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London Bridge - new timetable during reconstruction works commencing 5th January 2015
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Bishopstone
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18.23 LBG-EBN left approximately on time, but lost about 20 minutes en route to Haywards Heath, where it was terminated due to the Lewes signalling meltdown. No functioning aircon, but a catering trolley passed through - presumably a refugee from a cancelled Down Victoria service. Goodness knows how/when the trolley man will get back to his Lewes base, but at least I was able to wine and dine on the usual First Class complimentaries.
Crossed the platform for a Down Brighton 2x442, which also had no functioning aircon. Held at Preston Park for ten minutes awaiting a platform at Brighton.
No sign of any replacement buses whatsoever at Brighton, with arriving passengers being advised to wait on the concourse. I left the station and found a number 12 service bus shortly to depart for Seaford, with rail passengers being accepted 'on the top deck only as we have to leave room for our own customers, as we're doing this as a favour to the rail company and we don't get paid for this'.
I think the CEO of Brighton & Hove Buses' holding company should write a strongly-worded letter about this, to the CEO of Southern's holding company.
Beautiful evening for a run along the coast road, though. Home at 21.00 versus 19.47 per timetable, so it could have been worse. Route 12 is a long one, so the Eastbourne folk should be home for Advent.
I gather the Uckfield line was a nightmare tonight?
Ready for some short-forms due to displaced units tomorrow morning.
No aircon today is terrible, glad your journey was to bad the coast road sounds nice. [emoji1]
I have laugh at that, especially your comment about advent. Might be snowing by then.
To my surprise tonight the 17.11 was only a minute or two Kate from Surbiton. Given the heat if have expected it to be more delayed, it often is more delayed without the heat.
When I got to Clapham Junction there were delays due to the speed restrictions. It would seem that although National Rail Enquiries App was proactively mentioning the delays due to speed restrictions at London Bridge, the same was not being done for the trains from Victoria. I got on a delayed 17.22 Littlehampton service, which arrived onto Haywards Heath 22 late. I was only 14 late myself. It wasn't packed and the aircon was working. So I had a good journey in comparison to you.
I presume that I am not the only one who finds the gap in the timetable at London Bridge between fast East Croydon trains from 18:26 to 18:42 irritatingly long, compared to the service frequency of the proceeding and following hour. I arrived at London Bridge arrived around 18:28, to see the Eastbourne train pulling out of the station.
There were a lot of Southern staff hanging around near platform 15, and I overheard one of them mention that they were providing a "rubbish service"
I was at East Croydon around 19:20 and Uckfield passengers were being told to board East Grinstead trains and alight at Oxted. I'm not sure what onward transportation was awaiting them there.
There were a lot of Southern staff hanging around near platform 15, and I overheard one of them mention that they were providing a "rubbish service"
I was at East Croydon around 19:20 and Uckfield passengers were being told to board East Grinstead trains and alight at Oxted. I'm not sure what onward transportation was awaiting them there.
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Was it today the franchise officially changed?
Anyway I started the day in Edinburgh, caught a Cross Country service to Newcastle which went well, better than my efforts to find an office in Newcastle, which mean missing my TPE train to Leeds. Got a new ticet and a Cross Country service to Leeds but arrived too late for my meeting so waited for my East Coast service to London. Appeared that alternate Leeds - London trains were cancelled mine was ok but busy as a result, it made additional stops getting to Kings Cross 20 minutes late.
The northern line was then announced as not stopping at London Bridge due to fire alarm, however it opened as we approached.
At London Bridge the 19:08 to Uckfield was stated as running on time, but various twitter feeds suggested otherwise. So I tweeted spoke to the information staff at London Bridge who said the 19.08 was going on time, I suspected this was untrue and is the second time in 2 weeks they have given me wrong info (last time they told m there was ticket acceptance on SOuth East could have been expensive as there wasnt!). I tweeted @southernmalachi who advised me that the inbound service was 24 minutes late. I tweeted the official Southern feed who advised me that the 19:08 was going on time. By this time London Bridge train info boards stated delayed.
I went to Tunbridge Wells. In the meantime I believe Uckfield line was in chaos. Not sure which train it was but there was a broken down train at Crowborough. The Oxted- Uckfield shuttle at around 19:10 didnt run, the 19:09 ex London Bridge was turned round at Hurst Green and the 20:04 London Bridge train left 15 minutes late. Believe some people were stuck at Oxted for 2 hours with no information at all.
