Brighton Station Pre Match Last Night

[Mellor 3 Ward 4]

But according to our 'transport Manager' there are no problems or issues.

I wonder how many of the people making the decisions regarding to the transport to/from the Amex have ever used P&R, busses! trains etc...

 

[perseus]

Last night at least one train left Brighton with plenty of space available in the last carriage.

Was that deliberately left for people getting on at London Road

That was my assessment of the situation.

 

[perseus]

Extremely Annoyed

But according to our 'transport Manager' there are no problems or issues.

I wonder how many of the people making the decisions regarding to the transport to/from the Amex have ever used P&R, busses! trains etc...

This is outrageous! I am getting fed up with being herded like cattle and a two hour journey to go back 12 miles.

I don't buy not enough coaches. I ascertain can't be bothered or being deliberately malicious.

West Coastway, I don't think their service is good enough in rush hour when the football is not on. West Coastway being much the worse part than Brighton to Falmer.

 

[perseus]

I was told that the 6.30am money train from LA to LB of 12 carriages, that is 800 odd full & standing after Hove, has it's only other trip of the day doing the return leg when it then has 10 hours kip after a 10 hour daytime siesta...hard life

I noted that. Whilst waiting at Shoreham, the London trains going the other way are standing passengers. But it still takes just over an hour to get from Victoria. It takes two hours to get 12 miles home from Falmer. People (rationally) might decide it is less grief to watch the football on TV?

 

[Lord Bracknell]

7pm is not a full capacity time

If you're a commuter to London from where I live, it's quite likely that you'll want to travel home on the first train out of Victoria after 5.30pm (which I know from experience can be packed). That train gets to Eastbourne at 7.36pm - far too late for the carriages to be used to lengthen trains going from Eastbourne to Falmer.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

While this may be unpopular with those who use London Road or Moulescoombe stations it makes no sense to me to have those stops operating in the Brighton - Falmer direction for the hour (or more) before kick off.
Make everyone train into Brighton and then back out again. Or just walk Moulescoombe is not exactly far. (mobility issues excepted obv)

When I travel home from Moulsecoomb on a workday, there's just one train an hour that will take me to my station. Most of the people who use that train regularly aren't Albion fans. Are you seriously suggesting that their train shouldn't stop at Moulsecoomb and they should wait "for the hour (or more)" to make their journey home?

 

[dazzer6666]

No more evening games..........

 

[Lord Bracknell]

Got in the station at 1855, got on a train at 1940, missed first 15 mins of the game. The first train had TWO carriages ...

Are you suggesting that they should run the train to Ashford International with EIGHT carriages and take six whole carriages out of the mix that is available to shuttle fans to the game? Or are you just suggesting that Southern stop running trains from Brighton to Ashford on match days?

 

[C1 BHA]

I don't know what I'm suggesting your Lordship, merely wondering why it was such an uber cock up last Thurs, it's not normally a problem getting to the Amex for evening games. (Except Leeds)

 

[Deadly Danson]

This is outrageous! I am getting fed up with being herded like cattle and a two hour journey to go back 12 miles.

I don't buy not enough coaches. I ascertain can't be bothered or being deliberately malicious.

West Coastway, I don't think their service is good enough in rush hour when the football is not on. West Coastway being much the worse part than Brighton to Falmer.

Doesn't really matter whether you "buy" that there's not enough coaches cos it's a fact. And this is proved by the fact that there are plenty of longer coaches put on on Saturdays when they are available. If you're seriously suggesting that Southern should buy a load more coaches at a cost of millions of pounds just for under ten evenings a year then that's just not realistic especially as there's nothing in it for them. And, assuming Southern don't get awarded the new franchise, I guarantee you the situation won't change dramatically for evening games whoever is in charge.

In my opinion the only thing that can realistically be done to help the situation is to improve the stewarding at both Brighton and Falmer and, for evening games, have shuttle buses as an overflow running from the back of the station to Falmer but this would have to be paid for by someone and I'm guessing neither the club or Southern would be keen.

 

[Deadly Danson]

I don't know what I'm suggesting your Lordship, merely wondering why it was such an uber cock up last Thurs, it's not normally a problem getting to the Amex for evening games. (Except Leeds)

Simply the lack of preparation time. I think contingencies could have been in place earlier but it was never an easy ask to have additional guards, drivers, rolling stock, platform staff etc all ready to go in four days.

