SWR First Class! The BEST way of travelling to Devon! 

The English countryside is amazing. Wish to travel to England soon. Greetings from Podunk South Carolina

This looked like a very relaxing trip. Blue is a nice calm choice for the interiors. The green English countryside was beautiful, especially once the sun came out after London. I loved the small lake. It was amazing to see 11mbps wi-fi on a train; some you've taken were under 2. Equally amazing was the fact that Clapham Junction handles 2,000 trains a hay. It must be huge.

I'd always go by SWR for the simple reason that by the time I've trailed all the way to Paddington, any time saved on a slightly faster service has been lost. I live a short bus ride from Clapham Junction (one changes at Woking or Basingstoke if the train to one's destination doesn't stop at CLJ). And it is such a very pretty line.

Quiet, comfortable and lovely scenery. I'd be more than happy to spend an extra hour on here.

The 159s are in my opinion the most comfortable trains I've ever been in the UK. And this is why each time I do a Devon day trip I always use SWR, even if it takes 3 hours!

One thing to note is that the first class seats you travelled are the ex South West Trains liveried ones which are super comfy, on class 444/450 the first class refurbished seats are so hard, it’s actually more comfortable in standard! Excellent trip report though!

I'd be quite happy to see more of the scenery on your trips. Some bring back good memories.

Thanks for including the subway ride. The sounds remind me quite a bit about the Moscow subway. Same kind of singing and squeaking rails in the tunnels. Also, that seat upholstery reminds me of an electronic arrivals/deparutres table.

Yes, definitely more relaxed this way with more comfortable seats. It does take longer than the GWR route, but if you're visiting Exeter itself, then it has the advantage of stopping at Exeter Central. It's a surprisingly long and uphill walk from St. David's to the city centre. Hopefully the catering will come back but it's possible that it's gone for good.

Once on a train, between the class 158 and 159, I walked between. The driver happened to open the door on me at that moment 😆😆

I’m obsessed 🤩 with your channel. I’m a massive fan of trains and the best place to watch them is right here on Dylan’s travel repots

I used to take this train all the time when living in Salisbury. Fantastic service most of the time, even if it gets very busy with the commuters. Thank you for this review!

Thanks, very interesting. I've done GWR from St Davids to Paddington a few times when travel time was important but I do love sitting back and watching the countryside go by.

When a DMU beats one of the nations flagship trains! Wonderful to see sweet England again, thanks Dylan!

Thanks for another great report, Dylan. It's over a year since I've been on a train and I can't wait to do so again

thank you very much for uploading this.

Love you're videos thought you never speak , you still make the rail journeys interesting with all the fascinating facts you put up in the texts

One thing I'll note is the ride of the 158/159s being really good - just glides along the track in a lot of my journeys. Definitely need to do a full run when things are back up again.

Another wonderfully informative video. Brilliant. It's like having a personal tour guide for the trip.

Last time I went on a train was 4 years ago and I live in Reading lol

They need to bring back the catering. Also the single line from Yeovil to Exeter needs to be redoubled.

Yet another thorough report from Dylan - thank you.

Nice looking train inside and out. The interior is quite nice and looks very clean. I enjoyed the ride with you as always, and bye the way "comfort" is always the king, thanks for the report, and for taking me along with you.

Another very, very nice video of you, Dylan! I absolutely loved everything. You made us enjoy the London Underground at the beginning, it is very beautiful. You filmed very well. You have shown everything very well. I'll go take a look at the channel you offer, thank you very much to you! Thanks Dylan.

It's a very pretty route. In the 1980's I'd often take a half day off work, take the train Leatherhead-Waterloo then the 100 miles down to Gillingham then back again. Would be back in Leatherhead by about 7pm! Also did day trips to Exeter, Salisbury, Honiton, even Lyme Regis on one day trip (bus from Axminster). The main reason was the Class 50's as this was loco-hauled back then. I used to time the trains and on one (very late) Exeter-Waterloo recoded my fastest ever loco-hauled speed - 103.5mph near Brookwood which beat my fastest Deltic trip (103mph) on the Flying Scotsman. Happy days! Sad the old trains have gone.

Wow that classic still looking cool !! As last time once I said, in my country, Thailand, we had the BR Class 158 Splinter 2 + 2 seat around 20 cars (2 or 3 coach per one set) for Special Express Class. We bought from UK since 1991 with makes speed for 95 - 100 km and journey around 6 - 8 hours from Bangkok Capital to the Northern or Southern and Eastern of Thailand. Its looks old but still useful and after renovated in 2006 the cars looks modern and more comfortable with warm services by hot lunch meal served, snack with soft drink, and pillows with blankets for passengers who need to rest in long journey. Unfortunately for this moment, all long journey trains has shutdown by pandemic :(

Very enjoyable video, as always Dylan, thanks. I last travelled from Waterloo to Salisbury in 1976 (crikey, that was 45 years ago) in Mk1 carriages behind a Class 33 diesel. Took a Southern Region one-week Rover ticket and splashed out on a 1st Class one - great fun.

