20/04/2026
POSITIVE RAIL NEWS.
Here is a press release sent out by Alliance Rail that are looking to restore the rail passenger service, initially to Marchwood.
I very much welcome this announcement but it is still very much a case of fingers crossed that it gets the green light.
"Alliance Rail application for new services between Marchwood, Southampton and London Waterloo."
Alliance Rail is expecting a decision from the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) on its application to operate an hourly Marchwood to Southampton and London Waterloo service on the South West Main Line (SWML) in the next two months.
Work has been ongoing for many months developing a workable timetable and identifying and costing the infrastructure interventions required to restore passenger train services on the line between Totton and Marchwood. Alongside this, significant
investment has been made in the Class 769 trains planned to operate the new service.
As a result of that investment, Alliance is pleased to announce that the Class 769 train has now received the necessary certification to allow operation on the SWML for
testing, with confirmation of its ability to operate at the route’s full line speed of 100mph.
Ian Yeowart, Alliance Rail’s Managing Director said: “The news regarding the Class 769 is particularly welcome as Porterbrook, the owner of the trains, has worked tirelessly over the last 12 months to ensure our planned trains could operate on this
route. Being a bi-mode train, both third rail electric and diesel, means it can operate on the non-electrified route between Totton and Marchwood, otherwise the only other option would be a diesel train operating on the entire route”.
With a decision imminent, the Class 769 is ready to begin a series of test and gauging runs if the service is approved by the ORR.
With Network Rail working on a potential new route timetable for 2027, which includes Alliance’s planned service as well as additional aspirational services for South Western Railway
1, it is clear that there is sufficient track capacity available for the
planned Alliance services.
Ian Yeowart continued: “The significant cross party support we have received from MPs, local authorities and other stakeholders has been very important in promoting the value of the service for this important but overlooked part of Hampshire, which had
expected to see the line re-opening before hopes were dashed once again in late 2024.
The recent reopening of the Okehampton line in Devon and the Northumberland line show how important local rail re-openings are for their communities and both have
been a huge success”.
The proposed service will also see the creation of around 80 new and full time roles while helping to address the chronic road congestion on the A326, as well as improving the public transport infrastructure in advance of the many new homes and
developments proposed for the area.
Contact details:
[email protected]
01904 622814