 

[C1 BHA]

4 days!!!!! 4 days isn't long enough?

 

[C1 BHA]

As you say DD, contingencies could have been in place, the footy season started way back in August.

 

[jackanada]

When I travel home from Moulsecoomb on a workday, there's just one train an hour that will take me to my station. Most of the people who use that train regularly aren't Albion fans. Are you seriously suggesting that their train shouldn't stop at Moulsecoomb and they should wait "for the hour (or more)" to make their journey home?

I was suggesting that for a window of time only trains travelling into brighton would stop at london road and moulescoomb. I am of course unaware how many services there are and how much time the extra change of having to go into Brighton first will add on to the small number of people affected.

 

[jackanada]

As you say DD, contingencies could have been in place, the footy season started way back in August.

But [MENTION=14929]superbez[/MENTION] said the season was over at the beginning of april so they would have cancelled them

 

[perseus]

I suppose what I am saying is West Coastway can only just about cope with the number of passengers properly on a normal work day non-rush hour. It is hardly surprising that in a rush hour with the football on and normal trains and sometimes less trains than normal (last Thursday) it is really described as hell and it is possible to put up with it for 25 minutes but that is only the start.

Going back it is waiting for the connections. I want an extra train on the West Coastway route. Against Millwall (mid-week game) there was a three coach train that went straight to Falmer. But even that was too packed.

Any fans that have to change at Brighton have a torrid journey. It needs creative thinking.

When the oldest trains on the railway network running regular services are finally retired, maybe they could be used as a relief train. But sometimes the trains are really much better and longer so there must be some spare capacity.

I think the staff do the job OK. It is the managers.

One day I see one of the old trains breaking down on-route. I hope I am not on the train and on the viaduct and then I think of WWII.

With 40 thousand passengers using Brighton station every day, I don't suppose are extra 10% for 25 days a year really figure on their priorities?

More than a little fed up with the trains. I think I could handle the trip into Brighton without too much of a sweat. It is the other bit that is too much.

 

[Deadly Danson]

As you say DD, contingencies could have been in place, the footy season started way back in August.

Yeah true - but from a business point of view, it's not easy to have staff all ready to go on the off chance there was going to be a game. You really need to commit to paying say 8-10 extra staff in advance for an evening's overtime when the likelihood was they wouldn't be needed. As it was I know they were desperately looking for extra staff to work the trains well into match day.

And, honestly, the railway is never the most efficient of beasts at the best of times I'm afraid.

 

[perseus]

Doesn't really matter whether you "buy" that there's not enough coaches cos it's a fact. And this is proved by the fact that there are plenty of longer coaches put on on Saturdays when they are available. If you're seriously suggesting that Southern should buy a load more coaches at a cost of millions of pounds just for under ten evenings a year then that's just not realistic especially as there's nothing in it for them. And, assuming Southern don't get awarded the new franchise, I guarantee you the situation won't change dramatically for evening games whoever is in charge.

In my opinion the only thing that can realistically be done to help the situation is to improve the stewarding at both Brighton and Falmer and, for evening games, have shuttle buses as an overflow running from the back of the station to Falmer but this would have to be paid for by someone and I'm guessing neither the club or Southern would be keen.

Fair comment. Some Saturdays are better than others though.

I would like to see a three coach train straight from Worthing, semi-fast to Falmer & Lewes at rush hours football or not. I appreciate it might cause problems for other services though. I think the stewarding is mostly OK.

I am trying to work out an alternative. Staying behind for a pint did not work. Just as crowded. I can put up with 90 minutes travel each way. Just that extra half an hour.

As someone said the trains are bad at the best of times, but that is 35 minutes from Falmer to Shoreham, not two hours.

 

[worthingseagull]

I know how to improve matters, lets all stop going for a game (implying there's more of that to come if you don't sort it)- imagine an attendance of 5000 at the Amex, even the caterers might excel then

 

[Deleted User X18H]

What I noticed on Thursday was the amount of fans waiting on the Brighton side of London Road Station.

Obviously they gamble that the train they get into Brighton ,will then form a service back out to Falmer.

(But as far as I could see BT Police shepperd everyone off trains arriving at Brighton.)

So when these trains arrive at Brighton there are already a fair few Albion fans already aboard. Which doesn't help.