Anyone who’s ever had the misfortune to travel on South West Trains will have been rather aggrieved that they were allowed to keep their franchise, despite being one of the worst performing train companies in the country and despite the fact that many better performing franchises have had theirs taken away (eg. the National Express Scotrail franchise, which was awarded as best in the country a couple of times and still had their franchise taken away and given to First). They also have a big overcrowding issue: they control several of the big commuter routes into London and commuters loathe them (check out that “Megaplaint” Word document – wow!)
So what have they thought of to solve overcrowding? Bear in mind that SWT have brought in new trains that suck even compared to the new trains on other British lines. This is something they could, of course, have forseen, since it has been the most heavily overcrowded train company ever since its inception. What have they thought of?
They’re ripping out the seats.
Does Brian Souter have blackmail material on Blair or something? Honestly.
F L I C K E R I N G / F R A M E 
I think it depends on where you commute from. Try travelling from Dartford. I have just transferred from SouthEast Trains to SouthWest trains and the difference was amazing. SouthEast trains managed to improve the service after Connex lost their franchise but travelling was still ghastly. On my first journey on SouthWest, I thought that I had died and gone to heaven. Admittedly I get on near the beginning of the line and am now paying twice as much but what a treat. Clean, cushioned splendour – a helpful and well mannered Guard to check tickets every single journey. Is this an exception? My experience of SouthWest trains is of a first class service compared the filthy carriages and fowl-mouthed, litter dropping, travelling companions from the SouthEastern suburbs where you are left on your own to survive the twittering din of 15 walkmen turned up full and carriages ankle deep in litter. I still had to cough up thousands of taxed pounds each year for this misery.
I am inclined to agree with Pamsy here. My experiences of travelling on South West trains are, so far, fairly positive.
I always get a seat. The staff are normally very polite and friendly. The trains are in good condition.
Compared to the old Silverlink trains I used to take into London everyday, they are a dream. (Although Silverlink have now also bumped up their ideas by putting on some newer trains [although they have less seating space?!?!])
However, I don’t take South West trains into London. Once you are past Guildford going up to waterloo, I imagine it’s a nightmare.
Anyway, good to see fellow train gripers!
My new (first) blog seems to be turning more and more train related…
http://www.grimcommuter.blogspot.com
SWT certainly nice in summer – air con is such a huge benefit! However, we are just about to pay through the nose for it – fares from my station into London going up by 20% off peak on Jan 2nd! Nice, tidy, air conditioned trains, but I can’t afford to travel on them!
Hmmm, but half the time the air-con doesn’t work.
I hate SWT and the fat cats that run the company. But I’m stuck with it. No other operators on my line at commuter travel times. Plenty of rants on my blog about the rubbish service we endure. Perhaps this compares favourably with other operators but for the amount I have to pay and the fact that they are ripping out seats and always delayed it still isn’t good enough. Don’t get me started on the ticket price increases and boss bonuses….
You know what, I think South west trains is much better out in the sticks of Hampshire than up in London. I quite like them at the moment (although too expensive, frequent delays etc) … however, when I used to use them to get from Clapham Junction to London Waterloo, they were rubbish! Perhaps something happens to the management/staff/lines etc once you get into the M25!?
I used to think South West Trains were pretty bad.
But then one day I travelled on both a First Capital Connect service and a First Great Western service in quick sucession.
Enough said
Happily, living in Scotland I don’t have this issue – it’s all First Scotrail around here, and they’re OK.
SWT have apparently improved greatly since they started, which is certainly not saying much.
May i say has anyone travelled on the Silverlink Metro?? Today went above and beyond ridiculous! Passengers were left on the train for over an hour because of signal failure!! Not only that, trains are either late or delayed nearly everyday recently! Dont get me wrong they do have good days but i dont seem to be seeing any of them at the moment. The other week there were severe delays passengers were squeezing into trains like sardines in a tin!! May i ask why we the passengers have to pay for this pathetic service? What really gets on my nerves is they are quick to give on the spot fines or check your travelling on the correct ticket, which is fine but it would be bloody brilliant if they could give a quick and stress free commute. To top things off a strike on Friday should be hilarious i have simply given up hope with Silverlink from now on i am getting the tube takes longer to and from work but at least they are more reliable.
nov 8th 2007
Arrived at london waterloo to catch the 07.10 fast to woking , guard annouced delayed to person under a train at west byfleet ,had no idea when train would leave if at all .
