[Football] Train chaos

[jackalbion]

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.

There are a few depots that don't do that route, mainly the ones up London who would never likely operate a Brighton to Lewes train.

 

[Cowfold Seagull]

There are a few depots that don't do that route, mainly the ones up London who would never likely operate a Brighton to Lewes train.

As l understood it, at least until recently, it was impossible to run a train on the East Coastway, and then connect straight onto the line up to London, without a very complicated manouvre just outside Brighton station that involved reversing the train onto one of the platforms and then out again. More regular train users may know far more about this than me.

 

[Uter]

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

So far the club have, publicly at least, kept their counsel on the problems with the trains. However, behind the scenes they surely must be immensely frustrated. It's driving people away and impacting their business. But what can they really do other than voice their annoyance to Southern?

From the overcrowding I and others witnessed on Wednesday I thought we were perhaps straying beyond mere passenger inconvenience and operational headaches and into the realms of loss of control and public safety problems. Even without football traffic the coastway services would have been very busy.

 

[Deadly Danson]

As l understood it, at least until recently, it was impossible to run a train on the East Coastway, and then connect straight onto the line up to London, without a very complicated manouvre just outside Brighton station that involved reversing the train onto one of the platforms and then out again. More regular train users may know far more about this than me.

Basically, if coming from Lewes/Falmer the train would go into Brighton and the driver would change ends and continue up the main line.
As our other insider had said, not all drivers sign all routes so perfectly possible that a driver might sign Vic to Eastbourne but not Brighton to Lewes.
As some might remember from the strike days, I'm hardly an apologist for Southern but, like everywhere else, staff levels have been impacted by Covid both with sickness and driver training. No idea what happened on Wednesday specifically though.

 

[jackalbion]

As l understood it, at least until recently, it was impossible to run a train on the East Coastway, and then connect straight onto the line up to London, without a very complicated manouvre just outside Brighton station that involved reversing the train onto one of the platforms and then out again. More regular train users may know far more about this than me.

Hmm how do you mean? On the West Coastway it is very difficult as only Platform 3 is accessible from London and Hove, and at that only four carriages would be able to do that

 

[Lower West Stander]

So far the club have, publicly at least, kept their counsel on the problems with the trains. However, behind the scenes they surely must be immensely frustrated. It's driving people away and impacting their business. But what can they really do other than voice their annoyance to Southern?

From the overcrowding I and others witnessed on Wednesday I thought we were perhaps straying beyond mere passenger inconvenience and operational headaches and into the realms of loss of control and public safety problems. Even without football traffic the coastway services would have been very busy.

But they signed up for it when they built the stadium. What you see after a game when Southern are in meltdown is what us commuters see on a regular basis and it has been the same going right back to Connex days. Its not unusual at all.

I don't know what due diligence the club did on this at the outset but they doubled down on it with the subsidised rail fare and now making parking more difficult this season. I know there are other factors involved, but reliance on Southern has increased as the club has become more successful and other methods of transport more challenging.

If they thought Southern were somehow going to improve the dross we have to put up with every morning just because they were paying for lots of plans to travel free to football games- that was pretty naive in my view.

 

[pure_white]

So far the club have, publicly at least, kept their counsel on the problems with the trains. However, behind the scenes they surely must be immensely frustrated. It's driving people away and impacting their business. But what can they really do other than voice their annoyance to Southern?

From the overcrowding I and others witnessed on Wednesday I thought we were perhaps straying beyond mere passenger inconvenience and operational headaches and into the realms of loss of control and public safety problems. Even without football traffic the coastway services would have been very busy.

Call me sceptical if you like but i find the results of the survey very very very hard to believe. Transport is as sh1t as you get especially the trains.

 

[pure_white]

The club say with expansion outside the stadium of the fan zone etc. it will encourage more fans to stay and thereby stagger exits. I can't see it'll make a jot if difference, but no doubt the club will say they've helped ease the sardine queues and sardine train journeys home.

 

[Guinness Boy]

The club say with expansion outside the stadium of the fan zone etc. it will encourage more fans to stay and thereby stagger exits. I can't see it'll make a jot if difference, but no doubt the club will say they've helped ease the sardine queues and sardine train journeys home.

I'm not sure what club communique you're talking about here, but currently it would make absolutely no difference for the worst games.

For Palace you'd not have a fanzone open for a start and no doubt the dangerous one way rubbish will be back again next season despite a near Hillborough this season. For an evening game like Spurs when most away fans are using the trains too and there are only 2 trains an hour connecting onto Coastway West, most people are going to need to get to Brighton ASAP and not hang around or they won't get home full stop.

Nevertheless, the bars are open after the game which is a great touch by the club. We've met friends on the concourse and stayed for one or two beers after most weekend games and normally it means less time in the train queue for the way home. However, we also have a friend who normally parks at Brighton Station to avoid the absolutely terrible Coastway West connections and twice this season (Leicester and Villa) we've taken over an hour to get out of that car park!

