[Albion] AEK Post Game Leaving

[bluenitsuj]

Clearly I'm no expert but could they not have the first few trains backed up and waiting for 5 or 10 minutes after the final whistle? If the initial rush of fans were moved off more promptly it would save lot of frustration.

Our contribution towards travel in the match ticket can't be an insignificant amount of cash to southern rail and worthy of a much better service IMO

I don't think the issue the other night was lack of trains, it was lack of carriages, especially travelling from the East and back. Most were 3 or 4 carriages all evening instead of 8. I am not surprised anymore by the mediocre service (if you can call it that) offered by Southern.

 

[The Grockle]

I imagine @jackalbion could elaborate, but I suspect the "a few trains lined up" option also fails when it gets to the "where the hell do they all park when they get to Brighton" bit.

Yeah hadn't considered that!

 

[dstanman]

Did the club have to pay the cost of the buses for the AEK fans and did that then have an impact on the buses avaiable for the normal P&Rs

 

[tigertim68]

Did the club have to pay the cost of the buses for the AEK fans and did that then have an impact on the buses avaiable for the normal P&Rs

One of the problems is that we have the same service from the rail and P&R that we had when the AMEX first opened ,
despite at least 10000 more fans attending. Actually we are one P&R down as MItras house is now shut ,
The club needs to speak to the transport services to try and sort this mess out , and prehaps bring in the councils as well as public transport was meant to be the main way people were meant to get to the ground,
If not public parking should be allowed nearer to the ground

 

[Gazwag]

One of the problems is that we have the same service from the rail and P&R that we had when the AMEX first opened ,
despite at least 10000 more fans attending. Actually we are one P&R down as MItras house is now shut ,
The club needs to speak to the transport services to try and sort this mess out , and prehaps bring in the councils as well as public transport was meant to be the main way people were meant to get to the ground,
If not public parking should be allowed nearer to the ground

At least Mitras House was acceptable for Eastern fans, would love to have something our way as its really train or nothing if you can't use the car parks

 

[BNthree]

At least Mitras House was acceptable for Eastern fans, would love to have something our way as its really train or nothing if you can't use the car parks

There’s just no sites to the East that are suitable are there? Lewes is hardly awash with large car parks that aren’t used when matches are on. Can’t think of anywhere suitable.

 

[amexer]

As somebody said years ago PB would have commented on transport issues. Is he no longer interested because no problem selling out games. The club must pay a lot of money for rail and P& R services. Surely they should be able to demand a minimum service. Seagull Travel only reliable service but has become very expensive.

 

[Tooting Gull]

Left just after the 3rd AEK goal. I'd actually pre planned to leave after 84mins anyway.

Apologies to those who are so offended by that. But it's it's a 1hr 50 min drive home. And I have work in the morning on a Friday. So if anyone wants to moan about me wanting that first or second Mill Road bus, in all due respect, you can suck it. Don't care. Getting home just after midnight. Some of us aren't local anymore.

Evening games suck balls. I was tired driving which is dangerous enough

I hope what is emerging here is that NOBODY WANTS TO LEAVE EARLY.

It is a very sh!t option that is practically forced on some fans because the transport services for supposedly getting fans away are not cutting it. The wait times in this thread, that occur regularly if not every match, remain unacceptable and detract from the day and overall experience.

 

[chrisg]

Mill road now. - 500 people waiting
Seriously need more buses

 

[Gazwag]

There’s just no sites to the East that are suitable are there? Lewes is hardly awash with large car parks that aren’t used when matchesoki are on. Can’t think of anywhere suitable.

Ringmer school

 

[WhingForPresident]

Lovely change of pace going to Pyecombe today. A few goats, some tractors milling about and four double deckers and a bus waiting.

 

[Neville's Breakfast]

I saw something similar on Facebook and couldn’t understand it. The couple of times I’ve used ST, they’ve made a point of announcing that the coach will leave after the final whistle, when everyone is back on board, and that people shouldn’t panic if the match is delayed or extended. In fact, I’ve never been given an actual departure time in advance. Weird.

