Hounslow Loop Line

Hounslow Loop Line
Overview
Type	Commuter rail, Suburban rail
System	National Rail
Status	Operational
Locale	Greater London
Operation
Opened	1850
Owner	Network Rail
Operator(s)	South West Trains
Technical
Track gauge	Standard gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in)

Hounslow Loop Line

Legend ▲ London Waterloo Waterloo to Reading Line Barnes Barnes Junction Vine Lane Crossings Link lifted Barnes Bridge | Waterloo to Reading Line Barnes Railway Bridge over River Thames Chiswick Grove Park Terrace North London Line ◄ South Acton | Richmond ► Link lifted New Kew Jn Kew Bridge (↔ N&SWJR | L&SWR ↕) Kew (N&SWJR) Old Kew Jn Brentford Brentford Branch Line Syon Lane Hounslow (1849-1850) Wood Lane Isleworth Hounslow | Waterloo to Reading Line Hounslow Junction | Whitton Junction Feltham Junction Feltham Waterloo to Reading Line ▼ Staines

The Hounslow Loop Line is a railway line in southwest London which was opened by the London and South Western Railway in 1850. It leaves the Waterloo to Reading Line at Barnes Junction and after some seven and a half miles rejoins it at a triangular junction between Whitton and Feltham. Passenger services, all operated by South West Trains, either loop back to Waterloo by the junctions or continue southwest via Feltham. The line is electrified at 750 V DC (third rail). It provides access to the North London Line for freight services both passing through Clapham Junction to the north east and connecting to the rail network to the south west.

Service

The typical weekday service in trains per hour is:

• 2 from Waterloo, taking the loop at Barnes and leaving it beyond Hounslow to return to Waterloo
• 2 taking that route in the reverse direction
• 2 from Waterloo, leaving the loop line beyond Hounslow to go via Feltham to Weybridge
• 2 from Weybridge to Waterloo

The Sunday service is

• 1 train per hour in each direction between Waterloo and Woking via Feltham.

Ridership

The line has seen a steep increase in ridership levels in recent years, corresponding with the doubling of train frequencies from 2 trains per hour in each direction to 4 (except on Sundays). The line's seven station had combined passenger numbers of 5.565 million in 2007–08 (based on station exits), a 162% increase on the 2004–05 figure of 2.122 million.

Future

Most stations are having platforms lengthened to allow the operation of 10 coach trains from May 2013. Where this is not possible, selective door opening will be used. Additional rolling stock Class 460 is being cascaded to provide the services. Platform 20 at Waterloo (within the Eurostar terminal) is due to come into use in May 2014 to provide additional capacity. dft.

Further reading

• Moody, G.T. (1979). Southern Electric 1909-1979. Ian Allan. ISBN 0-7110-0924-4. 
• Glover, John (2001). Southern Electric. Ian Allan. ISBN 0-7110-2807-9. 

External links

• South West Trains