South Western Railway facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
South Western Railway

A South Western Railway Class 701 at Kingston in May 2025
Overview
Main region(s)	Greater London South East England South West England
Fleet size	Class 158 Class 159 Class 444 Class 450 Class 455 Class 458 Class 484 Class 701
Parent company	DfT Operator
Reporting mark	SW
Predecessor	South Western Railway (First MTR)

South Western Railway (SWR) is a train company in Britain. It runs trains from London Waterloo to many places. These include south west London and areas like Surrey, Hampshire, Berkshire, and Dorset. SWR also has regional services in Devon, Somerset, and Wiltshire. On the Isle of Wight, it runs trains under the name Island Line.

SWR is a company owned by the government. It started running services on May 25, 2025. Before that, another company with the same name, owned by FirstGroup and MTR Corporation, operated these trains.

How South Western Railway Started

Before the 2024 United Kingdom general election, the Labour Party wanted to bring British railways back under government control. After they won the election, a new law was passed in November 2024. This law allowed the government to take over passenger train services.

In December 2024, it was announced that the contract for the previous South Western Railway would not be renewed. So, DfT Operator, a government-owned company, took over the services on May 25, 2025.

Train Routes and Services

South Western Railway is a major train operator in several parts of England. It covers western Surrey, Hampshire, Dorset, and the Isle of Wight. It also serves Greater London, Berkshire, Wiltshire, Somerset, and Devon.

Most SWR trains run on electric lines. These lines use a special system called the 750-volt DC third rail. Some trains use diesel engines. These diesel trains run on lines that are not electric. For example, they go to Salisbury and Exeter.

From London Waterloo, SWR's main London station, long-distance trains travel to southern England. They reach big cities like Portsmouth, Southampton, Bournemouth, Poole, and Weymouth. There are also trains to Reading and Exeter. However, other companies run the fastest trains to those cities from London. Most SWR passengers use the local trains in London and nearby areas.

You usually cannot take non-folding bikes on trains during busy times. This rule helps make sure there is enough space for all passengers. It applies to people getting on or off trains in certain busy areas.

Main Train Lines

SWR runs regular trains on four main routes:

• The South West Main Line (SWML) goes between London Waterloo and Weymouth. It passes through towns like Woking, Basingstoke, Winchester, Southampton, and Bournemouth. SWR runs trains along the whole line. Most trains start or end at Waterloo. Some trains also go to Portsmouth. They leave the SWML at Eastleigh and continue to Portsmouth Harbour station.
• The Portsmouth Direct line starts at Woking and goes to Portsmouth. It passes through Guildford, Haslemere, and Petersfield. SWR operates all passenger trains on this route. These include fast and semi-fast trains between London and Portsmouth.
• The West of England line is mostly not electric. It leaves the SWML at Basingstoke and goes to Exeter. It passes through Andover, Salisbury, and Yeovil. SWR is the only company on this line. Most trains run between London and Salisbury or Exeter St Davids.
• The Alton line leaves the SWML near Woking and goes to Alton. It passes through Aldershot and Farnham. This is the shortest main line. Trains usually run the full length between London and Alton.

In 2021, about 14 main line trains left London Waterloo every hour during off-peak times. This number increases during busy hours. Most main line trains are electric. However, the West of England Main Line uses diesel trains because it is not electric.

Local and Suburban Services

South Western Railway also runs many local "Metro" services around London. These trains run between Waterloo and Clapham Junction. From there, they split into two main routes: one via Putney and one via Wimbledon. All trains on these local routes are electric.

Via Putney

The main route through Putney is the Waterloo to Reading Line. It runs between London and Reading. It passes through towns like Staines-upon-Thames and Ascot. Branch lines on this route include:

• The Hounslow Loop Line. Trains on this line often run in a loop from Waterloo back to Waterloo.
• The Kingston Loop Line. Most trains on this line run in a loop from Waterloo, through Putney, Kingston, and Wimbledon.
• The Staines to Windsor Line. Most trains run between London and Windsor & Eton Riverside station.
• The Chertsey Branch Line. Most trains run between London and Weybridge.
• The Ascot to Guildford Line. This line has through trains only during busy times.

In 2021, 12 trains per hour ran between London Waterloo and Putney during off-peak hours.

