how was your travel tonight?

[jon@slonkhill]

Got there early as had dinner in East Stand Restaurant (Report to follow) so had no issue with trains.

On way back, left as final whistle blew and followed instructions to keep left for Brighton. I kept too fat left and realised I was walking to Moulsecombe. So by time walk back, I prob lost about one trains worth of space.

Queued for an hour to get train to Brighton, then was very lucky to get an immediate connection at Brighton for Shoreham. Just walked in the door now, which is 1h30 after the game finished.

I was actually home from Brentford in less time than this last year. There was also a one helluva queue behind me, so if we had waited to applaud the players, it would have been even later.

I go with my kids. I never planned to bring the youngest on a school night, but I need a different solution for the evenings.

The weekend was fine, even with 4,000 more people as the idea of staggering journey times home and using the bars works a treat. There is not this luxury in the evening, and when we have our 1st 22k evening game (prob Palace) I have no idea what will be done.

I think I will go back to using Mill Road Park and Ride for the evening games. Have also been watching comments with interest about those parking near the Hikers rest and walking. I would love to hear some more feedback on this regarding walking time and how easy it is to park.

One thing that really narked me today was the trains being let go when there was clearly a lot more space. In some cases there were even empty seats! I know it's health and safety, but it's inconsistant. At Brighton it was a free for all bundle for the train going West. And to be fair, most evenings the VIC to BTN train is a lot more chocka than the trains were leaving Falmer, and that's for an hours journey, not a 7 minute one!

I have actually taken some footage on my phone of the half empty trains leaving Falmer to email the club.

I would agree the train situation was really bad last night I was trying to get a train to brighton with 4 kids we waited for 45 min to get on at Falmer and there were loads of people behind us why can't southern send 8 carriage trains at least instead of the 4 its too long for people to wait we will put peple off if this is'nt sorted out

When you more away supporters wait for long period with home supporters you've got potential problems, need to be sorted before the Palace game in september

ideally you need trains to brighton every five mins with 8 carriages or even 12 in the first half hour after the match

 

[Gangsta]

I legged it to car in bennetts field ( parked at furthest point from exit ) at 90 mins and got out in 8 mins, home in withdean by 9.45.

Left home at 7.05 and got to seat just before kick off but would have been there 15 mins earlier i reckon if id cut down into coldean.

Bennetts field needs rethinking and I totally agree re comments on stewarding of car park - there will be trouble if its not sorted quick

 

[Mendoza]

Shambles, at the moment.

I don't think anyone can predict what the movements of that amount of people that given evening will be. When more non sths go it'll confuse things more.

After a few games I think people using Mill Road will move to Mithras or Racecourse and alleviate that issue, some may start to walk and some train users will use buses. I reckon it'll be fine after a few games, it just all needs to bed in.

Of course, loads of people will soon start driving and parking in Coldean too.

22,500 people getting away from one place at the same tim is hard and there will always be queues, we must learn patience for now.

some people walked down The A27 towards Coldean Lane to get on the bus, but because the buses didnt turn up in the first place, the two that did were full so didnt stop for the people who had walked down the road. No idea how long it took for them to get a bus.

As I said before, if the bus company actually ran the buses that were scheduled, there would hae been no problem. 4 or 5 buses were scheduled before 22.15. None turned up.

The train queue was huge, I think it will always be worse for night games as less people want to stick around for a drink, just want to get home and sleep.

 

[clarkey]

Im not the sort of person who ever worries or cares about this sort of thing. Im normally a if Ive got to queue then Ill queue sort of person, no fuss. But there is a genuine concern that if for example in a few weeks we beat palace and I stick around to applaud the team, have a sing song maybe a drink or two then I wont get back to Streatham.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

One thing I noticed was we were on a 8 carriage train from Falmer to Lewes, but only the front 5 Carriage's had access to Lewes Platform, luckily we were in the 2nd carriage so we got off no trouble. While we were waiting for the Newhaven train the stream of people coming off the 5th carriage was endless! Must of been there for 8-10 minutes waiting for everyone to get off the end carriages. Surely they could let all people of from carriages 1-5 shut the doors, move forward to allow carriages 6-8 access to the platform for a much quicker stop and not hold up trains that would be coming behind from Falmer?

That would hold up the trains coming from Victoria to Eastbourne and from Eastbourne to Victoria. And, if the signalling system isn't geared up to deal with a stationary train parked across two sets of points, it could cause a train crash.

 

[chobby]

You could always drop Dad off by the underpass on the way in, park the car, a walk down to meet up with him (and the same in reverse after the game). The bridge is your only real hurdle.... gently sloping ramp on the stadium side should be fine, but about 20 stairs on the A27 side might be an issue (although there are good handrails and decent grippy surface to the steps).

Ooo good idea, so I assume you enter before the sliproad then

 

[Lord Bracknell]

ideally you need trains to brighton every five mins with 8 carriages or even 12 in the first half hour after the match

As I've said before ... which platform would be available at Brighton station for all these trains to arrive at? Besides which, the signalling system on the line is designed in a way that wouldn't allow such a frequent service.

