20.55 Basingstoke-Waterloo called additionally at West Byfleet, Weybridge and Walton-on-Thames.

30/8/04 07.22 Waterloo-Reading 18 minutes late due to duff train in front. 08.18 Waterloo-Brentford-Waterloo cancelled due to duff stock; 09.47 10 minutes late. 08.46 Weymouth-Waterloo 17 minutes late due to no crew. 08.47 Portsmouth-Waterloo 15 minutes late due to duff stock. 09.12 Reading-Waterloo 15 minutes late; 09.24 25 minutes late; 09.42 11 minutes late. 09.54 Portsmouth-Waterloo 19 minutes late. 10.15 Waterloo-Portsmouth 15 minutes late. 10.45 Waterloo-Southampton 25 minutes late due to no stock. 11.02 Waterloo-Kingston-Waterloo 10 minutes late. 17.08 Portsmouth-Waterloo cancelled due to duff stock. 18.33 Waterloo-Exeter 12 minutes late. 18.48 Weymouth-Waterloo 14 minutes late. 19.07 Shepperton-Waterloo cancelled due to duff stock. Passengers on the 19.35 Waterloo-Honiton thrown off at Salisbury. 20.12 Reading-Waterloo 10 minutes late. 20.20 Portsmouth-Waterloo 14 minutes late; 21.20 20 minutes late. 21.30 Waterloo-Weymouth 24 minutes late due to duff stock.

31/8/04 05.41 Portsmouth-Waterloo 10 minutes late; 06.03 15 minutes late; 06.17 21 minutes late. 06.23 Reading-Waterloo axed between Reading and Ascot. 06.42 Hilsea-Waterloo 10 minutes late. 06.50 Ascot-Guildford axed between Ascot and Aldershot. 06.38 Farnham-Waterloo 11 minutes late; 07.22 reduced to 4 coaches. 06.46 Woking-Alton 26 minutes late due to duff stock. 06.56 Waterloo-Reading 30 minutes late; passengers thrown off at Ascot. 07.10 Haslemere-Waterloo 10 minutes late. 07.12 Waterloo-Windsor 16 minutes late. 07.37 Portsmouth-Waterloo cancelled due to duff stock. 08.01 Portsmouth-Waterloo 24 minutes late. 08.08 Waterloo-Portsmouth 16 minutes late. 08.15 Waterloo-Portsmouth 19 minutes late due to duff stock. 08.23 Waterloo-Portsmouth 16 minutes late. 08.24 Reading-Waterloo axed between Reading and Ascot. 08.38 Waterloo-Portsmouth 17 minutes late. 08.53 Woking-Waterloo 15 minutes late; all intermediate stops before Surbiton omitted. 10.33 Waterloo-Paignton 15 minutes late. 12.03 Waterloo-Bristol 26 minutes late. 12.33 Waterloo-Exeter 18 minutes late. 13.32 Plymouth-Waterloo 15 minutes late due to duff stock; stops at Grateley, Whitchurch and Overton omitted for operational convenience. 13.48 Poole-Waterloo 17 minutes late. Passengers on the 13.52 Waterloo-Reading thrown off at Twickenham due to duff stock. 14.08 Waterloo-Portsmouth cancelled. 14.25 Windsor-Waterloo omitted all intermediate stops after Staines, except Richmond. 15.37 Waterloo-Weybridge 16 minutes late due to duff stock. 15.42 Reading-Waterloo cancelled due to duff stock. 16.00 Waterloo-Poole 10 minutes late. 16.25 Portsmouth-Waterloo 17 minutes late. 16.30 Waterloo-Weymouth 18 minutes late. 16.37 Waterloo-Ascot reduced to 4 coaches. 16.57 Portsmouth-Waterloo 10 minutes late. 17.12 Waterloo-Guildford cancelled due to duff stock. 17.22 Waterloo-Reading 15 minutes late due to no stock. 17.25 Hounslow-Waterloo cancelled due to duff stock. 17.35 Alton-Waterloo 15 minutes late. 17.48 Waterloo-Alton cancelled due to duff stock. 17.52 Waterloo-Reading axed. 18.20 Guildford-Waterloo 10 minutes late. 18.32 Waterloo-Portsmouth 25 minutes late. 18.51 Weybridge-Waterloo 27 minutes late. 18.52 Waterloo-Reading cancelled. 19.05 Alton-Waterloo 15 minutes late and axed between Alton and Farnham. 19.23 Farnham-Waterloo 19 minutes late. 19.33 Waterloo-Shepperton omitted all stops before Kingston. 20.20 Waterloo-Portsmouth cancelled. 20.24 Reading-Waterloo cancelled. 21.02 Weymouth-Waterloo 34 minutes late due to duff stock. 21.26 Waterloo-Hampton Court and 22.19 Hampton Court-Waterloo axed. 21.26 Waterloo-Reading started nearly 10 minutes late due to no crew. 21.47 Waterloo-Weybridge cancelled. 22.20 Portsmouth-Waterloo 35 minutes late. 22.24 Alton-Waterloo 21 minutes late due to duff stock. 23.19 Weybridge-Staines cancelled.

1/9/04 00.12 Staines-Wimbledon cancelled. 06.10 Woking-Alton 22 minutes late due to duff stock. 07.09 Waterloo-Woking reduced to 4 coaches. 07.12 Waterloo-Windsor 16 minutes late. 07.17 Basingstoke-Waterloo reduced to 8 coaches. 07.24 Ascot-Guildford axed between Ascot and Aldershot due to no crew. 07.25 Alton-Waterloo cancelled due to duff stock. 07.30 Waterloo-Kingston-Waterloo omitted all stops before Kingston. 08.08 Woking-Waterloo reduced to 4 coaches. 08.33 Waterloo-Plymouth 19 minutes late due to duff stock; passengers thrown off at Exeter. 08.55 Waterloo-Poole 16 minutes late due to broken down train. Passengers on the 08.58 Waterloo-Salisbury thrown off at Wimbledon due to duff stock. 09.32 Yeovil-Waterloo 18 minutes late due to duff stock. 11.00 Waterloo-Poole 20 minutes late due to broken down train. 11.29 Totton-Romsey 15 minutes late due to points failure. 11.30 Exeter-Waterloo 16 minutes late. 13.30 Exeter-Waterloo 11 minutes late. 13.32 Plymouth-Waterloo axed between Plymouth and Salisbury due to duff stock. 13.48 Weymouth-Waterloo delayed 10 minutes at Southampton due to duff stock. 14.24 Waterloo-Brentford-Waterloo omitted all stops between Twickenham and Barnes. 14.48 Weymouth-Waterloo 21 minutes late due to duff stock. 15.55 Southampton-Waterloo 66 minutes late; all intermediate stops omitted. Passengers on the 16.03 Weybridge-Waterloo thrown off at Egham due to duff stock. 17.15 Waterloo-Weymouth 20 minutes late due to no crew. 17.22 Waterloo-Chessington 16 minutes late. 17.25 Portsmouth-Waterloo 11 minutes late. 17.37 Waterloo-Aldershot 15 minutes late due to duff stock. 17.42 Poole-Waterloo 34 minutes late; was to omit stops at Basingstoke, Woking and Clapham Junction for operational convenience, but it was later decided to throw everyone off at Woking instead. Bournemouth stopping portion of the 17.45 Waterloo-Weymouth axed due to duff stock; passengers thrown off at Southampton. 18.05 Waterloo-Poole 18 minutes late. 19.25 Guildford-Ascot axed between Guildford and Aldershot due to duff stock. 20.12 Waterloo-Woking and 21.15 Woking-Waterloo cancelled. 20.30 Waterloo-Weymouth axed between Waterloo and Woking.

2/9/04 06.42 Hilsea-Waterloo axed. 13.54 Portsmouth-Waterloo cancelled due to duff stock. 15.03 Weybridge-Waterloo cancelled due to duff stock; 15.33 axed between Weybridge and Virginia Water. Reduced to 4 coaches: 16.10/16.23 Waterloo-Portsmouth; 16.33 Waterloo-Shepperton; 17.42 Waterloo-Guildford; 18.37 Waterloo-Epsom. 17.21 Weybridge-Waterloo axed between Weybridge and Staines. 17.26 Reading-Waterloo cancelled due to duff stock. 17.42 Poole-Waterloo 10 minutes late. Some coaches of the 17.45 Waterloo-Weymouth and 18.50 Waterloo-Poole suffered serious problems with the air conditioning. Duff Stock on the 18.05 Waterloo-Poole; passengers thrown off at Southampton Airport. 18.21 Waterloo-Basingstoke reduced to 8 coaches. 18.30 Waterloo-Weymouth 16 minutes late due to broken down train. 19.14 Romsey-Totton 17 minutes late due to broken down train. 19.26 Waterloo-Reading omitted all stops before Staines due to duff stock. 20.20 Waterloo-Portsmouth 27 minutes late. Passengers on the 21.10 Waterloo-Southampton thrown off at Basingstoke.

