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Thameslink Services/Timetable from May 20th 2018

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JonathanH

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That 1803 off London Bridge must be getting busier as we move closer to the weekend then. I don’t think anyone was getting left behind earlier this week. Front few coaches seemed bearable (obviously full and standing though) on Tuesday when I actually used it.

It was announced only 5-10 minutes in advance that it was calling at Redhill on Tuesday - probably only a few ITK went for it.

You would imagine that quite a few people aiming for the Redhill stations would be looking to catch the 18.03 anyway given the choice of that or the 18.07 to Uckfield to stand a good chance of connecting at East Croydon into the Victoria to Reigate / Gatwick Airport service at 18.27.
 
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bramling

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And in the meantime those who want or even need to travel by train can go whistle. Planning a journey on the GN section is largely pointless at present as you never know what's going to run, what and when things will be cancelled. But of course you St Albans types have more trains to chose from even allowing for the nonsense that is currently the GTL timetable so "I'm alright Jack."

StAlbansLink/ is probably about right. I bet many congregate at the back of St Albans up platform all ready for a 700 fresh out of the siding so they can use the declassified first, then preach to everyone else about how good the standard class interior is.

Same vibes starting to emanate from Cambridge. We have our nice long 40-min turnarounds at King’s Cross and a choice of 8tph to London (if ThamesLink/ ever delivers), but go hang to everyone else.

Horton going is very welcome, hopefully the first of many people associated with this failure of a project.
 

tsr

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You would imagine that quite a few people aiming for the Redhill stations would be looking to catch the 18.03 anyway given the choice of that or the 18.07 to Uckfield to stand a good chance of connecting at East Croydon into the Victoria to Reigate / Gatwick Airport service at 18.27.

Indeed the case.

The 1807 to Uckfield has been completely full lately. It’s currently formed of units in a 2+4+2 coach formation - a lot of space wasted by intermediate cabs, and it used to be 10 coaches anyway!

Lots of complaints from Oxted-Uckfield route passengers that they cannot even get onboard their hourly train service at LBG (reduced from half hourly in the high peak, as the 1908 shuttle working from Oxted no longer runs) due to East Croydon passengers onboard, many of whom will of course be travelling to Redhill area stations. For what it’s worth, the few TL services to East Croydon around that time are approaching the crush-load capacity of a 700...
 

Stew998

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You would imagine that quite a few people aiming for the Redhill stations would be looking to catch the 18.03 anyway given the choice of that or the 18.07 to Uckfield to stand a good chance of connecting at East Croydon into the Victoria to Reigate / Gatwick Airport service at 18.27.
I've experienced the 1833 Eastbourne service being re-routed via Redhill on more than a couple of occasions although it's only 8 coaches making it very much full and standing, to East Croydon at least.
 

evergreenadam

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Why does there seem to there been a peak period reduction in train lengths on Southern? Where has the rolling stock gone?
 

sarahj

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I think it will all be perfect by October, just in time for the BML shutdown south of Three Bridges. <D
 

bramling

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Good news, but who was actually personally responsible for the myth/lie that they were ready to roll - they need sacking too.

Yes and who planned to do all the driver training on the fly and making such a big change overnight. Unfortunately it’s hard to pin down accountability as this project has been running for many years. Certainly not something to brag about on one’s CV.
 

tsr

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In place of Thameslink services, more trains will call additionally at Redhill tonight (1733 London Bridge - Eastbourne / 1803 LBG-Portsmouth Hbr & Bognor Regis / 1833 LBG-EBN).

1815 Victoria - EBN to call additionally at Balcombe.

Many of the xx06 / 36 Arun Valley departures from VIC will continue to call additionally at Ifield / Littlehaven and one or two at Faygate.

Numerous daytime 1Axx Brighton Mainline services continue to be amended in both directions with additional stops at stations such as Three Bridges and Preston Park.

Some peak hours GatEx services are calling additionally at Haywards Heath (peak flow directions) and other stops. 1759/1813/1829/1914 off Victoria will also call at East Croydon.

At least one TL Horsham service may start at Blackfriars tonight and run fast to East Croydon via Tulse Hill.

Some peak time and evening Reigate services will call additionally at Purley.

Some Caterham services will call at Norwood Jn.

Ad-hoc stops also being arranged at NWD on some off-peak and contra-peak Uckfield services.
 

evergreenadam

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In place of Thameslink services, more trains will call additionally at Redhill tonight (1733 London Bridge - Eastbourne / 1803 LBG-Portsmouth Hbr & Bognor Regis / 1833 LBG-EBN).

1815 Victoria - EBN to call additionally at Balcombe.

Many of the xx06 / 36 Arun Valley departures from VIC will continue to call additionally at Ifield / Littlehaven and one or two at Faygate.

Numerous daytime 1Axx Brighton Mainline services continue to be amended in both directions with additional stops at stations such as Three Bridges and Preston Park.

