“This modern obsession with ‘booking’ always upsets me! These aren’t coaches or planes (or indeed charter trains), they are ordinary walk-on services. You literally cannot book, in the sense of ‘reserve’ - and three cheers for that! Just turn up and buy y
ON May 21, I published the 41st edition of my Rail Franchise map. Anyone may download a copy from the Rail section of my website ( www.
barrydoe.co.uk), but the reason for a new edition was twofold: to show LNER replacing Virgin Train East Coast; and to add Corfe Castle to the system.
Owing to some last-minute problems with Network Rail, details were embargoed until a few days before the first train on May 26. However, South Western Railway gave me permission to launch my map a few days before that, and provide some detail.
It was amusing to receive emails from professional colleagues insinuating I must have sent a late ‘April Fool’, as there was no mention of this on the internet! I assured them it was definite and gave the details, which I repeat under Tables 123 & 160 in my review of the May National Rail Timetable (see pages 4451).
What is very significant is that while charters often run from Swanage to the outside world (and last year Swanage Railway ran a shuttle to Wareham for a short period), these are the first scheduled national trains to run to Corfe Castle for 46 years.
I had some people ask me how they book. This modern obsession with ‘booking’ always upsets me! These aren’t coaches or planes (or indeed charter trains), they are ordinary walkon services. You literally cannot book, in the sense of ‘reserve’ - and three cheers for that! Just turn up and buy your ticket from a ticket office - or if there isn’t one, pay on the train.
Special fares are available. If you join anywhere between Salisbury and Maiden
Newton it’s a mere £10 Standard or £20 First Class return. Children half-price, but no railcard discount as the fare is so cheap.
If you join at Dorchester West or Weymouth, or anywhere up to Wareham, it’s just £5 Standard. Incidentally, there are other novelties on the leg from Salisbury. It’s almost certainly the first through train ever from Tisbury or Maiden Newton to Corfe Castle, and the first through service from Dorchester West to Dorchester South - try working out a fare for that one!
I was on the first train in, and I also used the first shuttle so that I could be on the first train out of Corfe Castle, too. It was a spotless Class 159 and (I can’t resist saying it again) to sink into the lovely seats reminded me how superb these are compared with a Great Western Railway IET!
SWR is to be congratulated for arranging this for the season, and I’m sure it will do very well. There is already talk of strengthening the train if possible.
Earlier that week, I had achieved another ‘first’ by using TfL Rail between Paddington and Heathrow Terminal 4. Only the half-hourly shuttles to Hayes & Harlington use the new Class 345 stock, with the Heathrow trains in the hands of the original Heathrow Connect units.
Using Oyster (with railcard added), I had previously looked up the single from Waterloo to Heathrow T4 via TfL Rail and found it a reasonable £6.65. However, split ticketing has come to TfL!
I found that if I did Waterloo to Hayes & Harlington using a Class 345, it would be £2.05, then if I touched out and back in before going on to Heathrow, the extra charge would be £3.95 - thus a 65p saving!
Now, it didn’t matter, as I knew I would trigger my £8.25 daily cap on the way home anyway, but I did ponder why such a good system as Oyster has allowed this structure for Heathrow.
I found the Class 345 fair - rather better than a Thameslink Class 700 for comfort, but only marginally. It’s brighter inside and out, so looks a lot better, and it does have face & back as well as longitudinal seating. But it’s nowhere near as comfortable as the Metropolitan Line S8 stock, which a real indictment.
The difference was really marked when joining the ex-Heathrow Connect Class 360 unit, which has really good seating. I also noted something else: the Class 360 only has one toilet, and this was locked out of use. I assume it’s TfL’s way of making the fleet have a common standard - welcome to TfL Rail, the train company without toilets for journeys such as Reading to Shenfield.
And one parting shot: aside from the Class 444 Desiro I used to reach Waterloo from Bournemouth, the most comfortable train of the day by far was the 1972 Bakerloo Line stock I used from Waterloo to Paddington!
Something is seriously wrong with the way train interiors are being planned. TfL tells us the Class 345 is ‘state of the art’. That means hard seats and no toilets, does it?
26-30 Railcard
As we approach peak summer, it is worth pointing out an oddity. The new 26-30 Railcard has virtually identical Terms & Conditions as the 16-25 Railcard, but with one exception: the 26-30 version does NOT relax the Mon-Fri £12 minimum fare in July and August.