Commuting from Godalming

[Popeb]

Hi group I am hoping someone can give me some advice about commuting to London from Godalming? I have a problem with one of my ankles which means that if I stand still for about 30 mins it becomes very painful. This means that I need to be living somewhere where the train isn't too busy to get a seat in the morning rush hour. My wife and I are thinking of moving to Godalming as the trains are so overcrowded when they arrive at Haywards Heath. Does anyone know whether I will get a seat between around 7:30-8:00am from Godalming.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Stigy]

Hi group I am hoping someone can give me some advice about commuting to London from Godalming? I have a problem with one of my ankles which means that if I stand still for about 30 mins it becomes very painful. This means that I need to be living somewhere where the train isn't too busy to get a seat in the morning rush hour. My wife and I are thinking of moving to Godalming as the trains are so overcrowded when they arrive at Haywards Heath. Does anyone know whether I will get a seat between around 7:30-8:00am from Godalming.

Thanks in advance.

From experience you should quite easily get a seat, specifically on the 0735hrs is train from there. It's busy, and you may not get a choice of many seats, but it only becomes full and standing from Guildford...Sometimes even from Guildford isn't too busy.

 

[Surreyman]

Hi group I am hoping someone can give me some advice about commuting to London from Godalming? I have a problem with one of my ankles which means that if I stand still for about 30 mins it becomes very painful. This means that I need to be living somewhere where the train isn't too busy to get a seat in the morning rush hour. My wife and I are thinking of moving to Godalming as the trains are so overcrowded when they arrive at Haywards Heath. Does anyone know whether I will get a seat between around 7:30-8:00am from Godalming.

Thanks in advance.

Godalming has a 30 minute service to London during the day, stopping at Guildford, Woking & Clapham Jct (Some trains also stop at Worplesdon).
(Alternate through Portsmouth trains do not stop at Godalming.
Not all trains go through to Portsmouth, some terminate/return from Haslemere, you are more likely to get a seat on one of these as they only stop at 2 other stations before Godalming.
My wife commutes from Guildford to Waterloo every day and virtually always gets a seat, however she catches a train @ 0845.
0730-0800 is of course absolute peak commuting time.
My (Very Subjective) impression of Southern versus Southwest is that SW is the superior service although you need to be aware that the Portsmouth line has recently experienced a number of signalling delays and SW in general have had a lot of 'person hit by train' delays in the last couple of years.

 

[Monkey Magic]

Very occasionally, the trains would be reported as 'full and standing' but this was normally if there had been cancellations.

You should be able to get a seat. Normally seats go by Guildford.

 

[Matt Taylor]

I'm a guard based at Fratton and I work Portsmouth-Waterloo trains on a daily basis, the 0735 from Godalming is your best bet as that still has seats prior to Guildford but there is a far better chance of seats towards the rear. It's a 12 car train but five of the previous eight stops have short platforms which leaves more room at the rear.

 

[HarleyDavidson]

0821 is a 12 car (occasionally 8) and is quite busy but if you go towards the rear of the train it's a lot quieter and you only really need to be in the front 8 if you're going to Clapham.

And every train including the "fasts" (joke), stop there after the 1900 (excl.) from Waterloo. So you get in theory a 15' interval service after that until approx 2045, then it's approx every 20'. Last train is 2345 x Waterloo, however if you want to have a evening out in London go to Guildford as you'll get a last departure from Waterloo at 0009 (SuX) arrives Guildford 0107, this however can be altered due to engineering work so check before you travel.

 

[Popeb]

Great! Thanks for all your replies. Sounds very promising!

 

[HarleyDavidson]

Be aware that parking at Godalming is extremely limited as is the next station Farncombe or Milford (slightly better for parking, less service though), Godalming should be having lifts & footbridge installed within the next 12-18 months or so.

Guildford is best option for parking & service as it has departures to Waterloo at: xx:02 (Woking,Clapham,Waterloo), xx:17 (Woking, Waterloo), xx:32 (Worplesdon, Woking,Clapham, Waterloo), xx:47 (Woking, Waterloo) these are off peak times and are Fast & Semi's and then you have stopping services to fallback on xx:58 (via Epsom), xx:07 (Cobham), xx:28 & xx:37.

Be aware that even though parking is quite plentiful at Guildford unless you're in there by 0830-0930, the spaces will be mostly gone and don't park in the road against the railing opposite the main carpark as it will earn you a either an £80 ticket or a wheelclamp & £125 ticket as many have found out as it's marked SWT on the road it's staff parking!

 

[backontrack]

Godalming has a 30 minute service to London during the day, stopping at Guildford, Woking & Clapham Jct...

...and Farncombe.

 

[benk1342]

Just a thought, but have you considered the possibility of staying put and switching to a First Class season? It looks like this would be about £2000 per year more, but you would avoid the expenses, hassle and stress of moving house.

 

[HarleyDavidson]

Just a thought, but have you considered the possibility of staying put and switching to a First Class season? It looks like this would be about £2000 per year more, but you would avoid the expenses, hassle and stress of moving house.

For what precisely? A 1st class "compartment" which has no benefits whatsoever and it regularly gets taken over by those travelling on standard class tickets as it's never patrolled or seemingly enforced, seldom any or no doors to separate you from standard & no sockets for laptops or charging and so all you get is a gubby seat & antimacassar and not a lot else for £2k.

 

[RichardN]

I commute from Witley. Normally on the train which is the 0754 at Godalming and there are still seats at Godalming in coach 8, at least...

Witley has a big car park and you'll get a seat in the morning, if you haven't decided on where to live, yet.

 

[HarleyDavidson]

I commute from Witley. Normally on the train which is the 0754 at Godalming and there are still seats at Godalming in coach 8, at least...

Witley has a big car park and you'll get a seat in the morning, if you haven't decided on where to live, yet.

Depends on which side of Godalming you live, if you live on & if you can afford Busbridge, Enton, Hydestyle, Eashing, Charterhouse, Ockford Ridge, Milford you should be fine, you just don't want Catteshall, Binscombe or anything to do with Farncombe, it's a bit down market there and that's being polite.

 

[RichardN]

I live in Hambledon. If th O.P. is moving, he presumably still has a choice of where to live.

 

[HarleyDavidson]

Just making sure that they don't end up in the less salubrious parts of the area, I forgot Broadwater!

 

[benk1342]

For what precisely?

A high likelihood of getting a seat. Or does 1st fill up on this line?

 

[RichardN]

Just making sure that they don't end up in the less salubrious parts of the area, I forgot Broadwater!

He'd also be OK for a seat anywhere south of Horsham on the Arun Valley line. 2nd class can be better on a 377 than a 450.

 

[TEW]

If you want more comfort, aim for the 0745 from Godalming. That's a 10-carriage 444. There's normally seats available on that service at Guildford towards the rear, so should be fine getting a seat at Godalming. As it avoids Woking it is one of the quieter services too. In the evening the best timed 444 for Godalming is the 1745 from London Waterloo.
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Be aware that parking at Godalming is extremely limited as is the next station Farncombe or Milford (slightly better for parking, less service though), Godalming should be having lifts & footbridge installed within the next 12-18 months or so.

The work is due to start on the 1st October, until June 2016. During this time no new car parking season tickets will be issued, and daily car parking tickets will not be sold before 0900. So car parking at the station itself wouldn't be possible until at least June 2016 if you are moving to the area.