3/9/04 14.55 Windsor-Waterloo 16 minutes late. 15.25 Portsmouth-Waterloo axed. 16.00 Alton-Waterloo axed between Alton and Farnham. 16.12 Waterloo-Southampton axed. Overflow from the disabled toilet in the front unit of the 16.30 Waterloo-Weymouth spread across the adjacent vestibules and past the outer carriage door which was duff and locked out of use. 16.42 Poole-Waterloo 13 minutes late. 16.58 Alton-Waterloo 36 minutes late due to duff stock. 17.00 Waterloo-Portsmouth 21 minutes late. 17.15 Waterloo-Weymouth 18 minutes late. 17.25 Portsmouth-Waterloo 13 minutes late. 17.26 Reading-Waterloo 28 minutes late. 17.34 Waterloo-Portsmouth axed. 17.35 Alton-Waterloo 18 minutes late due to broken down train. 17.42 Waterloo-Guildford reduced to 4 coaches. 17.45 Woking-Waterloo 10 minutes late. 17.51 Weybridge-Waterloo 30 minutes late. 17.54 Waterloo-Haslemere reduced to 5 coaches. 17.54 Reading-Waterloo 24 minutes late. 17.56 Windsor-Waterloo 24 minutes late. 17.56 Waterloo-Portsmouth 38 minutes late due to duff stock. 18.11 Twickenham-Waterloo 17 minutes late. 18.14 Windsor-Waterloo 20 minutes late. 18.17 Southampton-Eastleigh axed. 18.21 Waterloo-Basingstoke 30 minutes late. 18.21 Weybridge-Waterloo 24 minutes late. 18.30 Waterloo-Weymouth 21 minutes late due to duff train in front. 18.37 Waterloo-Alton 21 minutes late due to no stock. 18.37 Waterloo-Reading reduced to 4 coaches and 17 minutes late due to duff stock; passengers thrown off at Ascot. 18.39 Reading-Brighton 21 minutes late due to duff train in front. 18.40 Waterloo-Havant cancelled due to duff stock. 18.46 Windsor-Waterloo 20 minutes late. 18.54 Waterloo-Weybridge 16 minutes late. 18.55 Waterloo-Guildford 18 minutes late. 19.00 Waterloo-Portsmouth 15 minutes late. 19.02 Waterloo-Kingston-Waterloo 11 minutes late; all intermediate stops after Kingston axed for operational convenience. 19.07 Waterloo-Reading 40 minutes late. 19.14 Basingstoke-Waterloo 11 minutes late. 19.17 Waterloo-Woking axed. 19.20 Portsmouth-Waterloo 30 minutes late. 19.20 Guildford-Waterloo 10 minutes late. 19.26 Waterloo-Reading 36 minutes late; passengers thrown off at Ascot. 19.54 Reading-Waterloo axed between Reading and Ascot. 20.07 Alton-Waterloo 11 minutes late. 20.07 Weymouth-Waterloo 16 minutes late due to duff stock. 20.16 Windsor-Waterloo 15 minutes late. 20.24 Reading-Waterloo 12 minutes late. 20.25 Portsmouth-Waterloo 16 minutes late; passengers thrown off at Havant. 20.26 Waterloo-Reading 20 minutes late due to duff stock. 20.46 Windsor-Waterloo 11 minutes late. 20.47 Portsmouth-Waterloo 29 minutes late. 20.49 Kingston-Waterloo 18 minutes late; omitted all intermediate stops after Richmond. 20.54 Reading-Waterloo axed between Reading and Ascot. 21.27 Guildford-Ascot 60 minutes late; passengers thrown off at Aldershot. 21.33 Waterloo-Alton 31 minutes late due to duff stock. 21.40 Waterloo-Portsmouth 25 minutes late due to no stock. 21.43 Windsor-Waterloo axed. 21.54 Reading-Waterloo 19 minutes late; all stops between Staines and Clapham Junction axed for operational convenience. 22.23 Ascot-Guildford axed. 22.27 Guildford-Ascot axed. 23.20 Waterloo-Portsmouth axed. 23.23 Ascot-Farnham axed.

4/9/04 06.15 Waterloo-Portsmouth 24 minutes late due to duff stock; all stops before Fratton, except Guildford and Haslemere, omitted for operational convenience. 07.08 Waterloo-Portsmouth 28 minutes late due to duff stock. 07.48 Poole-Waterloo 25 minutes late. 07.48 Weymouth-Waterloo 17 minutes late. 07.54 Portsmouth-Waterloo 16 minutes late. 07.55 Portsmouth-Waterloo 16 minutes late; intermediate stops after Guildford omitted for operational convenience. 08.37 Waterloo-Weybridge cancelled due to no crew. 08.48 Poole-Waterloo 14 minutes late. 08.55 Southampton-Waterloo 21 minutes late. 09.22 Waterloo-Reading 31 minutes late. 09.38 Waterloo-Portsmouth cancelled due to duff stock. 09.48 Weymouth-Waterloo 14 minutes late. 10.03 Weybridge-Waterloo cancelled due to no stock. 11.03 Waterloo-Salisbury cancelled due to duff stock. 10.27 Windsor-Waterloo 18 minutes late; all intermediate stops after Staines omitted for operational convenience. 10.38 Waterloo-Portsmouth cancelled due to duff stock. 11.28 Waterloo-Windsor cancelled due to no crew. 11.30 Waterloo-Weymouth 23 minutes late. 12.17 Waterloo-Brentford-Waterloo cancelled. 12.27 Windsor-Waterloo cancelled. 12.28 Waterloo-Windsor cancelled. 12.30 Alton-Waterloo axed due to duff stock. 12.33 Waterloo-Exeter 27 minutes late due to duff stock. 12.37 Waterloo-Weybridge cancelled. 12.45 Salisbury-Waterloo cancelled. 12.48 Weymouth-Waterloo 22 minutes late due to no stock. 13.23 Waterloo-Haslemere cancelled. 13.27 Windsor-Waterloo cancelled. 13.30 Waterloo-Guildford cancelled. 13.48 Waterloo-Alton cancelled due to duff stock. 13.55 Southampton-Waterloo cancelled. 14.00 Alton-Waterloo axed between Alton and Farnham due to duff stock. 14.03 Weybridge-Waterloo cancelled. 14.30 Waterloo-Weymouth 16 minutes late due to no crew. 14.32 Waterloo-Kingston-Waterloo cancelled. 14.40 Haslemere cancelled. 14.47 Waterloo-Brentford-Waterloo cancelled. 14.48 Weymouth-Waterloo 27 minutes late. 15.48 Poole-Waterloo 17 minutes late. 14.52 Waterloo-Reading cancelled. 15.03 Waterloo-Salisbury cancelled. 15.07 Guildford-Waterloo cancelled. 15.45 Waterloo-Southampton cancelled. 16.00 Waterloo-Poole 15 minutes late. 16.30 Waterloo-Weymouth 18 minutes late. 16.42 Reading-Waterloo cancelled. 16.45 Waterloo-Southampton cancelled. Passengers on the 16.48 Poole-Waterloo thrown off at Bournemouth. 17.55 Southampton-Waterloo cancelled. 18.30 Waterloo-Weymouth 11 minutes late. 19.39 Waterloo-Guildford cancelled due to no driver. 20.00 Guildford-Waterloo cancelled due to no driver. 20.30 Waterloo-Weymouth cancelled. 20.50 Guildford-Waterloo cancelled due to no driver. Passengers on the 21.42 Waterloo-Guildford thrown off at Vauxhall due to duff stock. 21.48 Waterloo-Alton cancelled due to no driver. 21.56 Waterloo-Reading cancelled due to no driver. 22.12 Waterloo-Windsor cancelled due to no driver. 22.59 Alton-Waterloo cancelled due to no driver. 23.15 Windsor-Waterloo cancelled due to no driver. 23.20 Reading-Wokingham cancelled due to no driver.

5/9/04 08.12 Portsmouth-Eastleigh cancelled due to no driver. 09.03 Waterloo-Plymouth 19 minutes late. 09.21 Eastleigh-Portsmouth cancelled due to no driver. 09.40 Weymouth-Waterloo reduced to 5 coaches. 09.45 Waterloo-Portsmouth 12 minutes late. 09.57 Reading-Waterloo 48 minutes late. 10.30 Waterloo-Weymouth 86 minutes late due to signalling problems. 10.50 Waterloo-Bournemouth 10 minutes late. 10.55 Basingstoke-Waterloo 60 minutes late due to signalling problems; passengers thrown off at Woking. 11.02 Windsor-Waterloo 34 minutes late. 11.15 Waterloo-Portsmouth 12 minutes late. 11.30 Exeter-Waterloo 50 minutes late. 11.30 Waterloo-Weymouth 10 minutes late. 11.40 Weymouth-Waterloo 20 minutes late due to broken down train in front. 11.55 Basingstoke-Waterloo cancelled. 11.57 Reading-Waterloo 48 minutes late. 12.23 Waterloo-Basingstoke axed between Waterloo and Woking. 12.38 Paignton-Waterloo 18 minutes late. Passengers on the 12.55 Reading-Brighton thrown off at Havant. 13.30 Waterloo-Weymouth reduced to 5 coaches. 14.02 Windsor-Waterloo 31 minutes late. 15.02 Windsor-Waterloo 16 minutes late. 15.40 Weymouth-Waterloo 13 minutes late. Passengers on the 15.53 Romsey-Totton thrown off at Southampton. 15.53 Waterloo-Alton reduced to 4 coaches. 16.10 Brighton-Reading cancelled. 16.55 Totton-Romsey cancelled. 17.15 Waterloo-Portsmouth 24 minutes late due to no crew. 18.00 Romsey-Totton cancelled. 18.40 Weymouth-Waterloo 40 minutes late. 18.50 Waterloo-Bournemouth 33 minutes late. 18.55 Reading-Portsmouth cancelled. 19.30 Waterloo-Weymouth 14 minutes late. 19.53 Romsey-Totton axed between Romsey and Southampton. Passengers on the 19.55 Totton-Romsey thrown off at Southampton. 20.15 Ascot-Guildford cancelled. 20.28 Weybridge-Waterloo axed between Weybridge and Staines due to duff stock. 21.00 Romsey-Totton cancelled. 22.05 Totton-Romsey cancelled. 22.18 Guildford-Ascot cancelled. 23.02 Romsey-Southampton cancelled. 23.15 Ascot-Farnham cancelled.

6/9/04 16.47 Portsmouth-Waterloo 18 minutes late. 16.57 Portsmouth-Waterloo 10 minutes late. 17.13 Basingstoke-Waterloo 28 minutes late. 17.34 Waterloo-Portsmouth cancelled. 17.38 Basingstoke-Waterloo 11 minutes late. 19.20 Waterloo-Portsmouth reduced to 4 coaches; ran fast between Waterloo and Guildford. Passengers at Eastleigh awaiting the 21.21 to Portsmouth were horrified when, at departure time, it was suddenly shown as 30 minutes late. 21.55 Waterloo-Poole cancelled due to no driver.