Anyway I started the day in Edinburgh, caught a Cross Country service to Newcastle which went well, better than my efforts to find an office in Newcastle, which mean missing my TPE train to Leeds. Got a new ticet and a Cross Country service to Leeds but arrived too late for my meeting so waited for my East Coast service to London. Appeared that alternate Leeds - London trains were cancelled mine was ok but busy as a result, it made additional stops getting to Kings Cross 20 minutes late.
The northern line was then announced as not stopping at London Bridge due to fire alarm, however it opened as we approached.
At London Bridge the 19:08 to Uckfield was stated as running on time, but various twitter feeds suggested otherwise. So I tweeted spoke to the information staff at London Bridge who said the 19.08 was going on time, I suspected this was untrue and is the second time in 2 weeks they have given me wrong info (last time they told m there was ticket acceptance on SOuth East could have been expensive as there wasnt!). I tweeted @southernmalachi who advised me that the inbound service was 24 minutes late. I tweeted the official Southern feed who advised me that the 19:08 was going on time. By this time London Bridge train info boards stated delayed.
I went to Tunbridge Wells. In the meantime I believe Uckfield line was in chaos. Not sure which train it was but there was a broken down train at Crowborough. The Oxted- Uckfield shuttle at around 19:10 didnt run, the 19:09 ex London Bridge was turned round at Hurst Green and the 20:04 London Bridge train left 15 minutes late. Believe some people were stuck at Oxted for 2 hours with no information at all.
ChiefPlanner
Established Member
Strings of heat related speed restrictions all over Southern from 1300 today with a blanket 60 mph speed south of Hurst Green to Uckfield would have messed the TT no end. A failure would then just be the last straw.
There was a 20 mph speed put on at Brockley - very severe impact - which kyboshed Lorol and Southern services .....
Cooler tommorrow - one prays and hopes.
There was a 20 mph speed put on at Brockley - very severe impact - which kyboshed Lorol and Southern services .....
Cooler tommorrow - one prays and hopes.
None is the simple answer!
I wouldn't trust the guys in pink, they seem to only be useful for common queries such as where the station toilets are. Asking why a train disappeared from the board was met with a dunno, we use them the same as you do.
Deepgreen
Established Member
The failure of air-con just when it's most needed is a disgrace and a potential safety threat - 377s have windows that should be opened in emergencies, but many weren't yesterday - extreme heat on the train I was on, and again on a FGW unit that subsequently failed. The FGW units (166s) have windows stickers that say "In the unlikely event of air conditioning failure..." - what a joke; in my daily experience they only work for perhaps 25% of the time!
Why can't we have air-con that actually works?!
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Minstral25
Established Member
Last Day of Franchise 25th July - First day of new "Management Contract" 26th July
Expect no change!
I had Thameslink 377507 where it was not working in part of one coach, conveniently right next to one of the emergency hoppers. But here is no guard and would station staff be willing to open it?
I reported that coach to their Twitter feed, although they also replied that there are no opening windows :roll:. By then I'd just moved elsewhere. I also used 442413 briefly in the evening and the air conditioning wasn't the best, but it was working. My coach in 450020 and 450548 was cold, although the guard did announce that one coach of 450020 was having issues. However, it seems the air conditioning doesn't quite reach underneath the pantograph well on those, where the wheelchair space and many tip-up seats are.
James Wake
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I was also caught up in last night's problems. I take the 1740 from Clapham Junction to Crawley. After a slightly delayed 455 journey on SWT, (I know it was really hot on there), I arrived to find the 1727 TBD/Reigate departing, the board trying to play catch up, then the 1730 East Grinstead arrived, followed by infobleep's 1722 to Littlehampton. Quite a few of my fellow passengers for the 1740 boarded this to change at East Croydon in case it didn't turn up. I knew on my RTT app it had just got to VIC 18 mins late. The 1722 left, followed by the 1733 Ore, which was short-formed and not announced as being so. The GEx then passed once that had gone, and the 1744 Caterham and Tattenham Corner was the next arrival, before I saw the 1740 had left Victoria, it rolled in nearly 10 mins late, but the air-con was slightly functional, so was cool enough. The passengers who elected to change boarded at East Croydon, and we headed south, but arrived in Crawley 26 mins late, meaning a hard sprint to the bus stop to make the bus after the one I normally catch. I got home just a bit late, but so hot after the run for the bus, that I then went to the fridge and got a nice cold drink.
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It also didn't help that at East Croydon we were held whilst the seriously delayed 1722 ex LBG (only 8 coaches) departed ahead of us, then stops at Horley, so we almost came to a stand on the down fast.
