*TRAIN NEWS* Brighton main line closed tomorrow

[Ernest]

I'd rather Southern publicised the basic story of what is happening, as soon as they had decided, and the details came later - rather than saying nothing until all the details are finalised.

Which is what has happened.


In contrast, First Capital Connect have, so far, said absolutely NOTHING about tomorrow's planned changes to their services.

I believe they are running a service between Hassocks and Bedford

 

[Ernest]

Any advice on the 6:22 shoreham to Lon b , via littkehampton ?

Starting at Littlehampton then via Horsham, nothing from Shoreham

 

[HawkTheSeagull]

Never had any issues on First Transpennine Express, cheap, reliable and frequent. I don't know why FCC are so shit.

Different management/control - Transpennine are decent when ive used them, FCC control couldnt organise a piss up in a brewery.

 

[Napper]

Starting at Littlehampton then via Horsham, nothing from Shoreham

Cheers mate . So basically a littlehampton train then to make the connection . Hope they put on a shuttle otherwise involves changing at ford and a 5:20 start ouch . Must be loads in same boat.

Hopefully website be updated soon

 

[RustyTheSnowman]

This thread will be your best source of up-to-date and correct information. In all fairness Ernest and Beach Hut's Xmas eve info was most helpful to me as I battled to get home. The TOC websites carried no meaningful or useful info that day.

OK thanks, I'll keep an eye on it. I hope to go straight to Falmer from London Victoria tomorrow evening (i.e. without going home first, I realise there isn't a direct route!). It may be wishful thinking but if I could leave London after 5pm and get to the stadium for 7pm that'd be great. If anybody 'in the know' could post an update on the options for that I'd be very grateful!

 

[Guinness Boy]

Never had any issues on First Transpennine Express, cheap, reliable and frequent. I don't know why FCC are so shit.

And not running on a mainline. Transpennine Express is a glorified bus. FCC service on the Brighton mainline is worse than Southern's and on much more uncomfortable trains (though slightly less likely to break down). First Great Western - aka Worst Late Western are an actual travel joke. A cliche.

 

[HawkTheSeagull]

OK thanks, I'll keep an eye on it. I hope to go straight to Falmer from London Victoria tomorrow evening (i.e. without going home first, I realise there isn't a direct route!). It may be wishful thinking but if I could leave London after 5pm and get to the stadium for 7pm that'd be great. If anybody 'in the know' could post an update on the options for that I'd be very grateful!

Normal service from London to Lewes - they may even stop the London - Brighton via Lewes trains at Falmer to further help.

Bonus for the East Coastway line is that services will have more coaches !!

 

[e77]

http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/service_disruptions/71895.aspx

Apparently anyone west of Worthing should go via Havant to Waterloo if they want to get to London tomorrow.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

I believe they are running a service between Hassocks and Bedford

Apparently so.

This is what they have now posted on their website:-

First Capital Connect
The following alterations for Monday 17 February
No trains are running between Brighton and Hassocks

http://www.firstcapitalconnect.co.u.../thameslink/#4f686c9463f8046cecce5e9b90365778


No advice to their passengers about what to do, though.

 

[Sergei's Celebration]

Can anyone put into plain English what I need to do to get to London Bridge by 9? Thanks in advance.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

Can anyone put into plain English what I need to do to get to London Bridge by 9? Thanks in advance.

Where from?

 

[The Wookiee]

Sorry Ernest to keep bombarding you with questions but would the best route to get to 3 bridges from Worthing around 4pm, be to change at Barnham then up to 3 bridges ? Thinks this takes about an hour and 10, got to be quicker than messing with buses at Brighton ?

 

[Sergei's Celebration]

Where from?

Sorry that does help!

Hove

 

[Weatherman]

How can you drain water that's coming up through the ground ? How can anyone stop water draining through the downs ?
I thought the London commuters were supposed to be intelligent.
Worrying looking at some of the posts.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

How can you drain water that's coming up through the ground ?

Maybe try this? A high water table is every day life here.

http://robertherrmann.wordpress.com/2012/01/20/the-fancy-tubes-of-berlin/

 

[seagullsovergrimsby]

Have you ever tried to reschedule a job at short notice? It's more complicated than some people appreciate.

In this instance, it requires changes not only to the timetables, but also to staff rosters and rolling stock schedules - to say nothing of confirming that the contracts with bus operators to provide rail replacement services will actually happen (especially difficult when those same bus companies already have a contract in place to provide extra vehicles and drivers to get 25,000 people to and from a football match on the same day).

On a positive note there should be some extra vehicles available that won't be doing the schools contract run in the morning and afternoon because the kids are on holiday.

 

[pasty]

RESULT!!!!

Albion home match tomorrow night and the perfect excuse to WFH so don't have to rush back from London for the game.

 

[The Wookiee]

I must say well done to Ernest to the info he has provided.

I propose he has his own permanent "sticky" train travel thread at the top of the page, where we can "Ask Ernest" any train related queries we have, from getting to and from work, travelling to away games or even planning a holiday.

His reward ??

He has the ammunition to start as many spoof threads as he pleases !!!

 

[British Bulldog]

I think one would have more sympathy for the railways if they could get the basics right day in, day out. The number of times we hear of "signalling failures", or a "points failure" verges on the ridiculous. Come on - we had all the work at Stoat's Nest Junction over Christmas, then we go back to work and what do we get? Power supply problems at Balham. Some companies can get it right: London Overground, LTS and Chiltern for example. Okay, I know the latter two are relatively simple operations, but LO has to interface with a number of lines and still usually gets it right. Of course weather events are going to cause disruption (and with the exception of the "wrong kind of snow" effort, BR usually recovered pretty quickly), but really, how difficult is it to check a signal relay?

If you look at the vast amount of signalling equipment on the London to Brighton line it's only a very small percentage that actually fails.

 

[seagullsovergrimsby]

Different management/control - Transpennine are decent when ive used them, FCC control couldnt organise a piss up in a brewery.

The Cleethorpes to Manchester Airport train runs once an hour , we now get three carriages these days (2 and a half if you discount the 1st class section which is more often than not completely empty)