7/9/04 13.30 Exeter-Waterloo 15 minutes late. 14.48 Weymouth-Waterloo 10 minutes late. 15.47 Portsmouth-Waterloo 10 minutes late. 15.55 Southampton-Waterloo 10 minutes late. 16.39, 17.09, 17.39 and 18.09 Hampton Court-Waterloo axed due to signalling problems. 16.54 Waterloo Weybridge 20 minutes late. 16.56 and 17.29 Waterloo-Hampton Court axed due to signalling problems. 17.02 Waterloo-Kingston-Waterloo 15 minutes late. 17.25 Waterloo-Guildford started 10 minutes late. 17.45 Waterloo-Weymouth started 8 minutes late; appalling conditions in some parts of the train due to duff air conditioning. 18.20 Portsmouth-Waterloo 15 minutes late. 19.14 Basingstoke-Waterloo 12 minutes late. 20.42 Waterloo-Basingstoke 22 minutes late. 21.40 Portsmouth-Havant cancelled due to duff stock.

8/9/04 05.52 Eastleigh-Portsmouth axed between Eastleigh and Fratton due to no guard. 06.02 Weymouth-Waterloo 12 minutes late. 06.03 Portsmouth-Waterloo cancelled due to no guard. 06.38 Farnham-Waterloo 31 minutes late; all intermediate stops after Woking omitted for operational convenience. 06.50 Alton-Waterloo 15 minutes late; Clapham Junction stop omitted for operational convenience. Passengers on the 07.10 Eastleigh-Portsmouth thrown off at Fratton. 07.17 Basingstoke-Waterloo 15 minutes late due to duff stock. 07.28 Eastleigh-Waterloo 46 minutes late; Woking stop axed. 07.54 Woking-Waterloo cancelled due to duff stock. 08.05 Portsmouth-Reading cancelled. 08.33 Waterloo-Plymouth 36 minutes late. 09.33 Exeter-Waterloo 21 minutes late. 10.25 Windsor-Waterloo 16 minutes late. 11.12 Reading-Waterloo 10 minutes late. 11.30 Exeter-Waterloo 27 minutes late. 11.48 Poole-Waterloo 19 minutes late. 13.32 Plymouth-Waterloo axed between Plymouth and Newton Abbot. Signalling problems in the Barnes area from mid-afternoon. 14.33 Weybridge-Waterloo 102 minutes late. 15.30 Waterloo-Weymouth about 30 minutes late due to extra stops to compensate for cancelled trains. 15.33 Waterloo-Yeovil axed between Waterloo and Basingstoke. 15.39 Waterloo-Guildford 22 minutes late; all intermediate stops after Surbiton axed for operational convenience. 15.48 Waterloo-Kingston-Waterloo 46 minutes late. 15.54 Waterloo-Brentford-Waterloo 26 minutes late. 16.03 Weybridge-Waterloo 15 minutes late. 16.15 Waterloo-Kingston-Waterloo 14 minutes late. 16.25 Portsmouth-Waterloo cancelled. 16.28 Waterloo-Windsor reduced to 4 coaches and 42 minutes late; all intermediate stops before Staines omitted for operational convenience. 16.33 Weybridge-Waterloo 25 minutes late. 16.42 Reading-Waterloo 20 minutes late. 16.42 Poole-Waterloo 12 minutes late. 16.47 Portsmouth-Waterloo 13 minutes late. 16.47 Waterloo-Brentford-Waterloo cancelled. 16.50 Guildford-Waterloo cancelled due to duff stock. 16.52 Waterloo-Reading cancelled. 16.58 Waterloo-Windsor cancelled. 16.58 Alton-Waterloo 11 minutes late. Passengers on the 17.10 Plymouth-Waterloo thrown off at Salisbury, where the train failed. 17.14 Woking-Waterloo 25 minutes late. 17.15 Waterloo-Kingston-Waterloo 23 minutes late. 17.17/17.47/18.17 Waterloo-Shepperton cancelled. 17.22 Waterloo-Chessington 21 minutes late. 17.25 Waterloo-Guildford cancelled. 17.26 Reading-Waterloo 20 minutes late. 17.26/17.56 Windsor-Waterloo cancelled. 17.33 Waterloo-Kingston-Waterloo 20 minutes late. 17.34 Woking-Waterloo 26 minutes late. 17.35 Alton-Waterloo 21 minutes late. 17.37 Waterloo-Aldershot axed between Waterloo and Clapham Junction. 17.45 Woking-Waterloo 17 minutes late. 17.45 suffered severely duff air conditioning; some passengers given free bottles of water. 17.47 Portsmouth-Waterloo 11 minutes late. 17.50 Portsmouth-Waterloo 11 minutes late. 17.59 Waterloo-Hampton Court cancelled. 18.03 Chessington-Waterloo 33 minutes late; all intermediate stops except Wimbledon omitted for operational convenience. 18.04 Woking-Waterloo omitted all intermediate stops before Surbiton. 18.08 Woking-Waterloo omitted all intermediate stops before Surbiton. 18.14 Windsor-Waterloo 22 minutes late; all intermediate stops after Staines omitted for operational convenience. 18.15 Woking-Waterloo omitted all intermediate stops after Surbiton. Passengers on the 18.22 Waterloo-Reading thrown off at Ascot. 18.24 Reading-Waterloo cancelled. 18.32 Waterloo-Portsmouth cancelled. 18.36 Guildford-Waterloo cancelled. 18.37 Waterloo-Alton reduced to 4 coaches. 18.39 Hampton Court-Waterloo 20 minutes late. 18.48 Epsom-Waterloo 11 minutes late. 18.54 Waterloo-Weybridge cancelled. 19.16 Waterloo-Kingston-Waterloo 30 minutes late. 19.16 Windsor-Waterloo 18 minutes late; all intermediate stops after Staines omitted. 19.24 Reading-Waterloo 13 minutes late. 19.26 Waterloo-Hampton Court 15 minutes late departing. 19.54 Reading-Waterloo 19 minutes late; all intermediate stops after Staines axed. Passengers on the 19.56 Waterloo-Reading thrown off at Wokingham. 20.00 Guildford-Waterloo 17 minutes late. 20.09 Hampton Court-Waterloo cancelled. 20.32 Portsmouth-Southampton axed between Portsmouth Harbour and Portsmouth & Southsea. 20.33 Weybridge-Waterloo cancelled. 21.24 Reading-Waterloo axed between Reading and Bracknell. 21.26 Waterloo-Reading cancelled.

9/9/04 Waterloo station closed for 45 minutes in the early afternoon, due to a false security alarm. 13.30 Waterloo-Weymouth 26 minutes late. 14.17 Portsmouth-Waterloo cancelled. 14.33 Waterloo-Plymouth 23 minutes late. 14.40 Waterloo-Basingstoke cancelled. 14.54 Portsmouth-Waterloo 20 minutes late; Clapham Junction stop axed. 16.19 Southampton-Winchester cancelled. 16.23 Waterloo-Portsmouth cancelled. 16.42 Poole-Waterloo 10 minutes late. 17.33 Waterloo-Kingston-Waterloo 12 minutes late. 17.50 Portsmouth-Waterloo cancelled. 18.42 Poole-Waterloo 15 minutes late. 19.45 Waterloo-Kingston-Waterloo cancelled due to duff stock. 20.00 Waterloo-Portsmouth cancelled.

10/9/04 05.42 Poole-Waterloo 15 minutes late due to duff train in front. 16.37 Waterloo-Basingstoke reduced to 4 coaches due to duff stock. 17.52 Waterloo-Reading 14 minutes late due to no crew. 17.56 Waterloo-Portsmouth 10 minutes late due to duff stock. 18.09 Hampton Court-Waterloo 11 minutes late. 18.57 Brighton-Reading axed between Basingstoke and Reading due to no driver. 19.33 Chessington-Waterloo 14 minutes late. 20.47 Portsmouth-Waterloo 15 minutes late due to duff stock. 21.24 Reading-Portsmouth axed between Reading and Basingstoke.

11/9/04 08.38 Waterloo-Portsmouth 21 minutes late. 08.40 Waterloo-Basingstoke 17 minutes late; all stops after Woking omitted. Passengers on the 08.48 Poole-Waterloo thrown off at Brockenhurst due to duff stock. 08.48 Waterloo-Alton 18 minutes late. 09.36 Portsmouth-Southampton 20 minutes late due to duff stock. 09.47 Southampton-Portsmouth 18 minutes late. 10.05 Reading-Brighton 29 minutes late due to duff stock. 10.36 Portsmouth-Southampton 28 minutes late due to duff stock. 10.55 Southampton-Waterloo 18 minutes late. 11.30 Waterloo-Weymouth 33 minutes late due to duff stock. 11.36 Portsmouth-Southampton 20 minutes late due to duff stock. 12.00 Waterloo-Poole cancelled due to duff stock. 12.30 Waterloo-Weymouth 12 minutes late. 12.39 Waterloo-Guildford 15 minutes late. 12.55 Southampton-Waterloo cancelled. 13.30 Waterloo-Weymouth 17 minutes late due to duff train. 14.45 Waterloo-Southampton cancelled. 15.22 Waterloo-Reading 18 minutes late due to duff stock. 15.48 Waterloo-Alton axed between Waterloo and Woking. 17.03 Weybridge-Waterloo cancelled. 18.22 Waterlo-Reading 13 minutes late due to duff stock. 20.26 Waterloo-Reading cancelled due to no driver. 20.37 Shepperton-Waterloo cancelled due to no driver. 21.38 Waterloo-Portsmouth 20 minutes late due to no stock. 22.12 Waterloo-Guildford cancelled due to no driver. 22.26 Waterloo-Reading cancelled due to no driver. Signalling failure at Clapham Junction: 21.58 Alton-Waterloo 10 minutes late. 22.00 Guildford-Waterloo 14 minutes late; 22.06 18 minutes late; 22.20 12 minutes late. 22.07 Shepperton-Waterloo 22 minutes late. 22.13 Windsor-Waterloo 43 minutes late; 22.45 15 minutes late. 22.19 Kingston-Waterloo 45 minutes late; 22.49 23 minutes late. 22.38 Chessington-Waterloo 16 minutes late. 23.01 Hounslow-Waterloo 17 minutes late. 23.02 Waterloo-Kingston 34 minutes late; 23.37 17 minutes late.

