No train services to the Lewes Bonfire this year.

[swt class 450]

This year there will be no train services stopping at Lewes or any of the surrounding stations for the Lewes bonfire due to the strike. Apparently they are not stopping any trains there because of safety reasons and to prevent overcrowding. This event is one of the biggest bonfire events in the UK and attracts thousands of people every year. The whole town of Lewes is always absolutely packed. Every year most passengers visit by train so this will have a huge major impact.

There will be no trains (or rail replacement buses) calling at any of these stations from after 12:00 on 5/11/2016:
• Falmer
• Glynde
• Lewes
• London Road (Brighton)
• Moulsecoomb
• Southease

There will be no trains calling at any of these stations for the whole day on 5/11/2016:
• Ashurst
• Buxted
• Cooksbridge
• Cowden
• Crowborough
• Eridge
• Hever
• Plumpton
• Uckfield

There will be rail replacement bus services operating from Brighton non stop to all these four stations on 5/11/2016:
• Bishopstone
• Newhaven Harbour
• Newhaven Town
• Seaford

This will mean that the nearest stations for passengers travelling to and from the Lewes bonfire to use will be the following stations:
• Balcombe
• Berwick
• Brighton
• Burgess Hill
• Eastbourne
• Hampden Park
• Hassocks
• Haywards Heath
• Preston Park
• Wivelsfield

All of these stations will probably be guaranteed to be much busier than usual. Basically out of all of these the nearest station that will be open is Berwick which is likely to be extremely busy because of this. So this will probably be the largest amount of passengers that Berwick has ever seen.

Almost all of the roads around Lewes will be closed as well so people are likely to park far out of Lewes and walk in. Local bus services will still be running (except for Compass Bus who will finish running early) which are likely to be extremely busy and very overcrowded. Brighton & Hove (Go Ahead Group) will still be running the 28 / 29 / 29B / 29X / N29 services. Various other bus companies will be running shuttle services to and from various places in Sussex. Passengers may have a very long wait just to get on a bus.

So basically Lewes will be utter chaos this year.

Personally i think that this is very bad planning from Southern as usual. I am sure if they tried and could be bothered than they could find enough management Guards to operate a very frequent service (just like what normally happens every year) to and from Lewes.

 

[AlterEgo]

Wonder if there'll be an effigy of Mick Cash or Peter Wilkinson this year.

 

[swt class 450]

Wonder if there'll be an effigy of Mick Cash or Peter Wilkinson this year.

I would love to see an effigy of Charles Horton / Dyan Crowther / Angie Doll / Alex Foulds / Andy Bindon / Peter Wilkinson / Claire Perry / Chris Grayling or any of those clowns and jokers.

 

[Chrisgr31]

The decision has of course in theory been caused by the RMT strike, however the police, district council and other authorities have been looking to reduce the numbers attending for years. I therefore suspect they are delighted with the strike and are using it as an opportunity to experiment.

I wouldn't be surprised to see similar action taken next year, when the strike will presumably not be an excuse any more

 

[Groningen]

According to Wikipedia: Lewes has 16.000 people and 80.000 come to visit it during the bonfire(s).

 

[hello]

Every year most passengers visit by train so this will have a huge major impact.

.

isnt that the point of a strike, really it should have been done every time bhafc had a home game!!!!!!!!!!! it might have been sorted by now

 

[SussexMan]

All of these stations will probably be guaranteed to be much busier than usual. Basically out of all of these the nearest station that will be open is Berwick which is likely to be extremely busy because of this. So this will probably be the largest amount of passengers that Berwick has ever seen.

I don't think you'll see many, if any, additional people at Berwick. It is 8.2 miles from Lewes so a good 2 hour walk and almost exactly the same distance as Lewes is from Brighton station. Anyone with a car will be able to park much closer than 8 miles away.

 

[Bevan Price]

So a lot of "alarm cord" pulling in the Lewes area on Saturday ??

 

[tsr]

I don't think you'll see many, if any, additional people at Berwick. It is 8.2 miles from Lewes so a good 2 hour walk and almost exactly the same distance as Lewes is from Brighton station. Anyone with a car will be able to park much closer than 8 miles away.

Likewise many of the rest in the list. It would, for example, be patently absurd to end up using Balcombe to walk to Lewes Bonfire (or even get a taxi or, and I shouldn't think there's anything handy, a bus).

My understanding is that the affected stations in the Lewes area will, where possible, be closed, locked and potentially guarded (by TOC employees, Land Sheriffs et al). Part of the concern is also that people may attempt to walk down the track, particularly from small/more remote stations, so securing access to the railway is also an issue here, rather than just crowd control at the stations themselves.

