SWR Watch
@swtrains_watch
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Statuses
59,998
Campaigning for improved rail services. South Western Railway Watch: Jeremy, Sam & all of our valued followers. RTs to encourage debate, not an endorsement.
South East, England
Joined July 2015
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Pinned Tweet
New Year, but stuck in second gear?
Britain's railways need a transformation, yet do any of the main political parties have a credible plan to break this seemingly perpetual doom loop?
@SW_Help
@Mark_J_Harper
@allpartyrail
Our 5 priorities to get passengers moving in 2024 🔽
0
5
32
How can passengers be confident of a competitive bidding process for SWT with only one challenger?
@transportgovuk
@claire4devizes
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265
Summary of our submission to the DfT for the South West franchise
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145
Open letter to Transport Secretary
@grantshapps
Re: Concerns around Delay Repay, poor performance at South Western Railway & compensation arrangements during industrial action.
Passengers need to see action - URGENTLY.
@SW_Help
@transportgovuk
42
57
174
Our statement regarding the industrial action planned for next month.
Strike dates: 2nd-11th, 13th-24th, 27th-31st December and 1st January.
The time for a resolution is overdue. Passengers cannot continue to be inconvenienced in this way
@SW_Help
@RMTunion
@FirstGroupplc
21
28
122
Our thoughts go out to the family of the victim following today's shocking incident on board a train from Guildford. I am sure too all passengers will join us in thanking
@SW_Railway
staff & those from the emergency services
@BTPSurrey
@SurreyPolice
@SECAmbulance
@NPAShq
#Horsley
3
11
106
South Western Railway - intervention overdue.
Passengers have been continually let down by this franchise yet the Department for Transport, regulator and government have done nothing.
Action is needed now.
Invest, reform and ensure passengers are put first.
@SW_Help
9
27
97
As another difficult year for passengers & staff draws to a close, we want to say thank you and best wishes to you all for the festive season. 2020 will undoubtedly bring further challenges, but together we can push for a better deal for rail users.
#SouthWesternRailway
@SW_Help
14
2
95
A message to all staff planning on working tomorrow;
* Thank you *
A difficult decision for some, but collectively your efforts will help to ensure the hundreds of thousands of passengers who rely on
#SouthWesternRailway
get to where they need to be.
@SW_Help
#swrstrike
10
15
95
South Western passengers have just had one of the worst years in recent memory, yet we are still expected to pay more in 2020.
Reform of the rail industry and ticket pricing must become a priority of the government. Train travel shouldn't be this expensive.
@SW_Help
#railfares
7
26
88
@SW_Help
This needs to be backed by action. Continual apologies don't change what is an unacceptable catalogue of failings. Delay Repay is insufficient - a day of free travel across the network should be offered in addition to current arrangements
@AJonesMP
@CommonsTrans
7
18
87
#SpendingReview
What is the long-term strategy for rail?
Our media statement below.
@SW_Help
@CommonsTrans
1
0
40
South Western Railway could be nationalised after auditor raises red flag * Sorry paywall * via
@telebusiness
16
20
78
Commuters quit jobs as chaos on South Western Railway becomes too much
30
35
77
#BREAKING
West of England services on SWR to be cut by up to 50% for an indefinite period from next Monday, 5th Sep. Extended journey times and significant disruption are to be expected. This is due to the degradation of the infrastructure and track bed. Yet another blow for pax.
29
40
77
Passengers caught up in South Western Railway strike misery should get 'special compensation', watchdog says via
@telegraphnews
14
26
77
Please stop treating passengers with such disdain
@Mark_J_Harper
. Did you or rail minister,
@HuwMerriman
sign off these tt cuts (1000 fewer trains p/day)?
@SW_Help
. Do you understand the damage this is causing to passengers and businesses, many already on the brink? Dreadful.
7
9
76
The news we wanted, hoped for, but never thought would happen!
@SW_Trains
#SWTexit
Stagecoach sacked after two decades of running down SWT.