12/9/04 08.00 Portsmouth-Brighton 15 minutes late. 07.13 Woking-Portsmouth 25 minutes late due to duff stock. Passengers on the 11.45 Waterloo-Portsmouth thrown off at Clapham junction due to duff stock. 12.15 Waterloo-Portsmouth 23 minutes late. 13.36 Waterloo-Epsom and 14.25 Epsom-Waterloo cancelled due to no driver. 13.10 Brighton-Reading and 15.55 Reading-Brighton axed between Basingstoke and Reading due to no driver. 16.25 Waterloo-Chessington cancelled due to no driver. 14.16 Penzance-Waterloo advertised, at various stages of its journey, as running up to 197 minutes late. 19.27 Reading-Waterloo axed between Ascot and Waterloo due to duff stock. 20.41 Waterloo-Reading axed between Waterloo and Staines. 22.27 Reading-Waterloo axed between Staines and Waterloo.

13/9/04 05.30 Portsmouth-Southampton 30 minutes late due to no driver. 06.34 Southampton-Romsey 30 minutes late due to no driver. 13.32 Plymouth-Waterloo 44 minutes late from Totnes due to duff train in front; passengers thrown off at Exeter. 16.30 Waterloo-Weymouth didn't even clear the platform at Waterloo before it came to a grinding halt for 5 minutes, the driver publicly announcing to the guard that he had "lost the interlock". 18.35 Waterloo-Exeter reduced to 6 coaches due to duff stock. 18.42 Poole-Waterloo 20 minutes late from Southampton due to no crew. 20.25 Portsmouth-Waterloo 10 minutes late. 20.32 Portsmouth-Southampton 30 minutes late; omitted all stops between Portsmouth Harbour and Fareham for operational convenience. 20.47 Portsmouth-Waterloo 15 minutes late due to no stock. 21.30 Waterloo-Weymouth 38 minutes late and reduced to 4 coaches due to no stock.

14/9/04 14.17 Portsmouth-Waterloo 32 minutes late due to duff stock; 14.47 15 minutes late. 15.07 Waterloo-Weybridge 16 minutes late. 15.38 Exeter-Waterloo 12 minutes late. 16.08 Waterloo-Portsmouth reduced to 4 coaches. 16.26 Waterloo-Hampton Court and 16.30 Waterloo-Epsom cancelled. Passengers on the 17.30 Waterloo-Exeter thrown off at Salisbury due to no driver. 17.45 Waterloo-Weymouth about 10 minutes late. 21.00 Waterloo-Portsmouth cancelled. 19.33 Paignton-Basingstoke 26 minutes late.

15/9/04 05.39 Yeovil-Waterloo reduced to 6 coaches. 07.04 Waterloo-Portsmouth axed between Waterloo and Woking and 23 minutes late, due to duff stock. 08.33 Waterloo-Plymouth reduced to 6 coaches. Woking stop of 09.08 and 09.38 Waterloo-Portsmouth axed due to electrical problems. 09.15 Waterloo-Portsmouth 19 minutes late. 09.30 Waterloo-Weymouth 21 minutes late. 09.33 Waterloo-Gillingham 16 minutes late. Clapham Junction stop of the 10.40 Haslemere-Waterloo axed. 10.53 Waterloo-Portsmouth 25 minutes late. 11.00 Alton-Waterloo axed between Alton and Farnham due to no crew. 13.15 Waterloo-Portsmouth 21 minutes late. 13.32 Plymouth-Waterloo 12 minutes late. 14.12 Reading-Waterloo 18 minutes late. 14.17 Portsmouth-Waterloo cancelled due to duff stock. 15.48 Poole-Waterloo 30 minutes late. 15.54 Portsmouth-Waterloo 27 minutes late. 16.23 Waterloo-Portsmouth axed between Waterloo and Woking. 16.47 Portsmouth-Waterloo 12 minutes late. 16.55 Southampton-Waterloo 12 minutes late. 16.57 Portsmouth-Waterloo reduced to 5 coaches and 15 minutes late, due to duff stock. 17.07 and 17.20 Guildford-Waterloo 16 minutes late. 17.13 Basingstoke-Waterloo 12 minutes late. 17.19 Dorking-Waterloo cancelled due to duff stock. 17.33 Waterloo-Kingston-Waterloo 17 minutes late. 17.37 Shepperton-Waterloo 18 minutes late. 17.45 Woking-Waterloo 12 minutes late. 17.50 Guildford-Waterloo 10 minutes late. 18.03 Chessington-Waterloo 14 minutes late. 18.09 Hampton Court-Waterloo 11 minutes late. 18.30 Waterloo-Weymouth 11 minutes late. 18.40Waterloo-Havant 10 minutes late. 18.45 Waterloo-Kingston-Waterloo 11 minutes late. 18.51 Waterloo-Guildford 15 minutes late. 19.00 Waterloo-Portsmouth reduced to 5 coaches and 27 minutes late. 19.09 Hampton Court-Waterloo 12 minutes late. 20.47 Portsmouth-Waterloo 16 minutes late.

16/9/04 13.48 Poole-Waterloo 16 minutes late. 15.00 Alton-Waterloo 11 minutes late. 15.33 Waterloo-Shepperton 15 minutes late. 15.37 Waterloo-Weybridge 19 minutes late. 15.39 Hampton Court-Waterloo 16 minutes late; all stops after Surbiton omitted for operational convenience. 16.05 Reading-Brighton axed between Reading and Basingstoke and delayed due to duff stock. 16.47 Waterloo-Brentford-Waterloo reduced to 4 coaches. Many passengers on the 17.15 Waterloo-Weymouth had to stand from London to Winchester. 17.17 Portsmouth-Waterloo 18 minutes late. 17.26 Waterloo-Guildford reduced to 4 coaches. 18.10 Waterloo-Yeovil reduced to 7 coaches. 18.17 Waterloo-Shepperton reduced to 4 coaches. 18.36 Guildford-Waterloo missed stops at West Byfleet and Byfleet & New Haw. 18.37 Waterloo-Alton reduced to 8 coaches. 19.20 Waterloo-Portsmouth 16 minutes late.

17/9/04 14.47 Portsmouth-Waterloo cancelled due to duff stock. 15.08 Paignton-Waterloo 16 minutes late. 15.24 Waterloo-Brentford-Waterloo 11 minutes late. 15.38 Exeter-Waterloo 10 minutes late. 16.42 Poole-Waterloo delayed 12 minutes at Southampton Central. 17.51 Waterloo-Portsmouth 34 minutes late. 17.53 Salisbury-Waterloo 21 minutes late and reduced to 3 coaches due to duff stock. 17.55 Southampton-Brockenhurst 12 minutes late due to no crew. 18.50 Guildford-Waterloo 10 minutes late. 18.57 Brighton-Reading 57 minutes late due to duff stock; passengers thrown off at Fareham. 19.05 Waterloo-Bristol delayed in the Salisbury area. 19.14 Basingstoke-Waterloo 13 minutes late. 19.15 Woking-Waterloo 10 minutes late. 19.24 Reading-Waterloo 13 minutes late. 19.35 Waterloo-Honiton 10 minutes late and reduced to 3 coaches due to duff stock. 19.40 Waterloo-Portsmouth 21 minutes late. 19.47 Portsmouth-Waterloo 40 minutes late. 19.50 Guildford-Waterloo 25 minutes late; stops at Wimbledon, Clapham Junction and Vauxhall axed for operational convenience. 20.17 Portsmouth-Waterloo 28 minutes late. 20.17 Waterloo-Staines cancelled due to duff stock. 20.25 Portsmouth-Waterloo 12 minutes late. 20.47 Portsmouth-Waterloo 21 minutes late. 21.00 Guildford-Waterloo cancelled. 21.02 Weymouth-Waterloo 18 minutes late. 21.15 Woking-Waterloo cancelled. 21.20 Portsmouth-Waterloo 16 minutes late. 21.21 Staines-Waterloo cancelled due to duff stock. 21.24 Reading-Portsmouth cancelled due to duff stock. 22.15 Bristol-Salisbury cancelled.

18/9/04 09.08 Waterloo-Southampton 20 minutes late; Woking and Guildford stops axed for operational convenience. 16.48 Poole-Waterloo 27 minutes late. 16.48 Weymouth-Waterloo 14 minutes late. 20.45 Waterloo-Southampton axed. 20.52 Havant-Waterloo 10 minutes late. 21.02 Weymouth-Waterloo 18 minutes late due to no crew. 22.26 Waterloo-Reading axed.

