From the horses mouth, RE trains from Falmer.

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Tricky Dicky

New member
Jul 27, 2004
13,558
Sunny Shoreham
Cheaper than trains for sure but someone like B&H Buses, Metrobus etc will still have to buy/lease additional buses in order to have the spare capacity to be able to provide a shuttle service. Just like some expect Southern to produce extra rolling stock out of thin air on a Tuesday evening I can't see this being a cost effective proposition for x23 afternoons/evenings pa..

So, what is your solution for increased capacity then. Can't do trains (I agree), you say buses can't be done. What do you expect 7,000 people on skateboards ? I was just trying to suggest the least worse solution.
 




Uter

Well-known member
Aug 5, 2008
1,508
The land of chocolate
Cheaper than trains for sure but someone like B&H Buses, Metrobus etc will still have to buy/lease additional buses in order to have the spare capacity to be able to provide a shuttle service. Just like some expect Southern to produce extra rolling stock out of thin air on a Tuesday evening I can't see this being a cost effective proposition for x23 afternoons/evenings pa..

Thinking outside the box here, if the issue is a lack of buses then could the club buy say 20 double deckers and then lease them back to B&H buses at a favourable rate, with them providing the maintenance and storage, on the condition that they are made available for match day use. On non-match days B&H could be free to do what they like with them. It could be a mutually beneficial arrangement. B&H buses get extra buses on the cheap. We get our extra match day capacity.
 


deletebeepbeepbeep

Well-known member
May 12, 2009
21,820
Or we could build a massive TRAVELATOR like you find in the airports. That'd do the job.



That would be wickerd. The green councillors atthe planning meeting for the P&R site at the racecourse requested that BHAFC provide a sustainable transport system in the next few years. They would love that.
 


JCL - the new kid in town

Well-known member
Aug 23, 2011
1,864
Teleporters is surely the best option. I know Falmer only has the capacity for 8 teleporters but I'm sure with a bit of extra funding they could increase it to 12 and I reckon that would help ease any transport concerns people have.

the problem with teleporters is that they don't have a very quick turnaround with each one taking at least 2 mins to analyse the person and transmit before recharging and they are very expensive to run. Plus you'd need to buy a lot of fly spray to stop the inevititable transmogrification
 


Badger

NOT the Honey Badger
NSC Patron
May 8, 2007
13,117
Toronto
the problem with teleporters is that they don't have a very quick turnaround with each one taking at least 2 mins to analyse the person and transmit before recharging and they are very expensive to run. Plus you'd need to buy a lot of fly spray to stop the inevititable transmogrification

Yes I admit there are teething problems to overcome but I hear the next generation of teleporters take only 30 seconds. Of course they are still yet to come up with a way of avoiding the 1% of people that get vaporised never to reappear, but more often than not it would be an away supporter due to their inferior genetic make-up.
 




JCL - the new kid in town

Well-known member
Aug 23, 2011
1,864
Yes I admit there are teething problems to overcome but I hear the next generation of teleporters take only 30 seconds. Of course they are still yet to come up with a way of avoiding the 1% of people that get vaporised never to reappear, but more often than not it would be an away supporter due to their inferior genetic make-up.

perhaps we could get a sponsporship deal with CERN. Would we really want to allow the away supporters to use them, apart from the fact they wouldn't understand how to use it, do we care if they have to wait for trains and just imagine if a Palace fan and Brighton fan got mixed together by a faulty teleporter, it would be alright for the Palace fan being genetically improved but just imagine the life you would have subjected that albion fan to.......
 


Thinking outside the box here, if the issue is a lack of buses then could the club buy say 20 double deckers and then lease them back to B&H buses at a favourable rate, with them providing the maintenance and storage, on the condition that they are made available for match day use. On non-match days B&H could be free to do what they like with them. It could be a mutually beneficial arrangement. B&H buses get extra buses on the cheap. We get our extra match day capacity.
1999 DENNIS TRIDENT ALEXANDER ALX400 76 SEAT WITH BELTS & RPC CERTIFICATE | eBay

At £37,500 per bus ... that's £750,000 to buy 20 buses. Add £10,000 a year per bus for maintenance and repairs (for, say, five years) - that's a total of £1.75 million you're committing.

And then there's the running costs to cover.

Incidentally, buses built before 2000 (like the one in the eBay ad) won't be usable on regular bus routes after 2017, because they don't meet the disability access regulations. So they won't be much use to B&H Buses in the long run.
 


Uter

Well-known member
Aug 5, 2008
1,508
The land of chocolate




portlock seagull

Well-known member
Jul 28, 2003
17,793
I think we should leave to the experts. The club, Lord B, SCC and National Rail will all know about what's acceptable and what isn't more than the rest of us. I also think it's too early to tell. I'm still working out my best mode of transport in and out, for saturday and evening games not helped by the ever changing times and days we play football matches!!
 


So, what is your solution for increased capacity then. Can't do trains (I agree), you say buses can't be done. What do you expect 7,000 people on skateboards ? I was just trying to suggest the least worse solution.