15
37
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Our letter to the Managing Director
@SW_Help
. Concerns raised include service reliability, worsening overcrowding, planned job cuts, train presentation and information (or lack of) during disruption. Thanks to our followers for continuing to share your experiences with us. JV, SH
12
6
73
Proposals to cut Delay Repay - extending the time to qualify for payouts from 15 to 30 mins. When will this open hostility towards rail passenger end?
@HuwMerriman
@Mark_J_Harper
@allpartyrail
Anger as refunds for late trains set to be cut
16
24
71
@SW_Help
Finally an acknowledgement. We now need to hear from Transport Secretary
@grantshapps
regarding this situation. Passengers are being asked to pay more for a substandard service; reduced timetables, fewer carriages, worsening overcrowding, falling punctuality and reliability. 👎
8
1
67
Free coffee? How about better value tickets and the return to pre-Covid timetables?
@grantshapps
@transportgovuk
Fewer gimmicks, more substantive measures and greater engagement with passengers please!
@SW_Help
@allpartyrail
10
8
67
South Western Railway under review for 'disappointing' performance
18
25
64
@CrossCountryUK
@SophieLizzieJxo
Seems a bit drastic? Surely putting on more carriages would be a better solution?
0
0
66
SWR should be stripped of services, readers say
12
18
63
2022: A year many of us want to forget. Looking forwards, we've put together a New Year's resolution for Transport Secretary
@Mark_J_Harper
and Rail Minister
@HuwMerriman
. After all, is it not time they started listening to people outside of the Westminster bubble?
@SW_Help
8
13
63
@SW_Help
Just imagine if such aspirations extended to providing passengers with a world-leading train service? That would be innovative.
4
2
64
'Enough is enough': Two thirds of South Western Railway passengers fed up with fares via
@CityAM
11
16
57
Shout out to
@SW_Help
. 2021 hasn't been an easy ride for anyone but the efforts of staff are much appreciated by passengers, including ourselves! Sending our best wishes and hope you all have a very Happy Christmas and a well-deserved break! Jeremy and Sam @ SWR Watch.
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Planned rail fare rises should be axed, campaigners say
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12
58
So it's official: A 71% drop in the amount paid by SWR through Delay Repay vs. the scheme it replaced. Performance levels have plummeted too. No wonder passengers feel shortchanged
@railandroad
@grantshapps
@SWTwits
@Phill143
@chhcalling
@CommonsTrans
13
26
58
Our response 18/02/20: Compensation announced by South Western Railway following industrial action in December 2019.
If this a fair amount and will all passengers be able to claim
@SW_Help
?
We believe a review of Delay Repay, its scope and limitations is now also required.
13
7
57
How to Lose Friends & Alienate People, the sequel. That'll be SWR running a threadbare service, if at all, over Christmas and NY.
@SW_Help
How has this been allowed to happen? Is it any wonder the industry is struggling to regain revenue and passengers post-Covid?
@HuwMerriman
6
8
56
Do you actually have any idea what it is like to be a UK rail passenger in 2020? Some of the highest fares in the developed world and a dysfunctional system of awarding and overseeing franchises.
Travel on South Western Railway for the day and see if you still feel honoured.
Honoured to be back as Secretary of State for Transport. In a government working hard to level up Britain, connecting communities means everything! 🚆🚍🚎🚘🚡✈️🛩️🚢🚀
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493
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12
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Tomorrow sees the largest rail fares increase in nine years. The govt is looking increasingly out of touch with the realities faced by hard-pressed passengers. The policy of charging more for less is neither reasonable nor sustainable. When will they listen?
@SW_Help
@grantshapps
11
10
53
Almost one in five
@SW_Help
trains cancelled today, on top of already significantly reduced timetables. Many stations will be without any service in the coming week. If you won't apologise
@HuwMerriman
@Mark_J_Harper
, surely it's time to move on and let someone else do the job?
8
6
55
In the midst of ongoing disruption on the SWR main line, do fellow passengers find the presence of revenue protection staff standing around in groups antagonistic?
@SW_Help
19
2
52
@SW_Help
@_adam_reid_
@MariaMillerUK
I don't think many passengers paying several thousand pounds for a declining service will consider their purchase to have been 'discounted'. Also, application of the Consumer Rights Act re: strike action has not yet been tested in court.