19/9/04 07.17 Waterloo-Kingston-Waterloo cancelled. 08.03 Waterloo-Bournemouth 31 minutes late due to no stock. 08.40 Portsmouth-Waterloo 16 minutes late. 09.54 Basingstoke-Plymouth 15 minutes late. 10.20 Portsmouth-Waterloo 19 minutes late. 10.45 Waterloo-Portsmouth 27 minutes late; stops between Guildford and Portsmouth, except Haslemere, Petersfield and Havant, axed for operational convenience. 11.30 Exeter-Waterloo 15 minutes late. 12.38 Havant-Waterloo 18 minutes late. 12.50 Havant-Southampton 17 minutes late. 14.00 Plymouth-Waterloo 12 minutes late. 15.25 Yeovil-Waterloo 42 minutes late. 15.50 Guildford-Waterloo 15 minutes late; all intermediate stops after Surbiton axed for operational convenience. 15.55 Bournemouth-Waterloo 15 minutes late. 16.40 Portsmouth-Waterloo 10 minutes late. 16.50 Waterloo-Bournemouth 59 minutes late due to duff stock; all intermediate stops between Southampton and Bournemouth, except Brockenhurst, axed for operational convenience. 17.11 Waterloo-Reading axed due to duff stock. 17.22 Guildford-Waterloo 19 minutes late. 17.23 Waterloo-Basingstoke 25 minutes late. 17.39 Waterloo-Guildford 27 minutes late. 17.45 Waterloo-Portsmouth 27 minutes late. 17.52 Guildford-Waterloo 16 minutes late. 17.53 Waterloo-Alton 22 minutes late; passengers thrown off at Farnham. 17.55 Basingstoke-Waterloo 23 minutes late. 18.09 Waterloo-Guildford 25 minutes late; passengers thrown off at Woking. 18.09 Hampton Court-Waterloo 19 minutes late. 18.09 Waterloo-Woking 48 minutes late. 18.15 Waterloo-Portsmouth 16 minutes late. 18.23 Basingstoke-Waterloo 12 minutes late. 18.39 Hampton Court-Waterloo 13 minutes late. 18.45 Waterloo-Portsmouth 10 minutes late. 18.52 Guildford-Waterloo axed between Guildford and Woking. 18.57 Reading-Waterloo axed between Reading and Ascot due to duff stock. 19.09 Waterloo-Guildford 12 minutes late. 19.20 Alton-Waterloo axed between Alton and Farnham. 19.22 Guildford-Waterloo axed between Guildford and Woking. 19.39 Hampton Court-Waterloo 15 minutes late. 20.45 Waterloo-Portsmouth cancelled.

20/9/04 Guard of the 05.42 Poole-Waterloo apologised to passengers "who had been delayed by the cancelled train", presumably the 05.34 Bournemouth-Waterloo. 08.15 Waterloo-Portsmouth cancelled. 13.30 Waterloo-Weymouth 15 minutes late and axed between Waterloo and Woking. 14.17 Portsmouth-Waterloo 28 minutes late due to duff stock. 14.33 Waterloo-Plymouth 36 minutes late due to no crew. 16.05 Reading-Brighton, 18.57 Brighton-Reading and 21.24 Reading-Portsmouth all axed between Reading and Basingstoke due to duff stock. 16.42 Poole-Waterloo delayed 7 minutes at Southampton Central. 16.54 and 16.57 Portsmouth-Waterloo both 15 minutes late. 18.15 Waterloo-Portsmouth and 18.37 Waterloo-Alton reduced to 8 coaches. 18.32 Waterloo-Portsmouth cancelled due to no guard. 19.00 Waterloo-Portsmouth 20 minutes late due to duff stock. 20.03 Waterloo-Alton 15 minutes late due to duff stock. 20.38 Chessington-Waterloo cancelled due to duff stock. 21.26 Waterloo-Hampton Court 25 minutes late due to no crew. 21.47 Southampton-Portsmouth cancelled due to no driver.

21/9/04 07.17 Basingstoke-Waterloo 10 minutes late. 13.53 Waterloo-Portsmouth 19 minutes late. 14.17 Portsmouth-Waterloo 24 minutes late due to duff stock; passengers thrown off at Woking. 14.25 Portsmouth-Waterloo 22 minutes late due to duff 14.17 in front; stops after Guildford axed for operational convenience. 14.47 Portsmouth-Waterloo 14 minutes late. Trains with reduced length due to duff stock: 16.04 Waterloo-Shepperton (4 coaches); 16.42 Waterloo-Guildford (4 coaches); 18.06 Waterloo-Epsom (4 coaches); 18.21 Waterloo-Basingstoke (8 coaches); 18.56 Waterloo-Hampton Court (4 coaches); 19.00 Waterloo-Portsmouth (8 coaches); 20.20 Waterloo-Portsmouth (4 coaches). Trains with reduced length without explanation: 18.00 Waterloo-Guildford (8 coaches); 18.35 Waterloo-Exeter (6 coaches); 18.37 Waterloo-Alton (8 coaches). 16.23 Waterloo-Portsmouth axed between Waterloo and Woking. 16.25 Portsmouth-Waterloo 17 minutes late; Clapham Junction stop axed for operational convenience. 16.32 Portsmouth-Southampton arrived at Southampton, over 20 minutes late, at 17.48; on arrival it was announced as the train from Southampton Central - it then formed the 17.47 return service to Portsmouth. Stock for the 17.55 Southampton-Brockenhurst occupied the main down platform at Southampton Central for over 20 minutes; long-distance trains were diverted to the middle platform, with passengers having to struggle across the station with their luggage. 18.54 Waterloo-Weybridge 15 minutes late due to duff stock. 18.57 Brighton-Reading and 21.24 Reading-Portsmouth axed between Basingstoke and Reading due to no crew. 20.20 Waterloo-Portsmouth 10 minutes late.

22/9/04 Road vehicle hit a bridge at Hersham in the early morning. 05.35 Waterloo-Weymouth 28 minutes late; Wimbledon stop axed. 05.42 Poole-Waterloo 12 minutes late. 05.53 Wimbledon-Portsmouth 34 minutes late. 06.37 Hampton Court-Waterloo 37 minutes late. 06.48 Guildford-Waterloo 14 minutes late. 06.50 Alton-Waterloo reduced to 8 coaches and 12 minutes late; Clapham Junction stop omitted for operational convenience. 06.59 Guildford-Waterloo 32 minutes late; passengers thrown off at Epsom. 07.05 Dorking-Waterloo axed between Dorking and Epsom. 07.09 Waterloo-Woking 18 minutes late; all intermediate stops axed. 07.10 Haslemere-Waterloo axed (originally it was to run short with only 8 coaches). 07.18 Waterloo-Kingston-Waterloo axed. 07.18 Guildford-Waterloo reduced to 4 coaches. 07.56 Waterloo-Hampton Court omitted all intermediate stops before Surbiton. 07.56 Alton-Waterloo axed due to duff stock. 08.17 Brighton-Basingstoke 17 minutes late. 08.25 Guildford-Waterloo 16 minutes late. 08.26 Waterloo-Woking axed. 08.28 Portsmouth-Waterloo axed between Portsmouth Harbour and Portsmouth & Southsea. 08.30 Waterloo-Weymouth 15 minutes late. 08.38 Waterloo-Portsmouth 17 minutes late. 08.46 Twickenham-Waterloo axed. 08.48 Waterloo-Kingston-Waterloo 14 minutes late. 09.02 Waterloo-Kingston-Waterloo omitted all intermediate stops before Richmond. 09.18 Waterloo-Alton axed between Waterloo and Farnham due to duff stock. 09.20 Portsmouth-Waterloo 13 minutes late. 09.28 Waterloo-Windsor 15 minutes late. 09.30 Waterloo-Guildford 15 minutes late. 09.48 Weymouth-Waterloo 12 minutes late. 10.15 Waterloo-Dorking 15 minutes late; stops at Vauxhall, Clapham Junction, Wimbledon and Worcester Park omitted for operational convenience. Fatality in the Honiton area: 11.33 Waterloo-Plymouth 124 minutes late and passengers thrown off at Exeter; 13.30 Exeter-Waterloo 127 minutes late and passengers thrown off at Salisbury; 13.32 Plymouth-Waterloo 88 minutes late and passengers thrown off at Salisbury. 16.52 Waterloo-Reading 20 minutes late due to duff stock. 16.57 Portsmouth-Waterloo 12 minutes late. 18.24 Reading-Waterloo 15 minutes late. 19.20 Portsmouth-Waterloo 18 minutes late. 20.25 Portsmouth-Waterloo 21 minutes late due to duff stock.

23/9/04 05.42 Poole-Waterloo 12 minutes late. 14.57 Brighton-Basingstoke axed. 17.21 Weybridge-Waterloo 11 minutes late. 18.03 Chessington-Waterloo 17 minutes late. 18.07 Waterloo-Reading cancelled due to duff stock. 18.10 Waterloo-Yeovil reduced to 5 coaches. 18.22 Waterloo-Reading 22 minutes late due to duff stock. 19.24 Reading-Waterloo axed between Reading and Ascot due to duff stock. 19.30 Waterloo-Weymouth 14 minutes late. 19.42 Poole-Waterloo 12 minutes late. 19.54 Reading-Waterloo 15 minutes late. 20.25 Portsmouth-Waterloo 19 minutes late. 21.26 Waterloo-Reading 20 minutes late.

