Under the ‘Alliance’ banner, we are also planning to introduce a new service between Marchwood and Southampton and London Waterloo during 2026. Marchwood is currently a closed station and has not seen regular passenger trains since 1966.
This service would build on a recent comprehensive study that looked at re-opening the ‘Waterside Line’ to transform the connectivity of this important region close to the New Forest.
If approved, Grand Union would look to re-open other parts of the Waterside Line in a phased approach to its development.
The Route
This route is planned to start in 2026 with an hourly service between Marchwood and Southampton but with some trains continuing on to London.
Starting at Marchwood, trains will call at Totton and Southampton Central, with London services then continuing to call at Southampton Airport, Eastleigh, Winchester, Basingstoke and Hook.
As well as the re-opening of Marchwood station, the service will provide a direct train from Totton to London throughout the day, increase the frequency from Eastleigh, which saw its services reduce post Covid, and offer Hook to London journey times of around 45 minutes.
The service will start with fully refurbished trains that will also have a re-configured interior, offering both standard and first class accommodation.
Our Trains
Working Local
We have had discussions with a number of local stakeholders who supported the re-opening of the Line to passenger trains and who helped in the development of the Study.
If approved, the new operation will be based in the area, with trains maintained at Eastleigh or possibly Marchwood itself. Around 80 new full time and permanent roles will be created.
All aboard for a relaxing experience
Our comfortable trains will be configured to our specification to provide much better seats, with more space and leg-room for passengers compared to other train operators, with good space for luggage.
All our journeys will have a full complement of safety-trained staff onboard, so passengers can be confident their service is as safe as possible.
A Fair Price
We believe train travel should be affordable and accessible for everyone. We will aim to provide the best possible value for money on ticketing, attracting passengers who currently cannot afford rail travel.
As well as selling advance tickets in what will become a more competitive environment, passengers will also be able to buy tickets on the train, with our prices significantly below the inter-available fare. Passengers will also be able to use railcards for on-train ticket purchase.
Our Seat Guarantee
Passengers rightly expect to receive a seat – and a seat will be part of the ticket price for all journeys over 30 minutes. If we cannot provide a seat on a particular journey, we will refund a standing passenger 50% of their ticket price for that journey, or if they buy a ticket onboard, discount their ticket at the time of purchase.