South Western Railway Explained

South Western Railway should not be confused with First South West.

South Western Railway (SWR; legal name First MTR South Western Trains Limited,^[3]) is a British train operating company owned by FirstGroup (70%) and MTR Corporation (30%) that operates the South Western franchise.

On 20 August 2017, SWR took over South Western franchise operations from the previous franchisee South West Trains. SWR operates commuter services from its Central London terminus at to south west London. SWR provides suburban services in the counties of Surrey, Hampshire, Berkshire and Dorset, as well as regional services in Devon, Somerset and Wiltshire. Its subsidiary Island Line operates services on the Isle of Wight. Rolling stock changes have included a comprehensive refurbishment of existing units and the acquisition of new-build units from Bombardier to replace SWR's, and multiple units. The fleet operated on the Island Line was also replaced by the during 2021.

During April 2018, amid concerns of SWR's performance, the Transport Secretary, Chris Grayling, announced an independent review into SWR and Network Rail. Between 2 December 2019 and 2 January 2020, the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) undertook 27days of strikes. Further industrial action by SWR's staff was undertaken in 2022. In response to the decrease in passenger travel caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, SWR had considerably curtailed its services by mid-2020. In January 2020, SWR announced that they were in discussions with the government regarding the future of the franchise. In December 2020, it was announced that SWR's franchise would be abolished and replaced by a shorter management contract. In February 2023, the contract was extended to May 2025. In December 2024, the government announced that SWR's contract would not be renewed in 2025 and that the service would be nationalised taken back into public ownership.

History

During July 2015, the Department for Transport (DfT) abandoned efforts to negotiate an extension with the incumbent operator of the South Western franchise, South West Trains, (owned by British transport conglomerate Stagecoach) and announced that the South Western franchise would be retendered for in the coming years.^{[4] [5] [6]}

In February 2016, the DfT announced that two companies, FirstGroup and Stagecoach, had been shortlisted to bid for the next South Western franchise.^{[7] [8]} During June 2016, MTR Corporation partnered with FirstGroup in their bid, taking a 30% shareholding in the joint venture.^{[9] [10]} During July 2016, the DfT issued the Invitation to Tender.^{[11] [12]}

During March 2017, the DfT announced that the South Western franchise had been awarded to First/MTR.^[13] At the time, it was stated that its franchise period was to commence from 20 August 2017 and run through to 18 August 2024, although the deal had included an option for the DfT to extend it for a further 48 weeks.^{[14] [15] [16]}

The Competition & Markets Authority (CMA) held an inquiry into the awarding; during July 2017, it sought undertakings from SWR that it would not abuse its monopoly on services to the West of England, Dorset and Somerset, as FirstGroup also operated the Greater Western franchise in those regions.^{[17] [18]} FirstGroup and MTR responded with an offer to implement a cap upon unregulated fares between London and Exeter as a mitigating measure; the CMA chose to accept this concession.^[19]

By April 2018, concerns had reportedly grown over SWR's performance over previous months; there had been a noted rise in both the number of delayed services and outright cancellations. Due to these concerns, the Transport Secretary, Chris Grayling, announced an independent review into the performance of South Western Railway and Network Rail; the review was welcomed by Winchester's MP, Steve Brine.^[20] During July 2018, reports emerged that FirstGroup/MTR were in the process of renegotiating the SWR contract, allegedly due to the operator's inability to deliver on many of its promised improvements, as well as its declining performance and industrial action by its own staff.^[21]

Between 2 December 2019 and 2 January 2020, the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) undertook 27days of strikes. These were in protest to the potential introduction of DOO (driver only operation) on SWR's new fleet of Bombardier-built multiple units, which would thereby nullify the role of the guard.^[22]

In January 2020, SWR announced that they were in discussions with the government regarding the future of the franchise following a £137million loss, with termination of the contract being a possibility.^[23]

By mid-2020, SWR had considerably curtailed its services in response to the significant decline of passenger travel amid the COVID-19 pandemic.^{[24] [25]} From 15 June 2020, both passengers and staff on public transport in England, including SWR services, were required to wear face coverings while travelling, and that anyone failing to do so would be liable to be refused travel or fined.^{[26] [27]}

