Waterloo East to Southwark

[beanwalls]

Hi All,

I'm looking to move to south east London but my work means I need to regularly get a train at Stratford. I've heard that I can get to the jubilee line from Waterloo East, as it connects directly to Southwark. Is this true, can I do that connection as a single oyster or contactless journey, and how far a walk between the two is it? I'll be carrying my folding bike (which isn't very light) so a long walk is a nightmare...

If this is an option then it can open up further areas with trains that stop at Waterloo East.

Any advice?

Thanks!

 

[Sonadagothalus]

I'm pretty sure that from Waterloo East when I have been there, there is a gateline that you need to pass through before getting out into the main concourse at Waterloo, I do not think there is any direct access to the underground without passing through a gateline.

Personally I think the best single connection (but not sure how Oyster will calculate it) is a Thameslink Train to Farringdon depending on your starting station, you can then nip across to the H&C lines to Mile End and then a central line to Stratford.

Both stations have tracks on either side of the same platforms so interchange is pretty quick.

 

[Mike395]

There's a direct access from Waterloo East to the tube station at Southwark - it's not a long walk, pretty much straight through two gatelines and a long escalator down to the LU platforms. There's an OSI in place, so the Oyster/Contactless system will treat it as one journey.

 

[Ianno87]

Though if you're travelling from South East London, why would you go to Waterloo East and back when you could do the same change at London Bridge?

 

[DynamicSpirit]

I'm looking to move to south east London but my work means I need to regularly get a train at Stratford. I've heard that I can get to the jubilee line from Waterloo East, as it connects directly to Southwark. Is this true, can I do that connection as a single oyster or contactless journey, and how far a walk between the two is it? I'll be carrying my folding bike (which isn't very light) so a long walk is a nightmare...

If this is an option then it can open up further areas with trains that stop at Waterloo East.

I'm a bit confused by what you're asking here. Do you mean you need to get from Waterloo to Stratford and then a train to somewhere else? And do you mean you are proposing to live near Southwark station?

Southwark underground station has a direct exit to the street, and also an exit to the Waterloo East platforms. The latter requires passing through barriers so the system knows you are transferring between LUL and national rail.

 

[superjohn]

Depending on where you’re starting, it might be worth investigating changing to the DLR at Woolwich Arsenal, Greenwich or Lewisham for Stratford. The transfers would be (slightly) less busy at peak times and avoiding Zone 1 could make for a cheaper journey.

 

[beanwalls]

Hi All,

Looking at living in south east London areas - Hither Green was the one that passes through Waterloo East and made me think that could be an option. And yes, going to Stratford to then get on a train.

London Bridge is another option and that would have been my next question - how far to the jubilee line platform from London Bridge trains? I could also potentially cycle from London Bridge to Liverpool Street and get a train from there.

I'm trying to figure out all the angles and find the cheapest, quietest route...

 

[greatkingrat]

Though if you're travelling from South East London, why would you go to Waterloo East and back when you could do the same change at London Bridge?

If they want to avoid long walks, then Waterloo East / Southwark is a shorter walk than London Bridge NR to LU.

 

[Ianno87]

I'd have thought from Hither Green that getting the DLR from Lewisham (with train or bus to reach the DLR) would tick the "cheapest" box straight away.

You'd be getting on the DLR at the start of its journey (there are morning peak direct services). Better than the Eastbound Jubilee Line squeeze or busy Bishopsgate on a bike.

 

[beanwalls]

I'd have thought from Hither Green that getting the DLR from Lewisham (with train or bus to reach the DLR) would tick the "cheapest" box straight away.

You'd be getting on the DLR at the start of its journey (there are morning peak direct services). Better than the Eastbound Jubilee Line squeeze or busy Bishopsgate on a bike.

I'll check it out, thanks! I think that might take a lot longer though...

 

[beanwalls]

If they want to avoid long walks, then Waterloo East / Southwark is a shorter walk than London Bridge NR to LU.

So it's a long walk from London Bridge? Carrying the bike is a nightmare for more than a couple of minutes so if it's a long change between trains, it's often easier to figuring out a cycling route instead between stations instead..

 

[43066]

So it's a long walk from London Bridge? Carrying the bike is a nightmare for more than a couple of minutes so if it's a long change between trains, it's often easier to figuring out a cycling route instead between stations instead..

