[Travel] Trains (again), Safety

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Huge challenge for the transport infrastructure next home game: Southampton on a Friday night with a 20:00 ko. What could possibly go wrong?

 

[Brovion]

IMO the biggest reason this issue is amplified is due to the fact there is no choice - when leaving the Amex you will be in a queue, for potentially a long time, whether it be train, P&R or Bridge etc. The REALISTIC option of walking is not available. That feeling of being 'stuck' is what annoys most 2020s humans. For example Arsenal away is always a shitshow at Arsenal tube, but you have other REALISTIC options to get away if you don't like that queue.
I don't see a way around that at Falmer. However I have long since held the opinion that the club could help - covering the queuing areas at the station and P&R would provide a lot of goodwill IMO.

Exactly. Yes other grounds have their issues, but at a lot of other grounds there are 'things to do' within a say twenty-minute walk: pubs, cafes shops etc. Plus you can often walk to other stations and/or bus stops, or walk to wherever you parked your car. Once outside the Amex environs there's the Swan and the Hikers, and that's about it. Or walk down the one big main road.

Anyway, just be thankful we didn't end up at the Beeding Cement works. Access-wise that would make the Amex look like heaven. If we'd built the ground there there would still be people trying to get back from the Doncaster game.

 

[Guinness Boy]

Huge challenge for the transport infrastructure next home game: Southampton on a Friday night with a 20:00 ko. What could possibly go wrong?

What would really help would be a night of park and ride from EDF in West Hove. Must be a lot of them WFH on a Friday?

 

[CheeseRolls]

We managed to get away from Falmer quite quickly after the Wolves game and got into Brighton Station with plenty of time to catch the West Coastway 17:28. 6 minutes before departure the gates were closed as the service was "overcrowded" and yet the less able who were can enter via the other platforms were drifting through right up until departure.

When this was pointed out to the barrier staff the response was that the train wasn't full, but that the guard didn't want the hassle of having football fans on "his" service. By way of explanation, a full service by Southern standards means that anyone trying to get on a train, would need to try every door. The less able were able to enter the train by the nearest door without any issue.

I don't think I have ever seen anything kick off after a game on the west coast service, so why a guard should even have this attitude is beyond me. It only takes a few bad apples.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

What would really help would be a night of park and ride from EDF in West Hove. Must be a lot of them WFH on a Friday?

It's a start, agreed. But it really doesn't help those going West by train post-match from Brighton - which will include the bulk of the Southampton fans. Has all the makings of an absolute clusterfuck

 

[Seagull Stew]

I recently moved back to the UK from New Zealand in June this year after 17 years away, bringing my wife and two children with me. I've been taking them to games on and off (we are all MyAlbion + members). After the Liverpool midweek game, my youngest son (13) said that he did not want to go again because of the chaos, so we had to sell his ticket for the City game. I am hoping that I will be able to persuade him again at some point soon, but definitely not a midweek game. It was such a shame as he watched it on TV at home and said afterwards that he wished he'd gone.

I now wish that I'd given the Liverpool game a miss. Can't believe that I'm saying that!

 

[Hudson Hawk]

What would really help would be a night of park and ride from EDF in West Hove. Must be a lot of them WFH on a Friday?

I think it would help with just a 'ride' service from EDF (or the West somewhere). Just to give the trains some relief.

 

[mile oak]

Huge challenge for the transport infrastructure next home game: Southampton on a Friday night with a 20:00 ko. What could possibly go wrong?

Exactly. Yes other grounds have their issues, but at a lot of other grounds there are 'things to do' within a say twenty-minute walk: pubs, cafes shops etc. Plus you can often walk to other stations and/or bus stops, or walk to wherever you parked your car. Once outside the Amex environs there's the Swan and the Hikers, and that's about it. Or walk down the one big main road.

Anyway, just be thankful we didn't end up at the Beeding Cement works. Access-wise that would make the Amex look like heaven. If we'd built the ground there there would still be people trying to get back from the Doncaster game.

