Content
South Western Railway Desiro (UK)
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At a Glance
Travel Pass Supplement
Rail Pass Reservation Fees
Reservations
Not Available
Time of Day
Day
Accessibility
Accessing the train
Wheelchair Spaces
Bikes Allowed
Train Specification
Attributes of the train
Has a Conductor
Country
Which country these trains operate in.
Great Britain
Travel Passes
On Board
First Class
Perks
WiFi
A complimentary WiFi portal is available throughout this train.
Power Socket (UK)
The power sockets on this train are compatible with the standard 3-point plugs as typically used in the UK.
On the refurbished trains the seats in First Class are now in a 2+2 rather than a 2+1 formation.
However, they now have a leather trim and all seats in First Class on the refurbished trains have a table with a wireless charging facility.
Passengers travelling into and from London before 10:00 will be offered a complimentary hot drink and biscuit.
Second Class
Perks
WiFi
A complimentary WiFi portal is available throughout this train.
Travel summary:
Thanks to their exceptionally large windows, these ‘Desiro’ trains provide a bright and comparatively comfortable environment for a train journey.
They may look similar to the metro-style trains which convey commuters in and out of London, but internally they are more spacious - in standard class the seating is arranged 2+2 across the aisle, instead of 2+3 as it is on the metro trains.
These specific class 444 Desiro trains also have other features typical of trains used for longer-distance routes in the UK, such as carpets on the floors throughout the train and more substantial seats than those provided on the Metro-style routes.
Though in common with all trains which travel between London and the south of England, they have been configured so that they can accommodate as many travellers as possible, while still being comfortable – hence the luggage space isn’t particularly generous.
These Desiro trains are also being refreshed both internally and externally by their relatively new operator South-Western Railway.
The improved trains have a blue and grey livery, while the other trains have a mainly white exterior, though it isn’t possible to know which specific train will be used on each departure.
The refurbished trains have power-sockets at every seat including in Standard Class.
On the yet to be modernised trains, sockets are only available in First Class and at the Standard Class seats, which share a coach with the First Class seating area – in Standard Class in this coach, the sockets are located under the seat.
Bicycles:
These trains have a bike storage area by one of the sets of doors, towards the middle of the train.
When boarding these trains at stations at Basingstoke and other station more distant from London, bikes can be theoretically be taken on board any departure – though spaces are not absolutely guaranteed and bike spaces cannot be reserved.
At stations closer to London than Basingstoke, bikes cannot be taken on trains due to arrive in London between 07:15 and 10:00.
Bikes cannot be taken on any departure by these trains at Waterloo station on departures leaving London between 16:45 and 19:00.
Weekend First:
At weekends passengers with Standard Class tickets can take up any spare seats in First Class and pay the conductor for an upgrade when the tickets are inspected.
This additional charge varies from £5-15 depending on the length of the journey:
London <> Southampton, Bournemouth and Poole = £10
London <> Dorchester and Weymouth = £15.
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