South West Trains has been proactive in improving reliability across its fleet of trains and during a press conference on July 4, the company outlined what measures had been taken and what measures are to be taken in the future to increase reliability and passenger comfort even further.
The train operator is aiming to reduce its energy consumption by 20 per cent across the suburban network through a recently completed £2.2 million investment in regenerative braking across its fleet of 30 class 458s and 172 Desiro class 444s and 450s. By feeding this electricity back into the third rail, 50 million kwh a year could be saved.
Another innovative idea is the use of acoustic fault detection. By using a RailBAM ( bearing acoustic monitor) it is possible to listen to each bearing as the train passes and determine if it is failing. To date there has been four million bearing passes, with 60 being withdrawn from service, preventing a train from ‘sitting down’ on the main line and causing severe disruption to staff and passengers.
With a train in and out of London Waterloo every two minutes during peak periods, a train failing in the vicinity of the station would cause  major operating problems. South West Trains has also introduced variable stiffness radial arm bushes, which combines conventional elastomer bushes with a hydraulic system. This not only reduces track damage, and the associated maintenance costs, but provides a smoother ride for passengers.
Looking to the future, heated couplers are in the process of being fitted to the class 444s. This is seen as a much better solution than, for example, bagging the couplers to protect them from ice and snow.
Before deciding on adopting this strategy Siemens looked to the colder climates of Europe, where many of their trains operate, to carry out research.
There is also to be a £3.2 million investment in introducing Wi-Fi to South West Trains’ fleet of 45 class 444s, along with external cameras, which will make use of the Wi-Fi technology, to assist with track and conductor rail maintenance. In addition there are plans to install selective door opening.
In the longer term, South West Trains is aiming to run longer trains and more services into Waterloo, and the adoption the latest technology, and thus increasing reliability, is seen as a means to achieving this end.