I should think that the only open stations of any use to passengers in that list will be the ones with bus services running towards the general Lewes area. Even that, of course, is potentially an unreliable way to get there.

(As a side note on such celebrations, I normally end up at local or family events around 5 November which generally take place some way away from Lewes, and I've never been to the 5 November celebrations there. However, I understand that the attitude that Lewes residents take is that they would all ideally prefer there only to be fairly local people there, and that customs dictate that the swathes of visitors from afar are sometimes unwelcome. I should imagine the rail situation this year has acted as a favourable tipping point in line with this sort of thing, and as a result people will be forced to turn to other events. Fortunately these are numerous across the South. If I had to recommend just one amongst them, I think it has to be Brockham, which will probably see at least a few ex-Lewes visitors this year, although it is a considerable way away; this is one of the only events I can think of which can cater for a huge number of people, and which welcomes any outside visitors too. Special buses will run which will connect with such trains as do operate from Redhill and Reigate, as well as a limited service or a longish walk from Dorking stations too.)

 

[Chrisgr31]

Incidentally Crowborough has a free firework display on 5th November every year and there have been a couple of PCSOs present to create a safe pedestrian crossing point on the A26 for those leaving the event.

This year Sussex Police are unable to provide any cover due to the Lewes celebrations, that decision was made in advance of the strike being known about.

Nothing to do with them making PCSOs redundant earlier in the year then, but might be another reason for wanting numbers in Lewes reduced.

 

[Sunset route]

Once upon a time there used to be a special bonfire train service about every 10 minutes to and from Lewes and Brighton with other trains strengthened with some other extras on Haywards Heath Eastboure axis.

Then there were complaints about over crowding in Lewes so the service was reduced to service trains only to reduce the visiting numbers. After that they started saying that they didn't want masses of spectators coming into the town so it stopped being overly promoted and now we have no trains and that's even wrong.

Last year on the news they say that they only wanted the bonfire societies and locals at the event, but now they are worried that no one will turn up and thus lose charity money, you couldn't make it up. I think it's a little too easy to make the railway and unions the villains when they don't really know what numbers want to attend the event without overcrowding Lewes to the dangerous numbers of the past.

 

[godfreycomplex]

"Only wanted the bonfire societies and locals at the event" oy vey
Some people in this country need reminding that The League Of Gentlemen is not an instruction manual.

 

[al78]

Likewise many of the rest in the list. It would, for example, be patently absurd to end up using Balcombe to walk to Lewes Bonfire (or even get a taxi or, and I shouldn't think there's anything handy, a bus).

If I were going I'd get a train to Balcombe or Haywards Heath and then cycle the rest of the way, hopefully being able to get to a short(ish) walking distance away. It depends on how desparate you are to attend, I suppose, there is often a way if you try hard enough.

 

[Trackman]

is this a last minute announcement?

 

[SussexMan]

If I were going I'd get a train to Balcombe or Haywards Heath and then cycle the rest of the way, hopefully being able to get to a short(ish) walking distance away. It depends on how desparate you are to attend, I suppose, there is often a way if you try hard enough.

Maybe you're a keen cyclist but as it will be dark I'd prefer the 8 miles from Brighton station along the Brighton-Lewes cycle path compared to the 25 miles from Balcombe.

 

[Baxenden Bank]

And what about the people who use the affected stations normally i.e. not bonfire related travel - commuting to Brighton in the morning and cannot get home in the afternoon. Or cannot travel at any time of the day.

 

[redbutton]

Personally i think that this is very bad planning from Southern as usual. I am sure if they tried and could be bothered than they could find enough management Guards to operate a very frequent service (just like what normally happens every year) to and from Lewes.

FWIW, my understanding is that despite GTR blaming it squarely on the striking staff, the decision to close the stations was actually made by the local Safety Advisory Group (consisting of British Transport Police, East Sussex County Council, Lewes District Council, South East Coast Ambulance Service, Sussex Police and East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service and Southern), for whom the strike timetable was only part of the reasoning. The main issue was that the town can't handle the influx of non-local people attending the festivities.

 

[Robertj21a]

And what about the people who use the affected stations normally i.e. not bonfire related travel - commuting to Brighton in the morning and cannot get home in the afternoon. Or cannot travel at any time of the day.

I think most are well used to making their own arrangements on this day each year anyway.

 

[al78]

Maybe you're a keen cyclist but as it will be dark I'd prefer the 8 miles from Brighton station along the Brighton-Lewes cycle path compared to the 25 miles from Balcombe.

Not keen enough to do 25 miles just to see a bonfire. I'd prefer your suggestion, which is less distance in the dark than my commute, or Haywards Heath.