Ive noticed that standard class has got the SWR refurbishment but First class retains the older SWT seating... Also nice video i really enjoyed it :D

Lovely video ! I recommend SWR, they're a great way of cheaply and comfortably getting to Devon. It's also useful as you can get this train from Clapham Junction.

For me comfort is now more important than speed. Liked the deep blue colors used in First Class ... gave a richness to the carriage. The scenery along the way was certainly enhanced by the sunshine. I live in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida and admittedly take sunshine for granted ... a day without it is the exception here. As example, today 27 March, bright sunny skies with temperature of 86F. Overnight “low” will be 75F. I do hope post pandemic that rail and airline companies return to appropriate catering and not resort to a cop out that “travelers prefer the new service” which we all know is a bunch of bullsh.t. Thank you Dylan for your excellent presentations!

I live in sunbury and I have never been in the train to Exeter but i really want to because it looks so cool and it goes past some awesome landscape and passes station so fast!!!

Excellent, enjoyed this.

great video as always, reminded me of some happy trips last year that I had 👍

This is a truly informative review. It was nice to see that the class 159 first class and I didn't know that the northern line went to Waterloo. Edit it is very nice that I saw my favourite train at 7:31

nice day for travelling love the green countryside great train have a nice trip stay safe cheers mate

When I travel to Lynton,I catch a 400 bus to Three Bridges and then a Thameslink train to Farringdon,then an Elizabeth Line train to Paddington,then an 800 class train to Exeter St.David’s and then a class 150 to Barnstaple(Junction)and then a Filers bus to Lynton number 300 from outside the station to a stop called The Studio in Lynton.

Looks awesome!

Great video! :) I love the 159s, make a great sound when they depart. Hoping to go on one in the future. Funny these units have been operating for 30 years!

Lovely trip- thank you!

Dylan, your usual excellent comprehensive report. Makes me want to ride the rails more often, although limited service in US.

Your videos are great always a good watch 👍

This looks a far nicer journey to Exeter then the GWR route and more relaxing. Will try it once we can travel again. Keep up the good work mate 👍

I'd choose this route. Thanks for the recommendation!!

Wow train looking very nice and clean, great vid again!

That is one LONG Class 158 consist! Excellent video, mate!

Lovely pics from Waterloo Station and of course from English countryside. Thanks for sharing ☺️

This is definately the best route to Devon, the scenary is wonderful.

Thank you for a splendid review ! I agree with all that you say, and as a frequent visitor to Exeter from London, I always use South Western ! It is amazing that a DMU built in 1992/3 is far better than the GWR IETs operating out of Paddington. The 159s are much more comfortable than any IET, particularly in 1st Class. The run beyond Salisbury is also more scenic than the GWR route through Taunton. Its a shame that South Western have withdrawn all catering on their trains, and so far as I can discover, they have no plans to re-introduce it. A great pity.

My local route and my local train. Honiton to Exeter for work and back. A long journey though when going from Honiton to Waterloo.

Brilliant video. This was taken on my local line: The West Of England Mainline. Definitely considering travelling first class on these trains one day. Greetings from Whitchurch, Hampshire 🙂

Hi, dylan!! Very nice, accurate, and thorough review. I went west three times, to bath by great western. Thank you because i never knew that there was another alternative. Take care and keep on!

The drone of those engines is like a nightmare from my Bath-Portsmouth commute from 15 years ago. Just constant ear barrage.

Great journey Waterloo Station looks good I really like the train interior especially the first class which is à bit of a reminder of the previous company who owned the franchise and also I love the scenery of the British countryside. Being a city dweller I don't get to see it very often unfortunately

I would definitely prefer to take this service unless I was needing to be somewhere quickly, looks like a great train to ride on that interior is really nice and the seats look very comfy

Great video as always

I well recall a trip from Waterloo to Exeter behind a class 50....happy days.

Having done that journey a few times last year, much better than the GWR option, which isn’t as comfortable and is usually more expensive. It would be good if they would offer improved catering, especially for people in first class. Another great video!

Both you and Superalbs Travels have covered this route now. I really must try it sometime.

I have ridden this route many times, and as long as one is not in a hurry, it is a very pleasant and relaxing way to get between London & Exeter. I miss the old restaurant cars, but if one stocks up beforehand, it can be very enjoyable. Compared to the route from Paddington, this is a real bargain!