Via Wimbledon

The main route through Wimbledon uses the slower tracks of the South West Main Line. Local trains run along this line between London and Woking. Branch lines on this route include:

• The Mole Valley Line. This line goes via Epsom to Leatherhead. From there, it splits to Guildford or Horsham.
• The Chessington Branch Line. This line leaves the Mole Valley Line and goes to Chessington.
• The Kingston Loop Line. Most trains on this line run in a loop from Waterloo, through Wimbledon, Kingston, and Putney.
• The Shepperton Branch Line. Most trains on this line run between Waterloo and Shepperton.
• The Hampton Court Branch Line. This line goes directly to Hampton Court.
• The New Guildford Line. This line also goes to Guildford via Claygate.

In 2021, 16 trains per hour ran between London Waterloo and Wimbledon during off-peak hours.

Other Train Routes

Some SWR train routes do not start or end at London Waterloo:

• The Ascot to Guildford Line runs between Ascot and Guildford.
• The western part of the West Coastway Line runs between Portsmouth and Southampton.
• The Eastleigh–Romsey line runs between Romsey and Eastleigh. These trains often continue to Salisbury.
• The Wessex Main Line runs between Salisbury and Southampton.
• The Lymington Branch Line runs between Brockenhurst and Lymington Pier every 30 minutes.
• The Island Line on the Isle of Wight runs between Ryde Pier Head and Shanklin.

Train Service Table

Here is a look at SWR train routes during off-peak times, Monday to Friday, as of May 2025. The numbers show how many trains run per hour (tph).

Types of Trains (Rolling Stock)

South Western Railway uses several types of trains. These trains were taken over from the previous company. They include Classes 158 , 159 , 444 , 450 , 455 , 458 and 701 .

Current Train Fleet

Family	Class	Image	Type	Top speed		Number	Carriages	Routes	Built
				mph	km/h
South Western Railway
Sprinter	158	Class 158 train	DMU	90	145	8	2	London Waterloo  – Exeter St Davids Romsey  – Salisbury via Southampton Central	1989–1992
	159	Class 159 train				29	3	West of England, Heart of Wessex and Wessex Main Lines: London Waterloo  – Exeter St Davids	159/0: 1992–1993 159/1: converted 2006–2007
Siemens Desiro	444	Class 444 train	EMU	100	160	45	5	London Waterloo  – Weymouth and Poole London Waterloo  – Portsmouth Harbour (shared with Class 450s)	2003–2004
	450	Class 450 train				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 Ascot  – Guildford Some express and inner suburban services	2002–2006
BR Second Generation (Mark 3)	455	Class 455 train		75	120	79	4	Inner suburban routes: London Waterloo  – Shepperton, Hampton Court, Woking London Waterloo via Hounslow or Strawberry Hill London Waterloo  – Dorking, Guildford via Cobham & Stoke D'Abernon or Epsom, Chessington South, or Windsor & Eton Riverside	1982–1985
Alstom Coradia Juniper	458/4	Class 458 train		100	160	28	4	Outer suburban services: London Waterloo  – Weybridge, Teddington or Windsor & Eton Riverside, Inner suburban services (Occasionally)	2013–2016 (1998–2002 as 458/0) (2000–2001 as 460)
	458/5	Class 458/5 train		75	120	4	5
Bombardier Aventra	701/0	Class 701 train		100	160	60	10	Reading, Windsor and south west London suburban services	2019–2024
	701/5	Class 701/5 train				30	5
Island Line
Vivarail D-Train	484	Class 484 train	EMU	60	100	5	2	Island Line: Ryde Pier Head  – Shanklin	1978–1981 (as D78 Stock) Converted 2020–2021

Train Depots and Maintenance

Train depots are places where trains are stored and repaired. Here are the depots used for South Western Railway trains:

• Bournemouth Depot is near Bournemouth station.
• Farnham Traincare Depot was opened in 1937. It was built when the Portsmouth and Alton lines became electric.
• Feltham Depot was finished in 2021. It is used to stable the Class 701 trains.
• Fratton Traincare Depot is on Portsea Island, next to Fratton station.
• Northam Traincare Facility was built in 2002. It is the main depot for the Desiro trains. It is near Southampton Football Club's stadium.
• Ryde Traincare Depot is on the Isle of Wight. It services the Class 484

trains used on the Island Line.

• Salisbury Depot maintains the Class 158 and Class 159 trains.
• Strawberry Hill Train Maintenance Depot was built in 1897. It is in south west London.
• Wimbledon Traincare Depot is between Wimbledon and Earlsfield stations. It is next to the Wimbledon railway bridge.