Train farce

[Herr Tubthumper]

I think he's just stating the facts as they stand. I don't think the track is electrified between Ore and Ashford, so it's a technical impossibility for electric trains to run along there. Similarly I doubt diesel and electric units can be coupled together. Attitude doesn't come into it. It's not a case of inflexibility on Southern's part.

Of course, whether this stretch should be electrified is another question...

I understand that these are the facts as they stand. My main gripe is that there is no will to change the standing. There is absolutely no way certain issues which people just shrug their shoulders over in this country would stand elsewhere. Absolutely no way. I cannot see the German's suggesting the reason for a short train is due to being unable to couple diesel and electric trains together...they'd have ripped up the track, installed electrics and got a swanky long train cruising its distance long before the stadium was built.

The Germans would not stand for engineering works every other weekend for however many decades on the only rail route into Brighton.

 

[les dynam]

email the transport manager at the club? i did a while back... and he replied. not saying it will change anything, but it might help things.

transport is possibly the biggest stumbling block between us selling out our new 32,000 beauty every week, and not. especially as we attract so many family groups. shed load more buses would help things - especially those special bus services. for example why just one P bus - this serves large parts of the city on route to Portslade, but with just one bus, unless you leave early you don't get on. madness

 

[Uter]

I understand that these are the facts as they stand. My main gripe is that there is no will to change the standing. There is absolutely no way certain issues which people just shrug their shoulders over in this country would stand elsewhere. Absolutely no way. I cannot see the German's suggesting the reason for a short train is due to being unable to couple diesel and electric trains together...they'd have ripped up the track, installed electrics and got a swanky long train cruising its distance long before the stadium was built.

The Germans would not stand for engineering works every other weekend for however many decades on the only rail route into Brighton.

Ok. Your response suggested you did not know that was the case.

 

[Pinkie Brown]

Train operators are fined for late arrivals at certain stations - Brighton being one. In the past I have been on trains that have been advertised at London bridge and Hayward Heath that they are stopping at Hassocks but have sped straight through to Brighton. I have to say that First Crapital are the worst offenders at this but Southern seem to be joining in the practice

The other favourite trick is terminating a train short of its destination when running late so it can get back on its return timetable. Result? Those going from A to C on a late running train are booted out at B & going to arrive at their destination even later. Those at C wanting to go to A or B have to hope there is a connecting service otherwise they are stuffed.

All in the name of damage limitation for the punctuality stats thus saving the train company a potential fine in the future.

 

[beorhthelm]

I cannot see the German's suggesting the reason for a short train is due to being unable to couple diesel and electric trains together...they'd have ripped up the track, installed electrics and got a swanky long train cruising its distance long before the stadium was built.

i reckon they'd wouldnt waste their time with a piddly little service between nowhere and the back and beyond in the first place. whose paying for that new electrified rail btw? and when is the engineering work supposed to happen? a genuine question, how do other countries deal with major works to their lines?

 

[Notters]

i reckon they'd wouldnt waste their time with a piddly little service between nowhere and the back and beyond in the first place. whose paying for that new electrified rail btw? and when is the engineering work supposed to happen? a genuine question, how do other countries deal with major works to their lines?

I assumed he was talking about Brighton - Falmer.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

The other favourite trick is terminating a train short of its destination when running late so it can get back on its return timetable. Result? Those going from A to C on a late running train are booted out at B & going to arrive at their destination even later. Those at C wanting to go to A or B have to hope there is a connecting service otherwise they are stuffed.

All in the name of damage limitation for the punctuality stats thus saving the train company a potential fine in the future.

I always think its weird how they make announcements on the London Underground that services are running fine. They should be running fine. It's what's expected.

 

[Platypuss]

It's far easier to build a top quality rail network when you get to start from scratch only 60 odd years ago.

When you have the oldest (and one of the busiest) rail network in the world it's much harder to upgrade piecemeal while also keeping it running at the same time ....

 

[Tony Meolas Loan Spell]

southern railway have very little common sense or spontaneity.

100% this

 

[Hillian1]

It's far easier to build a top quality rail network when you get to start from scratch only 60 odd years ago.

When you have the oldest (and one of the busiest) rail network in the world it's much harder to upgrade piecemeal while also keeping it running at the same time ....

You forgot that in this country we have the wrong type of snow and are the only country in the world where leaves fall off trees.

 

[Tony Meolas Loan Spell]

Lucklily I live in Brighton so have the luxury of P&R, trains or a bus, or if its a nice day walk.

I really, really feel for all the poor sods who have to get the train on evening matchdays as there isnt an allowance for the "INEVITABLE f*** up factor" like there is for Sat 3pms.

ALL train companies are ***** and I say that as a commuter.

 

[HawkTheSeagull]

Lots of exaggerations on this topic and 1 poster saying the conditions were "the worst in humanity" or something like that - really ?

Ive said it before and ill say it again - there arent enough coaches to add to trains to evening kick-offs that are already being added, all down to being used on other routes for commuter services. On other posts whats been posted, the driver has probably made an error and should of stopped unless there are operational reasons behind it not stopping - IE not having a guard (which is required for this line, cant run trains along in passenger service with no guard - its a safety thing). I did send Southern 2 messages on twitter asking for an explanation last night, still no reply of course.

Oh and someone moaning that it took 30 minutes to get onto the platform - do you even listen to the announcements when you get off the train saying "there will be a queuing time of 30 minutes" ?

 

[beorhthelm]

You forgot that in this country we have the wrong type of snow and are the only country in the world where leaves fall off trees.

they have exactly the same issues on the continent. this last winter or the previous, Eurostar brokedown in France for the wrong snow.