In December 2020, it was announced that terms for the abolition of the franchise system for SWR had been agreed, and that the company would be given a management contract to run until 1 April 2023 when the ERMA (Emergency Recovery Measures Agreement) for the franchise ends in March 2021.^[28] During October 2021, the contract was updated with a finish date of 28 May 2023, with an option to extend further if required by the DfT.^[29] In February 2023, the contract was further extended until May 2025.^[30]

SWR is one of several train operators impacted by the 2022–2024 United Kingdom railway strikes, which were the first national rail strikes in the UK for three decades.^[31] Its workers were amongst those participating in industrial action due to a dispute over pay and working conditions.^[32] The number of staff involved allowed SWR to remain capable of operating a minimal timetable on any of the planned dates for the strikes .^{[33] [34]}

In December 2024, the government announced that at the end of SWR's contract in May 2025, the operator would be taken back into public ownership and the service run by the operator of last resort,^[35] DfT Operator Ltd.

Services

South Western Railway is the main operator for western Surrey, Hampshire, Dorset and the Isle of Wight, and also serves Greater London, Berkshire, Wiltshire, Somerset and Devon.

Most SWR services run on electrified lines using the 750VDC third-rail system. There is a diesel fleet for services on the West of England line to Salisbury and Exeter, using the unelectrified track beyond Worting Junction just west of Basingstoke, and for Salisbury to Southampton via Romsey services which also serve Eastleigh.

From, SWR's London terminus, long-distance trains run to southern England, including the major coastal population centres of Portsmouth, Southampton, Bournemouth, Poole and Weymouth. There are also trains to Reading and Exeter, but these are not the principal fast services from London to those cities, which are operated from by Great Western Railway. The majority of its passengers are on suburban commuter lines in inner and south-west London, Surrey, east Berkshire, and north-east Hampshire.

As with most rail companies, non-folding bicycles are banned from peak-time trains to and from London. However, these restrictions apply only to cyclists boarding or alighting in the area bounded by Hook, Alton, Guildford, Reading and Dorking, in order to maximise available passenger space on the most crowded trains.^[36]

Mainline services

SWR operates regular services on four mainline routes:^{[37] [38]}

• The South West Main Line (SWML) runs between London (Waterloo station) and the town of Weymouth; the route passes through several large towns and cities, including Woking, Basingstoke, Winchester, Southampton, Bournemouth, Poole and Dorchester. South Western Railway operates trains along the entire length of the line. Almost all trains operated by the company start from or terminate at London Waterloo with the exception of a Winchester - Bournemouth / Poole stopping service; these include semi-fast services to/from Southampton and Poole, and express services to/from Weymouth. There are also trains to and from Portsmouth; these trains branch off the SWML at Eastleigh, then proceed via the Eastleigh to Fareham and West Coastway lines to Portsmouth Harbour station.
• The Portsmouth Direct line (PDL) branches off the SWML at Woking and runs to Portsmouth via Guildford, Haslemere, Petersfield and Havant. South Western Railway operates all passenger trains on this route; these include fast and semi-fast services between London and Portsmouth, and semi-fast services as far as Haslemere.
• The West of England line (WEL) is the only mainline route that is not fully electrified.^[39] It leaves the SWML at Basingstoke and runs to Exeter via Andover, Salisbury, Gillingham and Yeovil. South Western Railway is the only operator on the line, with most services running between London and either Salisbury or Exeter St Davids. Some peak-time services terminate at various other destinations on the line, including Gillingham and Andover. On Summer Saturdays, there is also a daily return service to Weymouth, which leaves the WEML at Yeovil Junction and continues via the Heart of Wessex Line.
• The Alton line leaves the SWML at (just after Woking) and runs to Alton via Aldershot and Farnham. It is the shortest of the four mainline routes and as such it is sometimes considered an outer suburban route instead (however for ticketing purposes, it is classed as a mainline route). Services usually run the full length of the line between London and Alton, though some services terminate at Farnham.

