Brighton Station Pre Match Last Night

[dazzer6666]

It is cause of an organised complaint. I am speechless at the rotten service. It is getting worse.

I am thinking of cycling the 12 miles to Shoreham next season as it takes 90 minutes to get there (105 minutes last night) and two hours to get home. I thought I had planned the trains out really well as well.

It is a serious downer. Buses from Shoreham were even worse. Same time taken before they were discontinued.

Unless, the trains companies can provide a better service, I think they ought to drop the travel arrangements (if possible) because the service is not a service at all, it is a money pinching rip off.

If they drop the travel arrangements I think you can look forward to 10,000 rattling around inside the stadium. No sensible alternative as there will be fewer trains and P&R are already at capacity. I was thinking of cycling (under an hour I'd think) or running (couple of hours each way depending on route) from Burgess Hill once or twice next season - if the latter it'll be a bit smelly for those around me but they'll have to lump it.

 

[CheeseRolls]

Thank you.

With respect, I think that the transport arrangements and how they're implemented are EVERYTHING to do with Paul Barber. Specific one-off failures aren't his fault but as people have pointed out transport failures are happening all the time. Last night's chaos at Brighton seems to be no more than an extreme example of a regular problem. Transport to games is part of the product he's selling for and am not sure that he gives much of a toss about this sort of thing. How much does he care? Has he, for example, already asked British Rail and the Police for an explanation of what happened and is he planning to put out an apology on the website? Let's see.

'Dangerous overcrowded'? People sitting on tables down carriages because there isn't enough floorspace. Children in tears. People fighting to get OFF the train before it leaves. That sort of thing.

I do feel that some people would be better to look at alternatives, especially when taking small children to games. Pay for parking at the University, or there is the Seagulls Express coaches and as a couple of people have highlighted the buses seem to work quite well.

I tried the buses once and there were no 25s showing, so I got another service and ended up with a half mile walk. It wasn't the end of the world, but it didn't strike me as that convenient. If I am late for a night match and going through Brighton, I will certainly try again.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

Why not an additional Park and Ride at Withdean?

Didn't there used to be one? No idea why it was scrapped but think Lord B knows about this. IIRC, he was responsible for it in the first place

The Club's earlier (unsuccessful) search for a fourth P&R site was based on the perceived need to identify more capacity for cars travelling from places that weren't well served by Mill Road, Mithras House or the Racecourse.

But we are now facing a quite different problem - the fact that Mill Road fills up and cars have to be turned away.

With this happening regularly, there needs to be an overflow car park close to Mill Road. Withdean is ideal, although it would need to be properly set up, probably with some modifications to the lay-out at what used to be the South Stand turnstile area when the site was the Albion's stadium, to increase capacity.

Yes, I was responsible for managing and setting up the Withdean shoppers' park & ride service, when it first became a permanent daily, year-round service in the years before the Albion moved in. We were bold in those days, doing things like demolishing the old tennis centre to increase the number of spaces. What needs to be done these days is far less radical, but - in my view - feasible.

 

[rippleman]

I've only read the first page, but I can pretty much guess what the other posts are saying.

I have twice written to that nice Mr Barber this season regarding the train travel for evening matches. Doesn't appear that my missives have had any impact whatsoever as its clearly getting worse.

One would like to think that Mr Barber would have negotiated a Service Level Agreement with Southern setting out what trains / coaches will be required (and incorporating financial penalties if those services aren't delivered).

I think that the club must be paying Southern "up front" so there is no incentive for Southern to provide any service whatsoever. They already have their money as is evidenced by the shoddy and dismissive attitude of their staff. It is shabby in the extreme that very often wheelchair users can't leave the train because the Southern staff can't be arsed to stand ready with the ramp when the trains arrive.

Now if you asked a builder to build you a conservatory and were quoted 10K and you gave the builder 10K up front, what do you think is going to happen with your new conservatory? The club should be paying in installments, and withholding payment if Southern don't deliver.

Surely somebody with the financial experience and acumen as our nice Mr Barber can negotiate a far better deal for next season.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Withdean is ideal, although it would need to be properly set up, probably with some modifications to the lay-out at what used to be the South Stand turnstile area when the site was the Albion's stadium, to increase capacity.