 

[Horton's halftime iceberg]

Oh and I completely forgot to mention the crushing trying to get onto that first 3-carraige train, where quite frankly for a few seconds I was scared and had no power over which way I went, due to the crush from all sides, so god knows what it must have been like for the couple of older women and kids who were around and in the middle of that as well.

Police, stewards, whoever, need to take a look at themselves for letting that happen, it could, and almost did, turn very nasty.

I have just gone through 8 pages of this thread and find this one comment of what was the most serious issue last night. Unfourtunatly like West Ham on Saturday if you want to use the train you have to Q, I have no problem with this.

Last night what looked like an error nearly (or may have) lead to a serious accident, I was very concerned and worried about the lack of control by the stewards and Police.

We left at full time and ran down to get the 21.57 train that is a stopper to return to London Road. We were on the platform at 21.40 and a fast train was due that is possibly 8 carriages long, so the stewards had allowed enough people on to fill this train. At 21.45 the fast train went through slowly without stopping, people on board, we assume this is a signalling error and no Red light was displayed.

On the 21.57 we stand in the door ways as we need to get off. as mentioned there were incredible crushes as people on mass surged on the trains and I instantly regretted not going down the aisle, in our one section we had two young children badly crushed and very upset and their parents really having to shout to try and stop people surging into an already completely crushed area. The aisles were full and me and two blokes either side had to push back to stop people getting crushed against the doors.

The most disturbing thing was the lady to my left was pregnant and her other half was just doing everything in his power to protect her, and she was visibly very distressed. I think the train company and club are very lucky today to not have a serious news story on their hands if someone had suffered bad injurys or worst last night.

I am not trained in crowd management but if this happens again (and the fact it happened last night suggests it might, how can a crowd like this be managed. We have all probably experienced this at football in the past or in mass events and you have little or no control of where you go.

My concern was the stewards had no control of crowds surging into and already overpacked area. Eventually the police managed to pull out a few passengers, some good souls leaped up on seats to allow a couple of people up into the aisles. should they have taken people back out of the platforms, got the police to manage people onto each doorway slowly or even stop the service, if it meant children's safety. I would have moaned about the delay and service but would much rather this than have someone badly hurt.

Does anyone know who is in charge and responsible for this on the Club and Railway side, I am sure they could review CCTV and make sure they have contingency in place for this should it happen again. People will need to stay patient with the Q ing system as we expand, but I for one would much rather have a slightly longer wait knowing all our fans and visitors get home safely and without distress.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

I really, really feel for all the poor sods who have to get the train on evening matchdays as there isnt an allowance for the "INEVITABLE f*** up factor" like there is for Sat 3pms.

Same. I can see that when there's an official ticket exchange up and running there will be large numbers of STHs opting out of midweek games due to the transport logistics.

 

[Spider]

Does anyone know who is in charge and responsible for this on the Club and Railway side, I am sure they could review CCTV and make sure they have contingency in place for this should it happen again. People will need to stay patient with the Q ing system as we expand, but I for one would much rather have a slightly longer wait knowing all our fans and visitors get home safely and without distress.

I'd rather people stopped acting like complete twats and accepted that pushing isnt going to get you on a train any quicker. It's so f***ing moronic it's not true. Would also mean the rest of us aren't delayed for hours as subsequent trains are filled single file.

 

[merendesi]

Hello NSC, Watford fan here, or should I say a slightly concerned Watford fan who is coming down for the match next Tuesday. After reading the previous 8 pages and the thread on the Reading forum, I'd like to ask the following questions...

Is there any other way to get to and from the ground from Brighton station? I assume cabs are available but are the roads jammed solid?
Is there a bus service?
Is it better to get back into London from Lewes station?

Any tips will help, as last night sounded like complete carnage. Thanks.

 

[Durlston]

Was going to start another thread about this but Three Bridges station has just been closed after someone was struck by a train and there are delays of up to 50 minutes between Gatwick Airport and Brighton. A mate saw it happen (a bloke in his forties who was walking up and down the platform and talking to himself then jumped in front of a train).

 

[Hillian1]

Hello NSC, Watford fan here, or should I say a slightly concerned Watford fan who is coming down for the match next Tuesday. After reading the previous 8 pages and the thread on the Reading forum, I'd like to ask the following questions...

Is there any other way to get to and from the ground from Brighton station? I assume cabs are available but are the roads jammed solid?
Is there a bus service?
Is it better to get back into London from Lewes station?

Any tips will help, as last night sounded like complete carnage. Thanks.

Abandon hope all ye who enter here.

 

[HawkTheSeagull]

Hello NSC, Watford fan here, or should I say a slightly concerned Watford fan who is coming down for the match next Tuesday. After reading the previous 8 pages and the thread on the Reading forum, I'd like to ask the following questions...

Is there any other way to get to and from the ground from Brighton station? I assume cabs are available but are the roads jammed solid?
Is there a bus service?
Is it better to get back into London from Lewes station?

Any tips will help, as last night sounded like complete carnage. Thanks.

1) Buses do operate to Falmer Station but not from Brighton station, would have to walk from Brighton station down to Churchill Square and catch a 25/28/29, same for the return.
2) Yes, i go towards Lewes on the way home and only usually wait about 15 minutes, leaving at kick-off should get you on a train to Lewes which should get you onto the last London train at Lewes.

Trains arent usually a problem, just last night there was multiple failures in announcements and by Southern - SHOULD be better by next week.