In total, there are 14 mainline trains per hour departing London Waterloo in the off-peak; this number increases in the peak hours. The majority of mainline services are operated by or EMUs, except for the West of England Main Line which is always operated by or DMUs (because it is unelectrified) and the Alton Line which also sees the occasional use of units.

Metro and Suburban services

South Western Railway also operates many suburban "Metro" services in and around London. These all run between London Waterloo and, where they split into two separate routes: via Putney and via Wimbledon. All services on the suburban part of the network are operated by,, and electric multiple units.

Via Putney

The main route via Putney is known as the Waterloo to Reading Line. It runs between London and Reading and passes through towns such as Staines-upon-Thames, Ascot and Bracknell. It operates as a fast service as far as, with Reading trains only calling at,, and . Branch lines on this route include:

• The Hounslow Loop Line, which leaves the main line at, runs via and rejoins the line between and (with junctions in both directions). Most services on the branch run either between London and Weybridge (described below), or run in a loop from Waterloo to Waterloo via Brentford, Whitton and Richmond (these services run both clockwise and anticlockwise).
• The Kingston Loop Line, which branches off at Twickenham, runs via Kingston and joins the South West Main Line at New Malden. Most services on this line run in an anticlockwise loop, from Waterloo to Waterloo, via Putney, Strawberry Hill, Kingston and Wimbledon.
  • There is also a branch line to Shepperton, however, this is only served by Putney trains at peak times.
• The Staines to Windsor Line, which branches off the main line at Staines-upon-Thames and runs to Windsor & Eton Riverside station. Most services run semi-fast between London and Windsor.
• The Chertsey Branch Line, which leaves the main line at Virginia Water and runs to Weybridge. Most services on the line run between London and Weybridge via the Hounslow Loop Line; a few services are extended beyond Weybridge, to and from Woking.
• The Ascot to Guildford Line, which is only served by through trains at peak times; these services run between London and Aldershot.

A total of 12 trains per hour run between London Waterloo and Putney in the off-peak; this number increases in peak hours.

Via Wimbledon

The main route via Wimbledon uses the slow tracks of the quadruple-track South West Main Line. Suburban trains run along the mainline between London and Woking. Branch lines on this route include:

• The Mole Valley Line, which branches off the main line at Raynes Park and runs via Epsom to Leatherhead, where the branch line itself splits into two lines: one to Guildford and one to Horsham via Dorking. SWR runs regular services to both Guildford and Dorking; the section between Dorking and Horsham is operated by Southern.^[40]
  • The Chessington Branch Line branches off the Mole Valley Line at Motspur Park and runs to Chessington.
• The Kingston Loop Line, which leaves the SWML at New Malden, runs via Kingston and joins the Waterloo to Reading line at . Most services on this line run in a clockwise loop, from Waterloo to Waterloo, via Wimbledon, Kingston, Strawberry Hill and Putney.
  • The Shepperton Branch Line, which branches off the Kingston Loop Line at Teddington. Most services on the branch line run between Waterloo and Shepperton via Wimbledon.
• The Hampton Court Branch Line, which leaves the main line at Surbiton and runs directly to Hampton Court.
• The New Guildford Line, which also branches off at Surbiton, running to Guildford via Claygate. The line joins the Guildford branch of the Mole Valley Line at Effingham Junction.

A total of 16 trains per hour run between London Waterloo and Wimbledon in the off-peak; this number increases in peak hours.

Other services

Routes that do not start or terminate at London Waterloo include:

• The Ascot to Guildford Line, which runs between Ascot and Guildford via Aldershot. Most services on the line run only between Ascot and Guildford, with no extension in either direction; however, some peak-time services do run between London and Farnham via Ascot. The shuttle services are usually operated by units.
• The western section of the West Coastway Line between Portsmouth and Southampton. Class 450 units are usually in operation on this route.
• The Eastleigh to Romsey Line between Romsey and Eastleigh. Services on the line are extended beyond Eastleigh to and from Salisbury via Southampton Central and Romsey, in effect calling at Romsey twice. These services are operated using units.
• The Wessex Main Line between Salisbury and Southampton. Services are extended beyond Southampton via the Eastleigh to Romsey Line, as described above.
• The Lymington Branch Line between Brockenhurst and Lymington Pier runs every 30 minutes between these two stations. This is done entirely by Class 450 units on this line.
• The Island Line on the Isle of Wight, between Ryde Pier Head and Shanklin. These services are operated using former London Underground converted from London Underground D78 Stock.

