Thoughts on temporary travel arrangements

[Lonesome bandit]

Having changed travel arrangements for the last three home games thought I would make a few comments.
I normally travel by car ( about 60 miles) , park in Lewes and catch the train but for the three home games tried three different ways and happy with each one.
Colchester: paid the £12 and parked in the University. Nice and near and easy get away. Home 30 mins earlier than usual.
Forest: parked at Sainsbury's. No problems, able to pick up a couple of supplies before game. Easy to get bus after game , quick journey back to car park and straight out on to A27/ A23 and home again about 30 mins earlier than usual.
Rotherham: Equestrien centre. Easy parking, quick journey in and out. Not much of a wait after the game and straight onto A23 and again home a good 30 mins earlier than usual.

Very happy with the three results and the travel. Any chance of these arrangements becoming permanent?

 

[Brovion]

Welcome to NSC!

It's a good question. I know the club have looked at other P & R sites in the past to no avail, so I'm guessing that the only reason they've got these is because they were able to tell the owners, "Look, it's just to help us out" (Ditto Marine Parade in Brighton). Certainly I can't see the Sainsburys one being permanemt.

 

[Whoislloydy]

I was VERY happy with the Sainsbury's park and ride. I would happily pay £10 if they wanted to make it a permanent park and ride, only for mid-week games as i got home 45 minutes quicker than usual!

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

The ten minute Brighton-Falmer-Lewes train shuttle seems to work very well. Would like to see that kept as a permanent arrangement.

 

[Hereford Gull]

Very happy with equestrian centre, straight onto A23 to head home, easy in and out, would use it again.

 

[Gazwag]

I am completely jinxed, chose the get the coach from Polegate on Tuesday night all was going ok, left the coach park at 10pm all going well until 1.5 miles from Polegate and hit roadworks and it took 45 bloody minutes to travel those 1.5 miles so ended up the latest we have ever been home in Bexhill from a match at the Amex and paid £12 for the privilege.

 

[Easy 10]

Cycled the Forest and Rovrum games, takes about 50 minutes which is not dissimilar to when I train it from home. Other than arriving sweating like a rapist all was well, and will continue doing this as an option (weather permitting).

 

[happypig]

I am completely jinxed, chose the get the coach from Polegate on Tuesday night all was going ok, left the coach park at 10pm all going well until 1.5 miles from Polegate and hit roadworks and it took 45 bloody minutes to travel those 1.5 miles so ended up the latest we have ever been home in Bexhill from a match at the Amex and paid £12 for the privilege.

The same roadworks were there last Friday after the Forest game. No advance warning signs so people could take alternative route, no consideration given to phasing the temporary lights to take account of the huge tailback due to the football, notification of the works buried deep in the Highways agency website, nothing on the usual traffic sites (AA etc), ESCC not bothered as "It's a HA road" (not the A22 bit isn't). Total clusterf*ck by the HA.

 

[Brovion]

Very happy with equestrian centre, straight onto A23 to head home, easy in and out, would use it again.

I think that would be a good one to keep as it would be handy for 'Northern' fans leaving Mill Road for 'Westerners'.

 

[Knightsworld]

We did Pyecombe for Forest and Sainsburys for Rotherham, was back in Shoreham quicker than ever before. Would love it if these two venues could be permanent.

 

[Franks Wild Years]

I come down from Bristol and usually get the train in from Hassocks with family, using the Equestrian Centre was so much better, loads quicker and easier. Be great if it was permanent.

 

[Joe Gatting's Dad]

Used Marine Parade for Forest about six and easy ride to stopping point at Falmer Station. Afterwards train to Lewes about 22:40 and Rail Replacement bus to Seaford by 23:30.

For Rotherham was able to get on first available train in queue at 18:40. Went to Falmer station after the game at 22:20 and found train delays to Lewes, so walked down to Southern Water where the Lewes shuttle bus was waiting for me. Connected with Rail Replacement bus at Lewes and back in Seaford for 23:15.

No complaints at all and nice to have immediate alternatives available.

 

[Bob!]

Having changed travel arrangements for the last three home games thought I would make a few comments.
I normally travel by car ( about 60 miles) , park in Lewes and catch the train but for the three home games tried three different ways and happy with each one.
Colchester: paid the £12 and parked in the University. Nice and near and easy get away. Home 30 mins earlier than usual.
Forest: parked at Sainsbury's. No problems, able to pick up a couple of supplies before game. Easy to get bus after game , quick journey back to car park and straight out on to A27/ A23 and home again about 30 mins earlier than usual.
Rotherham: Equestrien centre. Easy parking, quick journey in and out. Not much of a wait after the game and straight onto A23 and again home a good 30 mins earlier than usual.

