• Our booking engine at tickets.railforums.co.uk (powered by TrainSplit) helps support the running of the forum with every ticket purchase! Find out more and ask any questions/give us feedback in this thread!

Why is Vauxhall so busy?

Status
Not open for further replies.

6Gman

Established Member
Joined
1 May 2012
Messages
8,382
Caught the 1734 Kingston - Waterloo yesterday - a part of the country with which I'm not familiar.

I was surprised by how busy it was (expecting the main flow to be out of London at that time of day). People clearly commute into Kingston as well as outwards!

By Clapham Junction the train was F+S, but when we drew into Vauxhall we were astonished to see 70% of the passengers alight!

Our theory was that they were (mostly) heading for the Victoria Line, but can anyone with local knowledge offer further information?
 
Sponsor Post - registered members do not see these adverts; click here to register, or click here to log in
R

RailUK Forums

Clip

Established Member
Joined
28 Jun 2010
Messages
10,822
Probably the vic line is the best and only answer really that I can think of. better then trying to get from waterloo to green park then onto the vic there as you wont manage it.
 

tbtc

Veteran Member
Joined
16 Dec 2008
Messages
17,882
Location
Reston City Centre
I've used Vauxhall to get between Kings Cross/ St P and stations on the Waterloo line (due to the lack of direct underground service between KX/ St P and Waterloo)
 

The Colonel

Member
Joined
1 Feb 2011
Messages
261
Its a very heavily used interchange with the Victoria line - in the mornings it is wedged on the underground platforms and sometimes you can't get on the 1st train in. For ticketing purposes it is regarded as a london termini.
 

Nym

Established Member
Joined
2 Mar 2007
Messages
9,098
Location
Somewhere, not in London
Maybe they were going to one of those, umm 'interesting' establishments under the rail arches?:shock:

During the middle of the day?

There isn't much that happens there during the day other than being hosed down by a pressure washer from the last night, the owner counting his money and any potential photo or film shoots using the more, erm, adventurous bars during the day.

Other than that I'm lead to believe there are a lot of high tech companies based around this area so this, combined with the vic line may have had that effect?
 

TheJRB

Established Member
Joined
14 Feb 2011
Messages
1,207
Location
Ashford, Kent
I saw a similar thing, albeit on a Saturday, on a semi-fast Cambridge to King's Cross train. Most passengers left at Finsbury Park, I imagine because of the Victoria and Piccadilly lines.
 

stut

Established Member
Joined
25 Jun 2008
Messages
1,899
Yup, easy interchanges, basically. I used to live in Earlsfield, and used Vauxhall far more than Waterloo. You could be at Oxford Circus in the time it took to fight your way through the Waterloo crowds to the Tube!

The ski-jump bus station at Vauxhall is very useful, too.

Bear in mind that Saturday traffic at Finsbury Park is often heading to the Emirates. Although its usually quiet easy to tell when they are...
 

tsr

Established Member
Joined
15 Nov 2011
Messages
7,400
Location
Between the parallel lines
Its a very heavily used interchange with the Victoria line - in the mornings it is wedged on the underground platforms and sometimes you can't get on the 1st train in. For ticketing purposes it is regarded as a london termini.

I'm thoroughly of the opinion that this is to avoid the time-wasting activity of missing three trains due to overcrowding at Victoria. "Wedged" doesn't do justice to that station at 8.30am...
 

SS4

Established Member
Joined
30 Jan 2011
Messages
8,589
Location
Birmingham
Care to elaborate for us that don't live in the big smoke?

I get the impression one must be over 18 to partake an activity in these establishments whereas one can partake at 16 in one's own home ;)

It may also be in relation to females of the evening :p

Failing that I have no idea
 

dlj83

Member
Joined
11 Mar 2012
Messages
169
I get the impression one must be over 18 to partake an activity in these establishments whereas one can partake at 16 in one's own home ;)

It may also be in relation to females of the evening :p

Failing that I have no idea

I've been the sauna too, it's fun.

Back on subject I'd say it's busy for the bus station and Victoria line.
 

Rational Plan

Member
Joined
3 Aug 2011
Messages
235
I get the impression one must be over 18 to partake an activity in these establishments whereas one can partake at 16 in one's own home ;)

It may also be in relation to females of the evening :p

Failing that I have no idea

Women who have negotiable affections will find themselves with plenty of spare time around Vauxhall it's more for the older gentlemen who feels he can no longer frequent Soho, besides Westminster council are such squares these days when it comes to licences.
 

wintonian

Established Member
Joined
15 Jan 2010
Messages
4,889
Location
Hampshire
Best not in a family forum, google Vauxhall Arches and you'll get the picture!

I sincerely hope Google doesn't have 'the picture' ;)

Must admit I have never changed at Vauxahll for the Vic line despite the planners advising me to do so on occasion, certainly coming from this end of the SWML its easier just to jump on the first train that says Waterloo on it and change at Oxford Circus. I don't think I would even know where the tube bit is there, being so long since I have been to Vauxhall.