Some peak hours GatEx services are calling additionally at Haywards Heath (peak flow directions) and other stops. 1759/1813/1829/1914 off Victoria will also call at East Croydon.

At least one TL Horsham service may start at Blackfriars tonight and run fast to East Croydon via Tulse Hill.

Some peak time and evening Reigate services will call additionally at Purley.

Some Caterham services will call at Norwood Jn.

Ad-hoc stops also being arranged at NWD on some off-peak and contra-peak Uckfield services.

That’s great but there seems to be very little info on the TOC websites announcing these measures.
 

talldave

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That’s great but there seems to be very little info on the TOC websites announcing these measures.
That's not surprising is it?! The bonus of reading these forums is input from contributors like tsr who actually know something and care about the rest of us knowing as well.
 

rdwarr

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Looks like they've just terminated a King's Cross - Cambridge North train at Finsbury Park. It's going to get busy there.
 

jon0844

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Looks like they've just terminated a King's Cross - Cambridge North train at Finsbury Park. It's going to get busy there.

Let me guess, it got stuck behind a train with no driver that came through the core?
 

JonathanH

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Why does there seem to there been a peak period reduction in train lengths on Southern? Where has the rolling stock gone?

Some of it has gone towards extending West London Line services from 5 to 8 car.

Some of it appears to be part of providing more 10-car trains on more metro services - e.g. you don't get 377/3 or 377/6 on East Grinstead / Redhill line services and 10 car seems to be all day on many metro routes.

The rest seems to be more thinly spread on a longer peak service period on routes to the coast.
 

evergreenadam

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Some of it has gone towards extending West London Line services from 5 to 8 car.

Some of it appears to be part of providing more 10-car trains on more metro services - e.g. you don't get 377/3 or 377/6 on East Grinstead / Redhill line services and 10 car seems to be all day on many metro routes.

The rest seems to be more thinly spread on a longer peak service period on routes to the coast.

So if TfL take over WLL then rolling stock freed up could strengthen peak Southern main line workings. 8 car trains into Victoria during the peak is a gross waste of track capacity.
 

JonathanH

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So if TfL take over WLL then rolling stock freed up could strengthen peak Southern main line workings. 8 car trains into Victoria during the peak is a gross waste of track capacity.

No. Wouldn't the 377s just be transferred with the service in the unlikely event that TfL took it on? TfL don't have a ready waiting fleet of trains to use instead of the Southern ones.

The timetable planners appear to have gambled on Southern passengers switching to Thameslink and then found that they still need to use Southern services.
 

Iggy12a

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IMG_20180615_154121862.jpg IMG_20180615_154117567.jpg At Gatwick airport today, the TVMs were still charging normal fares, but this morning the small notice telling customers to purchase "not Gatwick Express" fares was applied to each machine. This afternoon, the larger more explicit notice was applied. I am not sure the average tourist made much sense of them.
 

AM9

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Right, so a suggestion based on nothing. So it might be September, it might be August, perhaps October, or possibly never.
You might think so but as Bishopstone in post #2258 and Failed Unit in post #2267 agree that there is a rationale for thinking that September may be when things start to function better with the new timetable. The latest news of Charles Horton's resignation offer adds weight to that as keeping him in place until September will allow some tactical blame allocation whilst the current driver situation is addressed as a priority.
 
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SamYeager

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StAlbansLink/ is probably about right. I bet many congregate at the back of St Albans up platform all ready for a 700 fresh out of the siding so they can use the declassified first, then preach to everyone else about how good the standard class interior is.

Since you seem pretty keen on evidence where's your evidence?
 

evergreenadam

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No. Wouldn't the 377s just be transferred with the service in the unlikely event that TfL took it on? TfL don't have a ready waiting fleet of trains to use instead of the Southern ones.

The timetable planners appear to have gambled on Southern passengers switching to Thameslink and then found that they still need to use Southern services.

Of course TfL would need new stock and things would not change overnight but it would make better use of rolling stock resources and bring other benefits as mentioned in the Gibb Report.

Those 8 car trains into Victoria must be rammed as it is, let alone with the displaced Thameslink/London Bridge passengers.
 

AM9

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And in the meantime those who want or even need to travel by train can go whistle. Planning a journey on the GN section is largely pointless at present as you never know what's going to run, what and when things will be cancelled. But of course you St Albans types have more trains to chose from even allowing for the nonsense that is currently the GTL timetable so "I'm alright Jack."
There is no viable option until the timetable has been tested with a reasonably full complement of qualified drivers.if it is then proen to inviable then it can either be modified or as a last resort, changed wholesale along with the impact on many more non-GTR services in the south. That last option is very unlikely as it would spread the disruption to many commuters who don't have any current issues, and would in turn probably punish the government at the next electoral opportunity.
As far as "you St Albans types" are concerned, (incidentally that doesn't include me as I don't need to travel by train), I read here that their services are now being affected and most of the time, the rear 1st class seats are fully taken on the Bedford starters and the St Albans starters take too long to get to the core. When they are the only trains available, I believe there are too many on the platform for most of them to get the 1st seats, even including those in the front declassified saloon. However as you say, if you're all right Jack, that's fine by me.
 