24/9/04 Afternoon train failure on the Portsmouth-Waterloo line, followed by train failure at Woking. 14.47 Portsmouth-Waterloo 40 minutes late. 15.03 Waterloo-Gillingham cancelled due to duff stock. 15.17, 15.47 and 16.01 Portsmouth-Waterloo all diverted via Eastleigh. 15.40 Waterloo-Basingstoke axed between Waterloo and Woking due to duff stock. 16.48 Weymouth-Waterloo 23 minutes late. 16.50 Waterloo-Portsmouth cancelled. 16.54 Portsmouth-Waterloo 22 minutes late. 16.57 Portsmouth-Waterloo 27 minutes late. 17.17 Portsmouth-Waterloo 20 minutes late. 17.25 Portsmouth-Waterloo 10 minutes late. 17.50 Portsmouth-Waterloo 12 minutes late. 17.51 Weybridge-Waterloo 12 minutes late. 17.51 Waterloo-Portsmouth 35 minutes late. 18.15 Waterloo-Portsmouth 31 minutes late. 18.18 Waterloo-Alton reduced to 4 coaches. 18.30 Waterloo-Weymouth 12 minutes late. 18.32 Waterloo-Portsmouth 17 minutes late. 18.34 Alton-Waterloo 11 minutes late. 18.34 Waterloo-Kingston-Waterloo 14 minutes late. 18.36 Guildford-Waterloo 20 minutes late. 18.40 Waterloo-Havant 21 minutes late. 18.47 Portsmouth-Waterloo 10 minutes late. 18.54 Salisbury-Waterloo 14 minutes late. 19.00 Waterloo-Portsmouth 21 minutes late. 19.03 Chessington-Waterloo 15 minutes late. 19.05 Alton-Waterloo 17 minutes late. 19.09 Hampton Court-Waterloo 12 minutes late. 19.12 Waterloo-Basingstoke 15 minutes late. 19.14 Basingstoke-Waterloo 13 minutes late. 19.17 Portsmouth-Waterloo 33 minutes late; all intermediate stops omitted for operational convenience. 19.20 Waterloo-Portsmouth 11 minutes late. 19.30 Waterloo-Weymouth 18 minutes late due to no crew. 19.47 Portsmouth-Waterloo 12 minutes late. Passengers on the 19.50 and 20.50 Waterloo-Poole thrown off at Woking due to duff stock. 19.54 Reading-Waterloo 18 minutes late. 20.10 Waterloo-Southampton 40 minutes late due to failure of the 19.50 Waterloo-Poole. 20.17 Portsmouth-Waterloo 26 minutes late. 21.00 Guildford-Waterloo 25 minutes late; all intermediate stops after Epsom axed for administrative convenience. 21.10 Waterloo-Southampton 10 minutes late. 21.24 Alton-Waterloo 56 minutes late. 21.30 Waterloo-Weymouth 15 minutes late. 22.24 Alton-Waterloo 18 minutes late.

25/9/04 Duff SWT train at Portsmouth & Southsea at about 09.00. Services collapsed, including those run by Wessex Trains and Southern. 08.17 Portsmouth-Waterloo 97 minutes late and 08.47 90 minutes late; passengers on both trains thrown off at Woking. 08.53 Waterloo-Portsmouth 15 minutes late. 08.55 Portsmouth-Waterloo 98 minutes late. 09.08 Waterloo-Portsmouth 12 minutes late. 09.10 Portsmouth-Basingstoke 81 minutes late. 09.17 Portsmouth-Waterloo cancelled. 09.47 Portsmouth-Waterloo 55 minutes late; passengers thrown off at Woking. 09.54 Portsmouth-Waterloo 89 minutes late. 10.08 / 10.38 / 11.08 / 11.38 Waterloo-Portsmouth axed between Waterloo and Woking. 10.17 Portsmouth-Waterloo 38 minutes late. 10.23 Waterloo-Haslemere and 11.40 Haslemere-Waterloo cancelled. 10.25 Portsmouth-Waterloo 40 minutes late. 10.40 Portsmouth-Reading 33 minutes late. 10.54 Portsmouth-Waterloo 33 minutes late. 11.15 Waterloo-Portsmouth cancelled. 11.23 Waterloo-Haslemere cancelled due to duff stock. 15.15 Waterloo-Portsmouth cancelled due to duff stock. 17.24 Waterloo-Brentford-Waterloo cancelled. 18.12 Reading-Waterloo 22 minutes late; all intermediate stops after Staines axed. Passengers on the 19.41 Poole-Waterloo thrown off at Basingstoke. 22.30 Waterloo-Bournemouth axed.

26/9/04 Extended engineering works disrupted early services. 07.57 Waterloo-Weybridge 44 minutes late; passengers thrown off at Virginia Water. 08.15 Waterloo-Portsmouth 33 minutes late. 08.30 Waterloo-Southampton Airport Parkway 26 minutes late. 08.54 Guildford-Waterloo cancelled. 09.25 Epsom-Waterloo cancelled. 09.28 Weybridge-Waterloo axed between Weybridge and Virginia Water. 09.52 Southampton Airport Parkway-Waterloo 23 minutes late due to no stock. 10.52 Guildford-Waterloo omitted all intermediate stops after Woking for operational convenience. 18.57 Waterloo-Reading 40 minutes late. 19.52 Guildford-Waterloo 10 minutes late. 20.41 Waterloo-Reading 13 minutes late.

27/9/04 Morning of duff train at Earlsfield. 05.10 Exeter-Waterloo reduced to 8 coaches. 05.14 Portsmouth-Waterloo 14 minutes late. 06.34 Southampton-Romsey 35 minutes late. 07.19 Guildford-Waterloo cancelled due to duff stock. 07.43 Waterloo-Portsmouth 20 minutes late due to no stock; stops at Haslemere and Havant axed for operational convenience. 07.53 Guildford-Waterloo cancelled due to duff stock. 08.00 Exeter-Waterloo 30 minutes late. 08.15 Waterloo-Portsmouth 20 minutes late due to duff stock. 08.25 Guildford-Portsmouth 30 minutes late due to duff stock; all intermediate stops between Haslemere and Havant axed for operational convenience. 08.38 Yeovil-Waterloo 33 minutes late. 08.43 Poole-Waterloo 30 minutes late. 08.46 Weymouth-Waterloo 29 minutes late. 08.48 Waterloo-Alton 15 minutes late due to no stock. 08.57 Alton-Waterloo 100 minutes late due to duff stock. 09.08 Weymouth-Waterloo 16 minutes late. 09.32 Yeovil-Waterloo 17 minutes late. 09.47 Portsmouth-Waterloo 24 minutes late. 09.54 Portsmouth-Waterloo 17 minutes late. 09.55 Southampton-Waterloo 18 minutes late. 10.02 Waterloo-Kingston-Waterloo 21 minutes late. 10.05 Reading-Brighton axed between Reading and Basingstoke. 10.12 Guildford-Waterloo 29 minutes late. 10.14 Basingstoke-Waterloo 29 minutes late. 10.17 Guildford-Waterloo 37 minutes late. 10.17 Portsmouth-Waterloo 16 minutes late. 10.30 Alton-Waterloo 11 minutes late. 10.32 Waterloo-Kingston-Waterloo 22 minutes late. 10.33 Chessington-Waterloo 34 minutes late. 10.34 Guildford-Waterloo 14 minutes late. 10.39 Hampton Court-Waterloo 35 minutes late. 10.40 Haslemere-Waterloo 25 minutes late. 10.44 Basingstoke-Waterloo 16 minutes late. 10.45 Woking-Waterloo 21 minutes late. 10.47 Guildford-Waterloo 25 minutes late. 10.48 Waterloo-Kingston-Waterloo 15 minutes late. 10.49 Dorking-Waterloo 39 minutes late. 10.54 Portsmouth-Waterloo 22 minutes late. 11.00 Alton-Waterloo cancelled due to duff stock. 11.02 Waterloo-Kingston-Waterloo 16 minutes late. 11.03 Chessington-Waterloo 30 minutes late. 11.03 Waterloo-Salisbury cancelled. 11.04 Guildford-Waterloo 11 minutes late. 11.09 Hampton Court-Waterloo cancelled due to duff train. 11.15 Woking-Waterloo 18 minutes late. 11.17 Guildford-Waterloo 12 minutes late. 11.18 Waterloo-Kingston-Waterloo 17 minutes late. 11.19 Dorking-Waterloo 18 minutes late. 11.26 Waterloo-Hampton Court cancelled due to duff stock. 11.30 Waterloo-Weymouth 12 minutes late. 11.33 Chessington-Waterloo 17 minutes late. 11.38 Waterloo-Portsmouth 20 minutes late. 11.42 Waterloo-Woking 23 minutes late; stops at Vauxhall, Clapham Junction and Wimbledon axed for operational convenience. 11.45 Waterloo-Southampton 20 minutes late. 11.48 Waterloo-Kingston-Waterloo 10 minutes late; all intermediate stops before Kingston omitted for operational convenience. 11.53 Waterloo-Portsmouth 22 minutes late. 11.55 Southampton-Waterloo 13 minutes late. 12.00 Waterloo-Poole 20 minutes late. 12.08 Waterloo-Portsmouth 13 minutes late. 12.30 Waterloo-Weymouth 10 minutes late. 13.32 Plymouth-Waterloo 12 minutes late. 14.25 Portsmouth-Waterloo 11 minutes late. 14.48 Poole-Waterloo 11 minutes late. 14.48 Weymouth-Waterloo 22 minutes late. 14.54 Portsmouth-Waterloo 12 minutes late. 15.02 Waterloo-Kingston-Waterloo 11 minutes late. 15.45 Waterloo-Southampton cancelled due to duff stock. 16.19 Dorking-Waterloo axed between Dorking and Leatherhead. 16.33 Weybridge-Waterloo cancelled due to duff stock. 17.18 Waterloo-Alton 19 minutes late due to no stock. 17.48 Waterloo-Alton reduced to 8 coaches. 18.07 Waterloo-Reading reduced to 4 coaches. 18.21 Weybridge-Waterloo 10 minutes late.

