62-583: Island Line is a brand of South Western Railway which runs the 8.5-mile (13.7 km) Island Line on the Isle of Wight . A stand-alone franchise from 1996 until 2007, it then became part of the South Western franchise operated by South West Trains until August 2017 and since by South Western Railway . From 1985 to 1990 rail services on the Isle of Wight operated under the brand RydeRail . In 1986 Network SouthEast
124-572: A 20-year maintenance contract. It is located south of St Denys station and is near Southampton Football Club's St Mary's Stadium . Ryde Traincare Depot , alongside Ryde St John's Road on the Isle of Wight serviced the Class 483 units that used to operate on the Island Line. Salisbury depot maintains the Class 158 and Class 159 fleet. Strawberry Hill train maintenance depot in south west London,
186-416: A day in advance. South Western Railway inherited a fleet of Classes 158 , 159 , 444 , 450 , 455 , 456 , 458 and 707 from South West Trains, and subsequently re-introduced Class 442 trains which had operated on Gatwick Express after earlier service with South West Trains. The current fleet for the Island Line, Class 484 , entered service on 1 November 2021. During March 2020, the Class 442 fleet
248-452: A heritage cream and green colour scheme, as part of a general station improvement package. In March 2017, the DfT awarded the franchise to a FirstGroup / MTR consortium with South Western Railway , which includes the Island Line, commencing on 20 August 2017. It will run until at least August 2024 with an option for the DfT to extend for a further year. South Western Railway will be working with
310-535: A noted rise in both the number of delayed services and outright cancellations. Due to these concerns, the Transport Secretary, Chris Grayling , announced an independent review into the performance of South Western Railway and Network Rail; the review was welcomed by Winchester's MP, Steve Brine . During July 2018, reports emerged that FirstGroup/MTR were in the process of renegotiating the SWR contract, allegedly due to
372-471: Is planned, in the short term, for the unit to be displayed in the 'Train Story Discovery Centre'. It is hoped that in the years to come the unit will be able to run on its own power along the line. On 29 July 2020, SWR, the owner and operator, announced that it was looking for new homes for the trains as soon as possible, to make room for the arrival of the first Class 484 units for testing later in
434-473: The Class 485 units, which dated from 1923 and were introduced to the island in 1967 when the line was electrified. The Class 483 trains entered service on the island in 1989, originally painted in the standard Network SouthEast livery, and were replaced by the Class 484 trains in regular passenger service during 2021. South West Trains bought the stock outright from the leasing company HSBC Rail in March 2007 for
496-610: The Isle of Wight 's Island Line . This was despite having already been used for nearly 50 years on the London Underground network. The units replaced the even older and life-expired British Rail Classes 485 and 486 units which were introduced in 1967, but were originally built as 'Standard' stock units for the London Electric Railway in 1923. The 483s were 83 years old when they were withdrawn in January 2021; they were
558-540: The Isle of Wight . Rolling stock changes have included a comprehensive refurbishment of existing units and the acquisition of new-build Class 701 units from Bombardier to replace SWR's Class 455 , and Class 707 multiple units. The Class 483 fleet operated on the Island Line was also replaced by the Class 484 during 2021. During April 2018, amid concerns of SWR's performance, the Transport Secretary, Chris Grayling , announced an independent review into SWR and Network Rail . Between 2 December 2019 and 2 January 2020,
620-509: The London Underground A60 and A62 Stock received during their refurbishment between 1993 and 1998, and interior route maps in green. Stations also received new tarmac platforms, green and cream painted seating, new waiting shelters and 'heritage' style station name boards. In September 2019, South Western Railway announced the Class 483s would be replaced by five two-car Class 484s in 2020. The first Class 484 unit, 484001, arrived on
682-507: The National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) undertook 27 days of strikes. Further industrial action by SWR's staff was undertaken in 2022. In response to the decrease in passenger travel caused by the COVID-19 pandemic , SWR had considerably curtailed its services by mid-2020. In January 2020, SWR announced that they were in discussions with the government regarding
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#1732851927536744-525: The South Western franchise . On 20 August 2017, SWR took over South Western franchise operations from the previous franchisee South West Trains . SWR operates commuter services from its Central London terminus at London Waterloo to south west London. SWR provides suburban services in the counties of Surrey , Hampshire , Berkshire and Dorset , as well as regional services in Devon , Somerset and Wiltshire . Its subsidiary Island Line operates services on
806-561: The West of England , Dorset and Somerset , as FirstGroup also operated the Greater Western franchise in those regions. FirstGroup and MTR responded with an offer to implement a cap upon unregulated fares between London and Exeter as a mitigating measure; the CMA chose to accept this concession. By April 2018, concerns had reportedly grown over SWR's performance over previous months; there had been
