*TRAIN NEWS* Brighton main line closed tomorrow

[Lord Bracknell]

Went by the bull ring today, closed for a month for renovation not that I am sure I would go. Still plenty of interesting things to do over the next few days and some city bike riding.

If you're in Valencia in mid-March, you can't avoid Las Fallas merely by "not going". It comes to you.

http://www.valencia-cityguide.com/tourist-information/leisure/festivals/the-fallas.html

 

[Beach Hut]

And yet still checking NSC just in case the Groovy Gang are being a bit mean about you.

The Groovy Gang are the dogs bollox

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

So, how do you expect Network Rail to deal with water coming up through the ground? Rip up the tracks and insall waterproof barriers? This is a once in a 250 year event! If you want to blame someone try that bitch Thatcher, she tried to screw the railways just like she did the miners!

I trust you are aware that smoking is prohibited on any Network Rail land! If you think we are all clueless take the bus! See how long that takes you!

Once in a 250 years event, wrong snow, regular snow, leaves, "essential" maintenance....passengers are just sick of the excuses now whether they're justified or not.

 

[TrevorDove]

Have you not considered the reason workmen appear to be standing around when you go past them is they have to stand clear when a train passes? Unless of course your expecting them to carry on working as the train goes over the top of them?
As for your claim of incompetence that's just plain daft, Surely everybody understands if a line becomes unsafe then you have to stop running trains on it? Surely incompetence would be running trains on an unsafe line?
If the bad weather had just been affecting rail travel I could understand some of the moans but it's been affecting all modes of transport.

Yes of course I appreciate they have to stop when a train passes - must be H&S stopping any sort of work within a 1 mile blast zone then.

As for the incompetence comment, you've missed the point. Incompetence is not keeping one of the busiest railway lines in the country open. A failure that will cost the economy and inconvenience thousands of people tomorrow.

As for other modes of transport - probably, but that doesn't make the NR failure right - or does it?

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

maybe get some more pumps?

Hey, have you ever considered a career on the railways? This is the sort of out-of-the-box blue-sky radical thinking they need.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

If you're in Valencia in mid-March, you can't avoid Las Fallas merely by "not going". It comes to you.

http://www.valencia-cityguide.com/tourist-information/leisure/festivals/the-fallas.html

Tomatina is good fun as well.

 

[Eagle Slayer]

Heads up for Seaford line travellers and anyone wanting to get to Falmer early

0940 and hourly until 1640 Bton to Seaford

1025 and hourly until 1725 Seaford to Brighton

Will NOT run

Providing I get to Brighton Station tomorrow afternoon/evening allowing a reasonable time will any trains be running from Brighton that stop off at Falmer ?

 

[British Bulldog]

Yes of course I appreciate they have to stop when a train passes - must be H&S stopping any sort of work within a 1 mile blast zone then.

As for the incompetence comment, you've missed the point. Incompetence is not keeping one of the busiest railway lines in the country open. A failure that will cost the economy and inconvenience thousands of people tomorrow.

As for other modes of transport - probably, but that doesn't make the NR failure right - or does it?

I'm not missing the point at all, they've done everything they can to keep the line open but it's reached a point where it has become unsafe. It's not a failure or incompetence it's Network Rail doing the job they're supposed to be doing.

 

[TrevorDove]

I'm not missing the point at all, they've done everything they can to keep the line open but it's reached a point where it has become unsafe. It's not a failure or incompetence it's Network Rail doing the job they're supposed to be doing.

We could argue all night. I see it as failure, you see it as they've done everything they can. Either way, the trains won't run tomorrow.

 

[Ernest]

Providing I get to Brighton Station tomorrow afternoon/evening allowing a reasonable time will any trains be running from Brighton that stop off at Falmer ?

Yes but what sort of timetable is not known yet

 

[Eagle Slayer]

Yes but what sort of timetable is not known yet

Ok thanks

 

[RustyTheSnowman]

For weekday evening games I usually get the 1727 from Victoria to Lewes and make it to Falmer with plenty of time for a pie and a pint (or two). So far Southern have said that London-Eastbourne services should be unaffected tomorrow... which I suspect is why there's a shortage of Victoria-to-Brighton-via-Lewes trains during the evening rush hour. Getting to Lewes (on either a Brighton- or Eastbourne-bound train) seems unlikely to be a problem.

Lewes seems likely to be pretty busy, though, because everyone who would usually go into Brighton and change for Falmer will be forced to change at Lewes instead. I might be tempted to get the diverted 1706 to Brighton and hope that they let it stop at Falmer on the way back from Lewes. If not, getting to Lewes a bit earlier will give a few more options if there are delays or overcrowding to cope with.

Thanks Jimmy. Without wanting to tempt fate, seems like it should be OK then!

