Useful Info

Pay-as-you-go Oyster cards will be valid on South West Trains between Waterloo and Feltham from January 2 2010.

Boris Johnson confirmed last week that commuters will be able to use the Transport for London cards on trains from Feltham, Whitton, Hounslow, Isleworth, Syon Lane, Kew Bridge, Brentford and Chiswick.

A single fare from Feltham will cost £4.90 at peak times and £3.20 off peak, while travellers from Brentford will pay £3.10 at peak teams and £2.30 off peak.

Trains through Feltham returned to a normal timetable this week following last week's bridge collapse.

Engineers built a temporary track around the damaged River Crane bridge over the weekend and South West Trains is hoping to operate a full service until the bridge is repaired.

All trains on the London Waterloo line were cancelled last week after a bridge over the River Crane on the southern edge of Hounslow Heath was damaged when heavy rainfall caused the river to swell.

The small, temporary loop around the damaged area of track runs through the former Feltham marshalling yard and over a culvert that already existed.

Richard O'Brien, Network Rail's route director for Wessex, said: "Once we had established the level of damage the flood water had caused, we put all our effort into getting train services running as quickly as possible. The solution we've developed will allow passengers to make their journeys safely and with minimal disruption while we carry out the full repairs."

Commuters faces delays of up to two hours last week and a poll on the Chronicle website found that 82% of passengers thought the authorities were not handling the crisis well.

However, while there were delays and cancellations on Monday as the new route bedded in, many have been impressed with the speed at which Network Rail managed to reroute the track and get trains running again.

Luke Burke, who commutes to Waterloo from Feltham daily, said: "I couldn't believe they got trains going again so quickly again having seen the damage to the bridge.

"I noticed the route took a slight diversion yesterday and slowed down a bit but I'm really impressed - I couldn't have taken much more of last week's misery."

Managing director of South West Trains, Andy Pitt, said: "We apologise for any disruption passengers experienced last week and would like to thank customers for their patience during what has been a challenging time.

"While there is still extensive repair work to be carried out on the bridge, the solution we have in place will ensure our customers can get back to normal and complete their journeys with minimal disruption."

A Feltham company has won a business award from the Queen.

Integrated Design Ltd, which has new headquarters at Feltham Point in Browell's Lane, was recognised for it's achievement in international trading.

Lord Bilimoria of Chelsea visited the company's offices on Friday November 13 to present the 2009 Queen's Award for Enterprise: International Trade to Margaret Lauder, IDL's longest serving employee.

Trains through Feltham returned to a normal timetable today following last week's bridge collapse but services were severely disrupted due to signalling problems.

Engineers built a temporary track around the damaged River Crane bridge over the weekend and South West Trains is hoping to operate a full service until the bridge is repaired.

Trains from Feltham to central London will be suspended until next week but a full service is unlikely to resume on the line until next year.
A rail bridge across the River Crane collapsed on Sunday following heavy rain, causing chaos for commuters using the London Waterloo line.

Trains from Feltham to central London have been suspended indefinitely after a rail bridge collapsed during Sunday's heavy rain.

Lines between Feltham, Whitton and Twickenham were damaged during the weekend storms and it could be at least four weeks until services are up and running again.

Buses are replacing trains in both directions between Feltham and Twickenham but South West Trains said the service would be 'very limited' and commuters complained about long queues at both stations this morning.

For more information visit http://www.southwesttrains.co.uk/engineeringwork.aspx.
Have you been caught in the travel chaos? Contact us on 07795 666587 or edsaunt@trinitysouth.co.uk or leave your comments below.

Lower speed limits are being introduced at accident blackspots in Clockhouse Lane and Stanwell Road in Feltham.

Hounslow Council plans to reduce the limit in Clockhouse Lane - where 11 people have been injured in accidents in the last five years - from 60mph to 40mph.

In Stanwell Road the council is planning a reduction from 70mph to 50mph on the dual carriageway, with a further reduction to 40mph at the approach to the junction with Bedfont Road.

South West Middlesex Crematorium has been named as Britain's best cemetery at a national awards ceremony.

The Hanworth crematorium scooped four awards in total at the Institute of Cemetery and Crematorium Management's annual conference on September 29 - most environmentally-friendly, best grounds, most improved and best overall.

An Orange mobile phone shop is to open in the Feltham Centre later this month.

It will become the fourth new store in three months in the Centre after Chinese restaurant Golden Empire, the Card Factory and clothes shop Risky opened over the summer.

A LOCAL Public Inquiry into the controversial Airtrack scheme will be held earlier next year, residents were told at a meeting last week.

Plans to build a train depot on a conservation area in Feltham as part of the high speed rail link between Waterloo and Heathrow were discussed at the Hounslow Council West Area planning meeting last Thursday.