But yes massively busy bit of line from Waterloo - Clapham Junction as well as the bit to to Victoria.
 

Class377/5

Established Member
Joined
19 Jun 2010
Messages
5,594
Best not in a family forum, google Vauxhall Arches and you'll get the picture!

This is a family forum?

Only been down there once with rugby team. Was (clean) fun but was morning by the time we left, tho I'm sure they serve pigeon burgers when we left outside.
 

soil

Established Member
Joined
28 May 2012
Messages
1,956
Connections from Waterloo at peak hours are dreadful.

You've got a long walk to the Jubilee where you won't get on the first train
You've got the Waterloo & City line where you will have to push through a crowd to get on the second or third train, which only goes to Bank.
Bakerloo line is ok.
Northern line is on the West End branch here and duplicates the Bakerloo largely.
 

Nicks

Member
Joined
17 Jun 2012
Messages
101
One of the main reasons why Vauxhall is so busy is that it is a Zone1/2 station, therefore a commuter can save significant money by buying a travelcard season to zone 2 and continuing their journey into Central London by bus - I did that for many years!!
 

philjo

Established Member
Joined
9 Jun 2009
Messages
2,884
Caught the 1734 Kingston - Waterloo yesterday - a part of the country with which I'm not familiar.

I was surprised by how busy it was (expecting the main flow to be out of London at that time of day). People clearly commute into Kingston as well as outwards!

By Clapham Junction the train was F+S, but when we drew into Vauxhall we were astonished to see 70% of the passengers alight!

Our theory was that they were (mostly) heading for the Victoria Line, but can anyone with local knowledge offer further information?

Were Surrey playing at the Oval that evening - the 20-20 matches there tend to start at 18:30?

===========
Looks like they were playing Middlesex at Lords but from Vauxhall would use Victoria line to Oxford circus for cross platform interchange to Bakerloo line for Baker Street. saves fighting your way through the Waterloo concourse in the evening rush hour
 

All Line Rover

Established Member
Joined
17 Feb 2011
Messages
5,221
I saw a similar thing, albeit on a Saturday, on a semi-fast Cambridge to King's Cross train. Most passengers left at Finsbury Park, I imagine because of the Victoria and Piccadilly lines.

Strangely forgetting that both of those lines also stop at King's Cross? :-?
 

stut

Established Member
Joined
25 Jun 2008
Messages
1,899
Time to transfer at Finsbury Park - 2 minutes. Time to transfer at King's Cross... Rather a lot more.
 

TheJRB

Established Member
Joined
14 Feb 2011
Messages
1,207
Location
Ashford, Kent
Strangely forgetting that both of those lines also stop at King's Cross? :-?

As stut said (although I've not changed at Finsbury Park myself) I imagine it must be easier than to tackle the enormous station at King's Cross St. Pancras. Also the fact that those requiring stations to Walthamstow Central and Cockfosters would benefit from changing at Finsbury Park too.
 

Clip

Established Member
Joined
28 Jun 2010
Messages
10,822
As stut said (although I've not changed at Finsbury Park myself) I imagine it must be easier than to tackle the enormous station at King's Cross St. Pancras. Also the fact that those requiring stations to Walthamstow Central and Cockfosters would benefit from changing at Finsbury Park too.

Not just there but remember you're only 1 stop from getting on the Overground too. And Finsbury park is also a very good bus interchange.

Never underestimate just how important these tube interchanges are before a major London terminal which get the crowdds who dont have the opporunity(due to being on a fast) to stop at them and thus create more crowds down on the tube platforms.
 

Solent&Wessex

Established Member
Joined
9 Jul 2009
Messages
2,683
Must admit I have never changed at Vauxahll for the Vic line despite the planners advising me to do so on occasion, certainly coming from this end of the SWML its easier just to jump on the first train that says Waterloo on it and change at Oxford Circus. I don't think I would even know where the tube bit is there, being so long since I have been to Vauxhall.

But yes massively busy bit of line from Waterloo - Clapham Junction as well as the bit to to Victoria.

The planners often tell me to change at Clapham Junction and Vauxhall if coming from the SWML beyond Basingstoke and going north from Kings Cross. I always instruct the booking to go via Waterloo as it a) means I can stay on the same train and not have to change at Clapham Junction. b) means that should there be anything wrong with the tube at Vauxhall I have far more options available to me at Waterloo (especially considering the reliability of the new stock when it was introduced the other year). c) I believe I have less chance of missing my onward connection if I go via Waterloo than if I started faffing around at Clapham Junction and Vauxhall. Overall I prefer not changing at Vauxhall, despite all the journey planners trying to make me do it, as I think it adds in an unnecessary layer of uncertainty and potential delay.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Top