868-429: The leasing company HSBC Rail for £1. Further that year, the Island Line franchise was amalgamated with South West Trains as part of the new South Western franchise . The Class 483 trains were last refurbished during 2007; work on the six unit fleet included: When South Western Railway took over the franchise in 2017, it launched a consultation on the future of Island Line services, revealing that only three of
930-597: The 90 trains ordered had been accepted from Alstom. The trains began to be used for passengers in January 2024. Outer suburban routes: Train types formerly operated by South Western Railway include: The following train depots and stabling sidings are used for the South Western Railway fleet: Bournemouth depot is southwest of Bournemouth station , occupying the approach to the former Bournemouth West station . Farnham Traincare Depot , in Weydon Lane,
992-544: The DfT announced that the South Western franchise had been awarded to First/MTR. At the time, it was stated that its franchise period was to commence from 20 August 2017 and run through to 18 August 2024, although the deal had included an option for the DfT to extend it for a further 48 weeks. The Competition & Markets Authority (CMA) held an inquiry into the awarding; during July 2017, it sought undertakings from SWR that it would not abuse its monopoly on services to
1054-437: The Isle of Wight on 19 November 2020. The final unit, 484005, was delivered on 16 February 2022 and was moved to Ryde Traincare Depot on 28 February of the same year. The railway has eight stations: South Western Railway South Western Railway ( SWR ; legal name First MTR South Western Trains Limited , ) is a British train operating company owned by FirstGroup (70%) and MTR Corporation (30%) that operates
1116-596: The London Transport Traction Group announced that Units 006 and 008 will instead be preserved at the Llanelli and Mynydd Mawr Railway , making 006 and 008 the first tube trains to be housed at a preserved railway in Wales. It is also known that the Isle of Wight Steam Railway will be taking on unit 483007 Jess Harper which had gone under a 3-year overhaul, the last to be overhauled at Ryde traincare depot. It
1178-644: The Portsmouth Direct Line had been dropped, and that South Western Railway has no current plans to use the 458/4s. On June 24, 2024, the first Class 458/4 entered public service, initially doing limited outer suburban routes such as London Waterloo to Weybridge via Addlestone. Classes 455 , 456 and 707 fleets will be replaced by 30 five-car and 60 ten-car Class 701 units built at Bombardier's Derby Litchurch Lane Works , financed by ROSCO Rock Rail for £1 billion , for use on Reading , Windsor and London suburban services. By June 2023 , 42 of
1240-417: The South Western Railway official website (see External links below) . As of December 2023, its routes off-peak Monday to Friday, with frequencies in trains per hour (tph), include: Improvements promised under the 2017 contract were: As of May 2019 , there is also an hourly Sunday service between Reading and Salisbury via Basingstoke (with trains running between morning and evening). In August 2021,
1302-491: The South Western franchise would be retendered for in the coming years. In February 2016, the DfT announced that two companies, FirstGroup and Stagecoach, had been shortlisted to bid for the next South Western franchise. During June 2016, MTR Corporation partnered with FirstGroup in their bid, taking a 30% shareholding in the joint venture. During July 2016, the DfT issued the Invitation to Tender. During March 2017,
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#17328519275361364-587: The West of England Main Line which is always operated by Class 158 or Class 159 DMUs (because it is unelectrified) and the Alton Line which also sees the occasional use of Class 458 units. South Western Railway also operates many suburban "Metro" services in and around London. These all run between London Waterloo and Clapham Junction , where they split into two separate routes: via Putney and via Wimbledon. All services on
1426-432: The area bounded by Hook, Alton, Guildford, Reading and Dorking, in order to maximise available passenger space on the most crowded trains. SWR operates regular services on four mainline routes: In total, there are 14 mainline trains per hour departing London Waterloo in the off-peak; this number increases in the peak hours. The majority of mainline services are operated by Class 444 or Class 450 EMUs , except for
1488-477: The cab rather than the original red). According to an article in the October 2005 issue of Rail Professional magazine, at that time Island Line was paying "an eye-watering £140,000 a year" to lease the trains, meaning that "[s]ince privatisation , HSBC Rail has pocketed over £1m for leasing these relics that are effectively worthless." In March 2007, South West Trains purchased the rolling stock outright from
1550-464: The company announced the launch of "assisted boarding points" at all 189 stations on its network, allowing disabled or elderly passengers to ask for assistance onboard trains with as little as ten minutes' notice. The scheme will include clear signage at stations, with QR codes allowing customers to send details of the assistance they require and their planned journey to staff, replacing older systems wherein assisted journeys had to be booked six hours to
1612-471: The company warned that the trains' age and increasing difficulty of getting spare parts meant it might take longer. Normal service was not restored for approximately 5 weeks, but further fleet faults brought repeated disruption through much of November. Just 3 days after the news that only one Class 483 was serviceable, on 16 September 2019 the government announced that the fleet would be replaced by five two-car Class 484s . The London Transport Traction Group
