[Football] Train chaos

[Beach Hut]

They cut the services during Covid and not bought full services back. So (from Worthing) two trains an hour of three carriages. You can go to Hove on the London, but connecting service no longer runs.

Really ?

Given I live in Shoreham and use trains regularly I would never have known that

 

[HH Brighton]

Huge mis-management of the rail companies over the last 10 years, by this government inevitably taking its toll.

 

[A1X]

Genuine question here though, where do Southern get the carriages from? And how do they fit them on a platform that only has room for 8?

I don't think Southern can get anymore trains on tbh, Network Rail need to upgrade the infrastructure.

I can’t speak for last night but on Saturday, at a guess, maybe out of the sidings at Brighton where there were loads just sitting around?

 

[Wozza]

I arrived at Brighton station this evening at around 17.45, and joined a not very large queue ("excellent", I thought). I was adjacent to those toilets at the coffee shop, so quite near those doors before you get onto the platform. And then we waited, and waited...

It took until 18.20 till I was on a train. And then, the train didn't leave the station till 18.40. So I spent nearly an hour from entering the station, to departing it. Christ knows what the queues were like behind me. I'm sure there's a very good reason for this clusterf*ck of a "service", but whats the point.

I arrived at Brighton at 18.05, just missed getting on the train you're referring to (was due to leave at 18.38), and got on next one - on platform 5 - which left at 18.30.

 

[Easy 10]

I arrived at Brighton at 18.05, just missed getting on the train you're referring to (was due to leave at 18.38), and got on next one - on platform 5 - which left at 18.30.

You're not helping

 

[beorhthelm]

seems with the reduced service post covid, club need to front up some cost for either train specials or buses.

 

[Beach Hut]

seems with the reduced service post covid, club need to front up some cost for either train specials or buses.

The club that lost a fortune last season…….

And may lose another fortune in the shortly to be released accounts (caveat, selling a player for £50m might have helped plug the gap)

 

[LamieRobertson]

The club that lost a fortune last season…….

And may lose another fortune in the shortly to be released accounts (caveat, selling a player for £50m might have helped plug the gap)

….ye and what about a new striker and judging by various threads another ten players at least

 

[Weststander]

The club that lost a fortune last season…….

And may lose another fortune in the shortly to be released accounts (caveat, selling a player for £50m might have helped plug the gap)

That’ll be a year later in the 2021/22 accounts (BW sale).

 

[studio150]

I commuted to London for 25 years....doubt there's an excuse I haven't heard [emoji23]

And the excuse usually changed station by station on the commute.
Not forgetting that your train cancellation was usually announced after a connecting service you could have got had just left the station.

 

[pure_white]

There have never been extra trains mid-week since the Amex opened

I know BUT last night I looked on the National rail timetable and live updates and could see NO extra trains and the amount of ppl about seemed to back that up as does the chaos many have endured on this thread.

 

[East London Exile]

I arrived at Lewes at 18:25 on the Victoria service and was lucky enough to make it over to the Falmer platform before they closed it off and started the queue. Whist waiting for the delayed totally inadequate 3 car train to Falmer I overheard the platform supervisors talking. They tried to get the Eastbourne to Victoria service diverted via Brighton to help clear the queue. That didn’t happen as the driver was not familiar with the line via Falmer - something they couldn’t really believe!

 

[Weststander]

I arrived at Lewes at 18:25 on the Victoria service and was lucky enough to make it over to the Falmer platform before they closed it off and started the queue. Whist waiting for the delayed totally inadequate 3 car train to Falmer I overheard the platform supervisors talking. They tried to get the Eastbourne to Victoria service diverted via Brighton to help clear the queue. That didn’t happen as the driver was not familiar with the line via Falmer - something they couldn’t really believe!

Work To Rule.

Something’s never change.

 

[mikeyjh]

Pre-pandemic there were 6 trains per hour between Brighton and Lewes all day Monday to Saturday and the infrastructure could cope fine with that. They have cut 50% of services, so we are down to 3 trains an hour, which is effectively a Sunday service even though passenger numbers are up to approx 70% of immediate pre-Covid levels.

It's a similarly dismal story on the West Coastway.

I saw a 6 car train in the siding at Hove yesterday on my way to the ground, and lots of unused Gatwick Express stock in the sidings at Brighton (which are cleared to operate on the Coastway routes). They have the stock to lengthen all services on the East Coastway, but are not doing so. Presumably this to avoid incurring higher track access charges and/or they don't have the staff available to get them into position. The policy seems to be do the absolute minimum they can get away with in order to keep costs down, even if it means extreme overcrowding and long waits.

I got the 17:16 from Hove to Brighton last night. Much earlier than I wanted to go. But the next train was not until 17:47 and I knew this would be so packed I might not be able to board. As it was the 17:16 was rammed too (4 car), but I manage to squeeze on. On arrival at Brighton it took ages to clear the platform due to so many leaving the train mixed with perhaps 200 already waiting to board the train we arrived in. Southern really need to consider reinstating more services.

I could be wrong, but I think all service increases now have to be cleared by the treasury who are desperate to keep a lid on the huge costs of supporting the industry through the pandemic. So don't expect any services to be reinstated soon. We could be looking at a feeble Coastway timetable for some time even if passenger numbers recover more.

