Island Line services, Isle of Wight. General discussion

[whole diary]

[bobm]

Services starting to resume but still only hourly.

[bobm]

There is a fault on one of the trains which runs between Ryde Pier Head and Shanklin, resulting in a reduced service being in operation on the Island Line.

Trains will run as follows:
Trains will depart Shanklin at 18 minutes past the hour
Trains will depart Ryde Pier Head at 49 minutes past the hour

Additional information:
Additional maintenance is required to one of the Island Line trains, so there is currently only one train available to run.

Been said before ... just 2 serviceable trains for a two train service is cutting it pretty darned fine, especially where another train can't be run in from elsewhere on the network.

Been a bit of a rarity in recent times - but the two train service has been running all this week so far.

[grahame]

Been a bit of a rarity in recent times - but the two train service has been running all this week so far.

Could they usefully set up a captive breeding program and have a baby?

[eightonedee]

....I fear that they are now too old to breed successfully!

[Birdie100]

Slightly off topic but it was a delight to ride on the old trains over the August Bank Holiday. I managed to use my downgraded Gold Card between Ryde Esplanade and Ryde St Johns (and benefit from the Gold Card discount for onward travel to Shanklin!) Was a wonderful experience to ride a tube train after what is now 6 months since the daily commute to London was drastically cut!

[bobm]

From SWR^» (South Western Railway - about) Journeycheck

We have been informed that one of the two trains on the Island Line has been vandalised overnight. This meant that only one train would be able to run on the Island Line today. That train has now developed a fault, meaning there will be no service until further notice.

Roll on the ?new? trains. 

[grahame]

From SWR^» (South Western Railway - about) Journeycheck

We have been informed that one of the two trains on the Island Line has been vandalised overnight. This meant that only one train would be able to run on the Island Line today. That train has now developed a fault, meaning there will be no service until further notice.

Roll on the ?new? trains. 

I can't help wondering where the basic principle of "you need to have a workable spare" has gone.  For a two train service, a third undergoing light maintenance able to step in seems prudent.  In an area like The Valleys, West Wales or Cornwall, the spare could be shared between lines.

I can't help but wonder at the three class 483 trains (at least) lying out of use at Ryde St John's Road - I suspect cannibalised for spares and I suspect there are certain parts in (very) short supply ... wondering if a third one should have been kept in service.  Indeed - run as a 4 coach train on the service that connects with the ferry when practical, to sort out the social distancing which has not been at all good on the pier!

With lockdown in November, and then the lead up to Christmas, I suspect that we're into the 'wind down' of IOW traffic for these trains.  I enjoyed my visit last month, and look forward positive to visiting again, perhaps next year, to travel on more modern and larger trains - both of those terms being relative, of course.

[Electric train]

From SWR^» (South Western Railway - about) Journeycheck

We have been informed that one of the two trains on the Island Line has been vandalised overnight. This meant that only one train would be able to run on the Island Line today. That train has now developed a fault, meaning there will be no service until further notice.

Roll on the ?new? trains. 

I can't help wondering where the basic principle of "you need to have a workable spare" has gone.  For a two train service, a third undergoing light maintenance able to step in seems prudent.  In an area like The Valleys, West Wales or Cornwall, the spare could be shared between lines.

I can't help but wonder at the three class 483 trains (at least) lying out of use at Ryde St John's Road - I suspect cannibalised for spares and I suspect there are certain parts in (very) short supply ... wondering if a third one should have been kept in service.  Indeed - run as a 4 coach train on the service that connects with the ferry when practical, to sort out the social distancing which has not been at all good on the pier!

With lockdown in November, and then the lead up to Christmas, I suspect that we're into the 'wind down' of IOW traffic for these trains.  I enjoyed my visit last month, and look forward positive to visiting again, perhaps next year, to travel on more modern and larger trains - both of those terms being relative, of course.

The service is run on a shoe string, it's only revenue income is for a few weeks in the summer.  Lacks investment, technically NR^» (Network Rail - home page) own the infrastructure but its down to the TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company) to maintain and operate it (although the electrical control is Eastleigh) and the trains; the only subsidy / investment comes from / via the Islands local authority

[Godfrey Tables]

From BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) News:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-55006434

The Isle of Wight has taken delivery of its first "new" train for 31 years under a ?26m railway investment scheme.

Five refurbished former London Underground trains will operate on Island Line from May 2021.

The existing trains, built for the Tube system in 1938, have run on the route between Ryde and Shanklin since the late 1980s.

Island Line will close from 4 January until the end of March for track and platform upgrades.

The first of the five trains arrived by ferry at Fishbourne on Thursday.
<snip>

[TonyN]

They don't seem to be testing these on the Cotswold line before delivery 

[paul7575]

They don't seem to be testing these on the Cotswold line before delivery 

Or anywhere on the mainland DC^▸ (Direct Current) network, despite about 6 months of wishful thinking...

Paul

[Electric train]

They don't seem to be testing these on the Cotswold line before delivery 

Or anywhere on the mainland DC^▸ (Direct Current) network, despite about 6 months of wishful thinking...

Paul

Possibly they do not have all the systems required for main land operation, doubt they have TPS, not sure they even have AWS^▸ (Automatic Warning System); does Isle of Wright use LUL^▸ (London Underground Ltd) trip cock system?

[paul7575]

They don't seem to be testing these on the Cotswold line before delivery 

Or anywhere on the mainland DC^▸ (Direct Current) network, despite about 6 months of wishful thinking...

Paul

Possibly they do not have all the systems required for main land operation, doubt they have TPS, not sure they even have AWS^▸ (Automatic Warning System); does Isle of Wright use LUL^▸ (London Underground Ltd) trip cock system?

Discussions elsewhere suggests the existing setup does use LU style trainstops/tripcocks, but they?re changing to something more normal, stated to be ?TPWS^▸ (Train Protection and Warning System) throughout? in the OJEU PIN for the work.  Does
?TPWS? always include AWS as well?

Paul

[eightonedee]

Warning - daft suggesting approaching........

Seeing the picture of the train coming off the ferry form the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) reminded me of the Portillo program I caught up with earlier this week featuring the train ferry between Messina/Sicily and mainland Italy.

How's about we start a train ferry to the Isle of Wight! Third rail both ends, "direct" IoW service to Waterloo, no need to spend a fortune on a bridge...

The trouble is, I guess the nearest convenient rail head with tracks to the dockside is at Lymington, wrong end of the island...back to the drawing board...

[grahame]

The trouble is, I guess the nearest convenient rail head with tracks to the dockside is at Lymington, wrong end of the island...back to the drawing board...

Perfectly possible to get a 456 (only current 2 car electric units?) onto an Ugly Ducking and to link up from the jetty at Yarmouth to the old station there ... train to Ningwood, Shalfleet, Calbourne, Carisbrooke and Newport.  456 just about old enough to be considered for The Island.