[Albion] Trains for the QPR match

[drew]

After last week, will we still have the usual suspects complaining that when they got to Btn Stn at 7:15...........................

 

[dazzer6666]

Thinking of setting off shortly. I'm still not 100% confident of making kickoff.

Your running not coming along too well yet then ?

 

[portslade seagull]

There will probably be ice on the rails

 

[perseus]

You can set up delay and disruption alerts for your journey at:

http://ojp.nationalrail.co.uk/service/timesandfares/SSE/FMR/tomorrow/1745/dep

This does not apply to Brighton to Falmer.

West Coastway was delayed and I got an alert, but it was too late for me to get to the station for an earlier train on Friday.

Trains again disrupted West Coastway tonight (according to alerts which can be wrong.) Worse than Friday.

 

[perseus]

Pre-match notification:

Travel update

Train services between Brighton and Falmer, and from Lewes/Eastbourne to Falmer, are expected to run as usual.
Read more at http://www.seagulls.co.uk/news/arti...park-rangers-3066514.aspx#poQ2TewaFbEzOIfz.99

Unsure what is usual any more?

 

[Gwylan]

Out of interest do lots of you take time off / leave work early or do you all finish at a time / work near enough to make it easy to get to the match on time?

I used to work in central London. Most times I'd leave early on a match day but it wasn't always possible but if I left the office by 5.40 I'd always be on time for kick-off. The only time I was late when was I got tied up with something and couldn't leave until 6.15 - I got to the ground 20 minutes late but as it was goalless I wasn't that fussed

 

[Ninja Elephant]

I quite like getting the 49 to the very end of the route and then walking up, when I don't cycle that's what I usually do and will do tomorrow evening as well I suspect. It's another option. I've never felt like I wanted to put my faith in the trains, and that's not a stab at Southern, more my belief that with so many people trying to get to the same place at the same time on that line, you're always going to have delays and struggles.

 

[Bozza]

I quite like getting the 49 to the very end of the route and then walking up, when I don't cycle that's what I usually do and will do tomorrow evening as well I suspect. It's another option. I've never felt like I wanted to put my faith in the trains, and that's not a stab at Southern, more my belief that with so many people trying to get to the same place at the same time on that line, you're always going to have delays and struggles.

That's not true - far from it. The trains large cope admirably with the peak in demand that an Albion home game brings and has been my transport of choice for most games since we moved to the Amex.

On Friday night, however, despite getting to the Station at a time that should have allowed ample time to get to the ground and have a pint etc, it soon became very clear that we were going to struggle to make the game. We gave it up very quickly, walked back through the queue, round the back of the station (past [MENTION=409]Herr Tubthumper[/MENTION] I later learned) and headed down towards London Road before flagging down a cab and getting him to take us to The Bridge. We did arrive in good time and have a pint. If we'd stayed with the train option, we'd have missed kick off.

So, it's generally fine, but is clearly fragile, and if it breaks and it can be bad.

 

[perseus]

That's not true - far from it. The trains large cope admirably with the peak in demand that an Albion home game brings and has been my transport of choice for most games since we moved to the Amex.

On Friday night, however, despite getting to the Station at a time that should have allowed ample time to get to the ground and have a pint etc, it soon became very clear that we were going to struggle to make the game. We gave it up very quickly, walked back through the queue, round the back of the station (past [MENTION=409]Herr Tubthumper[/MENTION] I later learned) and headed down towards London Road before flagging down a cab and getting him to take us to The Bridge. We did arrive in good time and have a pint. If we'd stayed with the train option, we'd have missed kick off.

So, it's generally fine, but is clearly fragile, and if it breaks and it can be bad.

The trains have coped with worst queues before, so I persevered expecting an 8 carriage train to arrive. With hindsight, I would say something has changed (railway staff were provocative not just rude and unhelpful) and with deteriorating other trains, it could even be worse on Tuesday.

There is no reason (other than faith) to suppose the trains will be able to cope. To say the trains will be as usual is hardly reassuring.

My main point though I that the West Coastway service will arrive with 400 fans on at just after 7 o'clock (not really an alternative train) and at 7:05 am onwards to clear the queue will need a two trains, one at least 8 carriages long. Will Southern Rail be providing this or just the normal service which cannot cope?

I assume that they will not provide adequate trains. Looking for buses as an alternative. Last time I tried it was a horrid failure. They just did not appear (number 25). Buses are like that.

It seemed like a totally different management of he trains on Friday. Precedents of trains that were only late v Forest this season, may now always be late.

 

[Ninja Elephant]

That's not true - far from it. The trains large cope admirably with the peak in demand that an Albion home game brings and has been my transport of choice for most games since we moved to the Amex.

