Perry's Plea / No Trains for Rotherham?

[Blue Valkyrie]

It's still very early days, and it could be, (he says hopefully), that as this situation develops, emergency timetable or not, Sasta agree to provide a reasonable service, at least for evening football hone games.

After all, we are talking about a lot of revenue here, both for the football;club, and for the railway company..

Let's hope so.

 

[The Albion Roar]

It's still very early days, and it could be, (he says hopefully), that as this situation develops, emergency timetable or not, Sasta agree to provide a reasonable service, at least for evening football hone games.

There's no incentive for SASTA to do so, as they have no obligation to provide a good service.

In fact, the long game - patsies that they are - is to be as disruptive as possible in the hope that it will break the unions. SASTA (Charles Horton et al) are being paid to be in this for the long-haul.

After all, we are talking about a lot of revenue here, both for the football;club, and for the railway company..

It's not the railway company that receives the ticket revenue, it's the government. The government merely sub-contract the work to Southern (who are not the franchise-holders - just the government's lightning rod) to collect the fares.

So again, the government will - for the time being at least - prioritise breaking the unions over making sure football fans are OK.

 

[father_and_son]

I guess it all depends on the contract and all the legal mumbo jumbo that is in that. If there's nothing in the contract about the case of Southern failing to provide a service, then sadly that would surely from a legal perspective mean the club can't withhold payment. You'd hope our legal team however didn't let the contract for the trains go through without a sub section in relation to a failure of Southern being able to provide the service.

I would imagine that the contract explicitly states that "Industrial Action" is deemed out of the control of SASTA and so they would claim Force Majeure and not have to pay the club back a single penny.

A little surprised that B&H buses haven't stepped in with a killer new contract offering to shuttle fans in from a multitude of locations in order to pocket the payment that would have been paid to SASTA in future years. There's a lot of cash at stake and buses/coaches are the only realistic alternative to trains. Buses must look like an attractive proposition for the club AND the fans right now.

 

[The Albion Roar]

I would imagine that the contract explicitly states that "Industrial Action" is deemed out of the control of SASTA and so they would claim Force Majeure and not have to pay the club back a single penny.

That may account for this week. But it doesn't account for next week's Rotherham match, nor any further weekday/weekend disruption due to this farcical 'emergency timetable'.

A little surprised that B&H buses haven't stepped in with a killer new contract offering to shuttle fans in from a multitude of locations in order to pocket the payment that would have been paid to SASTA in future years. There's a lot of cash at stake and buses/coaches are the only realistic alternative to trains. Buses must look like an attractive proposition for the club AND the fans right now.

Like SASTA, Brighton & Hove Buses are also short-staffed - though unlike SASTA, they are actually doing something about that in this instance.

The club is having to hire in buses from as far away as Bristol, I'm told - leaving me with a small handful of fanciful considerations...

1. The entire B&H bus fleet is still being used during immediate pre- and post-match times and/or
2. Not enough staff to go round during immediate pre- and post-match times and/or
3. The club and the bus company can't strike the right deal and/or
4. Brighton & Hove Buses couldn't give a toss and/or
5. A fifth excuse I haven't though of

GTR (Govia Thameslink Railway), which covers Southern and Thameslink, are 65% owned by the Go Ahead Group. Brighton & Hove Buses are 100% owned by the Go Ahead Group. Different companies in the same group but the same indifference towards their customers, I'd suggest.

 

[Blue Valkyrie]

Having made alternative transport arrangements for Colchester and Forest, now I have to plan Rotherham.

It seems slightly easier as it's only the Brighton Station-Falmer leg of the journey which appears kyboshed.

The bus looks the best and cheapest bet for this one.

 

[Guinness Boy]

GTR (Govia Thameslink Railway), which covers Southern and Thameslink, are 65% owned by the Go Ahead Group. Brighton & Hove Buses are 100% owned by the Go Ahead Group. Different companies in the same group but the same indifference towards their customers, I'd suggest.

And here's where we really get kicked in the teeth. The club have already paid Southern for the travel levy (I assume, else we'd be holding it back) and, while it's ultimately gone to the government I'm sure a portion has at least been recorded as income / turnover by Go Ahead. Our alternative seems to be hiring more buses and paying.....Go Ahead. Or driving. Big business wins. Football fans lose. Ecological soundness loses. This is EXACTLY what we voted for in 2015 (not me and you, obviously, but the country). Perhaps the Lib Dems weren't so bad after all.

Anyway, I'm park and riding from Portslade on Friday with the boy and then treating myself to some come-what-may shenanigans without him on Tiuesday that may, or may not, involve taxis, buses, walking, jogging and pleading.