At 07.45 general p.a annouces frist train to woking will depart platform 14 ,make my way to platform 14 ,4 coach train manage to get a seat ,guard makes annoucement ,this is the 07.12 basingstroke service calling at surbiton ,guildford woking brookwood and all stations to basingstroke and he has no idea when train will depart.Finally at 07.50 train finally departs and crawls to surbiton ,where chaos lives ,i was asked by lots of south west train customers where the train was going which myself and various commuters explained .
Finally at 09.00 we arrived at guildford and sat for 10 minutes while the driver changed ends .We finally arrived at woking at 09.54 instead of 07.49 over 2 hours late ,and not a single south trains person said sorry about the delay,or delays for the rest of the day.
AS steward palmer the md says south west trains have a crisis team which as soon as anything goes wrong spring into action to sort out the train service , but at least south west trains will still make millions in profit at exspenise of delaying thousands of people as we will not get a fare refund,even though they did not run the train service as per timetable.
I worked on south west trains for 6 years and i enjoyed it.The public always find a reason to complain.Try living in another country being squashed on a tram each time you travel.Yes like all train companys they have problams,Its a fact of life. The staff are polite and do what they can to help.Some occasions vary as you get towards london as the crew change but i know that the company are very good and in the 6 years i was there we didnt experience many problams.
Working the exeter,salisbury to w-loo line.
Maybe you should check the rules for delays that SWT have to comply with.Im sure you would realise that its a problam they do not want to deal with either.
Again,someone in full agreement with Pammy.
I travel from Kent/SE London to SW London/Surrey daily, and anybody with complaints about South West Trains,really should experience the terrible service you encounter on SouthEastern.
Both services I use would be classed as surburban services and are standing room only,into and out of Waterloo East/main, but the level of customer service, cleanliness of trains, and information you get really is worlds apart.
Quite often,the train comes to a stop on SouthEastern for 10 minutes or more, and just the other day for over an hour!(it always seems to be on the way home too!) and the driver/guard? doesn’t give you any information at all.I’ve had delays as long on Southwest but the driver/guard? on the train making announcements at least gives you some idea as to what’s going on.
No train service is ever going to be perfect in this country, especially in and and out of London, but if you think South West Trains is bad, trust me, try some of the others!
Here in the South West we are very glad to have SWT provide us a service. In general they are very good; comfortable trains, mostly punctual and staff are usually very pleasant. Unfortunately we are going to lose SWT services from 2009 as they will only travel down as far as Exeter. This will be a great loss to us as the services they supply may not be replaced, so to those who complain, I say, “at least you have got a service”.
Try working for Southwest Trains.
The managers are employed for their pliability. Poorly paid they exhibit all the traits of rats in an overcrowded environment.
The employees are demoralised through their lies & cheating practices.
The cheating does not just extend to their employees. Try buying a ticket from their new self-service ticket machines. If you don’t lose your money or credit card
you might, just might, be charged the correct price. Make sure you get your Group Save discount – you won’t from a machine. Make sure you know what fare you should be paying in advance; the machines will let you buy a peak ticket any time of the day. They also don’t show all of the fares for all destinations!
South West Trains are grotesquely overpriced.
I commute between Basingstoke and Guildford (25 miles as the crow flies) and pay over £3000 per year for the service. This cost is comparable to commuting alone in a car – whilst the trains carry several hundred passengers. What has happened to the economies of scale!? The rail commute should clearly be a small fraction of the cost!
Last year I travelled between Napoli and Salerno by train – a slightly longer journey. The standard class seats were considerably wider and more comfortable than “first class” seats on South West trains. The fare? €4.20 for a single.
Despite being massively overcharged, on overcrowded peak-time journeys (where many passengers are standing in between carriages), any passengers who have the sense to sit down in the “first class” seats are apprehended by the guards and forced to stand.
What can we do to get a fair price for public transport?
Hi,
For about 2 years i have been getting South West Trains from Surbiton and now Barnes…into Waterloo.
Both lines are overcrowded and going in i almost never had a seat….its a nightmare…Going home is usually ok…
I am sure the solution is longer trains and longer stations….which would cost money…This is the essential point…
We collectively will not invest in the infrastructure – this is a big mistake and London will pay for it in the long term…
A simple case of short sightedness…oh and greed…all there is too it – the problem could be solved but the people who could solve the problem live in nice flats in zone 1 and get a cab to work – at the weekend they go to their country house – probably driving there and never get on a train…
Do they care about the average commuter? I don’t think so – not when it comes to actually taking some of the profit from the company and reinvesting.
No, privatisation was not a good idea…some public services should not be turned into a revenue stream…it is already happening to the NHS and Schools – it shouldn’t but it is…long term we will all pay dearly for these current mistakes…
We don’t have to of course…