Service table

Details of each route, including maps and timetables, are on the South Western Railway official website (see External links below). As of December 2023, its routes off-peak Monday to Friday, with frequencies in trains per hour (tph), include:^[41]

South West Main Line
Route	tph	Calling at
to	2
to	2
to via	1
(and) to	1	Services to start from .
to	1	This route splits/merges at Bournemouth with the route to, see below.
to	1
	1	This route splits/merges at Bournemouth with the route to, see above.
Portsmouth Direct line
Route	tph	Calling at
to	1
to via	2	,,,,, and are served by the same trains.
West of England line
Route	tph	Calling at
to	1	2 trains extend to, calling at 1 return train starts from, calling at .
to	1	and are served by alternating trains.
Alton line
Route	tph	Calling at
to	2
Kingston Loop line
Route	tph	Calling at
to via	2	Anticlockwise: Services continue to via (see below)
	2	Clockwise: Services continue to via (see above)
Waterloo to Reading
Route	tph	Calling at
to	2
Staines to Windsor and Chertsey branch
Route	tph	Calling at
to	2
to via and	2
Mole Valley line and Chessington branch
Route	tph	Calling at
to	2
to	1
to via	1
Shepperton and Hampton Court branches
Route	tph	Calling at
to	2
to	2
New Guildford line
Route	tph	Calling at
to via Cobham & Stoke d'Abernon	2
Ascot to Guildford
Route	tph	Calling at
to	2
to	2
West Coastway Line
Route	tph	Calling at
to	1
Eastleigh to Romsey and Wessex Main Line
Route	tph	Calling at
to	1
Lymington branch
Route	tph	Calling at
to	2
Island Line
Route	tph	Calling at
to	2	Services also call at when the Isle of Wight Steam Railway is running services.

Future services

Improvements promised under the 2017 contract were:^[42]

• Refurbished trains
• Journeys to London eight minutes faster from, nine minutes faster from, ten minutes faster from and 14 minutes faster from
• Free Wi-Fi at all stations and on mainland trains
• 29 additional weekday and Saturday services between and
• Hourly direct trains from Weymouth to Portsmouth to begin before 2019
• 35 additional weekday and Saturday services between Portsmouth & Southsea and
• More Sunday services
• Investment in stations, including improvements to Southampton Central station
• Live information on seating availability and crowding levels via a new mobile phone app

, there is also an hourly Sunday service between Reading and Salisbury via Basingstoke (with trains running between morning and evening).^[43]

In August 2021, the company announced the launch of "assisted boarding points" at all 189 stations on its network, allowing disabled or elderly passengers to ask for assistance onboard trains with as little as ten minutes' notice.^[44] The scheme will include clear signage at stations, with QR codes allowing customers to send details of the assistance they require and their planned journey to staff, replacing older systems wherein assisted journeys had to be booked six hours to a day in advance.

Rolling stock

South Western Railway inherited a fleet of Classes 158, 159, 444, 450, 455, 456, 458 and 707 from South West Trains, and subsequently re-introduced trains which had operated on Gatwick Express after earlier service with South West Trains. The current fleet for the Island Line,, entered service on 1 November 2021.^[45]

During March 2020, the Class 442 fleet was withdrawn. One year later, SWR decided that they would not be returned to service and their re-introduction has been cancelled.^[46] In March 2021, SWR announced it would be keeping 28 Class 458 units and will refurbish and reconfigure them to four carriages for planned deployment on the Portsmouth Direct Line instead of the Class 442.^[47]

In early 2024 it was announced that the plan to use the refurbished and reconfigured Class 458s on the Portsmouth Direct Line had been dropped, and that South Western Railway has no current plans to use the 458/4s.^{[48] [49]}

