Trains on Monday- waaaaah! [Update: full match day service]

[sparkie]

To run an extra service at the last minute as a Controller you'd ring the local crew manager and ask what spare train crew or cover crew you had, in this instance the only depots of use would be Brighton and Eastbourne, the answer straightaway would be NONE owing to the management banning any guards from working overtime.

Normally you'd have at least one spare crew at one of the 2 depots so you'd pinch a train from the sidings , at Eastbourne you would have something you could use off of a commuter train from London then just run an ad hoc service to get everyone where they wanted to be. I did it many times in the past, on such occasions as the Fat Boy Slim gig on the beach when they forgot to put any extra trains on and realised they had 250k punters wanting to get home.

Trouble is now Southern just don't care, they want to paint the narrative of Conductor sickness being the reason behind the cancellations when the reality is that they have never had enough crew for years and relied on overtime to patch it up and because they want to carry on the bullying and being vindictive they would rather cancel trains and leave people stranded so they can keep up their message of it being due to Conductors being sick.

They will have banned the overtime to put as much financial pressure on staff as possible and stop them making extra money to part cover losses due to strike days.

They do this knowing full well how it will inconvenience their customers.

Southern care nothing for the traveling public.

 

[mwrpoole]

Tomorrow evening, I will drive from home (east of Lewes) to Mithras House in time to catch the P&R bus to the game, hoping (of course) that enough buses are available to provide the P&R service and that they haven't all been requisitioned by Southern to provide a rail replacement bus service that nobody wants to see.

The last 2 evening games Fulham & QPR, Mithras House has been full by 6:45. The odd few spaces pop up later as staff/students leave late. With the train problems I'd expect it to be even earlier tomorrow night, but on the plus side you can catch a regular bus rather than the P&R.

 

[Ernest]

They will have banned the overtime to put as much financial pressure on staff as possible and stop them making extra money to part cover losses due to strike days.

They do this knowing full well how it will inconvenience their customers.

Southern care nothing for the traveling public.

Exactly , they don't want guards making up their losses so they're happy to cancel trains every day and blame it on the guards and I doubt they're paying any fines for them either.

 

[The Sock of Poskett]

Played it safe and gone for the Seagull Travel coach from West Worthing, to avoid the train madness. Think it will prove a tenner well spent.
Who else is coaching it?

 

[Bozza]

Played it safe and gone for the Seagull Travel coach from West Worthing, to avoid the train madness. Think it will prove a tenner well spent.
Who else is coaching it?

I've booked that same coach but only as a contingency to get me home. I'll get an early train over.

If we manage to get through I won't be in a rush to get home after!

 

[Maldini]

Played it safe and gone for the Seagull Travel coach from West Worthing, to avoid the train madness. Think it will prove a tenner well spent.
Who else is coaching it?

Where is that leaving from and what time?

 

[Bozza]

Where is that leaving from and what time?

6pm at West Worthing station. Still places remarkably...

http://www.eventtravel-hub.co.uk/pl...-fc-monday-16th-may-2016---ko-1945-1290-p.asp

 

[Bozza]

Trains on Monday- waaaaah!

6pm at West Worthing station. Still places remarkably...

http://www.eventtravel-hub.co.uk/pl...-fc-monday-16th-may-2016---ko-1945-1290-p.asp

That time might not be right.

I've never caught a coach to a game, just home occasionally.

 

[Maldini]

6pm at West Worthing station. Still places remarkably...

http://www.eventtravel-hub.co.uk/pl...-fc-monday-16th-may-2016---ko-1945-1290-p.asp

thanks

 

[Bozza]

thanks

Check the time as I'm only on my phone but suspect the 18:00 I was seeing might be the time you get back on a Saturday 3pm game.

 

[Guinness Boy]

Played it safe and gone for the Seagull Travel coach from West Worthing, to avoid the train madness. Think it will prove a tenner well spent.
Who else is coaching it?

Me. Only at Portslade and wouldn't have bothered if it was just me but my nine year old STH son is desperate to go. I'd happily end up walking back to Brighton if we somehow turned it round but I suspect that will take ET and maybe penalties and getting him home at 2am in a can is not going to go down well with the missus. Only used the coach twice this season, both times because Southern couldn't provide any kind of service.

 

[The Sock of Poskett]

Check the time as I'm only on my phone but suspect the 18:00 I was seeing might be the time you get back on a Saturday 3pm game.

Yes, it is 6pm from West Worthing

 

[Guinness Boy]

Can = cab

Must. Proof. Read. Better.

 

[Ernest]

Me. Only at Portslade and wouldn't have bothered if it was just me but my nine year old STH son is desperate to go. I'd happily end up walking back to Brighton if we somehow turned it round but I suspect that will take ET and maybe penalties and getting him home at 2am in a can is not going to go down well with the missus. Only used the coach twice this season, both times because Southern couldn't provide any kind of service.

Get the Seagull Bus from Portslade Stn 615pm , I get on it and dead reliable, cost a fiver return for tomorrow

 

[Guinness Boy]

Get the Seagull Bus from Portslade Stn 615pm , I get on it and dead reliable, cost a fiver return for tomorrow

That's what i'm on. £8 for me and junior. Have booked in advance because of the lack of trains and asked Charlie Horton to refund it. No reply so far but I guess he doesn't work weekends eh?

 

[LamieRobertson]

That's what i'm on. £8 for me and junior. Have booked in advance because of the lack of trains and asked Charlie Horton to refund it. No reply so far but I guess he doesn't work weekends eh?

edited

 

[Weatherman]

It is completely unacceptable that Southern Trains are unable to provide a usual match day service, which, let's face it, isn't good enough to begin with. There's already been a week to organise this, and it'll be 9 days between the Boro match and Sheff Weds game, which is more than enough time to sort things out. Southern Trains is a poor company with a terrible attitude towards its customers and in my opinion its contract to provide train services in the region should be terminated at the earliest opportunity.

As has been stated, this is an additional game and is outside of the contracted agreement. there is absolutely no obligation for them to run a normal match day service.

 

[Gazwag]

As has been stated, this is an additional game and is outside of the contracted agreement. there is absolutely no obligation for them to run a normal match day service.

There are not any extra trains on a midweek match, so a normal match day service=a normal timetabled service

 

[synavm]

Booked the Seagull Travel bus from Burgess Hill. Not used them before, usually grin and bare it with the trains, but there were noticeable cancellations just travelling up to London this morning from Haywards Heath, so I don't fancy my chances from Falmer the way things are. Are the coaches any good?

 

[knocky1]

That's what i'm on. £8 for me and junior. Have booked in advance because of the lack of trains and asked Charlie Horton to refund it. No reply so far but I guess he doesn't work weekends eh?

I didn't get where I am today by not using my free travel on a football ticket. I will start drinking early to get there early. I will aim to leave as in normal circumstances. This involves being asked to leave by the stewards as all bars are shut. If the train looks dodgy I will go into 5k mode and run down to Bolney Road, Moulescombe and stagger onto the 11:07 49 bus to Portslade Station (West Hove, actually). Home at 11:50.
If any problems with full buses getting to the ground I may use the 49 and walk option.