@WhichUK
@TransportFocus
@railandroad
9
4
49
I've just witnessed two passengers being charged admin fees of £10 for requesting refunds on tickets unused due to the industrial action. Is this fair and indeed permitted
@SW_Help
?
@railandroad
@transportgovuk
15
27
51
@SW_Help
Ideal place to hibernate, the hedgehog probably realised there was more chance of a nearby bush moving than an SWR train carriage.
3
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@grantshapps
Perhaps the priority should be to make train travel affordable so more people will use Great British Railways? 🇬🇧
2
0
50
An observation
@SW_Help
. Can revenue staff please refrain from referring to passengers as 'f**king idiots'? I don't know the circumstances leading up to this point, but it's unprofessional and inappropriate conduct in a public setting.
10
3
51
Dear
@AJonesMP
When are you planning to update passengers on the contractual status of
@SW_Railway
? The promised rail 'revolution' has already been postponed indefinitely, unlike the planned fare rises next month. Service failures every day yet you remain silent
@CommonsTrans
5
18
48
Believe it or not
@SW_Help
passengers, despite the main line being effectively shut down today and almost a quarter of services cancelled (or 30+ mins late), FOUR operators performed worse!
Our railways are in a dreadful mess. What's the plan
@Mark_J_Harper
?
@HuwMerriman
?
11
4
50
First evening of new service improvements yesterday
@SW_Trains
Once again reality is a lot different from PR machine
0
15
2
Congratulations on your emphatic election win
@BorisJohnson
Please can you now get the railways 'done'? We've all had enough of constant fare hikes & declining levels of service. Previous governments have failed to take this seriously. UK PLC needs a joined-up transport strategy!
8
4
50
@grantshapps
It's a shame you never personally replied to any of our correspondence; all of which contained issues raised by concerned passengers. Let's hope your successor does a better job.
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4
49
South Western Railway called on to explain "poor performance"
10
9
47
What exactly is this fares increase paying for
@Mark_J_Harper
?
More services? NO
Better punctuality and reliability? NO
Improved stations and accessibility? NO
The government's war on the rail industry and its passengers continues into 2023.
@HuwMerriman
@SW_Help
The Department for Transport says regulated rail fares in England will increase by up to 5.9% from 5 March next year
For more on this and other news visit
115
45
133
6
8
48
Disappointing to see another
@Conservatives
MP unfollow us today. Unlike some other campaigners, we're not party political and we engage with those on all sides of a debate. Passengers and the wider public surely expect their elected representatives to listen?
@allpartyrail
6
1
45
#BreakingNews
Fare rises of up to 27% in September with new restrictions on Super Off-Peak travel. When were you going to tell passengers
@SW_Help
?
Services slashed & now backdoor price hikes. Terrible decision.
#BuildBackBetter
#GreenRecovery
@chhcalling
@grantshapps
23
17
44
We are now into the 11th hour of disruption yet info screens still showing 'on time' for delayed services. At Guildford staff standing idle at barriers rather than actively helping passengers. You can't blame Network Rail for this.
@SW_Help
@AnneMilton
@CommonsTrans
2
9
45
@grantshapps
Just imagine if the existing rail network actually worked and fares were affordable? Due to government-initiated cuts, passengers on SWR now have fewer daily services than in the 1990s. This has happened on your watch.
2
2
45
New year, new challenge. An alternative vision for passengers:
Greater investment
Reform of ticketing and pricing
Ambitious targets to drive growth
A focus on quality
The rail 'revolution' is unravelling. The threat is real. Yet there is another way.
@SW_Help
@grantshapps
9
10
39
At least 7000 seats CUT from service this evening due to faulty rolling stock
@SW_Trains
@transportgovuk
1
42
3
No fewer than TWELVE revenue staff currently at Guildford complete with banner telling people to buy a ticket. Completely disproportionate + NO checks will be in place when most needed after 10pm. Why not focus efforts on improving your appalling over-priced service 1st?
