The Albion and Southern Trains

[warsaw]

These questions have probably been asked in the Southern Trains threads but i thought it might be worth pulling it together to see if there is an opportunity for us , the fans, to help exert any pressure and help the club

We have heard little from the club on how they are seeking to address the appalling service from Southern. We all pay an unspecified amount as part of our season tickets to allow the club to subsidise travel, but now the train element is an utter shambles. Does the club pay Southern in advance ?

Commuters have their problems and are taking action to protest about the service, but there are thousands of Albion fans affected by an ongoing shambolic performance but at the moment we are not engaged in any form of action.

So maybe there is something we can do to apply pressure, after all we have a fine history of taking direct action. Perhaps the club could give us a statement on how they are addressing the matter and indicate whether the fans can help in any way.

 

[bhanutz]

We need someone High Profile fighting for the customers and getting the government to listen...The trouble with Caroline Lucas doing it is that No one takes her seriously!

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Reckon the club should very publicly sack SASTA as a 'transport partner'. Take the *******s to court for breach of contract and lob a big donation in the direction of the customer-led campaign for a Judicial Review. Seeing as how the club probably wouldn't mind too much if they could reduce the transport subsidy anyway, it would seem to be a win/win. Let SASTA come crawling on much-reduced terms to win back the Albion's business.

 

[spring hall convert]

We need someone High Profile fighting for the customers and getting the government to listen...The trouble with Caroline Lucas doing it is that No one takes her seriously!

And the trouble with all the others is they don't give a **** as evidenced by their no show for the debate. I know what I'd rather have.

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/ent...n-than-on-a-train_uk_57d7de25e4b0a32e2f6caf9c

 

[carteater]

The government should give the Brighton - Seaford and Brighton - Ore Franchises to the ALBION...

.

 

[ManOfSussex]

It was a disgrace what Southern did last night.

 

[Napper]

surprised us fans didn't come up with any songs about Southern every time the announcement was made.

Even a volley of boo's at the bare minimum.

Its almost like no one cares

 

[Uncle Buck]

Reckon the club should very publicly sack SASTA as a 'transport partner'. Take the *******s to court for breach of contract and lob a big donation in the direction of the customer-led campaign for a Judicial Review. Seeing as how the club probably wouldn't mind too much if they could reduce the transport subsidy anyway, it would seem to be a win/win. Let SASTA come crawling on much-reduced terms to win back the Albion's business.

But the club need the rail transport to get the fans to the game.

When it works it is the easiest way to and from the ground. People do not mind using the extra buses now and then, but I would suspect if it was the norm it would impact on gates.

 

[The Albion Roar]

These questions have probably been asked in the Southern Trains threads but i thought it might be worth pulling it together to see if there is an opportunity for us , the fans, to help exert any pressure and help the club

We have heard little from the club on how they are seeking to address the appalling service from Southern. We all pay an unspecified amount as part of our season tickets to allow the club to subsidise travel, but now the train element is an utter shambles. Does the club pay Southern in advance ?

Commuters have their problems and are taking action to protest about the service, but there are thousands of Albion fans affected by an ongoing shambolic performance but at the moment we are not engaged in any form of action.

So maybe there is something we can do to apply pressure, after all we have a fine history of taking direct action. Perhaps the club could give us a statement on how they are addressing the matter and indicate whether the fans can help in any way.

There are commuter action groups who are constantly lobbying SASTA and the government on this shambles, so to form another group could be counter-productive - or at best add some chaos. There is a newly set-up group called the Association of British Commuters (ABC). The person who started it lives in Brighton, and her name is Summer Dean. I'd suggest starting there, with a view to pointing out the Albion fans' ongoing issues.

Caroline Lucas has been made aware of how potentially dangerous the football service (or lack of) could be, and wrote to SASTA about it. Naturally, as with all things SASTA, she got the usual meaningless platitudes back. The club is also in constant contact with all relevant MPs (Lucas, Kyle, Soames, Herbert etc.) to help alleviate the problem. However, one issue is that while all MPs acknowledge a major problem, the unhelpful contention is that different MPs will have different answers to the problem, depending on which party they're in.

SASTA, meanwhile, really don't want to know. So one thing the ABC are doing is raising funds to pay for a Judicial Review into the government's handling of the omnishambles.

As for the nonsensical twaddle some posters ignorantly post about Caroline Lucas, I'd ignore them; they don't add anything to the issue.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

We need someone High Profile fighting for the customers and getting the government to listen...The trouble with Caroline Lucas doing it is that No one takes her seriously!

Maria Caulfield has been to many meetings of commutors, and in government over this issue. The Lewes-Seaford line has been without service for over two months now. She has been working hard.
We will get one train an hour from next week and back to the half hourly service sometime in November.

 

[bhanutz]

There are commuter action groups who are constantly lobbying SASTA and the government on this shambles, so to form another group could be counter-productive - or at best add some chaos. There is a newly set-up group called the Association of British Commuters (ABC). The person who started it lives in Brighton, and her name is Summer Dean. I'd suggest starting there, with a view to pointing out the Albion fans' ongoing issues.