I get that train back here after I've been home to London for a visit

Great report, cant wait to get back to London

I love the routes and trains that go through Salisbury hopefully in the future they’ll be no single tracks so you can have half hourly train services and lovely Salisbury Station will be put to its full potential

Thanks for the short out to Pinhoe station - the little station at the bottom of our road (well, until we moved a fortnight ago). I'm not sure it has ever featured in a train vlogger video before (or ever will again!).

I'm only 22, so I don't have any emotional attachment to the older units as a lot of people do, but the 158/9s are genuinely excellent units, and they've aged like a fine wine. From the lack of camera shake, I'd imagine the ride quality was also amazingly smooth, as it is with Northern's units; I live in Cumbria, and whenever I have to get to Leeds, I'll always choose the Settle-Carlisle line, partially because it's served by the 158s. Far better than TPE's 802s they use on the Transpennine route, which... well, Pistoia Hitachi units. I'm sure we can all agree on their quality.

Blimey, Dylan! You could have knocked me over with a feather on this one. I travelled on the equivalent of this very service on 27th September 2018, exactly two years prior to your trip. I joined the train at Basingstoke at 13 07. It was 9 cars (3 x Class 159 units) and, yes, the unit I was on was one of the first in the new (for then) South Western Livery. I don't recall in my notes the split of the train at Salisbury for Bath and didn't note whether or not I arrived at Exeter St.Davids with 6 or 9 cars. My journey that day was a convoluted one from Stourbridge Town with a heavy suitcase in tow so had other issues on my mind upon arrival at Exeter. This was the time when the cross country direct route was blocked in the Yate/Bristol Parkway area by Great Western Electrification Works. My journey from Stourbridge involved changes of train at Stourbridge Junction, Worcester Shrub Hill, Reading, Basingstoke, then Exeter St.Davids for Torquay. Phew! I agree with all your comments about the comfortable interior of First class, including the unfortunate pole support for the table on the single seat side. Fortunately, I was able to choose a window seat on the twin seat side which, happily, was on the north (right hand side) of the train away from the sun glare. That didn't stop me craning my neck across the opposite side at Yeovil Junction to view the heritage railway centre. One thing that caught my attention during your walk along the concourse at Waterloo was the eye watering size of the maximum fine for failing to wear a face mask unless specifically exempt in these troubled times. Hopefully we wont be burdened by this inconvenience for too much longer. Down here in Melbourne we are starting to relax some of the restrictions now that vaccine is becoming available. The football is back with crowds of up to 50K and my team won on Thursday evening against their arch-rivals. Yay! I note that in your part of the world the Jacobite Steam Train restarts on 26th April. Hopefully all will become better during your summer. All the best from Michael.

Last time I did the line from Basingstoke down to Exeter St David’s Via Yeovil Junction it was Early 1990’s with my favorite loco class the 50’s , Now those were the days 😉 If I was heading that way with plenty of time I would look at the possibility.

I would definitely choose comfort over speed; but I would be traveling as a tourist. I'm sure there are those for whom these train travels are much more utilitarian. Well done Dylan dude, well done!

With that fantastic weather and the green outside i think if you would have had music to your films several parts of this one had been fit for the famous "Jerusalem".

Thank you for something pleasant to watch on a rainy morning in Montreal. Your train looked a lot better than the blue/orange ones.

Hi there Dylan. Just watched your video today. I like the DMU’s. Great train I would travel on it to see my friend Spencer. All in all is great overall bar the pole underneath the table

I loved the station info

I’ve done the return Exeter Salisbury route 1st class and was equally pleased with journey. Pre pandemic there was a trolley service on the second half of journey. Hopefully it goes back to normal soon. I recommend Salisbury as well. Waterloo to Devon used to be a longer trip at one time with the ACE with split coaches to places like Ilfracombe, Bude and Padstow. No doubt you’ve heard that regular services are returning to Okehampton later in 2021. You’ll have to check that one out when it returns.

I LOVE LOVE THIS TRAIN !!! BEAUTIFUL BLUE/ WHITE INTERIORS !!! Blues( especially ,turquoise )are my No.1 favourite colours !! Purples & reds ,the next!AND THE SCENERY ~~!!! 😍😍👍👍I wonder if the sceneries are much different if I take GWR train from Paddington !?? It's a tough question !!! Time is very crucial for foreign travellers like me ! I don't wanna waste times !! But,the interiors like you said are beautiful & looking so comfy ! The toilet room looked a bit bigger than usual even?? And this one is a lot cheaper ! But,again ...the time ...!! Lol. A very tough call for me to make !! Wifi charging speed was funky & funny there !!!😅😆👍 Thank you so much for this beautiful video & your reviews !! 💖👍👍💜💜💜💜🥁🎵🐉🎤🎶💞

Looks a decent upgrade by SWR to the SWT carriages. Used to do Portsmouth to Waterloo every day.