The idea of having a stadium served mainly by public transport and right on the city's outskirts was actually OK pre covid and with Bennett's Field, but now with reduced on site parking AND reduced train services it is absolutely horrible to get to, and travel to the game now involves boredom and anxiety instead of excitement and chatter, To some degree you have to go back and blame Bellotti and Archer for that. There was never an issue getting 20 - 30,000 people in and out of the Goldstone back in the day,

 

[Guinness Boy]

Possibly over thinking this now but the best travel in and out I've ever done from Portslade was the odd time we've had the Sainsbury's park and ride added.

Obviously you can't do that normally because the car park's for the shop but I do wonder if a shuttle bus from there or maybe running a few 25s from Portslade Station to the Amex and back again (when I was younger this was their route anyway instead of terminating at Palmeira) on match day would help.

Probably not enough bus drivers either though

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Possibly over thinking this now but the best travel in and out I've ever done from Portslade was the odd time we've had the Sainsbury's park and ride added.

Obviously you can't do that normally because the car park's for the shop but I do wonder if a shuttle bus from there or maybe running a few 25s from Portslade Station to the Amex and back again (when I was younger this was their route anyway instead of terminating at Palmeira) on match day would help.

Probably not enough bus drivers either though

It would also help if more 5B's went all the way to the Uni rather than terminate at Hollingbury Asda. It's a frequent service, every 10-15 minutes, but currently there's only one 5B that is any use for evening games, it gets to the Sports Hall just before 6pm. After that time, nothing at all, they all terminate at Asda

 

[Springal]

Am I right in saying that from Worthing to Brighton there are no trains (even with a change at Hove) between 13.55 and 14.48 ?!

 

[thedonkeycentrehalf]

Am I right in saying that from Worthing to Brighton there are no trains (even with a change at Hove) between 13.55 and 14.48 ?!

Certainly looks that way according to the Southern site - bet a few will get caught out by that one.

The 700 bus could be unexpectedly busy!

 

[Carlos BC]

Am I right in saying that from Worthing to Brighton there are no trains (even with a change at Hove) between 13.55 and 14.48 ?!

Yes, but don't get on more than 3 hours before the game or Southern will want you to pay. They don't like people using their match tickets to go into Brighton before the game, naughty, very naughty.

 

[GT49er]

As l understood it, at least until recently, it was impossible to run a train on the East Coastway, and then connect straight onto the line up to London, without a very complicated manouvre just outside Brighton station that involved reversing the train onto one of the platforms and then out again. More regular train users may know far more about this than me.

Going back to the time when my Dad, Grandad and Uncle all worked on the railway in the Brighton area, there was one platform (near the centre of the station) from which trains could go directly to/from the east coast lines and the London line - it was used regularly by the daily through train from Hastings to Birkenhead, and by some of the summer Saturday specials to places like Leicester and Leeds. I think the west coast could also be accessed from the same platform.

There have obviously been many changes to the tracks at Brighton since then - but I suspect they will have kept that particular useful facility ......... although given the lack of proper railwaymen running the railways these days, possibly not!

 

[Easy 10]

Last time this type of bollocks happened, two 700s went straight past as they were already rammed, Southampton game I think. I decided then that if the next one went through I'd give up and grab a stream at home, but luckily I managed to clamber on.

Tomorrow looks like being a lovely day, so I fully intend plugging in my earphones for a pod, and mincing along the seafront for an hour. Destination - the Fitz Regent for a burger, and a squint at LA in their final.

That'll do nicely.

 

[faoileán]

Last time this type of bollocks happened, two 700s went straight past as they were already rammed, Southampton game I think. I decided then that if the next one went through I'd give up and grab a stream at home, but luckily I managed to clamber on.

Tomorrow looks like being a lovely day, so I fully intend plugging in my earphones for a pod, and mincing along the seafront for an hour. Destination - the Fitz Regent for a burger, and a squint at LA in their final.

That'll do nicely.

Anyone understand what he's talking about?

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Last time this type of bollocks happened, two 700s went straight past as they were already rammed, Southampton game I think. I decided then that if the next one went through I'd give up and grab a stream at home, but luckily I managed to clamber on.

Tomorrow looks like being a lovely day, so I fully intend plugging in my earphones for a pod, and mincing along the seafront for an hour. Destination - the Fitz Regent for a burger, and a squint at LA in their final.

That'll do nicely.

….and in English?

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

Anyone understand what he's talking about?

He's going for a seaside walk while listening to some gangasta rap on his discman, then off to a pub to have a glass of Campari while watching the Grand Pricks on TV.

 

[Blue Valkyrie]

He's going for a seaside walk while listening to some gangasta rap on his discman, then off to a pub to have a glass of Campari while watching the Grand Pricks on TV.

He is not just walking - he is "mincing".

: "to walk with short steps in a prim affected manner".

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mince