Queues at Brighton station

[tonymgc]

I missed kick off. Got to Brighton 7ish and queued about 25 minutes.
Biggest concern is how is this going to work with Palace fans next week? Kettling us and them together is just asking for trouble.

 

[xbakerbob]

Couldn't disagree more. It was always going to be like this. You'll have to get there earlier or use another form of transport. The trains were never going to be and never will be the solution.

Unfortunatly some of us have to go to work and then drive 80 + miles to get to Haywards heath.

What would you suggest for evening games where we cannot get down to the outskirts of Brighton untill 6.30 or so ?

 

[Hiney]

Got to Brighton station at around 7 and JUST made it for kick-off.

There were LOADS in the queue behind us who must have missed the start.

The simple solution is get there earlier (we will on Friday) but it will always be a problem for midweek games with people getting home after work etc.

It's easy for people to say 'make the trains longer' or 'run more trains' but I'm sure Ernest will tell us it's not nearly as simple as that.

 

[Hiney]

Kettling us and them together is just asking for trouble.

Will the police be using BOILING water?

A bit harsh

 

[Tooting Gull]

Couldn't disagree more. It was always going to be like this. You'll have to get there earlier or use another form of transport. The trains were never going to be and never will be the solution.

Strange comment, on many levels. Firstly, train travel very much was promised as part of a public transport solution. That is why there is a subsidised zone, vouchers can be used on them, and it features heavily in the club travel literature.

Then, as has been said earlier, not everyone can get to Brighton three hours early on a weekday (nor should you have to). That is not modern life.

The club and the rail companies etc have had YEARS to work on this. I'm sure you or I could have highlighted the pressure points on a midweek sell-out. Put it this way, do you want 30,000? Because if you do, you need to be aware that a planning officer seeing those scenes last night would give consent over his or her dead body.

And you only have to look at this thread to realise that even the provision we do have is being undermined by people not doing their jobs properly at Brighton station. Some trains leaving well under capacity, some dangerously over-crowded, with all the while hundreds waiting - it can be improved, but only by highlighting it.

 

[Ernest]

It's easy for people to say 'make the trains longer' or 'run more trains' but I'm sure Ernest will tell us it's not nearly as simple as that.

At weekends there is plenty of spare trains loitering in the sidings at places like Eastbourne so no problem making them up to 8 coaches on the East Coast line, it's not the same in the week as all available capacity is used on the rush hour services. The only strengthening is replacing the 3 car 313's with some 4 car 377 stock and with the line already at capacity with the timetabled service there are no pathways for additional services.

As Bozza and myself say if people moved right inside the train and didn't hang around the doors then more people could board so blame your fellow supporters if a train leaves and there is room inside

 

[Ernest]

Of course the other reason is that you have people openly boasting about not buying travel vouchers or tickets to travel to Falmer, how do you think the club and Southern work out what capacity of service is needed ?

By how many tickets/vouchers have been sold so hardly fair to blame the club and the railway when it is your fellow supporters causing the shortage of space, if 14000 vouchers/tickets are sold then that is what the service is catered for. If another 6000 try and freeload then there is where your problem of short capacity arises.

 

[Hove Seagull]

I've said this before and I'm sure I'll say it again: Albion fans have to help Albion fans. Bloody well move all the way down into the carriage and give others the chance to get on board.

People standing by the doors when there is ample space further into the carriage is ridiculously selfish.

This! But I have to say, we (my 13 year old daughter and me) got the train shortly after 6 from Brighton to Falmer yesterday, and there were empty seats. However, the first leg of the journey, from Hove to Brighton, was, in my opinion, dangerously overcrowded, with people as far down the aisles as possible. Southern Rail need to look at this carefully, as there was one woman, squashed in our carriage, who looked very pale, and I thought she was on the brink of passing out. How difficult can it be to put on extra carriages or extra trains?

 

[somerset]

As Bozza and myself say if people moved right inside the train and didn't hang around the doors then more people could board so blame your fellow supporters if a train leaves and there is room inside

....or alternatively, the dozen or so hi-vis brigade standing about doing very little at Brighton station on the entrance to platform 8 maybe do their job and move onto the actual platform to assist with boarding process ans carriage capacity assessment..... don't you think?

 

[Ernest]

This! But I have to say, we (my 13 year old daughter and me) got the train shortly after 6 from Brighton to Falmer yesterday, and there were empty seats. However, the first leg of the journey, from Hove to Brighton, was, in my opinion, dangerously overcrowded, with people as far down the aisles as possible. Southern Rail need to look at this carefully, as there was one woman, squashed in our carriage, who looked very pale, and I thought she was on the brink of passing out. How difficult can it be to put on extra carriages or extra trains?

See my reply above

 

[Ernest]

....or alternatively, the dozen or so hi-vis brigade standing about doing very little at Brighton station on the entrance to platform 8 maybe do their job and move onto the actual platform to assist with boarding process ans carriage capacity assessment..... don't you think?