Very happy with the three results and the travel. Any chance of these arrangements becoming permanent?

Very happy with equestrian centre, straight onto A23 to head home, easy in and out, would use it again.

I think that would be a good one to keep as it would be handy for 'Northern' fans leaving Mill Road for 'Westerners'.

I used Pyecombe on Tuesday, was excellent. I was on for an 'earliest time home' until I got to Dartford Tunnel and it was just one lane in use.

Can't see them using it for Saturday games as the Equestrian Centre has always looked busy on Saturdays. But got to be worth continuing for evening games .

 

[chaileyjem]

Any chance of these arrangements becoming permanent?

Would like to see that kept as a permanent arrangement.

Would love it if these two venues could be permanent.

Be great if it was permanent.

No complaints at all and nice to have immediate alternatives available.

Given that last week cost the club, they say, an estimated £250K in lost ticket sales, revenue and another 50K to stump up for extra staffing, buses, park and rides and that they already pay Southern Trains a fortune then the last thing they want is for Southern's temporary timetable, frequent strikes and unreliability to become a permament fixture.
They did a fantastic job at the last minute in setting up alternative arrangements but you'd think they want a return to business as usual (such as it is), however successful last weeks extra facilities proved.

"our success relies totally on us having a reliable, efficient, good quality train and bus service, otherwise agendas to encourage people away from the private car will completely fail.
The disruption and the cost to us and all businesses in the south east is totally unacceptable. "
http://www.seagulls.co.uk/news/article/2016-17/martin-perry-brighton-hove-albion-3232576.aspx

 

[The Sock of Poskett]

Have found the alternative arrangements forced upon us to be fine up to a point:
Good side: straightforward by car (once parked at Sussex Uni, once via justpark.com somewhere in Coldean) or coach (Seagull Travel). Like the OP, got home (Worthing) a fair bit quicker than normal.
Bad side: cost around £12 a time (not including mileage) (less if shared among car occupants of course). And of course the club have PAID for train/bus travel from Worthing, so they're not getting value off Southern Rail (or squashing too much demand onto the buses), and we're stumping up extra.
Best option for me is a return to (sensible) trains - if that's in any way likely to happen

 

[Gazwag]

The same roadworks were there last Friday after the Forest game. No advance warning signs so people could take alternative route, no consideration given to phasing the temporary lights to take account of the huge tailback due to the football, notification of the works buried deep in the Highways agency website, nothing on the usual traffic sites (AA etc), ESCC not bothered as "It's a HA road" (not the A22 bit isn't). Total clusterf*ck by the HA.

We drove to Lewes last Friday and obviously the only thing that stopped us getting stuck was because the tunnel out of Lewes was closed we went the back way home.

 

[Gazwag]

Bad side: cost around £12 a time (not including mileage) (less if shared among car occupants of course). And of course the club have PAID for train/bus travel from Worthing, so they're not getting value off Southern Rail (or squashing too much demand onto the buses), and we're stumping up extra.
Best option for me is a return to (sensible) trains - if that's in any way likely to happen

Exactly how I feel, for the three of us it cost £36 extra on Tuesday night because we were forced to get the coach from Polegate rather than the train which is free.

 

[Stat Brother]

Shirley the club can take 'action' against Southern Rail, if they are paying for a service that's not provided.

Just in case anyone significant is reading.
I would have used Saino's for Rotherham had I booked in time, and will be looking to book there if the situation persists.


As it is I was well chuffed to get the last space at Mill Road, allowing me to drive out under the bridge.

 

[MattBackHome]

I usually get the train or 1/25 buses up and train home.

Last two games I bussed up from town - on Tuesday via a virtually empty special bus from the Pavillion, and trested myself to Seagulls Travel back to Porstslade.Can't speak highly enough of Seagulls Travel. I was back maybe half an hour earlier then as is usual for an evening match.

 

[Notters]

The ten minute Brighton-Falmer-Lewes train shuttle seems to work very well. Would like to see that kept as a permanent arrangement.

It would probably reduce the ability of people from Newhaven, Seaford, Eastbourne and Hastings to get to matches though!