Island Line services, Isle of Wight. General discussion

[whole diary]

[grahame]

My understanding is the hourly service is because the Wightlink ferry is only hourly at this time of year. Not sure what was promised before launch?

But what proportion of passengers on the train are travelling to connect to / from the ferry? 

I am so used to being told that buses can't divert past stations, and that train connections cannot be held, because the proportion changing between them would be or is only a tiny proportion of the total passenger numbers, and  would expect (but may be wrong) that passengers making internal IoW journeys would outweigh the interisland ones

[PhilWakely]

My understanding is the hourly service is because the Wightlink ferry is only hourly at this time of year. Not sure what was promised before launch?

But what proportion of passengers on the train are travelling to connect to / from the ferry? 

I suspect that the vast majority of passengers travelling today will be enthusiasts, reporters and dignataries who probably won't be too concerned with the frequency.

[paul7575]

My understanding is the hourly service is because the Wightlink ferry is only hourly at this time of year. Not sure what was promised before launch?

Most of the earlier “false dawns” at least as seen in realtimetrains, (now and again over the summer), showed an expected 2 tph^▸ (trains per hour) service.

[oldshire]

https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/detailed/gb-nr:RYD/2021-11-01/1957

more problems this evening. Lineside fire

[JayMac]

South Western Services Data Manager message:

I've renamed this topic to turn it into a one stop shop for all things Island Line. I'll search later for other Island Line threads and move and merge them here if they fit into a general discussion.

bignosemac

PS. Pictures and videos of the 'new' Class 484 trains from my visit today, 2nd November 2021, will follow later this evening.

[JayMac]

Day two of the operation of the 'new' (cf. Trigger's Broom) Class 484 trains on Island Line, Isle of Wight.

Finn and I stayed overnight at the Fountain Inn, Cowes. I can highly recommend this hotel to anyone travelling with dogs and looking for somewhere to stay on the island. Finn was spoilt rotten. There's now a Poloroid of him in the bar and his picture has been added to the hotel's new dedicated doggy Instagram page. https://instagram.com/furryfriendsofthefountain

A clear crisp morning saw us take the bus from Cowes to Ryde to play with the trains.

Departing Ryde Esplanade
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Ryde Pier Head
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USB charging at every seat. There's also WiFi aboard
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Clean and comfortable interior
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Planter at Sandown
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I was impressed by the ride quality. A vast improvement on the Class 483s. The last time I rode the line I thought I might lose fillings! When it was announced that former District Line D78 stock was headed to the Isle of Wight I was admittedly skeptical. I was of the opinion that new build was the way forward. However, Vivarail have done an excellent job converting the D78s. Someone not in the know could easily believe these are indeed brand new trains.

I also spotted YouTuber Geoff Marshall out and about on the Island Line today. So he'll no doubt be uploading a video blog of his exploits shortly.

Finally, a little bonus video. Not a train. I do enjoy watching the hovercrafts take off.

[johnneyw]

Do many of the stations look like they've received a bit of TLC^▸ (three letter code, or tender loving care, depending on context )?  The last time that I visited the line some of them looked a bit better than others....that was a good decade ago though.

[JayMac]

The platforms have all been raised and now have non slip surfaces. I only visited Sandown, Ryde Esplanade and Ryde Pier Head. All looked clean and tidy. There appear to be new high visibility handrails in relevant places too. I understand that Brading in particular has had a lot of work done, including a new barrow crossing. This is in preparation for the reopening of the down platform. When the new full timetable starts running services will be scheduled to pass at Brading.

Finn didn't seem to mind the platform surface at Sandown.

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[JayMac]

Geoff Marshall has uploaded his Island Line trip report to YouTube.

[ChrisB]

That it a very weird link that doesn’t work for me?

[grahame]

That it a very weird link that doesn’t work for me?

Updated - does this work:?

Geoff Marshall has uploaded his Island Line trip report to YouTube.

[JayMac]

That it a very weird link that doesn’t work for me?

Apologies. I've fixed it now.

[bobm]

Slightly after the Lord Mayor's show, given that bignosemac was there on day two, but I spent a couple of days on the island at the start of this week.

Here are a collection of photos from the trip

Ryde Pier Head

The starting (and ending) point for many visiting the island.

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Not much has changed at the end of the pier except for the raising of the platform height.   There is currently an hourly service on the line and Wightlink are also running hourly.  The trains are due to arrive six minutes before the ferry goes and they have been struggling to keep time.  I noticed my train from Ryde Esplanade was due to be two minutes late when I was returning to the mainland but luckily I had enough time to amble down the pier.  I was sitting on the catamaran when the train did arrive.  I think those on the train made the ferry - but I couldn't be sure.

Ryde Esplanade

Raised platforms, of course, and a coat of paint.   For years there has been a sign warning people not to lean against part of the railings because they were treated with pigeon repellent.  The sign has gone, but I didn't test if the coating had gone too!