1674-451: The contract was further extended until May 2025. SWR is one of several train operators impacted by the 2022–2024 United Kingdom railway strikes , which are the first national rail strikes in the UK for three decades. Its workers are amongst those who are participating in industrial action due to a dispute over pay and working conditions. SWR is capable of operating a minimal timetable on any of
1736-629: The existing 1923-built Class 485 trains on the Isle of Wight would not be economically serviceable beyond around 1990 and thoughts turned to the future of the line. After closure of the route was discounted, it was decided to purchase and refurbish 1938 stock. In April 1988, London Underground offered a total of 28 carriages in revenue-earning condition to NSE, joined by three further carriages in May 1989. In addition, between May 1988 and October 1990, four scrap vehicles and nine works vehicles, to be used for spare parts, were taken from LU's Ruislip depot . While
1798-518: The former terminus. A dedicated rail-link feeder bus was introduced in 2004, operating on a direct route between Shanklin and Ventnor, but this was withdrawn in September 2010 after decisions by the Isle of Wight Council about the funding of Wightbus . However, connections and through ticketing have since been provided on the regular bus service, which was slightly diverted to serve the main station entrance. These arrangements continue to be advertised in
1860-515: The future of the franchise. In December 2020, it was announced that SWR's franchise would be abolished and replaced by a shorter management contract. In February 2023, the contract was extended to May 2025. During July 2015, the Department for Transport (DfT) abandoned efforts to negotiate an extension with the incumbent operator of the South Western franchise, South West Trains , (owned by British transport conglomerate Stagecoach ) and announced that
1922-476: The line for several years. Standard National Rail vehicle types cannot be used by Island Line Trains, due to the low ceiling within Ryde Tunnel, where the track-bed needed to be raised following flooding. Instead, services are operated using Class 484 units, which are refurbished ex- London Underground tube trains originally built in 1978. These recently replaced the older Class 483 which in turn had replaced
Island Line (brand) - Misplaced Pages Continue
1984-411: The line. As well as cosmetic and structural work, significant electrical works were required both to replace dilapidated wiring, and to allow the trains to work from the line's third rail electrical supply. Eight two-car units were initially refurbished between 1989 and 1990. These units were numbered 483001-008, although only the final three digits were carried on the cab ends. Units were painted in
2046-566: The local council and bodies with regards to replacing the rolling stock, upgrading the infrastructure and adding an additional passing loop to introduce a 30-minute service to improve connection times with the Ryde to Portsmouth ferry service and the hovercraft. These expected changes were received favourably by the Keep Island Line in Franchise (KILF) group, who have been campaigning for improvements to
2108-623: The new Network SouthEast livery, of blue with red and white stripes. The first unit was tested on the South West Main Line between Basingstoke and Eastleigh before travelling to Fratton ready for its transfer to the island. Testing and crew training on the remaining units took place on the Portsmouth Direct Line and Shepperton Branch Line . The first unit, 001, arrived on the Isle of Wight on 5 July 1989 following an overnight ferry crossing from Portsmouth to Fishbourne. It
2170-460: The nominal sum of £1. The purchase meant that the leasing costs, which were reimbursed by the government, were eliminated, thereby lowering the line's tax burden. The rolling stock operate in the former London Regional Transport livery, which the units would have had when operating on the London Underground. Two units first received this livery in 2000, when the rest were painted in a blue livery with pictures of dinosaurs aiming to entice tourists in
2232-516: The off-peak; this number increases in peak hours. The main route via Wimbledon uses the slow tracks of the quadruple-track South West Main Line . Suburban trains run along the mainline between London and Woking. Branch lines on this route include: A total of 16 trains per hour run between London Waterloo and Wimbledon in the off-peak; this number increases in peak hours. Routes that do not start or terminate at London Waterloo include: Details of each route, including maps and timetables, are on
2294-578: The oldest passenger trains in Great Britain in regular passenger service at the time. That honour was passed to the London Underground 1972 Stock trains that are still in service on the Bakerloo line at 52 years old. The 483s were withdrawn on 3 January 2021, with the line closed from 4 January until 1 November 2021 for upgrade works, after which they were replaced by five two-car Class 484s . Of
2356-481: The operator's inability to deliver on many of its promised improvements, as well as its declining performance and industrial action by its own staff. Between 2 December 2019 and 2 January 2020, the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) undertook 27 days of strikes. These were in protest to the potential introduction of DOO (driver only operation) on SWR's new fleet of Bombardier-built Class 701 multiple units, which would thereby nullify
