Getting Around during the Tube strikes

philjo · 5 Feb 2014

I travelled in from Potters Bar late morning. cross platform from FCC at Highbury onto the Victoria line - a train arrived almost immediately and from the platform screens seemed to be running every 2-3 minutes (much more frequent than the Tfl website indicated). only 10 people in my coach & not many people on the escalators at Victoria so I got through a lot quicker than normal!
it seemed to be a train about every 5 mins this evening about 4:30 but everyone at Victoria got on.
I have to go in peak hours tomorrow morning so may take a different route involving Thameslink & change to a train into Victoria (unless it is dry for a walk from Blackfriars along the river).

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user15681 · 5 Feb 2014

Rare that you'll see Stockwell as the destination on the Victoria line.

Anyone know how they were doing Oyster on the RTs and older buses? Portable readers or just not bothering?

howittpie · 5 Feb 2014

All the extra buses were free to add to my earlier post also saw Stephensons and travelmtRaster as well as variois Stagecoach veichles out.

oversteer · 5 Feb 2014

TFL a bit bolder tomorrow with the service plan, adding in

- Bakerloo from Queens Park to E&C
- Central line east from Holborn
- possibly extending Victoria to Brixton

Today the riverboats were free and there were apparently more laid on than normal.

It looks like running the Jubilee from Waterloo to Stratford was a great idea, because all the commuters arriving at Waterloo were able to pile on board and keep the platforms moving, I guess less beneficial for those getting on at London Bridge but at least they had other options (walk, boats etc)

My commute was basically unchanged. In fact the Northern line was dead on the way home! Fingers crossed for tomorrow.

user15681 · 5 Feb 2014

oversteer said:
TFL a bit bolder tomorrow with the service plan, adding in

- Bakerloo from Queens Park to E&C
- Central line east from Holborn
- possibly extending Victoria to Brixton

Today the riverboats were free and there were apparently more laid on than normal.

It looks like running the Jubilee from Waterloo to Stratford was a great idea, because all the commuters arriving at Waterloo were able to pile on board and keep the platforms moving, I guess less beneficial for those getting on at London Bridge but at least they had other options (walk, boats etc)

My commute was basically unchanged. In fact the Northern line was dead on the way home! Fingers crossed for tomorrow.

I think the bolder service plan is probably because that's the level of service they managed to run today. Fingers crossed for tomorrow, I just hope everyone that stayed away doesn't see that it coped well today and take that as a cue to return tomorrow. The special service probably couldn't cope with normal passenger loadings.

Dstock7080 · 6 Feb 2014

The Bakerloo had a good compliment of train staff during the morning/afternoon and were only unable to run due to the lack of qualified Line Control Room staff.

Other Lines also had very good numbers of drivers reporting but services were restricted, again due to the lack of qualified Line Control room/signal operators.
(26 drivers reporting for a 4train 20-min shuttle 'service')

Restrictions on available serviced trains from Depots, not being certified for daily passenger operation overnight (Tuesday), lack of Depot staff/shunters to move trains around were other issues to prevent the staff reporting actually running a service.

howittpie · 6 Feb 2014

Traffic is far worse in my area to one long jam past Caledonian Road station all the way to Kings Cross.

GodAtum · 6 Feb 2014

Noticed something interesting today. At Clapham Junction platform 9 was deserted but there was a huge queue for the Overground. I'm no Sherlock but I guess that most people going to Waterloo would get one of the tube lines, so they are getting the Overground instead.

But the Overground doesnt really go anywhere near where the Jubilee, Northern or Embankment lines go. Unless everyone is going to Willesden Junction?

daniel78 · 6 Feb 2014

I live in Enfield, I'm going to Guildford this afternoon. I'm coming back late tonight. I thought I'd get back to Waterloo after midnight and was just planning to wander to Trafalgar Square to get the N29 (I'm used to that route), but it looks like I may get to Waterloo about 23:15 now. Does anyone know if tube lines were running that late last night to get me towards Seven Sisters or Turnpike Lane? A 393 bus or brisk walk to Liverpool St might be an option if I think I can catch the last train at 00:01

zoneking · 6 Feb 2014

Chaos at Clapham Junction this morning. They closed the overbridge between platforms 0-6 and 7-17. People where using platforms 7-8 as a route to the subway. Fwst trains use this platform and a 450 gave an incredibly loud honk.

transmanche · 6 Feb 2014

daniel78 said:
I thought I'd get back to Waterloo after midnight and was just planning to wander to Trafalgar Square to get the N29 (I'm used to that route), but it looks like I may get to Waterloo about 23:15 now. Does anyone know if tube lines were running that late last night to get me towards Seven Sisters or Turnpike Lane?

No, most lines finished by about 22:00-22:30 last night.

Try the 26 from Waterloo to Liverpool Street. And lots of buses from Waterloo will intersect with the 29/N29 at various points, to save you the walk; 1, 4, 139, 168, 176, 243, 341.

oversteer · 6 Feb 2014

GodAtum said:
Noticed something interesting today. At Clapham Junction platform 9 was deserted but there was a huge queue for the Overground. I'm no Sherlock but I guess that most people going to Waterloo would get one of the tube lines, so they are getting the Overground instead.