JonathanH

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Saturday on Thameslink seems to have settled down to some form of emergency timetable

* Bedford to Brighton (half-hourly)
* St Albans to Sutton (quarter-hourly - alternately clockwise / anti-clockwise on Sutton loop)
* Kentish Town to Rainham (hourly)
* London Bridge to Three Bridges (hourly - Horsham shut by engineering work)
* Blackfriars to Sevenoaks (half-hourly)
* London Kings Cross to Peterborough (half-hourly)
* London Kings Cross to Cambridge (hourly)

Sunday sees no Sutton loop (engineering work at Herne Hill)

* Bedford to Brighton (half-hourly semi-fast)
* Bedford to Blackfriars (half-hourly stopper)
* Kentish Town to Rainham (hourly - late start - via Nunhead due to engineering work)
* London Bridge to Three Bridges (hourly - Horsham shut by engineering work)
* Blackfriars to Sevenoaks (half-hourly)
* London Kings Cross to Peterborough (hourly)
* London Kings Cross to Cambridge (hourly)
 

Hadders

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I've just been looking at the times for tomorrow and am inclined to agree. I wonder if they'll have enough drivers.

Still nothing through the core from the GN side from what I can see.
 

NorthKent1989

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Saturday on Thameslink seems to have settled down to some form of emergency timetable

* Bedford to Brighton (half-hourly)
* St Albans to Sutton (quarter-hourly - alternately clockwise / anti-clockwise on Sutton loop)
* Kentish Town to Rainham (hourly)
* London Bridge to Three Bridges (hourly - Horsham shut by engineering work)
* Blackfriars to Sevenoaks (half-hourly)
* London Kings Cross to Peterborough (half-hourly)
* London Kings Cross to Cambridge (hourly)

Sunday sees no Sutton loop (engineering work at Herne Hill)

* Bedford to Brighton (half-hourly semi-fast)
* Bedford to Blackfriars (half-hourly stopper)
* Kentish Town to Rainham (hourly - late start - via Nunhead due to engineering work)
* London Bridge to Three Bridges (hourly - Horsham shut by engineering work)
* Blackfriars to Sevenoaks (half-hourly)
* London Kings Cross to Peterborough (hourly)
* London Kings Cross to Cambridge (hourly)

The service bold and underlined will be interesting, I wonder how well this service will run I believe that running the Rainham service might become better if it ran via Lewisham.
 

Bedpan

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If this is a reliable timetable showing a service that we actually get, then it will be a major improvement over previous weeks, even if only one third of the usual departures from Harpo on Saturday. Is there any obvious and logical reason why four tph from Bedford on Sunday when the slow simply follows four minutes behind the fastest far as St Albans? I would have thought that these would be better deployed elsewhere, assuming drivers involved have suitable route knowledge. Still, I am sure that Thameslink know best.
 

bramling

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You might think so but as Bishopstone in post #2258 and Failed Unit in post #2267 agree that there is a rationale for thinking that September may be when things start to function better with the new timetable. The latest news of Charles Horton's resignation offer adds weight to that as keeping him in place until September will allow some tactical blame allocation whilst the current driver situation is addressed as a priority.

Unlike you the two posters have posted something more than - rather oddly - simply appearing to pick a random calendar month without providing anything to suggest why that month might be significant.

I certainly wouldn’t be betting my pension on September, we’ll see just like we did with the seat-back tables.

Meanwhile, another utterly abominable evening for the Peterborough service last night. Things have got worse if anything over the last month.
 
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AM9

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Unlike you the two posters have posted something more than - rather oddly - simply appearing to pick a random calendar month without providing anything to suggest why that month might be significant.

I certainly wouldn’t be betting my pension on September, we’ll see just like we did with the seat-back tables.

Meanwhile, another utterly abominable evening for the Peterborough service last night. Things have got worse if anything over the last month.
Free
Unlike you the two posters have posted something more than - rather oddly - simply appearing to pick a random calendar month without providing anything to suggest why that month might be significant.

I certainly wouldn’t be betting my pension on September, we’ll see just like we did with the seat-back tables.

Meanwhile, another utterly abominable evening for the Peterborough service last night. Things have got worse if anything over the last month.
Your post adds nothing to the discussion, - it's just another rant about my post. As you either didn't read post #2250 which was my answer to Minstral25's question or were just blind to anything that didn't bang on about the Thameslink plan being all things bad, your post looks to me at best petulant, at worst a rant from somebody who just can't accept reality. I don't think that anybody is listening to the broken record anymore.
The Thameslink plan will be tested properly when sufficient trained drivers are available. My suggestion (from simple unbiased observation of events and their trends) was that September is a likely time when things will begin to run as planned. By all means diasagree with my assertion, giving your reasons but trying to make out that my contribution is somehow unacceptable just makes you look irrational.
 
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