On Friday night, however, despite getting to the Station at a time that should have allowed ample time to get to the ground and have a pint etc, it soon became very clear that we were going to struggle to make the game. We gave it up very quickly, walked back through the queue, round the back of the station (past [MENTION=409]Herr Tubthumper[/MENTION] I later learned) and headed down towards London Road before flagging down a cab and getting him to take us to The Bridge. We did arrive in good time and have a pint. If we'd stayed with the train option, we'd have missed kick off.

So, it's generally fine, but is clearly fragile, and if it breaks and it can be bad.

But that's what I mean, I believe that on the night it goes tits up you've got less breathing space on the trains than on a bus. For me, it's about risk assessment - by bike I might get a puncture, does that rule me out of getting there? No, I can get a bus or walk. On a bus if it breaks down, or there's oddly heavy traffic, you can get another bus or walk. But if you're stuck in a queue for a train and they just don't run any, you're at Brighton station and you're too far to walk and having to walk down the hill to the far side of St Peters Church to get a bus. Personally, I find the train an unacceptable risk so I don't use it. That's how I personally sum it up, obviously everyone is different and has different needs etc. Also, clearly, Southern need to sort themselves out because their organisation is laughable, that has to be factored in as well!

 

[Bozza]

But that's what I mean, I believe that on the night it goes tits up you've got less breathing space on the trains than on a bus. For me, it's about risk assessment - by bike I might get a puncture, does that rule me out of getting there? No, I can get a bus or walk. On a bus if it breaks down, or there's oddly heavy traffic, you can get another bus or walk. But if you're stuck in a queue for a train and they just don't run any, you're at Brighton station and you're too far to walk and having to walk down the hill to the far side of St Peters Church to get a bus. Personally, I find the train an unacceptable risk so I don't use it. That's how I personally sum it up, obviously everyone is different and has different needs etc. Also, clearly, Southern need to sort themselves out because their organisation is laughable, that has to be factored in as well!

We don't though (in bold). We all have the desire to get to the Amex for kick-off.

We've been at the Amex for nearly 5 full seasons now. That's 113 league games, a fair few cup games and 2 play-off games. The trains have let me down once and once alone. That was last week and we were able to adjust our plans and still get to the game in ample time.

You clearly have a different way of assessing risk than me. That's cool.

But for drinking around the station area, the train is the best way of getting to the game, and it has been very reliable.

 

[Triggaaar]

So, it's generally fine, but is clearly fragile, and if it breaks and it can be bad.

Best of luck with it.

 

[perseus]

UPDATE;

We have been told that Southern Rail will be running a full matchday service, but please allow ample time when travelling via Brighton Station.
Read more at http://www.seagulls.co.uk/news/arti...-at-the-amex-3066897.aspx#O371OxcOoMb8loxS.99

 

[8ace]

UPDATE;

We have been told that Southern Rail will be running a full matchday service, but please allow ample time when travelling via Brighton Station.
Read more at http://www.seagulls.co.uk/news/arti...-at-the-amex-3066897.aspx#O371OxcOoMb8loxS.99

full midweek matchday service that means

 

[perseus]

full midweek matchday service that means

I got the impression that the Saturday matchday services and midweek matchday services were the same (left at the same time past the hour) It is just that in midweek the fans arrived later causing more queues and with a 7:45 KO it is more likely to be late for the game.

West Coastway has one more train on Saturdays.

 

[Beach Hut]

Even if all the trains run to time I am sure the OP will start a thread with a load of porkies about his journey to and from the game.

 

[dazzer6666]

It's no different than the daily London commute from Sussex. When everything works the service is fine, tens of thousands of people get to and from work on time. When something goes wrong they don't, with varying degrees of disaster. The whole system is so full to capacity that a single problem somewhere seems to throw everything into disarray. Build some contingency time into any journey if you want to more sure of arriving on time.


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[sparkie]

It's no different than the daily London commute from Sussex. When everything works the service is fine, tens of thousands of people get to and from work on time. When something goes wrong they don't, with varying degrees of disaster. The whole system is so full to capacity that a single problem somewhere seems to throw everything into disarray. Build some contingency time into any journey if you want to more sure of arriving on time.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Sadly some people are unable to build in contingency and leave work early - due to the nature of their work or the bellcheesery of their boss.

 

[dazzer6666]

Sadly some people are unable to build in contingency and leave work early - due to the nature of their work or the bellcheesery of their boss.

True.......

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

If you arrive late at Brighton and the trains appear to be a shambles then the simplest solution is to take a bus in order to avoid missing the kick-off. The 25 bus stop at the Level is not far from the station (about 10 mins depending on how fast you walk) and takes approx. 20 mins to get to Falmer. There are some other buses you could possibly take as well, which are either not as reliable or do not get as close to the stadium. Not ideal but better than missing a portion of the game.

Or, as somebody posted after Friday's omnishambles, four people sharing a cab from Brighton station to the Amex costs about four quid each. Again, far from ideal, but always good to have a Plan B where Southern are concerned.