Caroline Lucas has been made aware of how potentially dangerous the football service (or lack of) could be, and wrote to SASTA about it. Naturally, as with all things SASTA, she got the usual meaningless platitudes back. The club is also in constant contact with all relevant MPs (Lucas, Kyle, Soames, Herbert etc.) to help alleviate the problem. However, one issue is that while all MPs acknowledge a major problem, the unhelpful contention is that different MPs will have different answers to the problem, depending on which party they're in.

SASTA, meanwhile, really don't want to know. So one thing the ABC are doing is raising funds to pay for a Judicial Review into the government's handling of the omnishambles.

As for the nonsensical twaddle some posters ignorantly post about Caroline Lucas, I'd ignore them; they don't add anything to the issue.

Everyone is allowed an opinion sir...I respect yours without deeming it nonsensical twaddle.

 

[The Albion Roar]

Everyone is allowed an opinion sir...I respect yours without deeming it nonsensical twaddle.

You didn't offer an opinion - you stated a fact. i.e. The trouble with Caroline Lucas doing it is that No one takes her seriously!

That's clearly nonsense.

 

[Albion my Albion]

I wish someone would start at least one thread about Southern trains. We don't discuss the awful situation with the trains enough.

 

[bhanutz]

You didn't offer an opinion - you stated a fact. i.e. The trouble with Caroline Lucas doing it is that No one takes her seriously!

That's clearly nonsense.

That is my opinion...We don't agree...hey ho..move on!

but don't start calling people ignorant just because they have a difference of opinion than you do!

 

[Mackenzie]

You didn't offer an opinion - you stated a fact. i.e. The trouble with Caroline Lucas doing it is that No one takes her seriously!

That's clearly nonsense.

I don't take her or her party seriously.

 

[warsaw]

There are commuter action groups who are constantly lobbying SASTA and the government on this shambles, so to form another group could be counter-productive - or at best add some chaos. There is a newly set-up group called the Association of British Commuters (ABC). The person who started it lives in Brighton, and her name is Summer Dean. I'd suggest starting there, with a view to pointing out the Albion fans' ongoing issues.

Caroline Lucas has been made aware of how potentially dangerous the football service (or lack of) could be, and wrote to SASTA about it. Naturally, as with all things SASTA, she got the usual meaningless platitudes back. The club is also in constant contact with all relevant MPs (Lucas, Kyle, Soames, Herbert etc.) to help alleviate the problem. However, one issue is that while all MPs acknowledge a major problem, the unhelpful contention is that different MPs will have different answers to the problem, depending on which party they're in.

SASTA, meanwhile, really don't want to know. So one thing the ABC are doing is raising funds to pay for a Judicial Review into the government's handling of the omnishambles.

As for the nonsensical twaddle some posters ignorantly post about Caroline Lucas, I'd ignore them; they don't add anything to the issue.

Thanks that's a useful summary of what's going on. Would still like the club to say what action they are taking and whether we can help in any way.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

But the club need the rail transport to get the fans to the game.

When it works it is the easiest way to and from the ground. People do not mind using the extra buses now and then, but I would suspect if it was the norm it would impact on gates.

It's already having an impact on gates. The club are having to be content with the scraps thrown from SASTA's (time)table. People are finding ways round it, or not bothering going. IMHO, replacing much of the car parking capacity with coach parking capacity would allow very worthwhile enterprises such as Seagulls Travel to expand and prosper. There's a very large untapped market in minibuses and 8-seater taxis yet to be explored. Why not let people who still want to use the trains take their chances on the normal timetable and pay for it at their own expense. That would only encourage local transport providers who actually deserve the Albion-related business. No reason at all why it shouldn't work. IMHO, like.

 

[bhanutz]

I don't take her or her party seriously.

Is that opinion or fact? I am confused now! lol

 

[Steve in Japan]

I'm a recent convert to Seagulls travel. They do a great job IMHO. Although I am spending money I shouldn't have to, which is annoying.

 

[The Albion Roar]

Thanks that's a useful summary of what's going on. Would still like the club to say what action they are taking and whether we can help in any way.

I had a conversation with Martin Perry after the Fans Forum.

Bearing in mind it's a deal between two private companies (SASTA and the Albion), I'd doubt it. The club knows what's required to make the system work, but are powerless to a large extent to do anything directly about it, and they are just as frustrated as we are. It's double-lose for the club as (a) the club has to pay tens of thousands in alternative arrangements and (b) it can mean some fans finding the whole escapade a palaver, and not come along - meaning the club misses out on further footfall.

Meanwhile, all the time SASTA are this intransigent, everyone who uses the trains is suffering. The Albion are merely another piece of further collateral damage in the government's war on the unions.

You can lobby your MP; you can lobby the Transport Minister (Chris Grayling); you can lobby the Trains Minister (Paul Maynard); you can write to the CEO of GTR (Charles Horton). However, tens of thousands have done so already, with absolutely no desire on SASTA or the DfT's part to resolve the issue satisfactorily.

The dispute with the unions, incidentally, is a slightly separate issue.