28/9/04 Day of widespread delays, made worse by person being hit by train at Putney in early evening. 05.10 Exeter-Waterloo 10 minutes late. 06.32 Weymouth-Waterloo 15 minutes late. 06.54 Poole-Waterloo 15 minutes late. 08.58 Waterloo-Salisbury 10 minutes late due to duff stock. 09.02 Waterloo-Guildford 15 minutes late due to duff stock. 09.08 Weymouth-Waterloo 10 minutes late. 09.17 Portsmouth-Waterloo 17 minutes late due to duff stock; stops at Guildford and Woking omitted for operational convenience. 09.20 Portsmouth-Waterloo 19 minutes late. 10.17 Guildford-Waterloo 11 minutes late. 11.08 Waterloo-Portsmouth 15 minutes late due to no stock. 11.23 Waterloo-Haslemere axed between Waterloo and Woking. 12.15 Woking-Waterloo 10 minutes late due to no stock. 15.17 Portsmouth-Waterloo cancelled due to duff stock. 15.18 Waterloo-Kingston-Waterloo 15 minutes late. 15.18 Waterloo-Alton axed between Waterloo and Farnham due to duff stock. 15.38 Exeter-Waterloo 14 minutes late. 15.47 Portsmouth-Waterloo 14 minutes late due to duff stock. 15.48 Poole-Waterloo 14 minutes late. 16.15 Salisbury-Waterloo 15 minutes late. 16.17 Portsmouth-Waterloo 21 minutes late. 16.17 Waterloo-Brentford-Waterloo 28 minutes late. 16.23 Waterloo-Portsmouth axed between Waterloo and Woking. 16.24 Waterloo-Brentford-Waterloo 27 minutes late. 16.25 Portsmouth-Waterloo 10 minutes late. 16.42 Poole-Waterloo 15 minutes late. 16.42 Reading-Waterloo 14 minutes late. 16.45 Waterloo-Poole 12 minutes late. 16.45 Waterloo-Kingston-Waterloo 19 minutes late. 16.47 Waterloo-Brentford-Waterloo 31 minutes late. 16.50 Waterloo-Portsmouth 15 minutes late. 16.52 Waterloo-Reading 25 minutes late. 16.54 Portsmouth-Waterloo 13 minutes late. 17.00 Waterloo-Portsmouth 12 minutes late. 17.02 Waterloo-Kingston-Waterloo 17 minutes late. 17.07 Shepperton-Waterloo 12 minutes late. 17.08 Waterloo-Portsmouth 19 minutes late. 17.10 Plymouth-Waterloo 10 minutes late.17.14 Woking-Waterloo 14 minutes late. 17.15 Waterloo-Weymouth 14 minutes late. 17.20 Waterloo-Portsmouth 20 minutes late. 17.22 Waterloo-Reading 11 minutes late. 17.24 Waterloo-Weybridge cancelled. 17.26 Windsor-Waterloo 52 minutes late. 17.39 Hampton Court-Waterloo 18 minutes late. 17.33 Waterloo-Kingston-Waterloo 18 minutes late; all intermediate stops after Kingston omitted for operational convenience. 17.35 Alton-Waterloo 21 minutes late. 17.45 Waterloo-Weymouth 15 minutes late. 17.47 Waterloo-Shepperton 21 minutes late. 17.51 Weybridge-Waterloo 11 minutes late. 17.51 Waterloo-Portsmouth 10 minutes late. 17.52 Waterloo-Chessington 25 minutes late. 17.54 Reading-Waterloo 17 minutes late. 17.54 Waterloo-Haslemere 10 minutes late. 18.02 Waterloo-Kingston-Waterloo 21 minutes late. 18.04 Woking-Waterloo 27 minutes late; all intermediate stops omitted. 18.11 Twickenham-Waterloo 22 minutes late. 18.14 Windsor-Waterloo 39 minutes late; all intermediate stops omitted. 18.17 Waterloo-Shepperton cancelled. 18.19 Dorking-Waterloo 16 minutes late. 18.21 Waterloo-Basingstoke reduced to 8 coaches. 18.24 Reading-Waterloo 33 minutes late. 18.33 Chessington-Waterloo 21 minutes late; stops at Wimbledon, Earlsfield and Clapham Junction omitted for operational convenience. 18.40 Waterloo-Kingston-Waterloo 17 minutes late; all intermediate stops after Kingston omitted for operational convenience. 18.48 Epsom-Waterloo 10 minutes late. 18.51 Weybridge-Waterloo cancelled. 18.54 Waterloo-Weybridge 15 minutes late. 19.16 Waterloo-Kingston-Waterloo 18 minutes late. 19.20 Portsmouth-Waterloo 12 minutes late. 19.32 Waterloo-Kingston-Waterloo cancelled. 19.42 Waterloo-Windsor axed between Waterloo and Mortlake. 19.46 Windsor-Waterloo 11 minutes late. 19.57 Guildford-Waterloo 10 minutes late.

MISCELLANEA

20 August: Wessex Electric unit 442 407 "Thomas Hardy" had such badly damaged rubbers in the corridor connection between the first class and adjacent coaches that you could put your arm through the top of the train and wave to people on the platform. We don't recommend that you do it.

30 August: Bank holiday woe for cyclists. Twelve were awaiting the 16.00 Brockenhurst-Waterloo and seven were left behind. When the 16.26 arrived, ten were waiting and six were left behind.

6 September: The 18.50 Waterloo-Poole had such poor suspension that the 'bucking' caused one passenger to cut his head on the hefty iron ceiling bar whilst passing between the units.

7 September: The 17.45 Waterloo-Weymouth suffered duff air conditioning to the extent that, although the drop-lights in the external doors were opened along with the internal sliding doors, passengers sitting towards the centre of some coaches suffered tropical temperatures.

8 September: The kind of website message which scarcely engenders confidence in SWT: "20.33 Weybridge to London Waterloo, due 21.47. This train will be cancelled. This is due to the previous train being cancelled."

9 September: Awful conditions on the 06.57 Aldershot-Waterloo: severe overcrowding because 2 of the 8 coaches locked out of use due to duff doors, and severe-overheating because of duff air conditioning. When every second counts, and when it doesn't… Doors on the 17.47 Southampton-Portsmouth closed, 15 seconds early, as passenger vainly rushing down the footbridge steps to catch it. The 17.45 to London continued standing at the next platform, and eventually departed over 10 minutes late.

19 September: A couple arrived at Eastleigh to catch the 06.40 to Winchester. The booking office was closed and the official with a ticket machine refused to sell them a ticket as he couldn't change a note. They said they had to catch the train and would pay on board or at Winchester. Two officials then blocked their way on to the platform and ordered them to leave the station. They were last seen sitting on a wall outside the station discussing what to do next.

FAILURES WITH EXCUSES FOR FAILURE

On SWT problems are often presented as being in the past, for example trains routinely suffer from earlier technical faults. Nice entry on SWT's website on 1/9/04: "SHORT FORMATION: 07.09 Woking-Waterloo. This train has run short formed with 4 carriages. Message received 05.30 on 01.09.04."

Then, of course, failure can be good. Another entry on SWT's website on 1/9/04: "17.37 Waterloo-Aldershot. This train has been reinstated. This is due to a fault on the train." However, it wasn't all good. The National Rail website showed the train as running 15 minutes late.

On 20 September the website was updated at 06.58 to say that the 07.20 Waterloo-Portsmouth was running on time due to a delay on the previous journey.

At 15.03 on 27 September, the 16.45 Waterloo-Poole was reported as delayed at Farnborough Main due to a defect.

On a more serious note, although the SWT website claims to show services running more than 15 minutes late, a quick trawl of individual station entries on the National Rail website will often reveal many additional SWT trains which are running much more than 15 minutes late.

NOTICE BOARD

The Rail Passengers Committee for Southern England's final public meeting in 2004 is scheduled for 26 October in Tonbridge. The Committee can be contacted on 0870 336 6115. Their e'mail address is: info.southern@railpassengers.org.uk. There is now a centralised system for complaints and enquiries to the Rail Passengers Council: tel 08453 022 022; fax: 0845 850 1392; e'mail info@railpassengers.org.uk; textphone 0845 850 1354; website: www.railpassengers.org.uk. Address: Rail Passengers Council, Freepost WA1521, Warrington, WA4 6GP.

HOGRIDER PRESS RESEARCH

CAPACITY PROBLEMS ON VIRGIN TRAINS

A letter in the Southern Daily Echo of 23 August reports chaos on the short Virgin Voyager trains because passengers without reservations take reserved seats and refuse to move, and the ticket inspectors stay out of the way at stations. Another correspondent's letter of 6 September complained of the short 4 and 5 car Voyagers which replaced InterCity 125s, and of the club class coach in each unit which reduces capacity still more.

ENVIRONMENT - SEE ILFORD BROADWAY AND DIE?

The Guardian of 8 September reports the view of a member of the University of Leeds that air pollution will continue to claim lives because targets set for 2005 and 2010 will not be met. London will remain polluted with nitrogen dioxide and particles from traffic and other fossil fuel burning. Roads and main urban centres are likely to remain unhealthy environments. About 2,000 deaths were ascribed to the heatwave of 2003, and it is clear that perhaps 700 of those were due to the reduction in air quality. Pollution is now being transported around the globe. We export it to Asia, Asia exports it to America and America exports it to us.

The Evening Standard of the same day reports the 12 worst pollution hotspots in London: Ilford Broadway, King's Road Chelsea, Marylebone Road, Knightsbridge, Cromwell Road, Shaftesbury Avenue, Hammersmith Broadway, Tower Hamlets, Norbury, Holloway Road, Camden, Brent, Redbridge, Southwark, Dartford, Bromley, Haringey, Lambeth, Barnet and Chiswick High Road. In Ilford Broadway, nitrogen dioxide levels are three times the recommended limit. Londoners are recommended to choose their route carefully when walking or cycling. Pollution drifts but diffuses, and being 20 metres away can make a big difference.

EXOTIC EXCUSES

The Metro of 6 September reports passengers on the 07.08 from Victoria being been told the doors of their train wouldn't open because of the wrong sort of cloud. The clouds were said to be preventing the trains' global positioning systems picking up a satellite signal which calculated where the train was. Operator Southern has denied this, blaming a faulty component instead.

FARES: PASSENGERS FLEECED BY NETWORK RAIL AND TRAIN COMPANIES

The Times of 24 August reports that train operators are cashing in on high-priced 'walk-on' fares. The problem is that Network Rail doesn't give the required 12 weeks' notice of engineering works. Operators then do not know what weekend services they will be running until the eleventh hour, and are unable to issue cheap 'book-ahead' tickets for specific trains.