@SW_Help
8
6
42
December 2022 Timetable Consultation. Thank you to all those who have contacted us. An unequivocal response: No to service cuts and a scaled-back railway. Fares reform is also urgently needed to get passengers back on board. Our submission. ⬇️
@SW_Help
@allpartyrail
6
8
41
The wait is almost over!
#SWTexit
Stagecoach has consistently shown a disregard for pax & a lack of ambition for SWT. Change long overdue.
4
17
38
Email sent today to
@AnneMilton
requesting a response from
@SW_Railway
management re: significant disruption on 29th June. Answers also needed by
@AJonesMP
and
@transportgovuk
regarding the clear lack of oversight of this franchise
@CommonsTrans
@railandroad
@EdwardJDavey
8
17
40
Revenue staff at Woking on today of all days
@SW_Help
The contempt shown by company's management knows no bounds.
11
5
38
The carriage I'm currently sat in smells like a hospital, which I think is a good thing?
@SW_Help
In all seriousness though, big thanks to the staff working so hard to keep the trains and stations clean at the present time. Please keep it up!
4
0
41
Rail fares increase. Is the treasury now undermining the government's own decarbonising transport objectives? Passengers are being forced to pay even more for fewer services and declining performance levels. Unfair? We think so.
@transportgovuk
@SW_Help
Our media statement: ⬇️
5
9
39
Will barriers be open 10PM or earlier tonight
@SW_Trains
stations? Evening travel free with little or no security present for fare payers
3
36
2
We also need to ensure
@transportgovuk
keep promise of awarding next franchise not just on price alone but quality
Please retweet and get the message out. A chance to ditch
#SouthWestTrains
.
@swtrains_watch
.
@SouthWestPains
0
1
3
0
59
2
Revenue and agency staff at Woking checking the tickets of those who are boarding buses. Presumably this is to ensure the full train fare has been paid for a slow rail replacement service. A new low
@SW_Help
@CommonsTrans
@chhcalling
@GrantShapps
10
5
38
Petition to cancel South Western Railway's contract launched
7
26
35
Next week's fare rises should be cancelled until tangible improvements are delivered. Unrealistic? Not really when previous hikes were justified on the need to invest in more trains and services. Now the opposite is true, surely the costs must fall?
@Mark_J_Harper
@SW_Help
Our latest passenger rail performance statistics confirm worsening train reliability in Great Britain.
Find out more here:
11
11
13
6
7
40
Concerns ignored for 20 years - if
@SW_Trains
showed genuine interest in improving service rather than profits there'd be less neg tweets
0
53
4
The government is on the wrong track with its funding policy for rail.
Over the last 10 years average wages have risen by 21% yet rail fares are up by almost 50%. We cannot continue like this; a new approach is urgently needed
@AJonesMP
@transportgovuk
@CommonsTrans
#railfares
2
18
38
A big thank you to rail staff who were working in often challenging conditions yesterday, especially station and support teams, train crews and engineers dealing with infrastructure defects in unprecedented high temps. Your efforts are appreciated.
@SW_Help
@NetworkRailWssx
2
0
38
From today, trains to London are getting more expensive for many passengers. SWR, claims; 'greater clarity and cheaper fares for nearly three quarters of customers'. Really?
We think; higher prices, additional complexity, more restrictions. Wrong decision.
@SW_Help
#TrainFares
7
15
39
To the passenger who is extremely annoyed at my presence standing in first class (because the 16:50 WAT-SAL is rammed) please take this up with
@SW_Help
5
6
37
None of the 3
@SW_Trains
services I have used today have been displaying the correct time. Is there a reason for this?
5
59
1
The Transport Focus survey increasingly appears to produce results far removed from the reality of most rail users!
@swtrains_watch
I can't believe anyone is satisfied with
@SW_Trains
. I certainly wasn't surveyed and not aware of anyone who was
0
0
1
0
61
3
Just a few days until the biggest rail fares rise in a decade yet reduced timetables continue and passengers can't even see in advance how much their ticket will be from next week. Why is this please
@SW_Help
?