THIS is absolutely it. What else is there to do? of course midweek majority may just wanna get home ASAP but not everyone. You are snookered there is no option, I wonder how many away fans get caught out like this. You couldnt even buy a packet of chewing gum from a corner shop nearby never mind have a pint in a local pub. Yes what a mare Beeding cement works wouldve been not sure what the plan was but if that didnt include a new railway line then yeah horrendous option!

 

[Guinness Boy]

It's a start, agreed. But it really doesn't help those going West by train post-match from Brighton - which will include the bulk of the Southampton fans. Has all the makings of an absolute clusterfuck

It should help a bit? If you live in Worthing then drive to EDF and then park and ride? Same for Shoreham etc?

 

[Springal]

There’s also a strain on buses and drivers. The park and rides are basically using buses from all over and drivers who want some extra shifts.

 

[jackalbion]

It's a start, agreed. But it really doesn't help those going West by train post-match from Brighton - which will include the bulk of the Southampton fans. Has all the makings of an absolute clusterfuck

I imagine Southampton fans won't travel by train, as A) Engineering work starts at just after midnight westbound from brighton and B) dont think its possible to get back to Southampton without an incredibly convoluted route via London.

 

[ROSM]

I would also like to point out that the trains caused us to lose against Liverpool in the cup.

Given midweek train service I didn't fancy dragging my youngest through the crowds so bought a car parking space. Hence I couldn't drink my 4.5pints of harveys pre game. It's been a lucky amount stumbled on by trial and error and has worked for man utd, spurs and city at home.

So either I blame the trains, my tight fistedness for not paying 60gbp for seagull travel or sussex police for deterring me from drink driving.

So , bastard trains it is then

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

It should help a bit? If you live in Worthing then drive to EDF and then park and ride? Same for Shoreham etc?

Still a sticking plaster tho eh? Most will travel by train

 

[Balls of Steele]

Huge challenge for the transport infrastructure next home game: Southampton on a Friday night with a 20:00 ko. What could possibly go wrong?

Yep / there needs to be Pyecombe or EDF P&R in operation that night but won’t help those who need to take train

 

[Cowfold Seagull]

Possibly. His face was completely white though and he had the policeman's jacket on.

No no he WAS a police officer, they just seem to get younger all the time.

 

[um bongo molongo]

Pyecombe is a functional equestrian centre so can only be utilised for P&R when their core facilities are not being used for their primary purpose

The same for EDF.

IMO the biggest reason this issue is amplified is due to the fact there is no choice - when leaving the Amex you will be in a queue, for potentially a long time, whether it be train, P&R or Bridge etc. The REALISTIC option of walking is not available. That feeling of being 'stuck' is what annoys most 2020s humans. For example Arsenal away is always a shitshow at Arsenal tube, but you have other REALISTIC options to get away if you don't like that queue.
I don't see a way around that at Falmer. However I have long since held the opinion that the club could help - covering the queuing areas at the station and P&R would provide a lot of goodwill IMO.

Agree with this and why a fleet of shuttle buses from somewhere within walking distance of the stadium (on the main roads avoiding the snarl ups) to locations with other transport links would help a lot. Park and Ride without the Park bit. Surely a PL club can afford a dozen buses and training for some drivers?

 

[thedonkeycentrehalf]

Agree with this and why a fleet of shuttle buses from somewhere within walking distance of the stadium (on the main roads avoiding the snarl ups) to locations with other transport links would help a lot. Park and Ride without the Park bit. Surely a PL club can afford a dozen buses and training for some drivers?

Have you not noticed that local buses are all carrying adverts looking to recruit drivers? Southern Transit have also been advertising for drivers as they need cover for rail replacement services so not sure why you think the club could come up with a set of drivers for 20 days a year when the other companies can't get them for full or even part time employment.

You might as well look to recruit monorail drivers...

 

[mile oak]

I imagine Southampton fans won't travel by train, as A) Engineering work starts at just after midnight westbound from brighton and B) dont think its possible to get back to Southampton without an incredibly convoluted route via London.

isnt via London actual preferred as its quicker?

 

[jackalbion]

isnt via London actual preferred as its quicker?

Not particularly.

 

[The Antikythera Mechanism]

The Wuppertal Suspension Railway in Germany, 1902.

Opened in 1901, it is still in use, transporting 25 million passengers annually.