On June 24, 2024, the first Class 458/4 entered public service, initially doing limited outer suburban routes such as London Waterloo to Weybridge via Addlestone.^[50]

Classes 455, 456 and 707 fleets will be replaced by 30 five-car and 60 ten-car units built at Bombardier's Derby Litchurch Lane Works, financed by ROSCO Rock Rail for,^[51] for use on Reading, Windsor and London suburban services.^{[52] [53] [54]}

, 42 of the 90 trains ordered had been accepted from Alstom.^[55] The trains began to be used for passengers in January 2024.^[56]

Current fleet

Family	Class	Image	Type	Top speed		Number	Carriages	Routes	Built
				mph	km/h
South Western Railway
Sprinter	158 Express Sprinter		DMU	90	145	8[57]	2	London Waterloo Exeter St Davids Romsey Salisbury via Southampton Central
	159 South Western Turbo					29[58] [59]	3	West of England, Heart of Wessex and Wessex Main Lines: London Waterloo Exeter St Davids	159/0: 159/1: converted
Siemens Desiro	444		EMU	100	160	45	5	London Waterloo and London Waterloo Portsmouth Harbour (shared with Class 450s) London Waterloo Alton (shared with Class 450s) London Waterloo Basingstoke (shared with Class 450s)	20032004
	450					127	4	London Waterloo Portsmouth Harbour, Alton, Basingstoke or Reading Southampton Central Portsmouth & Southsea Brockenhurst Lymington Pier Winchester Bournemouth Outer suburban routes: London Waterloo Windsor & Eton Riverside, Weybridge via Staines London Waterloo via Hounslow Guildford Some express and inner suburban services	20022006
BR Second Generation (Mark 3)	455			75	120	83	4	Inner suburban routes: London Waterloo Shepperton, Hampton Court, Woking London Waterloo via Hounslow or Strawberry Hill London Waterloo Dorking, Guildford via Oxshott or Epsom, Chessington South, or Windsor & Eton Riverside	19821985
Alstom Coradia Juniper	458/4					20[60]	5	Outer suburban services: London Waterloo Weybridge, Teddington or Windsor & Eton Riverside, Inner suburban services (Occasionally)	20132016 (19982002 as 458/0) (20002001 as 460)
	458/5
Bombardier Aventra	701/0 Arterio			100	160	60	10	Reading, Windsor and south west London suburban services	20192024
	701/5 Arterio					30	5
Island Line
Vivarail D-Train	484		EMU	60	100	5	2	Island Line Ryde Pier HeadShanklin

Past fleet

Train types formerly operated by South Western Railway include:

• Class 483, all withdrawn from service on 3 January 2021 after 82 years of service, including their time with London Transport.^[61]
• Class 442, permanently withdrawn in March 2020.^[62]
• Class 456 withdrawn from service 17 January 2022.^[63]

Family	Class	Image	Type	Top speed		Carriages	Number	Routes operated	Built	Withdrawn	Notes
				mph	km/h
1938 tube stock	483		EMU	45	72	2	6	Island Line	1938		Replaced by Class 484
BR Second Generation (Mark 3)	442 Wessex Electrics			100	160	5	18	London WaterlooPortsmouth Harbour			Replaced by Class 444
	455			75	120	4	9	Inner suburban routes: London Waterloo Shepperton, Hampton Court, Woking London Waterloo via Hounslow or Strawberry Hill London Waterloo Dorking, Guildford via Oxshott or Epsom, Chessington South, or Windsor & Eton Riverside	1982–1985	2022	Scrapped[64]
	456					2	24	Inner suburban services in conjunction with services operated by Class 455 units to make 10 coach trains.			Scrapped[65]
Siemens Desiro	707 Desiro City			100	160	30[66]	5	Inner suburban services: London Waterloo Chessington South London Waterloo Hampton Court London Waterloo Guildford via Epsom	20152018	2021–2024	Transferred to Southeastern

Depots

The following train depots and stabling sidings are used for the South Western Railway fleet:

Bournemouth depot is southwest of Bournemouth station, occupying the approach to the former Bournemouth West station.