6
5
38
SWR 'Please ensure you carry a bottle of water'
@SW_Help
Thanks for your concern but we'd rather you operated all trains to the correct length and with working air-con. We'll decide whether we need a drink or not
@TransportFocus
@JoJohnsonUK
4
9
37
Fewer services running yesterday than franchise requirement. Today evening cancellations due to staff shortages
@SW_Trains
@transportgovuk
0
54
0
Male passenger urinating on platform 1 at Woking. As is now commonplace, no staff to be seen anywhere.
@SW_Help
Do you not understand the importance of having a visible staff presence at stations to reduce antisocial behaviour?
13
3
37
BBC News - South Western Railway users suffered "unacceptable" delays
13
30
35
0/5 Monday - Friday 21:09 Basingstoke to Waterloo departed late every single day this week
@SW_Trains
@transportgovuk
0
42
2
How can the current govt claim to be serious about tackling climate change while allowing rail fares to rise 2.7% in Jan? We already have some of the highest ticket prices in EU! Falling performance, strikes & rising passenger dissatisfaction.
@SW_Help
@grantshapps
@Conservatives
5
7
32
South Western Railway may be nationalised after firm loses £137m
3
6
35
Another evening of delays, stops omitted, cancellations & lack of information. No resilience
@SW_Trains
. New operator needed
0
33
0
50 questions to the Rail Minister from our followers
@swtrains_watch
…
We look forward to hearing your response
@AJonesMP
16
12
32
Would be helpful if you included a map as to what the rail network will look like after the £500 million has been used. Given that £7.5bn has been spent so far on HS2, despite not a single piece of track having been laid, I think expectations may need to be managed.
Today we've announced a £500m Beeching Reversal Fund to start re-opening rail lines axed under Harold Wilson's govt. Ultimately this saw 5,000 miles of rail & 2,363 stations closed. Our plan will help re-connect towns & villages to the rail network
3K
872
3K
7
5
34
@PaulCliftonBBC
@NetworkRailWssx
After a while the messaging loses its impact? Don't travel because of hot/cold/strikes/wind/snow/covid/staff shortages/infrastructure failures....
4
3
35
#TrainPain
? Tweet us & share your experience with others.
Write to your MP
@TheyWorkForYou
Consumer law now applies for rail journeys
Third-party app
#GrumpNow
@GrumpNow
Don't suffer in silence! Together we can bring about change!
9
6
32
The Reader: TfL should take over South Western Railway
8
6
35
Dear Grant Shapps: Timetable cuts, poor performance, high cost of travel and more... Thanks to everyone who's been in touch. We'll post a reply as soon as it's received.
@SW_Help
@allpartyrail
@CommonsTrans
@grantshapps
Letter (PDF) ➡️
Questions ⬇️
8
3
35
@railandroad
@SW_Help
If you already had concerns then why has it taken an incident such as this, reported by the media, to propel your organisation into issuing a statement?
The continual lack of intervention by yourselves and the DfT has allowed this appalling state of affairs to continue.
0
6
31
Revenue + agency ticket checkers everywhere at Guildford station. If only the mgmt of
@SW_Help
matched this level of commitment to improving the service? Presumably such decisions are made by the same people who've led a business with little competition to a huge financial loss?
1
4
33
*What does today's announcement actually mean for passengers
@grantshapps
? The rail industry needs radical reform to drive up standards and lower fares. News story and our statement below.*
BBC News - Rail franchises axed as help for train firms extended
1
7
23
Not a fan of
@SW_Help
and
@GWRHelp
we take it, Rishi? Yet it's government policy that more of us should be using public transport?
#awkward
Rishi Sunak was in Dorset yesterday afternoon and Cornwall today. But rather than stay overnight, he took a helicopter back to London and a jet to Cornwall this morning. Man doesn’t like trains.
952
3K
12K
4
1
33
National Rail Passenger Survey Autumn 2015 published 27th January. Overall satisfaction with
@SW_Trains
joint 20th (from 25 operators)
1
37
1
South West Trains franchise consultation closes on 9th February. Department for Transport link:
1
34
0
If 'let's get back on track' is to be successful, the government and rail industry need to look seriously at the barriers preventing a recovery. Train travel is too expensive and with timeframe frequencies reduced, it's often too inconvenient.
@SW_Help
10
5
34