I looked at the Seagulls Travel website after you recommended it for the Marseille game. It also says 10.15 departure. Given the stories about coach delays after the game on here we aren’t going to risk it.

 

[Neville's Breakfast]

Yeah I get that but surely you'd just factor that into the time table, it's a couple of hours a maximum of 25 times a year

Football fixtures are released in June. Loads of games are subsequently moved for tv, local events such as Pride, Uni freshers week, European fixtures etc. I’m not sure a train timetable can follow that.

 

[portlock seagull]

Mill road now. - 500 people waiting
Seriously need more buses

It’s the traffic control at the stadium, top of mill road and the end of the A23/configuration and planning in the 90s that wasn’t future proof. A whole wedge of the National park needs paving, until then, it will always be rubbish. Don’t need more coaches, need to let those we have get out of the congestion.

#Free the Brighton Bus!

 

[BNthree]

It’s the traffic control at the stadium,

Coming off the A27 at Falmer the P&R buses should be allowed up the left hand lane and then be able to turn right at the roundabout. Would save each bus about 5 minutes which all add up.


Actually that whole junction needs a complete redesign but given it is the boundary between 2 authorities I doubt either has any impetus to do so.

 

[portlock seagull]

Coming off the A27 at Falmer the P&R buses should be allowed up the left hand lane and then be able to turn right at the roundabout. Would save each bus about 5 minutes which all add up.


Actually that whole junction needs a complete redesign but given it is the boundary between 2 authorities I doubt either has any impetus to do so.

Authorities = competence is what’s required but in 12 years not seen it happen yet so Amex will always be the worst ground to get in and out of in my experience.

 

[jackalbion]

Here are a couple of practical, and not too difficult, suggestions to help the trains.

Firstly, the club should talk to Southern (they do, after all, hold the contract with them for the subsidy) and ensure that all trains on match days are eight coaches. Up to Thursday this season, the trains on the Seaford line have all been 8 coaches and it’s amazing how they can “drain” Falmer of people. On Thursday on the Seaford line there was one three coach train, one six coach train and I don’t know about the third. And, of course, more coaches going east mean more coaches going west.

Secondly, Southern should force (I suggest the use of guns as encouragement) everyone on the easterly platform to get on the next train whether they’re Seaford or Eastbourne or Lewes bound. They can then sort themselves out at Lewes, providing relief for the platform capacity at Falmer. I’m fed up with the gates at Falmer going east being shut (because the platform is full) while I’m on the ramps, watching a Seaford train arrive and only half the people on the platform get on while we’re held back. The train then sets off, sometimes half empty, leaving the damp-ones fuming on the ramps.

Agree with the second part. First part it’s just not possible with the amount of stock currently has without weakening services elsewhere. It’s a country wide problem but with the 313s and 455s now gone they are over 46 units down. The lease contract is with the government. Lewes platform 5 can only take 6 coaches as well, so you are limited on the length of the shuttle services. The problem being that all services don’t turn around at Lewes so there has to be a time where the 8 coaches are down in Eastbourne and Hastings. There’s more stock availability on the weekend, so trains are longer then.

 

[jackalbion]

I imagine @jackalbion could elaborate, but I suspect the "a few trains lined up" option also fails when it gets to the "where the hell do they all park when they get to Brighton" bit.

Correct, they need to form other services at Brighton so you can’t just line them up.

 

[jackalbion]

Yeah I get that but surely you'd just factor that into the time table, it's a couple of hours a maximum of 25 times a year

The line is at Capacity, you can’t fit anymore in.

 

[jackalbion]

Mill road now. - 500 people waiting
Seriously need more buses

The bus problem is a national one, it needs fixing but it’s not exclusive to park and ride ,it isn’t good enough, but there just isn’t simply enough buses and drivers nationwide. It’s just a number of post Brexit issues that are occurring. Sourcing them for Rail Replacements is tough now, government need to address this nationally.