Island Line services, Isle of Wight. General discussion

[whole diary]

[Red Squirrel]

My goodness it's taken them a long time to make the blindingly obvious decision!

That's presumably because they've followed the GTFBORID* process, recently tested to near-destruction in Portishead...

^{*Governance for Taking Forever to make Blindingly Obvious Railway Investment Decisions}

[johnneyw]

I've read that battery options were not taken up for two reasons:

1. Service every 30 minutes apparently doesn't give sufficient battery top up time.
2. Recent replacement of some of the 3rd rail means it was seen as worth keeping.

Source from the Keep Island Line in Franchise, Facebook page. Announcement 16 Sept (and subsequent comments and replies).

[bobm]

From tomorrow the usual service of two Island trains an hour will be replaced by an hourly service "until further notice" according to SWR^» (South Western Railway - about) Twitter.

[bradshaw]

From SWR^» (South Western Railway - about) Journey Check

  Alterations to services between Ryde Pier Head and Shanklin
Due to a shortage of trains because of extra safety inspections between Ryde Pier Head and Shanklin fewer trains are able to run on the line.
What's Going On:
Train services running to and from these stations have been reduced to an hourly service. Disruption is expected until the end of the day on 20/09/19.
What We're Doing About It:
The hourly service will begin from tomorrow, Wednesday the 18th of September. We will return to our normal two trains an hour timetable as soon as possible, but the age of these trains and the difficulty in securing replacement parts means this may take longer than normal.
The hourly service will connect with the ferries at Ryde Pier Head (xx:18 departures from Shanklin and xx:49 departures from Ryde Pier Head).

[onthecushions]

Announcement:

https://www.islandecho.co.uk/new-trains-and-passing-loop-confirmed-as-future-of-island-line-revealed/

OTC

[grahame]

From tomorrow the usual service of two Island trains an hour will be replaced by an hourly service "until further notice" according to SWR^» (South Western Railway - about) Twitter.

Back to 2 trains per hour

From onTheWight

Island Line Trains returns to two per hour

South Western Railway say keeping the 1938 ex-London Underground trains going is a difficult task, but following hard work by the team at the train care depot at Ryde St John’s, the second train is now back in action

For just over a month, Island Line Trains has been operating only one train per hour after a safety issue was discovered on one of the trains.

South Western Railway have confirmed to OnTheWight that from this morning (Monday) two trains per hour are now back in operation.

[CyclingSid]

but following hard work by the team at the train care depot

would be good members of a heritage railway?

[onthecushions]

Much of the Steam Railway's motive power is younger than the SWR^» (South Western Railway - about) Tube stock.

Which one is the heritage railway?

OTC

[Robin Summerhill]

but following hard work by the team at the train care depot

would be good members of a heritage railway?

Given that the stock they are operating with is over 10 years older than the class 2 2-6-2Ts the IOWSR are using, you could say that they are already a heritage railway

[grahame]

From Island Echo

Island Line trains are unable to serve Ryde Pier Head this morning (Friday) due to a fault with the electric third rail power system.

Services between Ryde Esplanade and Ryde Pier Head have been suspended until further notice whilst engineers investigate the issue.

Trains are running as normal between Ryde and Shanklin.

Disruption is expected until 10:00.

The news comes just days after waves started crashing over the top of the Pier, resulting in sparks flying and the fire service being called out.

[grahame]

From Island Echo

Island Line is expected to run a reduced hourly timetable until at least 17th November, it has been announced.

A fault with 1 of just 2 trains operating on the Island Line network means that there is now just 1 train running between Ryde Pier Head and Shanklin.

This reliance on a single train – which is over 80 years old – has seen the service suspended in its entirety at least twice this week. The whole operation hangs in the balance.

Got themselves in a right mess, haven't they?  Cancellation rates seem to have reached the sort of levels of motive power substitution we see with steam excursions ... surely you need a spare train - 3 for a 2 diagram service?  Can they borrow "Calbourne"?

[grahame]

It gets worser ...

https://www.islandecho.co.uk/island-line-suspended-again-as-ageing-train-fails/

Island Line services have been suspended this afternoon (Monday) as a result of a fault with the only train running on the network.

South Western Railway has confirmed that no trains are currently operating between Ryde Pier Head and Shanklin. Disruption is expected to last for the rest of the day.

The news comes just before children leave school for Monday, many of which use the East Wight train service to get home.

Today’s suspension of service is the latest issue to hit Island Line. There are just 2 trains normally available for service on the network, but 1 has been out of action since September. The entire service is now reliant on the last remaining train – which is over 80 years old – but that keeps breaking down.

[grahame]

From On the Wight

A spokesperson for the RMT^▸ (National Union of Rail, Maritime & Transport Workers) Union on the Isle of Wight has today confirmed to OnTheWight that Island Line staff will not be taking industrial action during December, despite other media sources saying they would be.

Island Line RMT members will be available and are expected to work during the strike period of 2nd December 2019 to 1st January 20120.

Online abuse directed at staff
The RMT Union spokesperson says they are disappointed that certain publications have chosen to publish incorrect information, which in turn has led to their members being abused online.

Let's hope they have a working train or two to drive.  Seriously, a strike on the island that shut the line down for the best part of a month would not be a good advert for its future.

[grahame]

From The Guardian

Isle of Wight’s rattling, rolling, charming ex-tube trains face end of the line

Passengers say change is sad but inevitable as time catches up with UK^▸ (United Kingdom)’s oldest train fleet

[snip]

Almost all the passengers the Guardian spoke to during a trip on the train expressed sadness at the prospect. Isle of Wight residents Ash and Sammy Butler were travelling with their son Codie, two, all of them Isle of Wight residents. “I love the quirkiness of it,” said Ash. “You can tell the locals from the visitors straight away. The locals know how to sway with the train. Visitors get bounced all over the place. It’s a bit like being on a boat.”

The trains may rattle but they are also lovely. The carriages feature wooden and brass trim. The livery is a deep red.

Kathleen Neil and her friend Barbara Snelling manoeuvred on to the train on their mobility scooters, helped by an attentive guard. “It is rickety but that’s the charm of it,” said Neil, who has being riding on the trains for almost 40 years. “We roll on and off all the time to go shopping and meet friends. We love it.”

[grahame]

From on the Wight

Isle of Wight Conservative MP^▸ (Member of Parliament), Bob Seely, is reported as having submitted expressions of interest to the Department for Transport last week to reopen two rail branch lines on the Island.

Isle of Wight Radio reported the MP was seeking a feasibility study to look in detail at:
* Extending Island Line from Shanklin to Ventnor
* Providing regular passenger services through Smallbrook from Ryde to Newport
The second option would be dependent on collaboration with the Isle of Wight Steam Railway (IWSR), who own the track.

Mr Seely said that most of the money needed for the feasibility study would come from the DfT^» (Department for Transport - about), but that some extra would be needed to be put in.

The article goes on to introduce the complexity of sharing heritage and commercial operations.