Farnham Traincare Depot, in Weydon Lane, was opened by the Southern Railway at the time of the electrification of the Portsmouth and lines in 1937.^[67]

Feltham depot was completed in 2021; it is intended to provide stabling for the Class 701 units.^[68]

Fratton Traincare Depot is located on central Portsea Island, alongside Fratton station.

Northam Traincare Facility was built by Siemens in 2002 as the home depot for the Desiro fleet as part of a 20-year maintenance contract.^[69] It is located south of St Denys station and is near Southampton Football Club's St Mary's Stadium.

Ryde Traincare Depot, alongside Ryde St John's Road on the Isle of Wight serviced the Class 483 units that used to operate on the Island Line.^{[70] [71] [72]}

Salisbury depot maintains the Class 158 and Class 159 fleet.^[73]

Strawberry Hill train maintenance depot in south west London, was built in 1897, is inside the triangular junction of the Shepperton Branch Line with the Kingston Loop Line, just yards from Strawberry Hill railway station.

Wimbledon Traincare Depot is located between Wimbledon and Earlsfield stations, on the main line to Waterloo, next to the Wimbledon railway viaduct.

Notes and References

1. SW_Help . 1744734957564735994 . Lots of excitement today as our first customers got to experience our fabulous new Arterio trains. . 9 January 2024 . 9 January 2024.
2. Web site: National Rail Enquiries - South Western Railway . 27 July 2021 . nationalrail.co.uk.
3. Web site: First MTR South Western Trains Limited . . . 15 January 2021.
4. News: South West Trains franchise 'out to competition' . 7 July 2015 . . 15 January 2021.
5. South West Trains to be refranchised . 7 July 2015 . . . 15 January 2021.
6. No direct franchise for South West Trains in 2017 . . 779 . 22 July 2015 . 8.
7. Web site: Two companies shortlisted to compete for the next South Western rail franchise . Department for Transport . 4 February 2016.
8. Stagecoach and FirstGroup shortlisted for South Western franchise . Railway Gazette International. 4 February 2016.
9. MTR and First partner for South Western bid . . 16 June 2016.
10. MTR joins FirstGroup's bid for South Western rail franchise . . 16 June 2016.
11. Web site: Better journeys on the way for rail passengers across the South Western network . Department for Transport . 4 July 2016.
12. South Western invitation to tender issued . . 4 July 2016.
13. News: South West Trains: Hong Kong firm MTR to help run rail franchise . BBC News . 27 March 2017.
14. South Western Railway . FirstGroup . 21 July 2022.
15. First MTR joint venture wins South Western franchise . . 27 March 2017 . 29 March 2017 . 31 March 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190331092550/https://www.railwaygazette.com/news/news/europe/single-view/view/first-mtr-joint-venture-wins-south-western-franchise.html . dead .
16. News: Government awards First MTR franchise to run South Western rail service . https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220524/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/department-transport-awards-chinese-firm-first-mtr-franchise-south-western-rail-service-a7651446.html . 24 May 2022 . subscription . live . Co . Josie . 27 March 2017 . . 15 January 2021.
17. Web site: FirstGroup and MTR / SouthWestern rail franchise merger inquiry . Competition & Markets Authority . 5 May 2017.
18. Web site: Anticipated acquisition by First MTR South Western Trains Limited of South Western Franchise . Competition & Markets Authority . 21 July 2022.
19. News: Gerrard . Bradley . Rail fares set to be capped between London and Exeter . https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2017/08/18/rail-fares-set-capped-london-exeter/ . 12 January 2022 . subscription . live . 29 August 2017 . . 18 August 2017.
20. News: South Western Railway to face government review over performance, transport secretary announces . Basingstoke Gazette . 25 April 2018.
21. SWR's future could be in doubt as negotiations are tabled . 24 July 2018 . Rail Technology Magazine . 24 July 2018.
22. News: South Western Railway guards vote for more strikes . 23 January 2020 . BBC News . 15 January 2021.
23. News: South Western Railway could lose franchise after £137m loss . 7 January 2020 . . 7 January 2020.