I don't have a solution but unless the club is able to demonstrate that there is a credible transport management plan in place that works for 22,500 then there's no point in submitting an extension application.
The transport arrangements seem to have improved since BHA appointed a transport manager (Steven Reeves) in August; he's been poached from B&HCC (transport planning), knows what he's doing so it's an excellent appt. However, the club could have done with having him on-board back in August 2010 rather than expecting Richard Hebberd to handle transport as part of his "Stadium Operations Manager" brief - getting to/from the Amex was always going to be a potential mare so expecting someone to handle it p/t is too much imo. Had SR been in place last year then many on the transport management/planning issues that have irritated supporters or could delay a capacity extension application, might have been avoided:
eg basing travel management plan on flawed STH travel survey (design excluded near/on-site parking option and away supporters - club continued it's contention that all away supporters will travel to the Amex by coach), P&R - is it really sustainable transport, update definition and recognition (2010 D&E Act) of what is adisabled supporter and build-in facilities to enable them ready access to the stadium, erroneus statements in planning application (eg Bennett's Field - availability and road access to Southern Water site, feasibilty of staggered arrival and departure from the c/p), expecting councillors and officers to expedite a planning application because as club didn't realise that planning consent was required (introducing a P&R at a Racecourse is a change of use - doh!)...........
 


Rich Suvner

Skint years RIP
Jul 17, 2003
2,500
Worthing
These guys need to commute to London. Every day there is a worse crush in the underground at major stations than you will ever experience at Falmer.

couldn't agree more - and when you consider most people expect to depart the train within 5 minutes in either direction the trains should have more people put on them

i don't think there's any genuine chaos, but it cant hurt to get people away quicker. i dont however think the current situation will enable a capacity expansion of 50%.
 




Brovion

In my defence, I was left unsupervised.
NSC Patron
Jul 6, 2003
19,888
But, like the trains, are there "spare" units and drivers available anywhere to provide a shuttle bus service? P&R buses are being brought in from all round the place, presumablly because B&H Buses doesn't have the capacity for 4-5 hours x23 or so times per year.
Given the costs involved it would be cheaper for the club to buy a fleet of 30 double-decker buses, build a new underground garage at Falmer to house them and train up 60 or so part-time drivers. Use those as shuttles to and from St Peters.

EDIT: I see this has already been mentioned! Lord B isn't a 100% in favour, but I still maintain that it's cheaper than re-vamping the rail system.
 




rippleman

Well-known member
Oct 18, 2011
4,988
Train Service

My experience has been that given the limited facilities at Falmer, the stewards and the train-spotter hobby bobbies do a really good job. They are polite and efficient. The systems they use to get people away after the game seem to work really well. Thanks.

My problems have been at Brighton station where the numpties erect a barricade that prevents those getting off the Falmer service from joining the London or west coastway services. Instead they herd everybody out on to the main concourse. Why?

What happens then is that everybody who wants an onbound service has to go back through the inadequate number of barriers, some of which appear not to work.

The upshot is that there is a massive crush of people trying to get through the "baby & buggy" gate, to catch their train. The problem is then exacerbated by idiotic station staff at the barriers trying to check tickets.

Clearly a case of putting revenue before public safety and the comfort and convenience of paying passengers.

I've seen station staff and BTP red in face, shouting at each other and running around like headless chickens.

The staff at Brighton really need to up their game. Shouldnt be too difficult...take a trip to Falmer station on matchdays and see how it should be done!
 






Herr Tubthumper

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jul 11, 2003
62,763
The Fatherland


Tim Over Whelmed

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jul 24, 2007
10,660
Arundel
I'm sure this must have been said before but why can't they put on a longer train and feed the carraiges along the platform? i.e. Carraiges 1 - 4 get filled doors close, train moves forward and carraiges 5 - 8 only open doors, doors close, moves forward again and doors 9 - 12 open, close train moves off?
 


British Bulldog

The great escape
Feb 6, 2006
10,974
Those were the days BB, long before cab radio was installed. Bet you flagged many a signal when we had track failures that lasted all day! And your right it was bloody cold in the winter months

your right mate I flagged loads of signals in all different places during failures and maintenance, Some of the jobs were quite nice when the weather was ok but more often than not it would be cold and wet. I think the coldest I ever got was flagging a signal between Ford and Barnham, There was a real bitterly cold wind blowing across the fields and snow on the ground and owing to a lack of manpower I ended up freezing my nuts off at that signal for the full 12 hour shift. In a lot of respects I was glad when the days of flagging signals come to an end.
 




Weatherman

New member
Jun 10, 2008
323
I just need someone from southern rail to tell me why they can't put on more carriages to Lewes and run trains more frequently. I know about the platform issue and admittedly I got on a 6 coach train on sat but have looked up times of trains for west ham game and there isn't one to Lewes between 10.15 and 10.45 approx. laughable. I would like to stay for a drink for a change and not rush out on the whistle.

The Lewes shuttles have to go in on platform 5 which will hold 6 coaches max.
 


Weatherman

New member
Jun 10, 2008
323
I'm sure this must have been said before but why can't they put on a longer train and feed the carraiges along the platform? i.e. Carraiges 1 - 4 get filled doors close, train moves forward and carraiges 5 - 8 only open doors, doors close, moves forward again and doors 9 - 12 open, close train moves off?

A complete lack of understanding of train working/ regulations. The signal will turn to red after the first few coaches have gone past and the signal behind will get a proceed aspect. As far as the driver of the next train is concerned the next section is clear. If your brilliant idea was implemented then a train could come out of Falmer tunnel and pile into the coaches still being filled at the platform.
 


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