Not to be seen to be defending Southern BUT this is an inevitable impact of the way are railways are set up. Effectively, their revenue is guaranteed and, to an extent, limited so they will always be looking to cut costs wherever possible. Railways are a public service and should be treated as such. Unfortunately the last PM candidate to suggest nationalising the railways was seen as a lunatic by many of the public.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

I arrived at Lewes at 18:25 on the Victoria service and was lucky enough to make it over to the Falmer platform before they closed it off and started the queue. Whist waiting for the delayed totally inadequate 3 car train to Falmer I overheard the platform supervisors talking. They tried to get the Eastbourne to Victoria service diverted via Brighton to help clear the queue. That didn’t happen as the driver was not familiar with the line via Falmer - something they couldn’t really believe!

Familiar with the line? They’re reasonably straight and go from where you are to where you want to be….it’s quite easy.

 

[jackalbion]

Pre-pandemic there were 6 trains per hour between Brighton and Lewes all day Monday to Saturday and the infrastructure could cope fine with that. They have cut 50% of services, so we are down to 3 trains an hour, which is effectively a Sunday service even though passenger numbers are up to approx 70% of immediate pre-Covid levels.

It's a similarly dismal story on the West Coastway.

I saw a 6 car train in the siding at Hove yesterday on my way to the ground, and lots of unused Gatwick Express stock in the sidings at Brighton (which are cleared to operate on the Coastway routes). They have the stock to lengthen all services on the East Coastway, but are not doing so. Presumably this to avoid incurring higher track access charges and/or they don't have the staff available to get them into position. The policy seems to be do the absolute minimum they can get away with in order to keep costs down, even if it means extreme overcrowding and long waits.

I got the 17:16 from Hove to Brighton last night. Much earlier than I wanted to go. But the next train was not until 17:47 and I knew this would be so packed I might not be able to board. As it was the 17:16 was rammed too (4 car), but I manage to squeeze on. On arrival at Brighton it took ages to clear the platform due to so many leaving the train mixed with perhaps 200 already waiting to board the train we arrived in. Southern really need to consider reinstating more services.

I could be wrong, but I think all service increases now have to be cleared by the treasury who are desperate to keep a lid on the huge costs of supporting the industry through the pandemic. So don't expect any services to be reinstated soon. We could be looking at a feeble Coastway timetable for some time even if passenger numbers recover more.

That 12 Car Class 455 that is in Hove Yard, I believe is for scrap and can't work on the coastway anyway. The Coastway services aren't very good in my mind (especially from Portslade where I live). I believe you are right about the treasury, presumably they don't always use the Gat Ex trains as only some drivers can use them .

 

[Uter]

That 12 Car Class 455 that is in Hove Yard, I believe is for scrap and can't work on the coastway anyway. The Coastway services aren't very good in my mind (especially from Portslade where I live). I believe you are right about the treasury, presumably they don't always use the Gat Ex trains as only some drivers can use them .

The train I saw in Hove sidings was two 3 car 313 units coupled together which clearly can work the Coastway lines. So when I heard that single 3 car units were working the East Coastway it was puzzling and frustrating given they seemingly had idle stock at Hove that could have been used to strengthen these services.

I read today that Southern are behind with driver training due to Covid, so that could be an explanation for the general problems we see today.

 

[Uter]

I arrived at Lewes at 18:25 on the Victoria service and was lucky enough to make it over to the Falmer platform before they closed it off and started the queue. Whist waiting for the delayed totally inadequate 3 car train to Falmer I overheard the platform supervisors talking. They tried to get the Eastbourne to Victoria service diverted via Brighton to help clear the queue. That didn’t happen as the driver was not familiar with the line via Falmer - something they couldn’t really believe!

Drivers have to be trained on and then sign for routes before they are able to drive any services over them, so it's certainly possible in theory that a driver could have signed for Victoria to Eastbourne, but not Brighton to Lewes.

I am sure there must be some drivers on here who could expand on this.

 

[jackalbion]

The train I saw in Hove sidings was two 3 car 313 units coupled together which clearly can work the Coastway lines. So when I heard that single 3 car units were working the East Coastway it was puzzling and frustrating given they seemingly had idle stock at Hove that could have been used to strengthen these services.

I read today that Southern are behind with driver training due to Covid, so that could be an explanation for the general problems we see today.

Oh I didn't see the 313s on Wednesday, but wouldn't be surprised, I know they can't get the 313s as six car on seafords as they can't stop at Moulescoomb and London Road due to Selective Door Opening, could have been a reason. Didn't understand why we were down to three an our on Wednesday.

 

[chaileyjem]

Agree but trouble is questions never include asking for opinions on Transport, Sharing scheme,Ticket prices etc. Just want to know if we liked the pie and if stewards were nice etc

If you mean the Premier League survey. Then it does have questions about travelling to matches and transport. And the club field questions about transport all the time in forums, and all the other ways they get feedback from fans and will step in multiple times when Southern can't provide a suitable service and fund at great cost things like replacement coach services, expanded park and rides and so on.. Albion of course don't run the railways but the idea that they've washed their hands of it , or somehow don't think it impacts on ticket sales, attendance and yes, the overall match day experience is wide of the mark.
See the survey from 2020. https://www.brightonandhovealbion.com/news/1627538/albion-rank-third-in-premier-league-fan-survey