 

[Dan Aitch]

Southern trains website says:

Brighton to Lewes: some services between Brighton and Lewes will be withdrawn to provide capacity for direct trains to run via Lewes to London (applies in both directions)

This makes no sense to me at all.

Falmer will be busy tomorrow evening but they're withdrawing some of the trains that stop there to make room for others that don't. Also, trains to and from London won't stop at Falmer (so Southern told me on Twitter), meaning that anyone traveling to the game from Hayward's Heath and all points north of there will have to change at Lewes to get to Falmer, and so to make things easier when doing this, Southern are reducing the number of trains that go to Falmer from Lewes (i.e. cancelling some of the trains from Seaford).

Far-king brilliant.

Getting home will be even more fun, I'm sure.

 

[Deadly Danson]

For the one billionth time - it makes very little difference which railway companies run the train services (FCC excluded who are pretty hopeless), the infrastructure is Victorian and in need of billions and billions of pounds of investment that no one can afford and which would shut down the main line for months if not years. The flooding at Patcham is completely unavoidable - they have been working for weeks to try to stem the tide but there comes a point when it becomes impossible. The fact that an emergency timetable has been published should mean things run "relatively" smoothly tomorrow providing you work to that timetable and not the original one - it's when the TOCs try to keep running an normal service that things go pear shaped. And please don't accuse those track workers of laziness - they are out in all weathers and at all times of the day. And yes I drive for Southern - they do plenty wrong but the idiocy of some on here who insist on blaming them for every single problem - signal failure, landslides, flooding, fatalities, trespassers, trees on the line etc etc is beyond annoying and frankly beyond comprehension.

 

[beorhthelm]

We could argue all night. I see it as failure, you see it as they've done everything they can. Either way, the trains won't run tomorrow.

you must have a very nice, but dull job that means that you'll never be impacted by situations beyond your control. some have to deal with what the world throws at us.

Southern trains website says:

This makes no sense to me at all.

by removing the Seaford-Brighton trains, they create capacity for the London-Brighton trains including those from Haywards Heath. if they didnt, the trains wouldnt be able to come from HH, so you'd be snookered.
now we dont *know* they are or arent stopping at Falmer, but my guess is they will as they know they'll have hundreds of football fans.

 

[Dan Aitch]

Granted, we don't *know*... but they tweeted me to say that they weren't going to stop there. That's all I have to go on at the moment.

*waits for the toilet joke.

 

[TrevorDove]

you must have a very nice, but dull job that means that you'll never be impacted by situations beyond your control. some have to deal with what the world throws at us.
.

Oh dear. And you must have a job on the railway, so dull, not nice and a complete lack of understanding of a customer service driven and commercial environment.

If we are making assumptions....

 

[Train Spotter]

The NR website states they were pumping water a couple of days ago using pumps - so I don't know, maybe get some more pumps?

We could probably go into many reasons why NR has failed, years of under investment being one. I'm sure they are very interesting but they don't help with the here and now.

As for no smoking, I am fully aware railway land is no smoking - which makes it all the more amazing to see the workers smoking.

Probably drive all the same tomorrow, at least that's in my hands.

Where would you like the water pumped to then ? Your back garden seems like a good idea! Glad your driving , one less moaner on the train!

 

[TrevorDove]

Where would you like the water pumped to then ? Your back garden seems like a good idea! Glad your driving , one less moaner on the train!

There are quite a few fields around, how about there?

I assume a usual Monday for you drivers sitting in some portacabin, scratching your bollocks, moaning about Thatcher watching Trisha whilst drinking endless cups of tea on full pay.

If I was in charge you would all be out there with mop and buckets! Lazy sods!

 

[HawkTheSeagull]

Southern trains website says:

This makes no sense to me at all.

Falmer will be busy tomorrow evening but they're withdrawing some of the trains that stop there to make room for others that don't. Also, trains to and from London won't stop at Falmer (so Southern told me on Twitter), meaning that anyone traveling to the game from Hayward's Heath and all points north of there will have to change at Lewes to get to Falmer, and so to make things easier when doing this, Southern are reducing the number of trains that go to Falmer from Lewes (i.e. cancelling some of the trains from Seaford).

Far-king brilliant.

Getting home will be even more fun, I'm sure.

Trains WILL be running to Falmer before and after the match tomorrow. I also expect London trains to stop at Falmer (short notice stop orders can be issued if needed).

If you come from the Mainline, you have to change at Brighton or Lewes anyway, so it makes no difference.

There are quite a few fields around, how about there?

I assume a usual Monday for you drivers sitting in some portacabin, scratching your bollocks, moaning about Thatcher watching Trisha whilst drinking endless cups of tea on full pay.

If I was in charge you would all be out there with mop and buckets! Lazy sods!

Of all the comments on this topic - this wins the most idiotic of them all, congratulations.