26 Dec - 1 Jan: no trains East Croydon to Gatwick

radamfi · 26 Sep 2013

Due to engineering work at Stoats Nest Junction, there will be no trains between East Croydon and Gatwick Airport. There will be extra fast trains to East Grinstead, where buses will run to Gatwick and Three Bridges, and from 27 Dec to 1 Jan there will be trains from Gatwick to Victoria via Three Bridges, Horsham and Dorking.

http://www.southernrailway.com/your-journey/plan-your-journey/christmas-train-services/

RailUK Forums

neilm · 27 Sep 2013

Yes bad news, I assume they are replacing the whole junction?

ushawk · 27 Sep 2013

No trains through Gatwick a couple of days over Xmas too because of work for the new platform and Clapham - Victoria is closed again, due to resignalling at Victoria.

Sloats Nest is being completely redone - times are now up on Open Train Times. Will also be buses between Three Bridges - Coulsdon Town to connect with trains to London Bridge - which would be the fastest way into London from the South because of the diversion into Victoria via Herne Hill.

yorksrob · 27 Sep 2013

Are there any diversions from the coast via Dorking ? This would seem preferable to bustitution.

neilm · 27 Sep 2013

There are trains from gatwick to vic via Horsham and Dorking, and trains from the coast to three bridges so you can train it and change at three bridges but the journey to from gatwick to vic will take 95 minutes...

dk1 · 27 Sep 2013

Thank goodness. I thought this was another moaning repetative thread about network shut down on christmas/Boxing day as appears every year. Then again there is plenty of time yet for it to be posted

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tsr · 27 Sep 2013

I may have missed something, but I haven't read anything about fast buses running via Redhill or ticket acceptance via Tonbridge/Dorking for Redhill area passengers. If none of these are in place, I can well imagine local user groups going ballistic. There will be no dispute about the necessity of the work from them, I am sure, but mitigating measures are needed.

Bald Rick · 27 Sep 2013

The Gatwick Express will be running as normal, including Boxing Day.

By normal, I mean 377s London Bridge to East Grinstead for coach connections.

EDIT - oops just read OP, it's been a long day / week / month.

ushawk · 30 Sep 2013

tsr said:
I may have missed something, but I haven't read anything about fast buses running via Redhill or ticket acceptance via Tonbridge/Dorking for Redhill area passengers. If none of these are in place, I can well imagine local user groups going ballistic. There will be no dispute about the necessity of the work from them, I am sure, but mitigating measures are needed.

There probably will be ticket acceptance with FGW (via Dorking), SE (via Tonbridge and also via Hastings for London - Eastbourne).

Buses will be as follows -

Three Bridges - Gatwick Airport
Three Bridges - Gatwick - East Grinstead
Three Bridges - Coulsdon South - Coulsdon Town (fast limited stop)
Three Bridges - Coulsdon Town (All stations via Redhill)
Three Bridges - Redhill (Pick up only towards Redhill - Set down only towards TBD)
Horsham - Dorking - All stations to replace the stopper trains which slots will be used by the diverted services.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
http://www.southernrailway.com/your-journey/plan-your-journey/christmas-train-services

Service plan over Xmas and New Year released today - as posted above really. FCC to run core service between Brighton and Gatwick.

zoneking · 30 Sep 2013

TFL Bus 405 Redhill to West Croydon will be busy.

djh1986 · 11 Oct 2013

This is going to be a real challenge for all at FCC and Southern and is probably a bigger deal than any previous Christmas shutdown the entire network has seen.

The Brighton Mainline is a major commuter route and Fri 27th, Mon 30th and Tue 31st are normal working days. Granted a lot of people will have the period off, but plenty will be working as normal. Add in extra Gatwick festive traffic and this has the potential to be a total disaster if not well damaged.

I am amazed that the Southern site and NRE are advising people to go via Coulsdon or E Grinstead and get buses.

Surely better to put coaches on from Croydon to Gatwick and advise all Brighton passengers to go via Hastings or Havant.

yorksrob · 11 Oct 2013

djh1986 said:
Surely better to put coaches on from Croydon to Gatwick and advise all Brighton passengers to go via Hastings or Havant.

I'd be going via Dorking, Horsham and Littlehampton/Barnham myself if I were in that position.

djh1986 · 11 Oct 2013

yorksrob said:
I'd be going via Dorking, Horsham and Littlehampton/Barnham myself if I were in that position.

Not a bad shout.

I land at Heathrow on the 27th and have to get to Brighton (National Express I reckon) and am supposed to be working in London on 30th & 31st, suspect will be staying with friends in London!

yorksrob · 11 Oct 2013

djh1986 said:
Not a bad shout.

I land at Heathrow on the 27th and have to get to Brighton (National Express I reckon) and am supposed to be working in London on 30th & 31st, suspect will be staying with friends in London!

Yes, Heathrow's annoying because it doesn't fit in with anywhere. From what you say, you've enough time to take the scenic route to London from Brighton though !

ushawk · 12 Oct 2013

djh1986 said:
I am amazed that the Southern site and NRE are advising people to go via Coulsdon or E Grinstead and get buses.

Surely better to put coaches on from Croydon to Gatwick and advise all Brighton passengers to go via Hastings or Havant.

Because journey planners would simply tell you to use the buses as it would take 1 hour less !! Id have thought that from Eastbourne the advice would be to go via Hastings with SE accepting tickets though.

Buses are going to be frequent. 4 an hour Three Bridges - East Grinstead, 6 an hour Three Bridges - Coulsdon Town and 2 an hour Three Bridges - Redhill - all in all 12 buses an hour so every 5 minutes or so.

It is a MASSIVE operation to plan and Id also assume that extra buses will be on standby to use if demand requires at key stations. A back-up plan in case of any overruns has also been prepared due to the size of the work - the slightest problem could cause big delays.

harz99 · 14 Oct 2013

djh1986 said:
I am amazed that the Southern site and NRE are advising people to go via Coulsdon or E Grinstead and get buses.

Surely better to put coaches on from Croydon to Gatwick and advise all Brighton passengers to go via Hastings or Havant.

And just where at either of East or West Croydon do you think the coaches would be able to stand, whilst waiting/loading/unloading? Come to that same goes for intending passengers!

Chrisgr31 · 2 Nov 2013

harz99 said:
And just where at either of East or West Croydon do you think the coaches would be able to stand, whilst waiting/loading/unloading? Come to that same goes for intending passengers!

There's also likely to be clearer traffic between Three Bridges and East Grinstead than there is between East Croydon and any other station.

Seems that this year my wife thinks I should take holiday this year between Christmas and New Year. Thats typical when this year is the first year that Southern are operating direct trains on the Uckfield line in to London Bridge without the need to change at Oxted.

I guess its due to the extra demand on the East Grinstead line, but hopefully the direct service will apply in future years!

26 Dec - 1 Jan: no trains East Croydon to Gatwick

radamfi

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neilm

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ushawk

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