Have you taken a look up there recently Lord B? The South Stand turnstile area is already a fully tarmac'ed parking area, albeit behind locked gates and a wire mesh fence. To my admittedly untrained eye, all it would need is a some white lines painting, some additional sign-posting and to unlock the gates on match-days. I daresay it's not quite that simple. On the other hand, it probably isn't rocket science either.

 

[CheeseRolls]

The Club's earlier (unsuccessful) search for a fourth P&R site was based on the perceived need to identify more capacity for cars travelling from places that weren't well served by Mill Road, Mithras House or the Racecourse.

But we are now facing a quite different problem - the fact that Mill Road fills up and cars have to be turned away.

With this happening regularly, there needs to be an overflow car park close to Mill Road. Withdean is ideal, although it would need to be properly set up, probably with some modifications to the lay-out at what used to be the South Stand turnstile area when the site was the Albion's stadium, to increase capacity.

Yes, I was responsible for managing and setting up the Withdean shoppers' park & ride service, when it first became a permanent daily, year-round service in the years before the Albion moved in. We were bold in those days, doing things like demolishing the old tennis centre to increase the number of spaces. What needs to be done these days is far less radical, but - in my view - feasible.

It shouldn't be difficult to identify a potential park & ride site in the Shoreham/Lancing area. How this works with local planning is anyone's guess. Last week the training ground was granted permission for a fourth floodlit pitch, with the restriction that only three sets of floodlights can be on at any one time. Seriously who exactly benefits from this sort of nonsense ?

 

[Bozza]

I have twice written to that nice Mr Barber this season regarding the train travel for evening matches. Doesn't appear that my missives have had any impact whatsoever as its clearly getting worse.

One would like to think that Mr Barber would have negotiated a Service Level Agreement with Southern setting out what trains / coaches will be required (and incorporating financial penalties if those services aren't delivered).
....
Surely somebody with the financial experience and acumen as our nice Mr Barber can negotiate a far better deal for next season.

To be fair, I imagine the agreement with transport providers was agreed long before Paul Barber crossed the Albion's threshold, with he and the club now tied into that arrangement. There may be very limited, if any, wriggle room for the club until such time as contracts are renewed. And I have no idea when that will be.

I was fortunate enough to be able to travel quite early yesterday. Arrived into Brighton around 5:15 and quickly legged it across the station to catch a 5:20-something train to Eastbourne and straight into Dick's by about 5:35. We came out of Dick's around 6:20 and it was still very, very quiet - it's clear that people arrive close to kick-off for weekday matches, many not through choice, but through the other demands they have on their time. You simply can't tell people to travel earlier - many simply can't - I'm sure they'd love to if they could.

It all sounds pretty unsavoury last night, but something like that has been building for a while. I wouldn't travel by train with my 11 year old on a train for an evening game - I simply do not feel it's safe for her, and that can't be right.

 

[Bwian]

Will there any spare rolling stock when the new Thameslink trains come into service

There was spare rolling stock last night but Southern thought it was better to park an 8 carriage train whilst 2 and 3 carriage trains were not coping with the crush.

 

[Bozza]

It shouldn't be difficult to identify a potential park & ride site in the Shoreham/Lancing area. How this works with local planning is anyone's guess. Last week the training ground was granted permission for a fourth floodlit pitch, with the restriction that only three sets of floodlights can be on at any one time. Seriously who exactly benefits from this sort of nonsense ?

The problem with PnR sites that distant from the Amex is you would need a lot of buses as the turnaround time in getting from the Amex -> Shoreham/Lacing -> the Amex for a second pick-up would take a very long time.

 

[seagullsovergrimsby]

Don't know why the number 25 when there is a midweek evening game can't terminate at the Imperial Arcade stop instead of going to Palmeira Square. It could then start the journey to Falmer from Brighton Station as an express shuttle service with Old Steine and St Peters Church as stopping points if not full up.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

Have you taken a look up there recently Lord B? The South Stand turnstile area is already a fully tarmac'ed parking area, albeit behind locked gates and a wire mesh fence. To my admittedly untrained eye, all it would need is a some white lines painting, some additional sign-posting and to unlock the gates on match-days. I daresay it's not quite that simple. On the other hand, it probably isn't rocket science either.