This can mean a trip between London and Manchester costing £182 instead of £22. Some people are no longer able to afford rail travel. Companies are also relentlessly trying to claw back money lost on promotional offers by restricting the numbers of seats available, lengthening the 'peak' period when cheaper tickets are invalid and making little effort to offer cheaper alternatives. This is commercially and politically short-sighted. Trains already cost taxpayers a fortune. Most want a good bargain, at least during the holiday season.

The Rail Passengers' Council and Rail Regulator are concerned that Network Rail is running the network at the convenience of its engineers. The Regulator is now considering enforcement action against Network Rail, which could face heavy financial penalties. Network Rail blames the problems on the increased volume of infrastructure work now in hand. Private Eye No 1114 suggests that normal tickets should be made affordable and cheap book-ahead tickets limited to long-distance journeys, but asks why rail companies should do the decent thing when they can churn out profits by exploiting chaos.

[Remember the golden age when Sir Peter Parker was in charge of BR? He strove to give taxpayers value for money by using high-quality carriages for cheap excursion trains on Saturdays when they weren't needed by business travellers]

The Evening Standard of 17 September reports that commuters face a rise of up to 9% in train fares, despite the lack of improvement in performance. The average figure across the board will be about 4%. Details are expected to be published in October. The increases are possible because the restrictions introduced by the Conservatives, as a sop to the opponents of privatisation, will be time-expired.

HYTHE TRAIN SERVICE DISAPPEARS OVER THE HORIZON

The Southern Daily Echo of 23 September reports that SWT has scrapped plans to run a passenger train service between Totton and Hythe. New Forest East MP, Dr Julian Lewis, is to take up the matter with the new Minister of State for Transport (Tony McNulty). Local councillors hope to keep the scheme alive.

NATIONAL RAIL ENQUIRY SERVICE'S SHAMEFUL PERFORMANCE

Which? magazine for August reports that advice from NRES is often inaccurate, incomplete or irrelevant. Of 20 questions asked, only 5 were answered correctly. One operator had no idea where Cambridge was. A fare of £182 from Manchester to London was quoted when a £52 ticket was available. The results are better than in May 2002 (3 questions out of 20 answered correctly), but worse than August 2003 (8 questions out of 20 answered correctly).

RAIL PASSENGERS COUNCIL FACES UNCERTAIN FUTURE

The Guardian of 31 August reports that the Council is fighting for survival. It is under review by the Secretary of State for Transport because of scepticism about its effectiveness and visibility, having been severely criticised by the Commons Transport Committee. Pressure Group Transport 2000 believes that it has not modernised sufficiently since its formation in 1947. However, the RPC would like to extend its remit to ferry and bus services.

SAFETY

The Evening Standard of 15 September reports outrage among the families of the Potters Bar crash victims that executives of Jarvis had been awarded £800,000 bonuses, even though poor maintenance by the company has been blamed for causing the crash. The families are now considering a return to court to try to get more compensation.

Meanwhile, the Evening Standard of 21 September reports that, in the year to March, the number of buckled tracks increased by 480% (21 to 137) compared with the previous year. Network Rail was to hold emergency meetings.

Private Eye No 1115 reports on the difficulties with corporate manslaughter charges. Railtrack directors are not to be tried for the Hatfield accident because vital work was handed over to contractors and it was impossible to establish a "directing mind". Yet there had been plenty of warnings that the use of contractors for safety-critical work was causing dangers.

STAGECOACH 'CHERRY PICKING' ON BUS ROUTES

A letter in the Hampshire Chronicle of 19 March praises the frequency of Stagecoach No. 5 bus from Badger Farm to Winnall (Winchester). The same paper of 20 August reports outrage and disgust that the weekly No. 241 service between Alresford and Kilmeston is being axed because Stagecoach is no longer making a bus available. The County Council is replacing the service with a taxi-sharing scheme which people need to book in advance.

STAGECOACH PROPOSES NEW HANDOUT FROM TAXPAYERS

The Evening Standard of 24 August reports Stagecoach Chairman Brian Souter's suggestion that an Edinburgh-Fife ferry service, to relieve congestion on the Forth road bridge, would be viable with an element of public subsidy. That means it would be operationally loss-making with the taxpayer making up the difference. Souter knows that route well; Virgin Trains (49% Stagecoach owned) and SWT have been making profits only via such handouts for years.

SWT CONDEMNED FOR WASTING £750,000 ON ADVERTISING

The Evening Standard of 27 September reports that SWT is to spend £750,000 telling passengers how good it is, 4 days after the official statistics revealed it has the worst record for lateness. A passenger from Godalming commented, "This is an obscene amount of money for SWT to be spending on blowing its own trumpet when the service is so bad. The money should be spent on improving the service".

SWT PUNCTUALITY RECORD CONDEMNED

The Hampshire Chronicle of 13 August and Southern Daily Echo 18 August report a call by Conor Burns, Conservative parliamentary candidate for Eastleigh, for SWT to redouble their efforts to improve punctuality, quoting the awful 60.4% level to which the operator sank earlier this year. SWT responded that their performance had shown a steady rise from 77% to 77.8% [that is, for every 1,000 trains which ran late, only 992 now run late - a steady improvement indeed!].

SWT REPLACEMENT TRAINS COMFORTABLE BUT FAILURE PRONE

The Southern Daily Echo of 21 August reports that nearly half of SWT's new Desiro carriages have been delivered [actually the quoted number of 350 is well over half, since the order was slashed by 120 carriages]. The public consider them more comfortable than the trains they replace, despite occasional snags like overflowing toilets. However the trains are only achieving 60, 000 miles before failure, against 120,000 miles achieved by the trains they are replacing. [SWT Managing Director, Andrew Haines, previously told the Echo that the specification was that they should be ten times as reliable as the old trains (that is, 1,200,000 miles before failure), so why are they only one twentieth as reliable as specified?]

SWT SECURITY MERRY-GO-ROUND

The Hampshire Chronicle of 13 August reports that crime on SWT fell by 8.6% in the first half of 2004 compared with the first half of 2004. This is based on SWT stations covered by TravelSafe officers. There are 56 of these officers for the whole of the SWT area. The Southern Daily Echo of 3 September reports that the number of British Transport Police based at Southampton Central is 21 fewer than in 1998, a reduction of 20 per cent.

SWT TIMETABLE CHANGES

The Evening Standard of 13 September and Metro of 14 September report that SWT is to rip up the current timetable from 12 December. The Alton line is to see big cuts, and users are furious. Other users particularly badly hit will be those at the smaller stations on the Waterloo-Portsmouth via Guildford line and on the Woking-Basingstoke section. In addition, station stops will be lengthened, leading to longer journey times. Tim Nicholson of the Rail Passengers Council notes that performance figures would look better when they were not better at all.

TRAIN PERFORMANCE

The Evening Standard of 23 September reports the latest quarterly (April-June) performance figures. Overall, performance is just 0.2% better despite massive investment. Of the London commuter routes, only Thameslink performed worse than SWT, which slipped by 3.3% compared with the previous year. C2C, once dubbed Southend's "Misery Line" achieved 91.9% against SWT's 75.4%. All the longer distance operators are now performing better than SWT. [Time we had a change of operator?]

TRAMWAYS

Private Eye No 1112 argues that the junking of new tram lines in Manchester and Portsmouth is at odds with the Government's policy of devolving control over local services. For the first time in 15 years, no new tram route is being built in Britain. Cost is blamed, but subsidy is high because of privatisation. £200 million has already been spent on the proposed line from Manchester to Oldham and Rochdale, for example on buying buildings that stood in the way of the tracks. The Prime Minister has been praising the Manchester scheme since 1999, and existing tram services are bursting at the seams

Private Eye No 1113 reports that Merseyside bus firm Glenvale says it would use its buses to compete with the proposed Merseyside tram system, rather than provide integration. Last year inspectors examined 35 of the company's buses and found that only 4 were fit to continue without immediate or delayed bans or inspection notices.

UNION ISSUES

The Evening Standard of 15 September reports on the series of strikes threatened on SWT by ASLEF and RMT. The threat arose when SWT reportedly reneged on an agreement over rostering, and their staff lost pay. [The issue was subsequently settled before the strikes started]

The Guardian of 17 September reports on a move to insert renationalisation of the railways into Labour's draft manifesto. The big unions considered [surely rightly?] that this would appeal to voters.

VIRGIN CROSS COUNTRY FRANCHISE UNDER REVIEW

Private Eye No 1113 reports that useful and long-established routes may be broken up because the Cross Country franchise is now too expensive and doesn't pass Treasury 'value for money' tests. The operation uses costly Voyager trains and clutters the network with 4 or 5 coach units running individually. To run units in pairs would waste an inordinate amount of space on frills like the train shop and very spacious toilets. Virgin relentlessly drove up the cost of normal tickets, valid on all operators' trains, forcing people to rely on Virgin book-ahead tickets. Big cities like Liverpool have been removed from the Cross-Country map. Why franchise Cross Country at all, and how did Virgin West Coast pass the 'value for money' test after driving up subsidy and fares?

WEST COAST ROUTE UPGRADE

Private Eye No 1112 reports that, despite its imminent abolition, the SRA is still putting a gloss on its announcements. It claims that one of its key achievements has been to cut the cost of the West Coast renewal scheme from £13.5 billion to £7.6 billion with no material loss of outputs. However the original cost was for 140 mph running, a new generation of signalling and additional tracks at bottlenecks. The signalling and extra tracks haven't materialised. The trains will run at only 110-125 mph, there won't be as many as promised, and other operators have been forced to cut back their services to make way for them. In addition, the SRA forgot to mention that Virgin West Coast was supposed to pay a premium of £60 million, but instead receives a subsidy of £322 million. As if that weren't enough, toilets on the new Pendolinos are often out of use because the effluent tanks are full and some depots are not yet equipped to empty them.