2418-453: The planned dates for the strikes due to the number of staff involved. South Western Railway is the main operator for western Surrey, Hampshire, Dorset and the Isle of Wight, and also serves Greater London, Berkshire, Wiltshire, Somerset and Devon. Most SWR services run on electrified lines using the 750 V DC third-rail system. There is a diesel fleet for services on the West of England line to Salisbury and Exeter, using
2480-453: The principal fast services from London to those cities, which are operated from London Paddington by Great Western Railway . The majority of its passengers are on suburban commuter lines in inner and south-west London, Surrey, east Berkshire, and north-east Hampshire. As with most rail companies, non-folding bicycles are banned from peak-time trains to and from London. However, these restrictions apply only to cyclists boarding or alighting in
2542-471: The project's feasibility study suggested that three-car units would be preferred, it was thought that the alterations required to Ryde depot would be both difficult and expensive. It was instead decided that two-car units would be used, using a maximum of six coaches in any train formation. Of the 31 coaches available, 20 were selected for use on the island. These were extensively refurbished between 1989 and 1992 by Eastleigh Works to ready them for service on
Island Line (brand) - Misplaced Pages Continue
2604-624: The rail timetable. The Island Line franchise was, until February 2007, the smallest train operating company on the National Rail network. It was combined with the South West Trains franchise to form the new South Western franchise in an effort to reduce the number of train operating companies . Although South West Trains operated the line thereafter, the Island Line branding was retained. Island Line Trains repainted all their stations in
2666-493: The rest of the fleet had entered service—the ninth unit, numbered 009, was also refurbished and transported to the island. A 10th unit was also shipped to Ryde depot, although this was for spares only and was never used in passenger operation on the Island. This unit was unofficially given the unit number 483010. Each unit was formed of two driving motor vehicles, numbered 121–129 and 221–229. The technical description of this formation
2728-698: The role of the guard. In January 2020, SWR announced that they were in discussions with the government regarding the future of the franchise following a £137 million loss, with termination of the contract being a possibility. By mid-2020, SWR had considerably curtailed its services in response to the significant decline of passenger travel amid the COVID-19 pandemic . From 15 June 2020, both passengers and staff on public transport in England, including SWR services, were required to wear face coverings while travelling, and that anyone failing to do so would be liable to be refused travel or fined. In December 2020, it
2790-409: The running of passenger services. Network Rail and its predecessors have continued to own the infrastructure, but lease this out to the operator who is therefore responsible for everyday maintenance of the track and immediate foundations. While trains have never served Ventnor at any time since the Island Line brand was brought in, several attempts have been made to encourage use of the train to reach
2852-403: The six remaining units were serviceable. On 13 September 2019, South Western Railway announced that because of a "safety issue" only one of the units was able to run, which meant cancelling just under half of scheduled services and running only an hourly service on the Island Line. This reduction in service was by mid-September expected to last for approximately one month, until 14 October, but
2914-404: The six units present on the Island at the time of their withdrawal, all have been confirmed for preservation. The trains were originally built by Metro-Cammell as 1938 tube stock for London Underground . An initial batch was withdrawn from service in 1973, and they were considered for use on the Island Line (which would not bear that name for another 16 years). However, the under-floor equipment
2976-626: The suburban part of the network are operated by Class 450 , Class 455 , Class 458 and Class 701 electric multiple units. The main route via Putney is known as the Waterloo to Reading Line . It runs between London and Reading and passes through towns such as Staines-upon-Thames , Ascot and Bracknell . It operates as a fast service as far as Staines , with Reading trains only calling at Clapham Junction , Richmond , Twickenham and Feltham . Branch lines on this route include: A total of 12 trains per hour run between London Waterloo and Putney in
3038-408: The summer months when passenger numbers are high. A modern change is that there are yellow warning panels on the front ends of the units, required for the safety of track workers and a change compared with the original red. The livery was introduced as part of a refurbishment completed between 2007 and 2008, which also included work at all stations. Rolling stock also received the same seat moquette that
3100-422: The unelectrified track beyond Worting Junction just west of Basingstoke, and for Salisbury to Southampton via Romsey services which also serve Eastleigh. From London Waterloo , SWR's London terminus, long-distance trains run to southern England, including the major coastal population centres of Portsmouth, Southampton, Bournemouth, Poole and Weymouth. There are also trains to Reading and Exeter, but these are not