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There was already a departure board on the platform at Esplanade.  There is now a more comprehensive one opposite the travel centre.   There is a similar one at Shanklin which also includes bus departures.  I didn't spot any at Brading or Sandown.

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Ryde St Johns Road

This has always been the heart of the Island Line with the train depot and sole signalbox.

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There are currently four two car units on the island with the fifth and final one due to cross the Solent in the next fortnight.  After the initial interest following the launch the service is being run with a single two car unit - indeed during my stay I only saw 484 003 in service.

Although the line has been re-signalled some semaphore signals remain...

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...but the majority are LED colour light

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Brading

Brading has seen the most infrastructure work under the project.   The passing loop has been reinstated after being lifted in 1988.  I often wondered why the loop here was removed rather than the one at Sandown.  It meant it was no longer possible to run a half hourly service but rather an even 40/20 one.

Although the loop is back it is not currently in use with the hourly service in operation.   All trains are using the up platform.   The new footbridge is nearing completion and there is also level access via a foot crossing.  I assume this is a necessity as the second platform is being brought back into use and so current accessibility rules apply.


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New stock means new ramps for those who need assistance boarding.  I didn't see one in use so not sure why there is the diagonal edge to the ramp.

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Lake

This was the one station I didn't visit (apart of course from Smallbrook Junction which is only open when the steam railway is in operation).

However there is a nearby foot crossing which affords views of the trains at track level

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There is a road overbridge a short distance to the south which used to allow views over the line but it now has a new safety screen which prevents such photography going forward.

Sandown

The passing loop remains at Sandown and is being used, I assume because the two lines are not bi-directionally signalled.

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The old Class 483 units have either been scrapped, gone to the Isle of Wight Steam Railway as a static exhibit, or found new life as cafes.   One remains on the Island Line in the engineers' siding at Sandown awaiting transport to Wales.

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Meanwhile outside the station there is a reminder of the old and new.

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Shanklin

The platforms at all the stations now provide easy access to the trains - as can be seen here.   The only one with any issues is Ryde Esplanade where the curved platform does make some larger than usual gaps.

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There are now ticket machines at Shanklin and Ryde St Johns Road and wifi at all stations.

The ride is certainly smoother than before the work to upgrade the line.  As mentioned timekeeping is a concern, particularly with ferry connections in mind.  It is planned to start a half hourly service from the timetable change in December.  It will be interesting to see how that fares.  While I was on the trains none were particularly busy.  Of course it is out of season but I do wonder how much of an effect the long lay-off coupled with the hourly service has had on patronage.

[RichT54]

It seems that some disabled users are disappointed that the promised level access has not been provided.

A major programme to improve access to rail services on the Isle of Wight has left disabled campaigners feeling let down and frustrated after they discovered that a train operating company had broken its promise to introduce level access boarding.

South Western Railway (SWR^» (South Western Railway - about)) had pledged that its £26 million upgrade programme on the eight-station Island Line would provide newer trains, “modernise the rail experience” for passengers, and provide a “real improvement”.

A graphic on its website, published as far back as September 2019 and tweeted at the time by the island’s Tory MP^▸ (Member of Parliament, or Mile Post (a method of measuring the railway in miles and chains from a starting point - usually London), depending on context) Bob Seely, also included a promise to “provide level access” by adjusting platform heights.

Media coverage from 2019 mentioned that the programme involved “creating level access from the train to the station platform”, while an article from another rail publication last year stated: “Level access will be provided at most stations, although ramps will need to be deployed for wheelchairs at a couple of locations.”

But when the Island Line reopened last week, SWR announced only that adjustments had been made “to reduce the gap between the train and the platform to improve accessibility”, rather than eliminating the gap as it had previously promised.

SWR also produced a new graphic that said platform heights had been adjusted to “improve accessibility” rather than “provide level access” from platform to train.

SWR now insists that creating level access across the network was never part of its plan.

https://www.disabilitynewsservice.com/rail-company-breaks-level-access-pledge-then-rewrites-history/

[paul7575]

There are a number of detailed planning applications on the IOW council website for the platform alterations, I’m sure there’ll be evidence there about what the intention was. 

I’m sure I read the figures for the pier head and the increase was in the order of about 400mm,  I’d be surprised if that wasn’t described as being level.  IIRC^▸ ('if I recall/remember/read correctly') it was also considered a high enough difference to be unsafe for the old stock.

Ryde Esplanade - IOW Planning ref 20/02182/LBC:

1.3 The LBC application is for “the lightweight platform overlay of No.1 platform only for level access boarding to class 484 and other associated works at Ryde Esplanade Station”

Ryde Pier Head -  IOW Planning ref 20/02161/LBC:

1.3 The LBC application is for “the lightweight platform overlay of No.1 platform only for level access boarding to class 484 and other associated works at Ryde Pier Head station”

Paul