The 22.15 Falmer to Brighton Ghost Train

[Sussexscots]

Did anyone get back to Lewes and further east by train after the game last night?

Yep, got back to Lewes no bother. Couldn't believe how few folk even checked if there were trains running.

Laughably, transport last night worked seamlessly. Drove to Lewes, parked car in Station Car Park (free) went to the John Harvey, had a few pints of Old (happily not me driving last night) , walked back to station, train due in five minutes, arrived on time. Asked the conductor/guard "any trains later for coming back?". "Aye", she says. Checked National Rail Enq on pitifully slow WiFi in the ground at half time, says trains running. Left ground, got on practically empty and on time train back to Lewes. Easy.

Have to give credit to the club for their contingency planning, but well worth checking if trains running before queuing for a bus.

 

[ManOfSussex]

Yep, got back to Lewes no bother. Couldn't believe how few folk even checked if there were trains running.

Laughably, transport last night worked seamlessly. Drove to Lewes, parked car in Station Car Park (free) went to the John Harvey, had a few pints of Old (happily not me driving last night) , walked back to station, train due in five minutes, arrived on time. Asked the conductor/guard "any trains later for coming back?". "Aye", she says. Checked National Rail Enq on pitifully slow WiFi in the ground at half time, says trains running. Left ground, got on practically empty and on time train back to Lewes. Easy.

Have to give credit to the club for their contingency planning, but well worth checking if trains running before queuing for a bus.

Seagulls Travel for me last night for the first time and it won't be the last.

 

[Cowfold Seagull]

I did try posting the news on three different threads on Nsc, to do with the game, SASTA, and travel yesterday as soon as the tweet came out. As you say, 4pm is a ridiculous time to suddenly say, we can provide trains.

4pm? ridiculous? yes quite possiblty. But then again, playing devils advocate, (as I'm want to do), perhaps Southern management themselves didn't know until then. Could it be that more drivers signed on unexpectedly during the afternoon?

If that was the case, then I think they were honour bound to announce that these extra services would run, however late in the day it was.

 

[Gilliver's Travels]

And the club COULD have made a Tannoy announcement...

But that may well have caused even earlier exits for some - as well as possibly, er, impacting enhanced customer revenue-generation opportunities through unexpected retail unit footfall diminution.

Or somesuch.

 

[Cowfold Seagull]

And the club COULD have made a Tannoy announcement...

But that may well have caused even earlier exits for some - as well as possibly, er, impacting enhanced customer revenue-generation opportunities through unexpected retail unit footfall diminution.

Or somesuch.

Yes there is that aspect to it too. Lost revenue, the lengths some people will go to, eh Mr.Barber?

 

[Jesus Gul]

Strolled down to the platform at 22.10 last night. Train pulled in, dead on time. EIGHT empty coaches. Had one to myself. Brighton in 10 minutes.

I'd imagined more than a dozen or so intrepid souls might have popped down to see if the [advertised] trains were running. Weird night.

Probably the least popular of Gulliver's Travels this one

 

[matski_98]

I trudged down to the station straight after the final whistle, just before 21:45, expecting the early leavers to be clogging the train queue and making it unuseable for everybody else and resigning myself to the long walk to the nearest non-clogged bus stop heading towards Brighton town. Was gobsmacked to find there wasn't any train queue, could get straight on to the platform and straight on to the waiting train. It even stopped at London Road. Totally unexpected RESULT!

Same for me. And not just this time, exactly the same happened on the last two strike evenings. Gentle stroll from the ground after the final whistle, no queues and straight onto a waiting train. More match day strikes please RMT!

 

[Lord Bracknell]

Did anyone get back to Lewes and further east by train after the game last night?

Yep. There was an eight coach train to Eastbourne (all stops, including Glynde and Berwick) at 22:01. It ran on time and left Falmer with some seats not taken and nobody left behind.

It got to Lewes before any of the shuttle buses did.

Not a great deal different from the previous strike day that coincided with a home game.

 

[wakeytom]

SASTA did their usual trick yesterday by announcing - at around 4pm - that there would actually be some additional trains running. By which time of course, everyone has already made alternative travel arrangements, and anyone not following them on Twitter would be none the wiser anyway.

They're doing it deliberately.

They really are not - there has been a timetable all week with later trains between Eastbourne and Brighton - however the lefties dont want you to know the truth

 

[Easy 10]

They really are not - there has been a timetable all week with later trains between Eastbourne and Brighton - however the lefties dont want you to know the truth

Eastbourne - Brighton is off my radar I must admit. But up until 4pm yesterday, the only post-match trains that were listed from Falmer - Brighton were at 9.55 and 10.55. And all communication coming from SASTA and BHAFC for the weeks and days in the run-up to this latest strike was to make alternative travel arrangements. Which most fans who went to the game, including me, duly did, be that P&R, bikes, Seagulls Travel, or just avoiding the whole thing and not attending (entirely justifiable).

Then, less than 4 hours before kickoff, we get the news (once again) that there WILL be trains after all. Which is great for those in the know via social media, or those who took a bit of a flier. But for the thousands who either missed the game, or made alternative arrangements (some at personal expense), it absolutely fvking REEKS.

What the hell that has to do with 'lefties', Tom, I have no idea. I just know that BHAFC, and us fans, are getting absolutely SHAFTED right now by this pitiful excuse of a rail franchise.

 

[Gilliver's Travels]

But up until 4pm yesterday, the only post-match trains that were listed from Falmer - Brighton were at 9.55 and 10.55.

Hmmm, not quite true. I downloaded the Brighton / Falmer Strike Timetable - showing the half-hourly service in both directions up to 22.45 - from the Southern Website at 17.15 on Monday 17th, I've no idea how much earlier it may have been posted.

But granted it wasn't so easy to spot. If there's any more of this strike malarkey, the URL for those strike timetables is here

 

[The Albion Roar]

They really are not - there has been a timetable all week with later trains between Eastbourne and Brighton - however the lefties dont want you to know the truth

1. Since when did a SASTA timetable mean anything?

2. SASTA themselves didn't know themselves what they were going to do until late afternoon. How do we know? They actually admitted it.

3. Your 'lefties' comment just makes you sound like petulant.

Aside from that, outstanding analysis.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

They really are not - there has been a timetable all week with later trains between Eastbourne and Brighton - however the lefties dont want you to know the truth

Southern said that trains would not be stopping at Falmer. Then at 4pm then announced they would be putting trains on for the football.
I know because I posted that very tweet on here just after 4pm.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

The 22.15 Falmer to Brighton Ghost Train

 

[Official Old Man]

What's the low down on the club paying SASTA. Is it a contract over the season regardless of whether trains run or not? Could SASTA panic and put on theses trains just to get paid?