24. News: Coronavirus: Rail franchise agreements suspended to avoid company collapses . 23 March 2020 . 23 March 2020 . . 27 May 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200527060301/https://news.sky.com/story/coronavirus-rail-franchise-agreements-suspended-to-avoid-company-collapses-11962186 . live .
25. News: COVID-19: Christmas travel disruption as Omicron hits rail and airline staffing . Sky News. Samuel . Osborne . 27 December 2021.
26. Web site: Transport Secretary's statement on coronavirus (COVID-19): 4 June 2020 . GOV.UK . 4 June 2020 . 21 June 2020 . 23 June 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200623085630/https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/transport-secretarys-statement-on-coronavirus-covid-19-4-june-2020 . live.
27. News: Coronavirus: facemask plans mired in confusion . Graeme . Paton . . subscription . 21 June 2020 . 21 June 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200621001614/https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/coronavirus-facemask-plans-mired-in-confusion-wlsq7qf82 . live.
28. News: Two franchises abolished for good, as First and DfT agree terms . 10 December 2020 . Railnews . 10 December 2020.
29. Web site: First MTR South Western Trains Limited 2021: rail contract . Department for Transport . 28 October 2021 . 20 December 2021.
30. News: Department of Transport extends FTSE 250 FirstGroup's South Western Railway contract by two years . 10 February 2023 . 10 February 2023 . MSN / This is Money.
31. News: Rail strike: RMT union votes for national action . . 24 May 2022 . 24 May 2022.
32. News: The dates of the train, Tube and bus strikes this week, and how services will be affected . 20 June 2022 . iNews . 24 June 2022.
33. News: South Western Railway condemns "bitterly disappointing" strikes as union calls for better offer . Surrey Live . Christy . O'Brien . 17 July 2022.
34. News: Will train strikes affect South Western Railway? Rail strike emergency timetables for train operator . Berkshire Live . Hannah . Roberts . 20 June 2022.
35. News: Espiner . Tom . 3 December 2024 . South Western Railway to be renationalised by Labour . 3 December 2024 . BBC News.
36. Web site: Travelling with a bike . South Western Railway . 22 August 2017.
37. Web site: Network map South Western Railway . 22 April 2021 . www.southwesternrailway.com.
38. Web site: Train Timetable South Western Railway . 22 April 2021 . www.southwesternrailway.com.
39. Web site: Wessex Route . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20130201201735/http://www.networkrail.co.uk/browse%20documents/strategicbusinessplan/cp5/supporting%20documents/our%20activity%20and%20expenditure%20plans/route%20plans/wessex%20route%20plan.pdf . 1 February 2013 . 24 June 2021 . Network Rail.
40. Web site: Where We Travel To Train Journey Planner Southern Railway . 22 April 2021 . www.southernrailway.com . en-GB.
41. Web site: Train Timetable . South Western Railway . 12 December 2023.
42. Web site: South Western– information for employees . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20180106110653/http://www.firstgroupplc.com/about-firstgroup/uk-rail/south-western-information-for-employees.aspx . 6 January 2018 . 24 June 2021 . First Group.
43. Web site: Check Train Times and Timetables Great Western Railway . www.gwr.com . 11 May 2019.
44. Web site: South Western Railway launches 10 minutes' notice assistance scheme . Topham . Gwyn . 5 August 2021 . . 5 August 2021 . live . https://archive.today/20210805114212/https://www.theguardian.com/business/2021/aug/05/south-western-railway-launches-10-minutes-notice-assistance-scheme . 5 August 2021 .
45. Web site: Isle of Wight line's future secured with £26m investment . Railway Gazette International . 16 September 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190916201443/https://www.railwaygazette.com/uk/isle-of-wight-lines-future-secured-with-26m-investment/54576.article. 16 September 2019 .
46. Web site: Class 442s to leave South Western Railway . 15 January 2022.
47. SWR abandons '442s' but retains '458s' . 13 May 2023 . . subscription.
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49. Clifton. Paul. Why are the Class 701 Arterios more than four years late? . . 1002. 7 February 2024. 30–31.
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