 

[les dynam]

From reading this thread post match
Trains: Shambles
Buses: Shambes
Car Park: Shambles
P&R Mithras: Shambles
P&R Racecourse: Works Well
Private Coaches/Mini Buses: Works Well

this is for a crowd of 16,200...

way over the top. trains worked really well for me last night. traveling from london road station and back. as they did for the spurs and donny games.

 

[Alex Alex Dawson oo! oo!]

Ooo good idea, so I assume you enter before the sliproad then

It is a good idea this from T'c; you follow the signs for Sussex University and Stanmer Park, go past the entrance to the latter and the stewards direct you to one of the five university car parks that the club are using. You'll drive past the underpass so can drop your father off there whilst you park.

 

[Theatre of Trees]

I don't think that the trains were 'a shambles' but certainly could have been a lot better. I know virtually nothing about trains so perhaps somebody who does know like Ernest can explain why they cannot have a train sitting at Falmer for when the match finishes that can leave immediately it is full, as there are not that many trains on that line: that would ease the initial surge and then rely on the normal timetable thereafter.

Because of the signalling only one train can run between Lewes and Brighton at a time which takes 15 minutes. My guess is that by sitting at Falmer that train will block up other services further down the line, for instance on Saturday if that train left Lewes at 4.40 and arrived at Falmer at 4.47 then sat and waited until 5.10 because of the large amount of injury time, many other services would be blocked further down the line to the east not being able to move until that Falmer one arrived at Brighton Station at 5.18. You have to remember that a lot of other people are using the trains on a Saturday who do not go to football and expect that service to keep with the timetable.

 

[eastlondonseagull]

There were definitely a couple of trains, possibly unscheduled, that came in quick succession after that 22:15 one. We got on a train at around 22:27. Had a bit of a wait at Brighton for a London Bridge train, then had a 30-minute wait there for my final train back to Petts Wood near Bromley. Finally got in at 1.30. Funnily enough, despite it taking almost four hours to get home after the final whistle, I thought the operation around the station was pretty slick and it was the annoying waits for further connections that drained the morale. Nothing the club can do about that.

That's great to hear. If they do lay on extra trains (must be unscheduled, 'cos they didn't come up on Trainline app) I should be ok, too. Well done making it back

 

[algie]

The longest queue i experienced last night was trying to leave the stand. I normally go over Falmer railway bridge to head towards Coldean but it was packed. Walked to Moulsecombe and went under the subway to Coldean. Parked close to the Hikers and drove home. Back in Crawley about 1 hour after whistle. No traffic problems with driving. Slightly slow going up Coldean hill but hardly a problem.

 

[eastlondonseagull]

Just out of interest, how long would it take to walk to Brighton station (or Lewes, if it's possible) from Falmer?

 

[Mark24]

I legged it to car in bennetts field ( parked at furthest point from exit ) at 90 mins and got out in 8 mins, home in withdean by 9.45.

Left home at 7.05 and got to seat just before kick off but would have been there 15 mins earlier i reckon if id cut down into coldean.

Bennetts field needs rethinking and I totally agree re comments on stewarding of car park - there will be trouble if its not sorted quick

You were lucky!! My son and I left a minute from the end of extra time (21.35?) and legged it round to Bennetts Field. We drove straight up to the exit, and were about 10th car away from the barrier - which was now down, and did not get raised again until 22.05... We were sitting there with no buses ready to go and not many people yet out of the stadium, but we were not allowed to leave... I understand giving the buses priority, but if this was properly managed, a lot of cars could have got away before the buses started to leave and could then have been filtered in amongst the buses - rather than just stopping ANY cars from leaving for over half an hour... The people at the back of the queue must have been there until well after 23.00...

Surely some common sense needed...

 

[CHAPPERS]

Just out of interest, how long would it take to walk to Brighton station (or Lewes, if it's possible) from Falmer?

I reckon Brighton is possible in an hour. Or walk to the Lecturn and jump in a cab. Or from the Hikers.

 

[Storer 68]

its a good point and I dont know the answers, do the trains have to go into Brighton? can they not go direct to Worthing / Three bridges? I am not sure as I dont use that service at all?

1- do the trains have to go to brighton ? - yes
2 - can they go direct to worthing / three bridgets ? no

 

[BHAFC_Pandapops]

In what was our biggest midweek attendence for years ?

good. the mill road queue was splayed out in front of the race hill queue though. People just stand there not letting you through. Mostly were good people though.

 

[Hornblower]

Can someone remind me what the possible penalties are for parking in the Coldean area and walking in?

Tried the P and R and the train, queueing on a night like last night isn't a problem but queueing for an hour in driving rain might not be so pleasant - I'd rather be walking.

 

[Scotty Mac]

left the game with five minutes to go, back in brighton by 10.20, time for a quick half and then train back to burgess hill. home around 11

the moral of the story appears to be that if you want to get out quickly of an evening game, then you will have to leave early. the stadium was 5000 short of capacity last night and it was carnage getting out. extending the ground would add an extra 13000 on top of what was there, and that will just be totally unmanagable

 

[hans kraay fan club]

left the game with five minutes to go, back in brighton by 10.20, time for a quick half and then train back to burgess hill. home around 11

It worked out for you okay last night. If Gills had nicked a late goal, though, you'd actually have been leaving 35 minutes from the end...