Barber On The Warpath Over Train Disruption, Doesn't Pull Any Punches!

[portlock seagull]

Anyone got any ideas for legal, non-violent things that one could do as an individual to inconvenience Southern, or any of their senior managers as individuals?

Pizza deliveries...probably be just our luck they don't arrive though

 

[Gwylan]

Pulling out of the deal isn't an option available to SASTA.

But it is really: as we saw on Friday, there's no comeback to them. There's nothing stopping them saying that they're not able to run a service as they don't have the staff and there's nothing anyone can do to them (if there was, Barber would sure have done it)

 

[Carrot Cruncher]

Extra trains are an ESSENTIAL part of the stadium travel plan, which is agreed by all the parties involved in getting people to or from events at the stadium. That group includes the train and bus operators and the Police, as well as the City Council. Pulling out of the deal isn't an option available to SASTA.

Define 'events'. If you mean the football, fair enough. If you mean everything, they've already failed with the concerts.

 

[TWOCHOICEStom]

Anyone got any ideas for legal, non-violent things that one could do as an individual to inconvenience Southern, or any of their senior managers as individuals?

Can um... can we JAMIE them?

 

[Lord Bracknell]

Define 'events'. If you mean the football, fair enough. If you mean everything, they've already failed with the concerts.

I believe that the practice of not providing a train service for concerts was agreed by the Travel Group. Don't ask me to justify that decision, though. Did it have anything to do with the concert promoter being unwilling to fund the extra trains?

 

[The Birdman]

Is it time for the Albion Fans campaign group start to put pressure on all parties in this dispute like the Archer out campaign.
Post cards to the Goverment and Union and railway company. Build a bonfire song with word changes. Can someone start an e-m campaign.I travel by coach but I am absolutely behind the fans who like or have to travel by train as well as all the poor commuters who pay a fortune to get to work.
March from Brighton station to the ground. Any other idea's.e campaign

 

[TWOCHOICEStom]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FPSkBelwgw

 

[Blue Valkyrie]

The club need to put Southern on notice that any disruption to the service for the Leeds game will result in the cancellation of Southern's contract immediately.

 

[Mackenzie]

The club need to put Southern on notice that any disruption to the service for the Leeds game will result in the cancellation of Southern's contract immediately.

Then what?

 

[Audax]

SASTA passenger service director Angie Doll was on BBC Sussex yesterday evening responding to Barber's statement. In a long interview, she admits:
1. There was a 50 minute gap between services
2. SASTA have instigated an internal management review about Friday night to see what "lessons can be learned"
3. At no point, does she mention staff sickness as a cause of the problems
4. She said that "not as many conductors are working their rest day as we would like..."
5. She admits communications with the club broke down and holds her hands up
6. She has offered to go and meet with Barber face-to-face
7. She said that they are reviewing the commitments they make to additional and strengthened (railway talk for longer trains) services for weekday evening matches, when they have "much less operational flexibility"

Re.3: can we put to bed the much claimed issue that staff sickness was a cause of Friday? The interviewer gave Doll the chance to claim that, and she didn't.
Re.7: I suspect we are going to have less services scheduled for weekday evening games

PG

From this list, it's point #4 that is the damning one for Southern Fail. They've admitted time and again that in order to deliver a viable service, they are reliant on their staff working overtime and giving up their statutory entitlement to rest days. When Southern Fail go on to claim "unusual levels of staff sickness" for not having enough staff available at any given time, I look on those claims with scepticism: because even if there is an unusual level of staff sickness, it is likely to be the result of Southern expecting their staff to work longer hours than is healthy.

 

[Blue Valkyrie]

Then what?

As mentioned before...

either spend the money saved on carefully considered can-do alternatives,

Or if nothing is possible reduce ticket prices by the rail-fraction of the transport levy so people can put the money saved towards transport alternatives / petrol / parking fees themselves.


The rail service to the amex is not fit for purpose and actually delivers next to no service. Stop paying for nothing albion !!!

 

[Stat Brother]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FPSkBelwgw

Blimey The 7 Stars is busier than usual.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

Then what?

Indeed. My need is to get to and from the match and the only practical option is to travel by train. If the deal with Southern is cancelled, and the standard timetable is all that is available, the trains won't have enough space for me and thousands more to travel.

 

[Steve in Japan]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FPSkBelwgw

Seems like there was some besmirching by a few of the 30,000 (ahem) on Friday night.

 

[beorhthelm]

Indeed. My need is to get to and from the match and the only practical option is to travel by train. If the deal with Southern is cancelled, and the standard timetable is all that is available, the trains won't have enough space for me and thousands more to travel.

how many extra trains do they actually put on or lengthen? and for evening games they dont as i recall. i cant see much more than 8 cars an hour so about 1000 capacity extra, maybe wrong. the existing services to Seaford and Ashford really need to be addressed to sort out capacity.

on that note, if its not too late, people need to input in the consultation future timetables, to change the service to Ashford to a 4 or 8 car train at least as far as Eastbourne if not Hastings (several options presented). that would help a great deal.

back to the complaining. dont the Club also have to engage with the railway for their part of the planning agreement? I fear that the club may be limited in what it can do other than complain and cajole, they cant just turn away from the rail deal and it would not be in the fans interest to pay full fares either.

 

[Blue Valkyrie]

The problem is that what was once a good deal struck with Southern, is now an abysmal deal.

When is enough enough ?

Anecdotes of away fans spending the night at Brighton station.

Is this now acceptable ?


The deal needs renegotiating - with high penalty clauses for service failure included - so the albion do not end up paying for a virtually non-existant service.

 

[Bozza]

The problem is that what was once a good deal struck with Southern, is now an abysmal deal.

The deal needs renegotiating - with high penalty clauses for service failure included - so the albion do not end up paying for a virtually non-existant service.

Can you outline what the deal is and as I'm not sure many of us know and it would be interesting to understand the details.

 

[Bozza]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FPSkBelwgw

I understand what the club are trying to do, but is it only me that thought those photos just shows normal train travel to and from an Albion game?

1. Falmer stations very full. Yes, as they are for every train in the hour or so following every game.
2. Packed train. Yes, as they are to and from the Amex before and after every game.

No one has any issue with that. It's how it is and works just fine (if trains actually run).

 

[Thunder Bolt]

I understand what the club are trying to do, but is it only me that thought those photos just shows normal train travel to and from an Albion game?

1. Falmer stations very full. Yes, as they are for every train in the hour or so following every game.
2. Packed train. Yes, as they are to and from the Amex before and after every game.

No one has any issue with that. It's how it is and works just fine (if trains actually run).

That was a photo taken by Brett on Friday night.
[tweet]799743545523388417[/tweet]


I assume the point is that it was still like that over an hour later? As you say, straight after the match, it gets crowded, but when people are packed together like that for 50 minutes, then people will get restless.

 

[Blue Valkyrie]

Can you outline what the deal is and as I'm not sure many of us know and it would be interesting to understand the details.

No I cannot as I haven't seen the contract.

Which leads me to the concession that there may already be tough penalty clauses in it. Which would be most welcome.

But overall the albion really should not be paying the full rate now for the not fit for purpose service that is now delivered.