You could go down the escalator at London Bridge, wheel the bike along the pavement to the LU entrance, and then collapse the bike again before entering LU (alternatively take the bike down in the lift to the LU platforms although IIRC it’s a bit fiddly to find).

Waterloo East - Southwark will be quieter (and the walk is a little shorter) but will involve going back on yourself.

 

[DynamicSpirit]

I'll check it out, thanks! I think that might take a lot longer though...

On a quick check,

1. DLR from Lewisham to Stratford = about 28-30 minutes, plus however long it takes you to get from Hither Green.
2. Via London Bridge, you're looking 12-15 minutes Hither Green-London Bridge, 5-6 minutes to change, then 18 minutes London Bridge-Stratford.

So potentially similar.

London Bridge National Rail to Jubilee line is quite a long walk 4-5 mins depending on walking speed. Still quicker than getting the train as far as Waterloo East though, even though the interchange there is a much shorter walk.

If you're willing to cycle: Your idea of London Bridge to Liverpool Street certainly seems an option, and maybe with the advantage that your train from Liverpool Street would take you straight to you ultimate destination. It might even be quite pleasant if the plans to close London Bridge to cars etc. become permanent. (I'm not sure what the status of those is?) On the other hand, Hither Green to Lewisham is pretty decent by cycle (uphill on the way back though), which opens up the DLR.

As an alternative you may not have thought of: If you're willling to cycle a little further, you could consider cycling from Hither Green to either Brockley or Honor Oak Park - overground trains from there to Whitechapel from where in a year or so's time you'll have Crossrail trains taking a few minutes to Stratford (and continuing to Shenfield). (District + Central line in the meantime). Depending on how fast you cycle that could be the quickest option once Crossrail is running - and would also avoid zone 1.

 

[Dazzla11]

I live in the area. If going from Hither Green to Stratford your best option would just be to cycle directly to Lewisham (20mins) if you’ve got the bike anyway. Then DLR from there.

 

[ComUtoR]

There's an OSI in place, so the Oyster/Contactless system will treat it as one journey.

OSI ?

 

[Dr_Intoxicated]

OSI ?

Out of station interchange.

Certain stations are linked in the system so although you have to exit and re-enter you don't get charged for the change

 

[ComUtoR]

Cheers

 

[PeterC]

In normal times that section of the Jubilee Line is rammed at that time of the morning. I used to work near Southwark station but switched to walking from Waterloo as it was such a struggle to get off the train and was always worried about being over-carried. Going home I gave up on Southwark within a week.

Unless there really is a dramatic switch to home working with a corresponding fall in commuting I would suggest finding a different route with the bike.

 

[beanwalls]

Thanks all! The DLR route from Lewisham seems a good option. I looked on the Trainline app and it tells me it's a 45min journey though...?

I didn't hear about the closing of LB to traffic, that would be amazing. It's only a ten minute cycle apparently.. it's just the craziness of traffic I'd want to avoid.

Getting to the overground line is also a good idea. Forest Hill might also be near enough too and can change to overground at Denmark Hill from train at one of the Catford stations too. Ladywell is also a station nearby, I'm not sure where that goes or if any help.

I was hoping Jubilee line would be very easy link from LB or WE but apparently not. And a very busy Southwark sounds horrific, especially with the bike. I've been on packed tube's with hundreds of stressed looking people in suits all getting off at Canary Wharf and that was horrible enough that I started avoiding that part of the jubillee line at certain times....

All this is amazing though, especially as I can't go and check all these things out or even see how busy they will eventually be again for who knows how long......

 

[Ianno87]

Thanks all! The DLR route from Lewisham seems a good option. I looked on the Trainline app and it tells me it's a 45min journey though...?

I didn't hear about the closing of LB to traffic, that would be amazing. It's only a ten minute cycle apparently.. it's just the craziness of traffic I'd want to avoid.

Getting to the overground line is also a good idea. Forest Hill might also be near enough too and can change to overground at Denmark Hill from train at one of the Catford stations too. Ladywell is also a station nearby, I'm not sure where that goes or if any help.

I was hoping Jubilee line would be very easy link from LB or WE but apparently not. And a very busy Southwark sounds horrific, especially with the bike. I've been on packed tube's with hundreds of stressed looking people in suits all getting off at Canary Wharf and that was horrible enough that I started avoiding that part of the jubillee line at certain times....

All this is amazing though, especially as I can't go and check all these things out or even see how busy they will eventually be again for who knows how long......