 

[mugam4]

Not keen enough to do 25 miles just to see a bonfire. I'd prefer your suggestion, which is less distance in the dark than my commute, or Haywards Heath.

There's a bike train going from Churchill Square

 

[Lockwood]

I was working at Lewes bonfire a few years ago. Sadly I've not been able to since.
It was a massive event, but insanely busy.
I was working in control and still ended up having to go out and be hands-on. I dread to think what the planning logistics for the event are like. It is a shame that the travel options have been reduced this year, however I can understand if there are concerns over safety with the amount of crowding.

 

[Antman]

FWIW, my understanding is that despite GTR blaming it squarely on the striking staff, the decision to close the stations was actually made by the local Safety Advisory Group (consisting of British Transport Police, East Sussex County Council, Lewes District Council, South East Coast Ambulance Service, Sussex Police and East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service and Southern), for whom the strike timetable was only part of the reasoning. The main issue was that the town can't handle the influx of non-local people attending the festivities.

I think you're probably right and Sussex police seem to be doing their best to deter people from going.

 

[Robertj21a]

I was working at Lewes bonfire a few years ago. Sadly I've not been able to since.
It was a massive event, but insanely busy.
I was working in control and still ended up having to go out and be hands-on. I dread to think what the planning logistics for the event are like. It is a shame that the travel options have been reduced this year, however I can understand if there are concerns over safety with the amount of crowding.

It's just simply got far too big for the size of the town, and the resources available. It needed to reduce the numbers anyway.

 

[al78]

It's just simply got far too big for the size of the town, and the resources available. It needed to reduce the numbers anyway.

I wonder how much of this is due to the desire to always try and be bigger and better each year. This is not sustainable, and if it has happened over the years it is not surprising that it has got too much and the numbers attending need capping in some way.

 

[Robertj21a]

I wonder how much of this is due to the desire to always try and be bigger and better each year. This is not sustainable, and if it has happened over the years it is not surprising that it has got too much and the numbers attending need capping in some way.

As far as I'm aware the organisers at Lewes have not tried to be 'bigger and better each year'. It hasn't needed it, it's always been a big, very popular, event. It's the sheer popularity that has brought ever-increasing numbers of people - that needed addressing anyway, so no trains will be a help.

 

[Evvy73]

I've attended Lewes Bonfire Celebrations many times over the years. I only live a few miles away and have many friends who live in the town, so I can usually stay over which removes the travel issue for me.

This idea that the celebrations are intended for "The people of Lewes and surrounding Villages" is a tricky one - yes, if only these people attended it would be more comfortable for everyone, but a number of charities rely on the street collections, obtained during the many processions for donations and obviously fewer people means less donations, so it has become a bit of a double edged sword.

I have no idea what the answer is, but do admit something needed to be done. I was on the bridge outside of Harvey's brewery a couple of years ago and the number of people actually made it quite scary to move anywhere. I was getting crushed and pushed in one direction (whether I wanted to go there or not). I am a 6' tall bloke who doesn't usually get bothered by crowds. If something bad had happened or if the emergency services had needed to get to someone I dread to think what could have happened.

A Lewes based friend of mine always wants it to rain on November 5th as this really helps to keep the crowds down!

As others have said there are plenty of other celebrations around Sussex on the 5th, so this year it may be worth going to another one for a change. I'm thinking of taking my kids up to Lindfield.

 

[wfrank]

I would love to see an effigy of Charles Horton / Dyan Crowther / Angie Doll / Alex Foulds / Andy Bindon / Peter Wilkinson / Claire Perry / Chris Grayling or any of those clowns and jokers.

And, for fairness, Mick Cash & the RMT stereotype Scotsman.

 

[Baxenden Bank]

If this was a football match, or a music festival, it would not get a licence if it could not be operated safely, with all the costs of stewarding etc fully met by the organisers.

Just suggesting.

Assuming everyone in town goes to the festival, that would be 64,000 extra visitors on top. Less than a capacity Wembley crowd or one of the larger festivals.

 

[Carlisle]

I expect some will want entry next year strictly by ticket only in advance by online ballot ,

 

[Baxenden Bank]

I think most are well used to making their own arrangements on this day each year anyway.

Fair enough. Lewes was a busy enough station when I was there a few times a couple of years ago (mid summer).
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

I expect some will want entry next year strictly by ticket only in advance by online ballot ,

Given that the town appears to be closed off anyway except for buses, and no-one but a bonfire visitor would want to go near the place, why not?

I don't agree with closing off public spaces for large events, but it happens elsewhere for public parks and the like. Perhaps the logical step, if crowds are becoming as large and potentially dangerous as highlighted, is for the town to be put off-limits?