South Western Railway (SWR) has announced a new timetable for Island Line which will see a train run every 40 minutes – a long way from the 20-minute service touted in recent years. The new timetable, which starts on Sunday 2nd June, will see 1 train run every 40 minutes in each direction between Shanklin and Ryde Pier Head, a total of 3 services every 2 hours. It is being marketed by South Western Railway as providing additional time for making cross-Solent connections but in reality it is a failure to provide a half-hourly timetable as expected, and a complete failure to progress towards a 20-minute timetable. An example of this 40-minute pattern during a weekday morning would be:
- Shanklin (06:07) to Ryde Pier Head (06:34) – connects with ferry service to Portsmouth at 06:45
- Shanklin (06:51) to Ryde Pier Head (07:18) – connects with ferry service to Portsmouth at 07:45
- Shanklin (07:30) to Ryde Pier Head (07:57) – connects with ferry service to Portsmouth at 08:45, as would the following 08:07 service from Shanklin
Services will call at Smallbrook Junction on days when the Isle of Wight Steam Railway will operate. This timetable also allows time for these stops whilst still being able to serve the pier. The changes will remain in place until the Autumn. It was hoped back in February last year that Island Line would be able to operate a 2-train per hour service from April, described as ‘delivering on what is an important, long-term commitment to the Island Line’. Just over a year later that commitment seems to have disappeared. Mark Dunn, South Western Railway’s Island Line General Manager, said:
“We know just how important it is for our train services to connect with ferry services departing from the Island and arriving from the mainland, which is why we have made these temporary timetable changes for the Summer that will see three trains running every two hours between Ryde Pier Head and Shanklin. “We have listened carefully to feedback from our customers and stakeholders and, while we still aim to deliver a two train per hour timetable, we want to do all we can to make our services as reliable as possible, especially for the holiday seasons. “We recognise the Island Line’s overall performance has not been at the levels our customers expect, and we are working hard to make improvements that will provide a reliable service our customers can have confidence in.”
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Lazy greedy drivers have priced the service into decline. Next with a decreased service will come eventual closure.
Their greed will kill the golden goose. Let’s hope they end up collecting trollies in Tesco
Island Line is part of South Western Railway (SWR) who during COVID conceded control to the Department For Transport (DFT) so they could be bailed out by the taxpayer.
– Don’t be fooled into blaming railway employees for the shortcomings of management (puppets) and politicians (puppet masters).
It turns out that the refurbished London Underground D78 stock trains were a bad buy. And not just on IoW, the other refurbished units have had problems too, each in their own special way.
100% perfect hindsight, but the whole line needed to be changed over to be a “tram” type of vehicle and trackage, i.e. a high floor hybrid overhead/battery tram to avoid issues with the tunnel in Ryde and give flexibility of having gaps in the overhead electrics elsewhere.
Tram style trackage would make it easier to install passing loops to have service 3-4 times per hour over much of the line if not the whole line.
Today details of the new service from 6 June were announced – a train every 40 minutes! Now I have worked in transport all my life and I can tell you that running a 40-minute service to connect with an hourly service does not work; connections will be variable according to your time of travel – the unwary will find themselves kicking their heels at Pier Head for up to 26 minutes. By its nature a 40-minute service cannot be memorised, so casual traffic will soon wither away. Close examination of the new timetable shows that the running tie on Island Line has been increased from 25 to 27 minutes. That does not sound much, but that vital two-minute difference makes it impossible to run a reliable hourly service with one train, hence the 40-mi
Correct to a certain degree, as with the current timetable, if a wheelchair turned up, it would take 2 minutes to board them via the ramp, and 2 minutes to disembark them. But then I expect the expert that you are would ban such travel wouldn’t you
Why on earth do you make such an accusation? i travelled on Island Line (09.14 from Shanklin) last Friday and a wheelchair was boarded at Shanklin and disembarked ar Esplanade (where the lady was waiting on the platform ready with the ramp. After we continued to Pier Head and still had five minutes to walk to the boat comfortably. From 2 June the train is brought forward to 08.51 arriving Pier Head 09.18 for the 09.45 Fastcat. That’s 27 minutes hanging about at Pier Head – not good
What you are not taking into consideration is every ithervststion that is un staffed when assistance is required to ramps etc. Esplanade is the only station with platform staff.
The reality is that the seemless step off step on system doesn’t work with connections between the train and ferry. It allows zero contingency time for any delay whether that be train or late running ferry’s with is incredibly common.
I believe the 40 minute timetable is the vest solution considering the expectation that the train is expected to meet so many 3rd party links such as the steam railway, Southern vectis, wightlink and the hover! IL please one but fail another. They can’t win.
Only esplanade is staffed (not all day) so what about those in wheelchairs that go from say Brading to Shanklin? Deploying a ramp takes time and has to be done safely. Disabled people have the same rights to travel as those that are able-bodied. Would you rather potentially miss the ferry due to the arriving 5 minutes late, or be sat there thinking, its fine, plenty of time before the boat. You wouldn’t expect to check in for a flight 5 minutes before it takes off would you? Unfortunately health and safety dictates alot of transport nowadays compared to the good old days of the 80s etc. How many times have people moaned that the train left on time and passengers were left at the pier. This will eliminate this happening.
Well this will be the finisher of this unprofitable track.
So let’s start planning a new tar mac road, to relieve the pressure on the Ryde to Shanklin road, and get battery shuttle buses to do, what the train, IF the drivers were not on strike, sometimes did, and take passengers up the pier. Then we can allow walkers, cyclists and e bikes to use a far safer road than the main road is and being sheltered much more a pleasant route in the wet or colder months.
The end in nigh, so plan NOW council
The deluded anti railway ivy is back. Last couple of weeks has seen issues with red funnel, wightlink, hovertravel, southern vectis and the floating bridge which has attracted zero comments from the troll. 1st bit on island line and they are back wanting it closed. A couple of factual points for you ivy. Southeastern currently loses £1 million per day which is the biggest cost to tax payers. Second, the iow council can’t do anything as its private land . Island echo really does surprise me by allowing such rubbish to be posted
I will believe it when I see it.!!
But, haven’t railway staff been going on strike for more money just recently?
Only 8 stops (7 out of season) on the line, now only one train every 40 minutes, but they want more money?
Maybe it’s time to call it a day, or make it part of the steam railway.
Don’t believe everything you have been reading. Money has been a factor, but only in line with inflation like everyone else. Strikes are to do with job security, terms and conditions and maintaining safety. All of which are being significantly impacted by the government. They just don’t like to publicise those bits.
I remember David Pugh and Bob coming out and saying this will be the best thing to happen to the east side of the island. We might as well just have it down as a leisure service now and have it only running at peak time. Start at 10 and run until 6pm with an hourly service. It could be a new island attraction.
If this is the direction the trains are going there is no point having them, either invest in a decent service or just call it a day.
What’s your idea then? Whats the solution?
So many experts, let’s tarmac it and forget that this will only be a temporary solution and gridlock returns.
Let’s make it trams, where you would need many more to take the same amount of passengers one current island train can take right now , more staff and a major investment to change the infrastructure.
Many trains operating companies make a far bigger loss than islandline on the mainland with no risk of being closed or changed, but it seems because islandline is not physically connected to the mainland it has to be treated differently!
Be grateful the island has a railway as once it’s gone its gone forever because soon in my opinion it won’t be an unnecessary expense but a necessary one!