Trainline is just using a 'generic' interchange time, which tend to be over-egged.

28-30 minutes is the actual journey time.

 

[beanwalls]

Trainline is just using a 'generic' interchange time, which tend to be over-egged.

28-30 minutes is the actual journey time.

I thought they might be - thanks for that. Any ideas where I can get actual journey times?

EDIT - TFL seems quite accurate, although I can't see a direct train, only changing at canary wharf.

 

[TFN]

EDIT - TFL seems quite accurate, although I can't see a direct train, only changing at canary wharf.

The direct Lewisham-Stratford trains are peak only. But changing at Canary Wharf requires 5 steps and almost no waiting time.

 

[Ianno87]

The direct Lewisham-Stratford trains are peak only. But changing at Canary Wharf requires 5 steps and almost no waiting time.

I.e. across the platform from one side to the other. In both directions.

(5 steps horizontally, not vertically).

 

[800002]

I've been thinking about this little conundrum for a little while - as I know someone fixing for a new commute (immently) requiring cross London travel whose not realistically able to do by other means in the short term (other than taxi).
So,
The running time between London Bridge and Waterloo East is 4 minutes, and easily achieved at service start-up (which would be time of travel).

Not having been through London Bridge myself recently, and definitely not to do a mainline / LU (jubilee) interchange since the refurbishment - what is the realistic 'able bodied and agile' transfer time from the the South Eastern platforms down to the Jubilee line platforms?
LBG is bound to be much busier and more confusing to navigate too, I would imagine (it was always a total nightmare for interchange, in my own opinion).

I know I can do the backend of the train at Waterloo East down to Southwark (jubilee) in a matter of minutes.

I know realistically the only to find out is to do it - but they don't really want to do that on a live working day, when they don't want the added stress... But which is quicker, in people's educated / informed experience?
London Bridge - Concourse - LU - jubilee
Or
Waterloo East - Platform - barrier infefaces - Jubilee.

Thanks in advance.

 

[DynamicSpirit]

Waterloo East to Jubilee (at Southwark) is definitely quicker to do than London Bridge to Jubilee (with a proviso that if you arrive right at the front of a London-bound train, it's probably just as quick to walk to Waterloo rather than Southwark).

However I would say for an able-bodied person, the difference is nowhere near enough to justify staying on a train through London Bridge in order to change at Waterloo East and head back on the tube through London Bridge. If you are coming from the East and heading back East, you should change at London Bridge.

 

[DynamicSpirit]

Getting to the overground line is also a good idea. Forest Hill might also be near enough too and can change to overground at Denmark Hill from train at one of the Catford stations too. Ladywell is also a station nearby, I'm not sure where that goes or if any help.

Ladywell basically gives you the same as Hither Green, except less frequent: From Ladywell, off peak you have half-hourly trains to Charing Cross (non-stop to London Bridge), and half hourly to Cannon Street via Lewisham. May be a bit more frequent in the peaks, I'm not sure. If you're near Hither Green station, there's probably no advantage in going to Ladywell unless a particular train at Ladywell happens to be extremely well timed for you.

 

[beanwalls]

The direct Lewisham-Stratford trains are peak only. But changing at Canary Wharf requires 5 steps and almost no waiting time.

Ah. Thanks, that's great to know. I'll mostly be doing this trip to either get to Stratford for around 7:15am or 10am. And coming back after 7pm.

 

[beanwalls]

I.e. across the platform from one side to the other. In both directions.

(5 steps horizontally, not vertically).

Perfect. Thanks!

 

[beanwalls]

Ladywell basically gives you the same as Hither Green, except less frequent: From Ladywell, off peak you have half-hourly trains to Charing Cross (non-stop to London Bridge), and half hourly to Cannon Street via Lewisham. May be a bit more frequent in the peaks, I'm not sure. If you're near Hither Green station, there's probably no advantage in going to Ladywell unless a particular train at Ladywell happens to be extremely well timed for you.

That's incredibly helpful - thank you!

 

[Ianno87]

Ah. Thanks, that's great to know. I'll mostly be doing this trip to either get to Stratford for around 7:15am or 10am. And coming back after 7pm.

If you do change at Canary Wharf, doors open on both sides of the train there.

From Lewisham to Stratford, exit to the right (in direction of travel) to just walk across the platform.

Other way, exit to the left (in direction of travel).