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The "dreadful" transport situation - a poll

How satisfied are you, generally, with the Amex travel arrangements?


  • Total voters
    407


Green Cross Code Man

Wunt be druv
Mar 30, 2006
20,748
Eastbourne
Could do with a separate footbridge across the A27 to the University car parks. There is already a gantry across the road at this position, so maybe a possibility for the future, funds permitting.

That would be amazing. I said the same last night as I took my elderly father to the game. The walk to car park 1 is quite tiring for him.
 




Cowfold Seagull

Fan of the 17 bus
Apr 22, 2009
22,114
Cowfold
Happy with the service for Saturday games but for midweek games could do with a major cab rank and/or a dedicated bus service serving Brighton/Hove/Shoreham town centres rather than just P&R. Current setup has a significant effect on midweek attendances IMHO.

There is already a dedicated bus service to Brighton, it's called the numbers 25, 28, and 29. Change at North Street for services to Hove, Shoreham, and most other parts of the city. Your match ticket pays for travel as well.
 


smeg

New member
Feb 11, 2013
980
BN13
I park at the Bridge car park and apart from the FA cup game with Hull have always made it into the ground before kick-off
 


Guinness Boy

Tofu eating wokerati
Helpful Moderator
NSC Patron
Jul 23, 2003
37,341
Up and Coming Sunny Portslade
Explained on the other thread - that was planned and the driver didnt forget. Was an empty train for the QPR special which was late-running - was due to pass through non-stop before FT, but due to the delay - it made it look like the driver forgot the stop, which if that was to happen - then it is taken incredibly seriously. Think the other time last season was due to a fault on board the train, which no staff bothered to communicate.

Fair enough. It's still an issue but one of perception and communication rather than driver error. Not nearly as bad as the Coastway West fill up or giving away fans a train they don't want anyway (and I appreciate the latter is probably a police decision and would have been correct if they'd turned up in numbers and won).
 


AgerBomb22

New member
Jun 2, 2011
177
Chi Town/Burgess Hill
last night was dreadful. delays, trains were too full, and a 12 coach train going through Falmer which was completely empty. Even one of the guards didn't know what was going on.
 




Hotchilidog

Well-known member
Jan 24, 2009
9,120
I use the trains to and from Brighton and find the service very good indeed. There have been notable improvements since season 1. More frequent trains and the queue management at Brighton Station pre-match is superb in my opinion.
 


HawkTheSeagull

New member
Jan 31, 2012
9,122
Eastbourne
Fair enough. It's still an issue but one of perception and communication rather than driver error. Not nearly as bad as the Coastway West fill up or giving away fans a train they don't want anyway (and I appreciate the latter is probably a police decision and would have been correct if they'd turned up in numbers and won).

Decision between police and clubs. West Coastway will always usually be the line to lose out as the East Coastway needs the coaches for Falmer. Great for Lewes and Eastbourne, shite for Shoreham and Worthing. And yes, it does make Southern look incredibly bad, but it wasnt delibrate.

last night was dreadful. delays, trains were too full, and a 12 coach train going through Falmer which was completely empty. Even one of the guards didn't know what was going on.

Read above for an explanation RE that empty train (was the QPR special heading to Brighton to start its journey, was delayed).
 


father_and_son

Well-known member
Jan 23, 2012
4,652
Under the Police Box
I take the train from Portslade to the ground and have a 10yo with me almost every match.

Generally speaking I think the trains are okay. I expect them to be ridiculously busy (I commute into London, so am used to "cattle class"). Obviously it would be great if we could get a direct train, always have a seat, always be on time, etc etc. But with a healthy dose of realism, all in all its not bad.

However, the whole operation would be a lot better if only Southern ran longer trains. My better half won't come to matches because she can't stand the crowds (for traveling to, queuing and traveling back) and were it not for that then she would come to games.

I can't believe that it really isn't possible for Southern to operate 8 carriage trains on a regular basis on match days and at least bump up the service a bit better for mid week games. I understand there are rolling stock issues, but surely it costs very little more to run 8 rather than 4 or 3 carriages. The queue at both Brighton and Falmer would be cleared quicker and people complain at lot less when they are shuffling forward even if slowly - its the long waits standing still that p*sses people off most.

Having sorted Brighton to Falmer, then it would just need a solution to the West Coast problem!
 












