Southern Rail STRIKE details

[Papa Lazarou]

So you work from home, people work around them and claim delay repay which is tax payers money and you say strikes are ineffective ?

They don't hurt those who are regular commuters, AND work for companies that are understanding of the situation. There will undoubtedly be a percentage of people for whom this is not the case; either due to companies that don't allow any flexibility, or infrequent travellers who travel up for specific reasons (concerts etc). I know I'm fortunate in this regard.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Can't imagine there's many commuters left whose primary focus is still on their job. It's now all about the getting to work and the getting home. Which is just ridiculous.

 

[bhanutz]

So you work from home, people work around them and claim delay repay which is tax payers money and you say strikes are ineffective ?

It's all irrelevant...As your mate CASH said...The RMT have overwhelming support from the public....

 

[Ernest]

It's all irrelevant...As your mate CASH said...The RMT have overwhelming support from the public....

And he said you're a STUPID idiot SO what ?

 

[bhanutz]

And he said you're a STUPID idiot SO what ?

Right that's it...I am going on STRIKE!

 

[Tony Meolas Loan Spell]

Can't imagine there's many commuters left whose primary focus is still on their job. It's now all about the getting to work and the getting home. Which is just ridiculous.

I know i'm quite "lucky" being on the London line but personally there is an element of truth to this. I dont hang around any longer than necessary these days so social occasions and gigs etc are avoided by me simply because after about 8pm all bets are off.

Never was like that. Been doing this for 11 years and its safe to say the last 12-18 months have been the worst since I have known it for general shitness BEFORE any of this strike business.

 

[Lower West Stander]

So you work from home, people work around them and claim delay repay which is tax payers money and you say strikes are ineffective ?

That's right. What a bunch of utter hypocrites us commuters are eh? We deserve no sympathy at all.........

 

[Tony Meolas Loan Spell]

By the way - for those travelling West Coastway home from London Bridge tonight, the 18:10 service has already been cancelled.

Its definitely always between that or the 17.40 these days. One or the other will run but not both.

 

[Papa Lazarou]

That's right. What a bunch of utter hypocrites us commuters are eh? We deserve no sympathy at all.........

Perhaps it's not the Conductors or Unions or Southern or the Govt who are truly to blame for this, but those devious commuters, engineering the dispute to their own financial advantage?

 

[Papa Lazarou]

Its definitely always between that or the 17.40 these days. One or the other will run but not both.

Like last night when the 17:40 was cancelled and the 18:10 ran 30 mins late.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

I know i'm quite "lucky" being on the London line but personally there is an element of truth to this. I dont hang around any longer than necessary these days so social occasions and gigs etc are avoided by me simply because after about 8pm all bets are off.

Never was like that. Been doing this for 11 years and its safe to say the last 12-18 months have been the worst since I have known it.

Know exactly what you mean. I luckily don't have to commute anymore, but I've got good friends currently over from Oz and I feel a right woose trying to tell them that, no, I can't meet them in the evening in London town. Happy to meet them for lunch but I have to be out of there by about 4pm at the latest. They've come ten thousand miles to (partially) see me, while I'm making excuses for not doing a pitiful sixty miles to see them. Previously it wasn't even a thing. How on earth did it ever come down to this? It's beneath contempt.

 

[Tony Meolas Loan Spell]

Like last night when the 17:40 was cancelled and the 18:10 ran 30 mins late.

Was it? I saw it was delayed so hopped on the 48 x at EC and picked up a Brighton. Which ironically was the 57 out of LB but these days its best just to head "South" esp when you consider yesterdays problem.

 

[Tony Meolas Loan Spell]

Know exactly what you mean. I luckily don't have to commute anymore, but I've got good friends currently over from Oz and I feel a right woose trying to tell them that, no, I can't meet them in the evening in London town. Happy to meet them for lunch but I have to be out of there by about 4pm at the latest. They've come ten thousand miles to (partially) see me, while I'm making excuses for not doing a pitiful sixty miles to see them. Previously it wasn't even a thing. How on earth did it ever come down to this?

I have already told work when the drivers overtime refusal kicks in I'm leaving about then....if I can get in at all.

 

[Tony Meolas Loan Spell]

Like last night when the 17:40 was cancelled and the 18:10 ran 30 mins late.

17.40 canc according to Nat Rail

 

[Papa Lazarou]

17.40 canc according to Nat Rail

Today? Not showing on mine. the 18:42 has been cancelled as well as the 18:10 though, so if you miss the 17:40 your options are limited.

 

[yxee]

If you get a peak single to London from Brighton 25% is £6.25. If both of your trains are delayed by 15 minutes, not unlikely, you get £12.50 a day. That's not bad. Also once it goes to thirty minutes you get 50% back.

Unfortunately I'm getting quite a lot less as not traveling from Brighton at the moment. But my word is that single price expensive!!

 

[pasty]

Taking a risk tonight going up to the O2 Islington for a gig. Bloody hope I can get home ok.

 

[Arthur]

Another example of the lack of effectiveness of the strikes. People work round them, and get delay repay as well. In my experience the worst days are the non-strike days when the service just falls apart.

Absolutely agree. The most enjoyable time to commute for me when during the Olympics 2012. The scaremongers told us the transport network was going to collapse and not to travel if you could help it people took note and worked round getting into London. The times I did go in it was amazing. Empty trains, running on time with deserted stations. Strike days are a bit like that. It's starting to get busier now as people are realising that it's not that bad and relatively easy to work around but it's still more pleasant than a normal day. But it is an unnecessary

The whole rail network in this country (not just Southern) is a huge tinder box. I have no idea how to fix it but I'm guessing that is the case with the folk who are more knowledgable on the subject than me else they would have done it by now or least made a start. Does frustrate me though that the government want to spend X billions of pounds to shave 20 minutes of the commute between London and Brum when I think that money would be better spent improving the railway in the home counties.

 

[halbpro]

Unfortunately I'm getting quite a lot less as not traveling from Brighton at the moment. But my word is that single price expensive!!

Yep. Incredibly pricey.

 

[Papa Lazarou]

The whole rail network in this country (not just Southern) is a huge tinder box. I have no idea how to fix it but I'm guessing that is the case with the folk who are more knowledgable on the subject than me else they would have done it by now or least made a start. Does frustrate me though that the government want to spend X billions of pounds to shave 20 minutes of the commute between London and Brum when I think that money would be better spent improving the railway in the home counties.

The problem with the rail network here in my view are mainly down to the age of the network, plus the lack of space to put on additional capacity. Many lines in the southern region are hemmed in between urban / sub-urban developments, with little room to add more lines.

We also have a number of bridges and tunnels, that prevent double-decker trains like they have in Europe, and they can't run longer trains due to platform / station length restrictions.

The Brighton mainline is at max capacity at peak times, so it's hardly a surprise when a minor incident can back the entire network up and the effect then radiates out from there.

It would take a serious amount of money / will to fix these fundamental issues. Of all the old lines closed in the past that could be brought back into service, very few are intact and most have been built on to one extent or the other, so for example the Steyning line from Shoreham to London would no longer be viable. The Government would have to embark on a massive program of compulsory purchases just to make the space available.

I know that alternative routes to London (BML2?) were discussed on here in the past, and the consensus from those in the industry seems to be it's not a goer... which is a shame as we need additional lines to London from the south coast, somehow.