ashkeba
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Why would they do that when the police are willing to blunder in and give them closures for free?
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Lewes Bonfire station closures - over the top?
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errrrr
Falmer is 5miles away, so at least an hours walk.
What about those people that want to go to Falmer?
BRX
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No it's not. It would probably help if you actually read it.
What you want them to do is ignore police and local authority advice. Every year the police and local authority tell people not to attend and visit an event more local to them, but you want the train companies to completely disregard this and dump several hundred people at the station every few minutes?
So why does Falmer need to be closed?
Ask the police and local authorities?
Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
It's not the railway management, it's the Police who have asked them to do it.
ExRes
Established Member
You've got it spot on there, people get their backs up if they're given advice but want to blame everyone else if something goes wrong
I think that they've made a mistake with regards to Falmer, as my previous post hints.
RichardKing
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I think the RMT strikes of 2016 contributed to the decision to close the station. If I remember correctly, one of the strike days coincided with the bonfire celebrations and, as they were only running two trains an hour in either direction, the station (as well as Falmer and Glynde) was shut. The Police clearly saw the difference in the amount of anti-social behaviour as a result of this and decided to implement this indefinitely.
DarloRich
Veteran Member
Better direct your question to the local authorities and the old bill
I have read it. The complaint is that certain stations are closed. They are closed becuase the police want them closed
This whole thread is tiresome
Ask the police
Looking at RTT, the trains ceased to call at Lewes from 1700. What are people that live in Lewes and commute by train expected to do? Take the day off work? If the event is such a concern to the Police then why not ban it?
Bevan Price
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Questions (for information) - Do Season ticket holders get compensation for being deprived of rail services?
Does the TOC make alternative arrangements to get (commuting) passengers back to their home stations ?
Does the TOC make alternative arrangements to get (commuting) passengers back to their home stations ?
Tetchytyke
Veteran Member
If it's too crowded, make it a ticketed event. It's what they did in London when the NYE fireworks display got too big to manage
Robertj21a
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Always amusing (every year.....) to read all the comments from outsiders who don't/won't understand the situation at Lewes. Needless to say, there's no comments usually from those living locally - and who know how to cope with the revised travel arrangements.
Oh well, I look forward to reading exactly the same comments in another 12 months.
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Oh well, I look forward to reading exactly the same comments in another 12 months.
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Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
Lewes is a reasonably well-off place with poor public transport other than trains to London, and so is going to have high car ownership. I'd imagine if they don't take a half day to enjoy the bonfire themselves, they probably just drive to another station.
Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
You can only sort of do that unless you make the whole town ticketed access (given that fireworks are visible from more than one place), and that would be worse than what they do do. Making London fireworks ticketed avoided overcrowding in one specific place, but other parts of London are big enough to take up the slack - Lewes is quite small.
Go to Brockham instead - they will appreciate it and it's really good!
Yes I was wondering if all the fuss was being made by locals or keyboard warriors who probably have never been to Lewes in their lives. Is there much being made of this by actual Lewes commuters?
How many actual Lewes commuters post on this forum? I'm genuinely curious as to why the Lewes event causes more trouble than events elsewhere. For example, there's a display in Caerphilly but the trains run normally.
Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
Because it's so famous and people try to go there from miles around, but the town isn't big enough to handle it.
greaterwest
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https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/lewes-bonfire-04-11-2017.155143/
The above thread should probably be referred to, and this one should probably be locked.
The above thread should probably be referred to, and this one should probably be locked.
Shimbleshanks
Member
Interesting; clearly the Police view is that only antisocial oiks travel by train. Nice well-behaved middle class people go by car.
Perhaps the withdrawal of train service because of the 2016 strikes took people by surprise, so some of the more casual visitors weren't able to go? But now that the rail closures are well known and well publicised, four or five yobbos could pile into a car and drive there if they wanted to. Perhaps the decline in yobbery (I certainly didn't see any last night) is due to other factors like better policing and stewarding?
paul1609
Established Member
The route from Falmer Station to Lewes is alongside the A27 trunk road. Its a 70 mph unlit dual carriageway.
It does have a combined footpath/cycleway but is only about a metre wide in places. It would not be a safe route for hundreds/ thousands of people after dark.
Or much more likely than some nonsense about the travel habits of “oiks”, closing stations is a quick and easy way for the authorities to dissuade people from coming. Whereas closing roads further than they currently do would take a massive amount of resources.
I'm very pro-public transport, have never owned a car and probably never will, yet even I can see why they took the course of action that they did. The first part of your post is just hyperbole, and the other parts are purely speculative with no evidence presented. Sorry!
BRX
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I don't think there would be hundreds of thousands of people trying to walk the 5 miles between Falmer and Lewes. 95% of the population won't walk more than a km or so. you see this at many country scenic spots... crowds of people within a few hundred metres of the car park, walk for 15 mins and you're by yourself. There would be a relatively small number of people walking the distance from any of those stations surrounding Lewes.
The last time I went to Lewes bonfire night we walked back to Brighton afterwards. The first bit along that road, then over the downs. There were a few other people walking along the road bit, but not crowds, just a scattering.
I've no problem with the principle of making it a bit more difficult for people to get to Lewes. But why apply this disproportionately to people who use public transport? Anyone with a car can park up a bit outside town and walk a relatively short distance. If the next-nearest-to-Lewes stations were open, it would mean that those without cars would have some opportunity, if dedicated enough, to walk a few miles and still have access. Still much less easy access than car owners but at least some sort of chance.
I really don't see why there should be a worry about massive crowds walking from somewhere like Falmer. If that number of people were willing to walk, then surely the same worry should apply about people parking up in cars several km away from the town.
Sure I can see that closing those stations is an easy way for the police to remove a (probably over-stated) worry. I imagine it's done because it's easy - fewer people will make a fuss than you'd see if a wider area of roads were shut down. But I'm glad to see it questioned here.
This might be sensible as Falmer is well used to Brighton FC crowds and event days. However, I get the impression they want to practically ban non-locals so this would be a moot point.
Pretty much but it's such a well known event in the region and it's once a year that I'd hope anyone would be understanding.
I suppose the difference this year is that we're having the discussion after the event.
unlike 2018 (no-one really cared), 2017 or 2016. in 2011 it was estimated that 30,000 people arrived by rail, when there were some additional services- however remember that a 12 car electrostar at crush loading can take about 1000 people, so I'm not sure I believe that figure?
The first discussion on this forum of the authorities not wanting visitors there was 10 years ago
unlike 2018 (no-one really cared), 2017 or 2016. in 2011 it was estimated that 30,000 people arrived by rail, when there were some additional services- however remember that a 12 car electrostar at crush loading can take about 1000 people, so I'm not sure I believe that figure?
The first discussion on this forum of the authorities not wanting visitors there was 10 years ago
As with all the Sussex bonfires the point of Lewes is the procession. You have to compare the event with Notting Hill Carnival rather than a local firework display.
Exactly, large crowds in narrow streets and all the safety issues that come with it, I can't see much alternative to the current arrangements. I would imagine most commuters make alternative arrangements.
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