Great video and fantastic sunshine on glorious views. Always worth bearing in mind your actual destination in London..if it is closer to Waterloo then the time difference can be pretty much absorbed as there’s no need to travel from Paddington; South Bank, London Eye, Imperial War Museum etc.

I’d choose SWR because despite South Western Railway not having any catering on GWR it’s just a hot beverage and a few snacks like crisps or brownies which isn’t a lot. And the price difference is quite a lot which is a game changer as well. Finally it’s only 1 hour difference and I’m amazed how swr first class is cheaper than GWR economy but I don’t know which operator is more frequent. By the way gwr was trying to be cheeky and showed me a swr train to exter form waterloo for £40 more despite its website being cheaper. I would Definitely ride swr it I ever need to go to exeter

Another good one Dylan Hope to get over there after COVID to sample your rail system

Pity that when the LSWR built the line they managed to not serve two of the most significant towns in the area, Yeovil and Chard. I used to have an aunt who lived in Chard, and when visiting, about 40 years ago now, we had to take a taxi from Axminster. The last time I used this line was about ten years ago to go to Exeter and then the Sunday train to Okehampton. The 159s seem to have been quite heavily refurbished since then.

Nice to see the Yeovil Juntction station - my local one. 👍

(14:43) To your question: I prefer always the more comfortable option at trains. To me every trip at railways with standard service is like a journey, even the shortest ones. - Greetings, Heinz

Another great video. Fantastic to see the great British tradition of having toilet seats lol. Take care and keep safe.

Excellent stuff, my old train journey down to uni - much easier if coming from south of London like I was - also lived less than 10 minutes from Exeter central!

Very informative videos, many thanks. I am 81 and grew up with steam engines so you had an engine with carriages. I would like to see more of the "engine" of the modern trains. Good to see inside the carriages but can we also we the sharp end, please? They are all starting to look very similar but a view would be very good.

Always travel this route, as you say it may take longer than the Paddington - Exeter St Davids route, but the Honiton, Salisbury route is much more relaxing, interesting and besides it passes through my former home town of Farnborough.

I've used this train a lot between Bristol (Bath Spa only at the moment) and Waterloo in 1st Class and always found it more convenient than GWR (and cheaper) for South London. Since First now run both routes, the fares have evened out, so now it's really a balance of comfort, convenience and speed. Since I have an intense dislike of the IET seats, when I travel again, SWR stands a good chance of my custom, but it will depend on what part of London I wish to visit. I agree with you about the pole supporting the table: annoying. Be aware that the split in the train at Salisbury can be three way, with one portion terminating there. Nice video.

Great video Dylan. I hope you enjoyed riding on the Sprinters towards to Exeter St Davids

Very very nice video Dylan sir

Standard class on the SWR trains is more comfortable than first class on the GWR trains. The interior is nicer. The ambiance is more relaxed. The route is just as pretty. The fares are cheaper. Much an improvement over the GWR route, which pretty much only has speed and reliability going for it (although on the latter point, GWR do be seeming to try damndest to not be more reliable). (On the reliability point, the SWR line from Salisbury to Exeter is single track with loops, so one delay cascades throughout the rest of the day.) If I have to go quick or have to be there on time, no negotiations, then I’ll take the GWR. If I can take my time and enjoy myself… SWR, every day.

As I live near Plymouth, always used the GWR to London to save changing trains. Never travelled on this SWR route.

I live 600 metres from Basingstoke Station and as previously lived near Newbury I'd always get GWR to Ex St D. I can get to Reading in 25 mins and then direct. However 2 years ago I took this train direct from Basingstoke to Salisbury and must say it was much more authentic and relaxed compared to the bustle on GWR. Sometimes less is more and next time I head to Devon via rail. I'll certainly do the SWR route especially for the cost saving in 1st class!

Well as long as restrictions are lifted (as currently advertised) on Monday I'll be on this service next Sunday. Looking forward to it!

Dylan all SWR catering has now been permanently suspended. But Nice to see you on a proper unit on a lovely line that I loved to work on and travel on. Keep up the great videos.

I want the comfortable experience. I miss the sunny days in the UK. 🌞

Grown up with 158s in Scotland, I sympathise with the table leg though!! 🤣

Nice vedio . Thanks

I use to feel the same when I took the Amtrak even if i was on the train for an hour. Not only did I get the nicer seat I had free coffee, Juice, and sweet roll, for breakfast, and a newspaper, and then by lunch i had free wine and snacks.

Great video! I like how many diesel trains run in the UK. I have visited the UK many times, but I've never had the opportunity to try any of these trains, I hope there will be an opportunity as soon as possible :-)

Great video

I'd pick the more comfortable option and also because I like 159s. Despite not going on a 159 I've been on a 158 so they're basically the same thing

lovely video