Why ? Wouldn't it be simpler if people just moved down inside the train. Doesn't need someone in a hi-viz vest to shove people inside a train.

 

[Notters]

Unfortunatly some of us have to go to work and then drive 80 + miles to get to Haywards heath.

What would you suggest for evening games where we cannot get down to the outskirts of Brighton untill 6.30 or so ?

Either walk down the hill and get the 24, 25 or 49 bus from St Peters church (if you're at Brighton station). If driving get the P&R from the racecourse or park in Moulsecoomb/Coldean. Or take a half day holiday.

Strange comment, on many levels. Firstly, train travel very much was promised as part of a public transport solution. That is why there is a subsidised zone, vouchers can be used on them, and it features heavily in the club travel literature.

Then, as has been said earlier, not everyone can get to Brighton three hours early on a weekday (nor should you have to). That is not modern life.

The club and the rail companies etc have had YEARS to work on this. I'm sure you or I could have highlighted the pressure points on a midweek sell-out. Put it this way, do you want 30,000? Because if you do, you need to be aware that a planning officer seeing those scenes last night would give consent over his or her dead body.

And you only have to look at this thread to realise that even the provision we do have is being undermined by people not doing their jobs properly at Brighton station. Some trains leaving well under capacity, some dangerously over-crowded, with all the while hundreds waiting - it can be improved, but only by highlighting it.

Well I'm sorry, but that's completely irrelevant. It is not TIME that is the issue. If you have a spare £50m to improve the rail network then I'm sure everyone will welcome it but the alternative is to find other ways of getting there,

 

[Hove Seagull]

See my reply above

I read that, Ernest, and you make a good point. However, it's going to happen, and I would hope that SR look at it retrospectively, and learn, and make better provision for the next times.

 

[somerset]

Why ? Wouldn't it be simpler if people just moved down inside the train. Doesn't need someone in a hi-viz vest to shove people inside a train.

Of course it does,... they aren't doing it presently themselves are they?.... so why are there so many hi-viz bods about on the entrance to platform 8 if not to smooth the path for travellers?!

 

[thekinglives]

Either walk down the hill and get the 24, 25 or 49 bus from St Peters church (if you're at Brighton station).

I might try the bus tomorrow night then. Anyone know how long the queues were around 7pm - and how long it takes to get to Falmer?

 

[Storer 68]

Got to Brighton around 7:00 in what I though was plenty of time. had to join the queue thet went all through the station taxi rank, out of the station and halfway down trafalgar street. Eventually got in to the stattion at about 7:25 and on a train that left Brighton at 7;35 and just about got to stadium as Liverpool went one up.

Its such a stupid system that requires you to go through the ticket barriers and out of the station. Platforms 7 and 8 have HUGE capacity for people. And how do they differentiate between people going to Falmer cos they live there and people trying to get to the stadium?

Going home it worked beutifully - gave myself about fifteen minutes after the end of the game . Wandered over to the Brightin queue and didn't have to wait very long for a train. Excellent system, so at least one bit works.

However, the passenger management system at Brighton station for trains to Falmer after 7pm on a matchday needs a rethink

 

[Gazwag]

75% of people on the platforms are just plain ignorant - there was one woman moaning for the whole 20 mintues we were waiting for the 22:15 to Lewes. "If they ran a train every 10 minutes" "Why have the railway company sorted this out" "Why can't they get longer train" etc etc ffs.

And then the train comes in and everybody is crushed in the doors bit, I said can you move down the train "But we are getting off a Lewes" was the reply - well so was almost everybody else.

 

[CheeseRolls]

The queueing at Brighton station was a major irritant last night. Why was it necessary for people getting off other trains to leave the station and join the beer queue outside to get back on a train ?

How is this addressing health and safety if people are sent outside to queue across Trafalgar Street, with buses and cars trying to turn down there. See the post above someone did eventually decide to reroute the queue down Trafalgar Street ?

If you treat people badly, what do you expect in return ?
Like everyone I have choices and I will do my utmost to go via Lewes in future, when I have to travel by train to evening matches.

 

[Drumstick]

If more people get the bus it will be fine. I got the 28 and got off and walked from the hikers, or you can get of at the other stop just the other side of the bridge.

Or the 25 which will drop you off at Sussex and you just have to walk though the underpass or stay on and it'll drop you at Village way.

Both were empty.

 

[Simster]

I think the club need to be doing a better job of servicing traffic from Brighton station. The 24/25 option from St Peters is certainly a good idea and I think a lot of people would do that if a few more extra bus services could be guaranteed in the hour before kick off. The buses have certainly been a lot more disappointing than the trains in my view.

As has been said on here over and over again, there is bugger all the train companies can really do, except perhaps put more stewards in place on the platform to ensure all space is used inside the trains. However, I'm having a hard time believing more buses couldn't be laid on, and the stories of buses not even turning up in some cases are particularly alarming.

Add this to the ridiculous situation at Bennetts Field and it is annoyingly clear that the club is not yet in a position to apply for 8,000 more seats at the Amex.