That's all I mean by saying that simple modifications to the site are needed. But they do need to be done (and paid for).

Incidentally, the tarmac that you refer to is "my" old tarmac, pre-dating the Albion's tenancy of the stadium.

 

[westy]

All the trains were 3 or 4 coaches and not the usual 6-8 and they were half empty. It was the worst i have known it there in 3 years

Couldn't agree more. Fights breaking out, people falling between the train and the platform. Utter, utter shambles.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

That's all I mean by saying that simple modifications to the site are needed. But they do need to be done (and paid for).

Incidentally, the tarmac that you refer to is "my" old tarmac, pre-dating the Albion's tenancy of the stadium.

Then let it be proclaimed that from this day forth you shall bear the title Sir Lord Bracknell of Tarmac

 

[Lord Bracknell]

Don't know why the number 25 when there is a midweek evening game can't terminate at the Imperial Arcade stop instead of going to Palmeira Square. It could then start the journey to Falmer from Brighton Station as an express shuttle service with Old Steine and St Peters Church as stopping points if not full up.

The bendy-buses used on the 25 would cause chaos getting to and from Brighton Station. Palmeira Square and the Old Steine are just about the only places in the city centre that they can reasonably turn.

 

[Marty___Mcfly]

Is the issue with the trains that Southern are only allowed (by Network Rail?) to put a fixed amount of carriages on to the network per day, and that they choose to use this allocation for commuter trains rather than additional carriages for matchday trains?

 

[CheeseRolls]

The problem with PnR sites that distant from the Amex is you would need a lot of buses as the turnaround time in getting from the Amex -> Shoreham/Lacing -> the Amex for a second pick-up would take a very long time.

Google maps under normal conditions suggests 18 minutes to Lancing straight along the bypass, as opposed to 10 minutes to the Racecourse. Under heavy traffic conditions the latter will be more severely affected than the former. I would suggest it was not impossible, from a logistics perspective.

From a financial perspective it may be better for the club to accept smaller crowds for evening games, rather than increasing the cost base, when over the course of a season, the number of midweek games is relatively low and when things generally run smoother on a Saturday.

 

[seagullsovergrimsby]

The bendy-buses used on the 25 would cause chaos getting to and from Brighton Station. Palmeira Square and the Old Steine are just about the only places in the city centre that they can reasonably turn.

My thought would be for the bus to go up Dyke Road to the Dials into Buckingham Place & Terminus Road and down to the station. To avoid the left turn at the Clock Tower continue down West Street to get to the Old Steine.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

Is the issue with the trains that Southern are only allowed (by Network Rail?) to put a fixed amount of carriages on to the network per day, and that they choose to use this allocation for commuter trains rather than additional carriages for matchday trains?

No. The issue will be that Southern only have a limited number of carriages and they prioritise (quite rightly) their daily customers.

Extra trains for evening football matches could, no doubt, be acquired, but the costs would be horrendous, to say nothing of the costs of providing the land and track to park them on, for the 355 days a year that they would be doing nothing. The only way I could imagine this happening would be if the Albion agreed to pay the capital costs. I'd rather the money was spent on strengthening the squad. Or buying gold-plated cutlery to be given away with the pies.

 

[8ace]

My thought would be for the bus to go up Dyke Road to the Dials into Buckingham Place & Terminus Road and down to the station. To avoid the left turn at the Clock Tower continue down West Street to get to the Old Steine.

It's already chocka around the station with the existing buses, sherberts and the roadworks.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

My thought would be for the bus to go up Dyke Road to the Dials into Buckingham Place & Terminus Road and down to the station. To avoid the left turn at the Clock Tower continue down West Street to get to the Old Steine.

There would be another operational problem for the bus company, though.

These are scheduled daily bus services that have to run to a timetable registered with the Traffic Commissioner, which is enforced by VOSA. NOT running the advertised service to Palmeira Square on days when a football match is being played would let down the year-round customers and incur massive penalties from the enforcement authorities. Bus services may be "de-regulated", but they are not that de-regulated.