Blue Valkyrie

Not seen such Bravery!
Sep 1, 2012
32,165
Valhalla
Satisfied - would have got 'Very Happy' but the trains to the stadium for midweek matches deserve a mark down.
 


HawkTheSeagull

New member
Jan 31, 2012
9,122
Eastbourne
My beef is Village Way post match, too many fat asses needing to be picked up by private car, messing up the 23/25 service when they turn at the top of Village Way.

That has massively improved over the last couple of games, but still a handful of cars doing it. Main delay for 23/25 services on Villiage Way is that they dont get priority at the Uni and get stuck in all the traffic leaving the car park.

I can't believe that it really isn't possible for Southern to operate 8 carriage trains on a regular basis on match days and at least bump up the service a bit better for mid week games. I understand there are rolling stock issues, but surely it costs very little more to run 8 rather than 4 or 3 carriages. The queue at both Brighton and Falmer would be cleared quicker and people complain at lot less when they are shuffling forward even if slowly - its the long waits standing still that p*sses people off most.

Having sorted Brighton to Falmer, then it would just need a solution to the West Coast problem!

There are no coaches for midweek, simple as that. Weekend now has a minimum of 6 coaches thanks to longer platforms and Seaford line upgrades, but due to the extra peak services which take priority over the football, there are no more coaches. The cost is minimal in running either 8 or 4 car trains, its just whether Southern have them available or not.

Good news is that was the last evening home game this season. Brighton - Lewes rail upgrade starts soon too, which should improve the frequency of services.
 


Curious Orange

Punxsatawney Phil
Jul 5, 2003
10,226
On NSC for over two decades...
I do a mixture of Mill Road P&R and the Bridge car park, neither leave you hanging around too long, even if you do leave on the final whistle - the P&R was a bit slow for me last night, but that was mainly due to issues I've been having walking since completing a half marathon on Sunday!
 




Tend to use train from Lewes now. Try and arrive just before 13:45 to get on to the empty shuttle before the London train arrives, don't rush to get out and usually anticipate a wait of around 10 - 15'. Don't do weekday games unfortunately, no issues with Saturday service.
 




Bozza

You can change this
Helpful Moderator
Jul 4, 2003
57,289
Back in Sussex
What is surprising is that there isn't any form of Falmer (or Lewes) to Littlehampton service either before games or after, particularly midweek.

I didn't think such a thing was possible until, last night, my Hove - Brighton train then became a Brighton - Falmer/Lewes service leaving from Brighton Platform 3 (i.e. not the regular side of the station for Lewes trains). And, just to be clear, it was never advertised as a Lewes train from West of Brighton, it was just the rolling stock was then used to go to Lewes having arrived at Brighton.

But, given it is possible for a train to traverse East to West and West to East through Brighton like this, why not have a special service or two like this? It would save a lot of congestion on Brighton Station itself.
 


bernster

New member
Sep 5, 2012
310
ye olde east sussex
i think the poll needs to have a saturday and a midweek version.as a user of the trains for everymatch(coming in from the east)i find the saturday service is excellent but the midweek service remains poor.
 




mejonaNO12 aka riskit

Well-known member
Dec 4, 2003
21,922
England
Race Hill P&R great as ever.

Normally we hang around have a pint, a chat and go. In those cases we have basically walked straight onto a bus.

Last night we clapped the team off, had a pie and then went. Maybe left 10mins earlier than normal after a game. As we walked out we saw what appeared to be a huge queue back down to the stadium. "oh bugger" we thought.

Not to worry. 10-15 mins of waiting and about 5 buses later we were on. If that's the worst case scenario then that's fine by me! Needless to say, if we'd waited our usual 10 mins more we would have walked straight on as normal. Lesson learnt.
 


dazzer6666

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Mar 27, 2013
55,550
Burgess Hill
Went to Old Trafford once. Found an awesome car park literally 2 mins from the entrance. Was in the car 15 mins after the final whistle. Crawled in traffic for 90 mins to reach the motorway.

Completely satisfied with the Amex arrangements, either driving to Lewes and getting train from there, going by train via Lewes from home or using Mill Road P&R. Rare to take much more than about an hour from final whistle to home (Burgess Hill) and often much less (under 40 mins last Saturday). Def better this season than last too. As a daily London commuter I might be more philosophical and accepting about the odd delay which is inevitable but it's generally fine. All concerned have done a pretty good job with the hand they were dealt with an out of town facility in a National Park.
 


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