3162-520: The year. SWR had already received enquiries from preservation groups, including the adjacent Isle of Wight Steam Railway. Organisations expressing interest will need to demonstrate the capacity and financial security to remove and look after the train, as well as an appropriate long-term physical storage location. Only two of nine units remained serviceable throughout most of 2020, the remainder having been taken out of service progressively since April 2000. On 29 July 2020 South Western Railway announced that
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#17328519275363224-463: Was DMSO(A)+DMSO(B). When the units were first introduced, the final digit of the unit number and the final digit of the carriage numbers corresponded, such that unit 001 was formed of vehicles 121 and 221. However, since then, a few rearrangements have taken place to the unit formations. In 1996, with the privatisation of British Rail , the Ryde–Shanklin line became the Island Line franchise, which
3286-410: Was a sub-brand of Network SouthEast . In 1996, services on the line were privatised as the Island Line franchise , with the winning bid from Stagecoach (legal name Island Line Limited). On commencing operations on 13 October 1996, the name Island Line for the passenger service was retained. Island Line was the only passenger franchise that included maintenance of the infrastructure in addition to
3348-472: Was announced that terms for the abolition of the franchise system for SWR had been agreed, and that the company would be given a management contract to run until 1 April 2023 when the ERMA (Emergency Recovery Measures Agreement) for the franchise ends in March 2021. During October 2021, the contract was updated with a finish date of 28 May 2023, with an option to extend further if required by the DfT. In February 2023,
3410-762: Was built in 1897, is inside the triangular junction of the Shepperton Branch Line with the Kingston Loop Line, just yards from Strawberry Hill railway station . Wimbledon Traincare Depot is located between Wimbledon and Earlsfield stations, on the main line to Waterloo, next to the Wimbledon railway viaduct. British Rail Class 483 The British Rail Class 483 electric multiple units were originally built as 1938 tube stock units for London Underground . They were extensively refurbished between 1989 and 1992 by Eastleigh Works , for use on services on
3472-433: Was created, itself part of British Rail , and RydeRail was incorporated into it as a sub-brand. The name Island Line first came into use in 1989, when Class 483 trains were introduced on the route, and this new brand name and a logo were included on the trains' livery. However, this re-branding did not officially occur until 1994, when it had completely replaced all RydeRail branding. From 1989 until 1996, Island Line
3534-452: Was delivered by road to Sandown , then hauled to Ryde depot by one of the existing passenger trains. It began test running on the Island Line in the evening of 6 July, before a public launch on 13 July. Regular passenger services using the Class 483 did not commence until October, while the last of the eight planned units did not enter service until July 1990. While it was originally planned to use only eight units, in 1992—two years after
3596-522: Was founded to facilitate the preservation of a Class 483 unit to run via an on-board power supply on the Epping Ongar Railway in Essex. On 24 November 2020, the group confirmed that it had been successful in securing a unit, probably 006 or 008. It was later announced that both 006 and 008 were going to be preserved by the group. After problems relating to a lack of space at the Epping Ongar Railway ,
3658-587: Was opened by the Southern Railway at the time of the electrification of the Portsmouth and Alton lines in 1937. Feltham depot was completed in 2021; it is intended to provide stabling for the Class 701 units. Fratton Traincare Depot is located on central Portsea Island, alongside Fratton station. Northam Traincare Facility was built by Siemens in 2002 as the home depot for the Desiro fleet as part of
3720-586: Was thought to be a problem, as extensive adaptations would be needed to Ryde Works to allow fitters to access it. It was also felt that the under-floor equipment would be vulnerable to salt water damage on Ryde Pier , especially in bad weather. The last batch of 1938 stock was withdrawn in London in 1985, except for five trains required on the Northern line between 1986 and May 1988 due to increasing passenger numbers. In 1987, Network SouthEast (NSE) managers realised that
3782-439: Was withdrawn. One year later, SWR decided that they would not be returned to service and their re-introduction has been cancelled. In March 2021, SWR announced it would be keeping 28 Class 458 units and will refurbish and reconfigure them to four carriages for planned deployment on the Portsmouth Direct Line instead of the Class 442. In early 2024 it was announced that the plan to use the refurbished and reconfigured Class 458s on
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#17328519275363844-575: Was won by the Stagecoach Group . Services continued to be branded as Island Line trains. In 1999 three units (001, 003 and 005) were permanently withdrawn from service as surplus to requirements, leaving only six units remaining serviceable. In the early 2000s, the remaining units were overhauled and were repainted into a new livery of blue and yellow with pictures of dinosaurs. From 2007 to 2008, all units were repainted into their original London Transport red livery (albeit with yellow warning panels on
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