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It also didn't help that at East Croydon we were held whilst the seriously delayed 1722 ex LBG (only 8 coaches) departed ahead of us, then stops at Horley, so we almost came to a stand on the down fast.
The screens were not being helpful. When I arrived at 17.34 the next fastest service to Haywards Heath was one due in at 17.36. This being the 17.33 Ore. The East Grinstead train was in the platform at this point.
I didn't follow that screen afterwards but once the East Grinstead train left the screens updated to say the 17.33 to Ore was delayed. Then almost immediately it changed to being the 17.22, which had already left London, unlike the 17.33 service. I thought the 17.22 must have already left. Mobile data reception is variable on O2 at Clapham Junction and on this particular day I couldn't check online to see the progress of trains.
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Yep, London Bridge was crawling with police last night, I think there were expecting quite the kickoff but luckily for Network Rail/Southern I think it was quiet as with the strike, a lot had gone home earlier.
Pretty rubbish, no apologies from the driver and my first Delay Repay for a quite a while.
Pretty rubbish, no apologies from the driver and my first Delay Repay for a quite a while.
Deepgreen
Established Member
Not brilliant - my 2B30 from Redhill was 11 late at LBG.
Bishopstone
Established Member
My 18.23 to Eastbourne was cancelled tonight, with about 15 minutes notice. Due to signal failure on the Down at Redhill..... Hmmm.
The connection record at Lewes for the Seaford branch train (19.31) is missed 4/4 this week. The Delay Repay leaflets at LWS have again been withdrawn from the rack on the central island platform, and are only stocked in a rack on the public side of the barriers, at street level. That is my conspiracy theory de jour.
The connection record at Lewes for the Seaford branch train (19.31) is missed 4/4 this week. The Delay Repay leaflets at LWS have again been withdrawn from the rack on the central island platform, and are only stocked in a rack on the public side of the barriers, at street level. That is my conspiracy theory de jour.
Southeastern side also a bit of a mess with a broken down freight train causing a fair few problems.
These things happen of course. It's the lack of forward thinking and resilience. With the upheaval enough stock should've been ordered in the years leading up so that many more trains could utilise the maximum length platforms on their routes - either 10 or 12 cars. This would allow more people to get moving during and after disruption.
These things happen of course. It's the lack of forward thinking and resilience. With the upheaval enough stock should've been ordered in the years leading up so that many more trains could utilise the maximum length platforms on their routes - either 10 or 12 cars. This would allow more people to get moving during and after disruption.
Oh there was plenty of forward thinking. Just no forward money for new trains. Well there was, but they were ordered 2 years late, and despite Siemens best efforts, arrive a year late, and thus don't release stock where it is needed.
The 1823 Eastbourne was cancelled at 15.00. Can you say where the 15 mins notice was? I went out of my way to get the news spread early enough for people to make alternatives. It annoys and frustrates me when plans that are known and communicated early enough slip the net. . . Its not that often we get that chance.
The Brighton 442s started at East Croydon as well and were known about at the same time.
Redhill was an issue tonight. The 1823 was a bit different. . . .
Southerns twitter feed casually dropped it on there at 18:00 (nothing before, you can check yourself) and I did not get any alert from NRE even though I should.
Appreciated . . . (not by you I know!)
I am always very critical of the lack of timely and/or accurate information.
However, I have to agree with you on the above. I checked the nationalrail live departure boards and realtimetrains at around 16:30 (ish) and both the 17:57 (Brighton) and 18:23 (Eastbourne) were already shown as cancelled from LBG. One of the reasons was shown as 'signalling problems', were these new or just a leftover cause from the morning?
Thanks anyway for making the effort, it is appreciated.
There were issues on Wednesday night and Thursday morning with track circuits, Wednesday night was painful as the Junction at Spa Road to South Bermondsey was lost, so with the tube strike there was no route from London Bridge to the Tulse Hill lines, leaving the only option to run Beckenham Junction / West Croydon trains fast to Crystal Palace / West Croydon with passengers then returning on the up trains.
There were suggestions that track circuit / 442 interface was not as it should be so a painful choice of not using them at London Bridge last night was taken and then some testing post peak was arranged with 2 x 10 car sets.
I see the Up Eastbourne is running this morning . . . .
There were suggestions that track circuit / 442 interface was not as it should be so a painful choice of not using them at London Bridge last night was taken and then some testing post peak was arranged with 2 x 10 car sets.
I see the Up Eastbourne is running this morning . . . .
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