But the Overground doesnt really go anywhere near where the Jubilee, Northern or Embankment lines go. Unless everyone is going to Willesden Junction?

Probably trying to get over to Canary Wharf or East London?

Silly really, because the jubilee is running from Waterloo and you'll definitely get on a train because it starts there!

A-driver · 6 Feb 2014

transmanche said:
No, most lines finished by about 22:00-22:30 last night.

Try the 26 from Waterloo to Liverpool Street. And lots of buses from Waterloo will intersect with the 29/N29 at various points, to save you the walk; 1, 4, 139, 168, 176, 243, 341.

As far as I'm aware the strike ends tonight at about 9ish so whilst there will be delays the stations at least should have staff and be able to open.

CyrusWuff · 6 Feb 2014

A-driver said:
As far as I'm aware the strike ends tonight at about 9ish so whilst there will be delays the stations at least should have staff and be able to open.

Whilst the strike ends at 2100, anyone taking part who would normally be due to start before that won't. As such, normal service won't resume until start of traffic on Friday.

Be3G · 6 Feb 2014

daniel78 said:
I live in Enfield, I'm going to Guildford this afternoon. I'm coming back late tonight. I thought I'd get back to Waterloo after midnight and was just planning to wander to Trafalgar Square to get the N29 (I'm used to that route), but it looks like I may get to Waterloo about 23:15 now. Does anyone know if tube lines were running that late last night to get me towards Seven Sisters or Turnpike Lane? A 393 bus or brisk walk to Liverpool St might be an option if I think I can catch the last train at 00:01

I think you might have mixed up bus numbers somewhere, as the 393 goes nowhere near Waterloo or Enfield. Either way, echoing transmanche's advice, the 26 is your best bet the journey doesn't take too long, so you should make the 00:01 easily. It used to be my preferred method of commuting from Enfield to SW London.

daniel78 · 6 Feb 2014

Be3G said:
I think you might have mixed up bus numbers somewhere, as the 393 goes nowhere near Waterloo or Enfield. Either way, echoing transmanche's advice, the 26 is your best bet the journey doesn't take too long, so you should make the 00:01 easily. It used to be my preferred method of commuting from Enfield to SW London.

Yes, 26 to Liverpool St was what I meant, got mixed up with the bus I had to tell my mum to get last night when she was stranded at Highbury and Islington :oops:

Thanks for the advice everyone, I'll make my way to Liverpool St. Even if the buses aren't easy to get on I can walk there, as long as I'm in time to catch the last train that's all that matters really.

A-driver · 6 Feb 2014

CyrusWuff said:
Whilst the strike ends at 2100, anyone taking part who would normally be due to start before that won't. As such, normal service won't resume until start of traffic on Friday.

Fair enough. I assumed those half way through booked on for the remainder then. As surprising as it seems as a train driver of about 10 years I have never actually been on strike!

philjo · 6 Feb 2014

I went from Kings Cross to Victoria this morning. I used Thameslink from St Pancras. The Thameslink platforms at St Pancras were quieter than normal - I was expecting them to be packed. I usually use that & change onto District line at Blackfriars to avoid using the Victoria line in the morning peak. Today I stayed on 2 extra stops to Denmark hill, crossed the bridge and almost immdiately onto a SE service into Victoria. I had a seat on both trains. Only took about 10 minutes longer than normal and much less walking as I didn't have to fight my way out of victoria tube station so I might do this route more often.

The Victoria line was running every 2-3 minutes around 16:15, so lots of room on board the train I was on!

user15681 · 6 Feb 2014

philjo said:
I went from Kings Cross to Victoria this morning. I used Thameslink from St Pancras. The Thameslink platforms at St Pancras were quieter than normal - I was expecting them to be packed. I usually use that & change onto District line at Blackfriars to avoid using the Victoria line in the morning peak. Today I stayed on 2 extra stops to Denmark hill, crossed the bridge and almost immdiately onto a SE service into Victoria. I had a seat on both trains. Only took about 10 minutes longer than normal and much less walking as I didn't have to fight my way out of victoria tube station so I might do this route more often.

The Victoria line was running every 2-3 minutes around 16:15, so lots of room on board the train I was on!

Victoria wasn't overcrowded this morning, for once. No need to fight your way out, or in, like normal. There were irregularities in the service, though. I got on at Euston at 1610, trains were 6-8 minutes apart going southbound. Very busy. Then again, they always are busy going SB in the evening and quieter NB.

A0wen · 7 Feb 2014

Arctic Troll said:
There's an Ensignbus RM knocking about on the 38 today.

I had to go to Paddington from St Pancras yesterday and along Euston Road there were various 'non standard' buses out in service, including a Stagecoach Hampshire Double Decker, a Seaford and District double deck - first time I've ever seen a green LED display on a bus and several other oddities.

One thing about Seaford & District - is it co-incidence that their livery layout and logo look very similar to Stagecoach?

user15681 · 11 Feb 2014

Getting on a Routemaster yesterday was odd indeed. I think there were 8 RMs on the 29.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
UPDATE - it's your lucky day, strike this week is suspended

Getting Around during the Tube strikes

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