 

[The Albion Roar]

And here's where we really get kicked in the teeth. The club have already paid Southern for the travel levy (I assume, else we'd be holding it back) and, while it's ultimately gone to the government I'm sure a portion has at least been recorded as income / turnover by Go Ahead. Our alternative seems to be hiring more buses and paying.....Go Ahead. Or driving. Big business wins. Football fans lose. Ecological soundness loses. This is EXACTLY what we voted for in 2015 (not me and you, obviously, but the country). Perhaps the Lib Dems weren't so bad after all.

Anyway, I'm park and riding from Portslade on Friday with the boy and then treating myself to some come-what-may shenanigans without him on Tiuesday that may, or may not, involve taxis, buses, walking, jogging and pleading.

As I said earlier, the club is hiring in buses from loads of places. B&H Buses may be able to oblige with something, but even if they can, it's evidently not enough.

 

[Brovion]

Can we get the game postponed?

 

[bhanutz]

Bloody Greens!

 

[The Albion Roar]

Bloody Greens!

Not sure if you're joking.

If not, care to explain...?

 

[bhanutz]

Not sure if you're joking.

If not, care to explain...?

I was...

 

[atfc village]

You can't. At least not until February/March for next season.



Even with a normal service, there won't be many Rotherham fans using the train to get to Brighton and back on a Tuesday night.

Rotherham have a fair few exiles around the south and a decent bunch they are to share a few Beers with . Hopefully they'll bring a few down.

 

[Bozza]

As I suspected, it's a safety thing as is the case with Pride and Preston Park.

#Falmer - Due to the RMT dispute severely impacting train services and in discussions with police, their advice is that on safety grounds no trains should stop at Falmer after 5pm on upcoming match days. We are sorry that we cannot offer a normal service to fans. We are talking to the club about the implications for them.

[tweet]763020739524063232[/tweet]

 

[Deadly Danson]

As I suspected, it's a safety thing as is the case with Pride and Preston Park.

#Falmer - Due to the RMT dispute severely impacting train services and in discussions with police, their advice is that on safety grounds no trains should stop at Falmer after 5pm on upcoming match days. We are sorry that we cannot offer a normal service to fans. We are talking to the club about the implications for them.

[tweet]763020739524063232[/tweet]

And this is next week? Most strange - there is no RMT dispute next week. In fact, I'd go as far as to say that's libelous. If they mean, due the emergency timetable that we've introduced because we haven't employed enough staff and we've pissed off those we have so that less people want to do overtime and because we are inept at what we do then that's more truthful

 

[Blue Valkyrie]

As I suspected, it's a safety thing as is the case with Pride and Preston Park.

#Falmer - Due to the RMT dispute severely impacting train services and in discussions with police, their advice is that on safety grounds no trains should stop at Falmer after 5pm on upcoming match days. We are sorry that we cannot offer a normal service to fans. We are talking to the club about the implications for them.

[tweet]763020739524063232[/tweet]

Sounds like the implications are a refund of 1/23rd of the money the club pay Southern.

To add to the 1/23rd they get on Friday.

 

[Easy 10]

I know we're not allowed to play on Saturdays at the Amex any more, but on the offchance of us getting a Saturday 3pm game this side of 2017, are they saying no trains will stop at Falmer after 5pm on those days as well ?

Even without strike action, the timetable is so completely banjo'd now that I just cannot see how Falmer station would cope with thousands of fans after the game on a Saturday either, if they're only running a couple of trains an hour as seems inevitable.

 

[Yoda]

And this is next week? Most strange - there is no RMT dispute next week. In fact, I'd go as far as to say that's libelous. If they mean, due the emergency timetable that we've introduced because we haven't employed enough staff and we've pissed off those we have so that less people want to do overtime and because we are inept at what we do then that's more truthful

Hope you don't mind but I replied to them with words to that effect. Didn't get a response though.

 

[Daffy Duck]

So basically now they're just taking the p**s.

I heard somewhere a while back that the travel concession was costing the club over 1 million quid. If that's true, then the club should bloody well sue the train operators and I would hope that they'd do the right thing and recompense the club for that.

But I'm not holding my breath!

 

[TheDuke]

All this possible mess up with the trains at Falmer has led me to think about booking a coach for the Rotherham game. The plan is car to Broadwater Worthing then the Seagull Coach. About to book online but what on earth does this mean... Worthing/13 17/18 17(ST32) Broadwater, B/Snrr/aPaul

 

[dazzer6666]

And this is next week? Most strange - there is no RMT dispute next week. In fact, I'd go as far as to say that's libelous. If they mean, due the emergency timetable that we've introduced because we haven't employed enough staff and we've pissed off those we have so that less people want to do overtime and because we are inept at what we do then that's more truthful

Agreed - next week (and every week for the foreseeable) is down the the emergency timetable, not the dispute (although I guess they are blaming the need for the emergency timetable on the ongoing dispute, rather than their shite management)