Great Western Coffee Shop

The Isle of Wight is something of an oddball in the new SWR franchise;  last night's presentation by SWR was all about "all of our trains" ... but there was in most categories an exception made for the IOW units.  Not fitting WiFi, power points, accessible toilets, passenger counters at door on a third of units.  Didn't see an "except 483" in the fitting of track monitoring equipment to 40% of units, but I would be surprised.  I don't think there's a coherent / widely shared view as to where and how the line will carry on into the future; I sensed a positiveness that the longer term should be thought about at the presentation, a diary comment that told us that time is being put into considering the IoW at the very top of SWR, but little in the way of a clear plan ahead being in place.

Probably worth splitting this off / separate IOW thread under South Western Railways?

Welcome to the forum.

If I remember correctly the IOW 'ballast' has always been shingle as it would be logistically impossible to 'import' the amount of ballast required.  In my view Bullhead rail is entirely acceptable for such an isolated railway system, but then I am an S&T Engineer by trade and not a PWay Engineer... ::) ;)

Now done.  :)

There should be a clear plan very soon - SWR will soon consult on their proposals so they can deliver a costed plan to the DfT early next year - 'more modern' replacement rolling stock and a new loop around Brading to allow a 30min interval service (instead of 20/40 mins at present) are both expected to feature.

http://www.islandecho.co.uk/first-mtr-south-western-to-take-over-island-line/

Lots and lots of stock corporate PR quotes in the article. Not unlike the short of guff issued about keeping the Cadburys factory open in Keynsham to help ease the takeover bid through. Outcome; factory closed and sold for flats a few months post takeover. I'm not optimistic.

The IoW railway is a vertically integrated railway  ??? this means in normal speak NR technically own the infrastructure but are not required to fun its maintenance and renewal SWR are responsible for all the assets, although the electrical power is controlled by Eastleigh ECR not sure about signalling.  NR do audits from time to time.

The problem with the line it only makes money for a few weeks of the year

As I understand it, under the lease the operator is responsible for day to day maintenance but Network Rail remains in charge of renewals and major works.

Oh, sh ... urely not.  ::)

I am not to sure about the major / renewals funding, the lease operator is supposed   :o to had back the asset in the same condition as they took it over

Details of South Western Railway's plans they'll submit to the DfT are now emerging in the IW County Press (http://www.iwcp.co.uk/news/16205704.Island_Line_s_oldest_trains_could_be_replaced_within_two_years/) and KILF (https://www.facebook.com/groups/kilfcampaign/permalink/1972092756439507/)

- New timetable, with a loop at Brading allowing a 30min service
- Fully refurbished rolling stock of a larger profile, allowing guards to move between carriages (Almost certainly Vivarail's ex-District Line stock)
- Onboard wifi and charging ports, information boards and new CCTV
- A new platform layout at Ryde Interchange, allowing improved access for Hovertravel passengers
- Track upgrade
- A structural survey of Ryde Pier shows the supporting steelwork to be sound, but decking and track require replacement which is the recommended option

This will be put to the DfT shortly with a decision due by the end of year. If agreed replacement stock could arrive by 2020.

Suggests they will need to do something about the Ryde tunnel

In a video posted in the Rumour Mill the CEO of Vivarail stated that there was no problem with the D stock and Ryde tunnel.

Could be embarrassing if he is wrong.

Looking back over the last few years, SWT regularly insisting that only 1973 tube stock would ever work (when available) was possibly a good way for them of kicking the problem further into the long grass. Or the next franchise...

Paul

The reason for the use of tube stock over the use of sub-surface stock I suspect is to do with platform heights and not loading gauge; there would be a cost to either lower the track bed or raise the platform height

When the Shanklin line was electrified in ?1967, the floor of Ryde Tunnel was raised to avoid/reduce the regular flooding that had occurred previously. Flooding is not compatible with third rail electrification!!

This decision led to a reduced loading gauge suitable only for deep tube stock (or perhaps also D-stock). Presumably the electric D-stock could be introduced with minimum electrical modifications. However, there are rumours that they wish to remove the third rail electrification - to be improved with diesel power instead!!

The Isle of Wight loading gauge has never been generous ... but I suspect if the third rail were taken out and the Ryde tunnel lowered again, D trains could get through.  De-electrification seems a retrograde step, but I thing that are precedents in Newcastle and Lancaster?   And of course putting D trains on the Isle of Wight would be one of the few places they could be described as "cascading to more modern stock".