[Travel] Trains shitshow - next STRIKE - October 8th (Spurs)??

[GT49er]

Well if it makes anyone feel any better a large proportion of our privatised rail companies are owned by European operators. They can charge the highest fares in Europe (world?) to operate a barely adequate service in the UK so that they can maximise profits to subsidise the efficient state owned rail services in France/Netherlands, etc. Thank you the Conservative Party, champions of free enterprise and Brexit.

Just a point of order - you're absolutey right, except about one thing. All the things you so accurately pointed out as having gone wrong with the rail netwoek all happened before Brexit. Over-egged the pudding a bit there..................oh well, sure you're not alone!

 

[Easy 10]

Southern didn't run their full matchday service today (there were no Brighton to Lewes shuttles), which meant there were bigger gaps between trains than there should have been. Personally coming from Haywards Heath I've started going in via. Lewes as it seems to be an easier connection and you get much less of the macho dick-swinging between fans.

Pathetic. Any reason for this ?

As an aside, apart from Man Utd, the absolute HIGHLIGHT of the day was stepping into an air-conditioned train carriage when the frigging thing (eventually) turned up. After 40 minutes standing there sweating like a rapist with that sun beating down, the sudden blast of cool air almost gave me a semi lob-on.

 

[LamieRobertson]

8 Acacia Gardens, Shoreham Beach.

Oi he was after Easys not mine

 

[Bozza]

I know I'm coming across as a miserable b@stard, Well, I AM a miserable b@stard, I'm in my 50s and I'm turning into my dad. He jacked it in 2 years ago, and despite this bloody wonderful team, the best we've ever seen, getting to and from the Amex is turning into a serious chore. I guess I may have to rethink my travel strategy.

I totally get this.

I used to get the train to and from all home games, but I don't think I used the trains a single time last season, opting to drive instead.

Getting to a game on the train was generally OK, primarily because people travel and arrive at different times so demand was spread across many services. But getting away afterwards has never been much fun unless you either leave before the final whistle and leg it to the station, or hang about having a few beers until things calmed down again.

The latter tended to be my approach, but now my son comes to most games, that doesn't really work as that post-match concourse linger isn't much fun for him.

So I now tend to drive over, not drink and head off straight after the game. Being master of my own destiny getting home is far preferable to dealing with the train nonsense.

 

[BN41Albion]

It really has got steadily worse over the years to the point where last season and now today a good percentage of the time it's a joke of a service to and from the ground for one reason or another.

The state of the trains in this country at the moment I can't see it improving anytime soon, either, which is a real worry as I'm also getting really tired of it and I know a lot of others who are too.

It must be so frustrating for the club - they're obviously ( surely) aware of the constant problems game after game but nothing realistically they can about it... is there?!

 

[Wardy's twin]

So instead of standing in a queue for 40 minutes, why not have a couple of drinks on the concourse?

Highly unlikely you would get a couple given the queue, the slow service and if it was Harvey's then WSL ran out...

 

[AmexRuislip]

I totally get this.

I used to get the train to and from all home games, but I don't think I used the trains a single time last season, opting to drive instead.

Getting to a game on the train was generally OK, primarily because people travel and arrive at different times so demand was spread across many services. But getting away afterwards has never been much fun unless you either leave before the final whistle and leg it to the station, or hang about having a few beers until things calmed down again.

The latter tended to be my approach, but now my son comes to most games, that doesn't really work as that post-match concourse linger isn't much fun for him.

So I now tend to drive over, not drink and head off straight after the game. Being master of my own destiny getting home is far preferable to dealing with the train nonsense.

And there was me thinking you were chauffeur driven to games

 

[Easy 10]

I totally get this.

I used to get the train to and from all home games, but I don't think I used the trains a single time last season, opting to drive instead.

Getting to a game on the train was generally OK, primarily because people travel and arrive at different times so demand was spread across many services. But getting away afterwards has never been much fun unless you either leave before the final whistle and leg it to the station, or hang about having a few beers until things calmed down again.

The latter tended to be my approach, but now my son comes to most games, that doesn't really work as that post-match concourse linger isn't much fun for him.

So I now tend to drive over, not drink and head off straight after the game. Being master of my own destiny getting home is far preferable to dealing with the train nonsense.

Yeah this does sound sensible. The thing is though, a matchday is a social occasion. So when I see several mates there who are spread far and wide, rightly or wrongly, that does involve beer. For example today I met a mate at 12 in the Fitz Regent (formally the Pav Tav) for a beer and a bite to eat in front of the lunchtime game. Not seen him since the end of last season. We left around 1.30 for the station, and then it all unfolded and descended to shite as per the start of the thread.

I'm lucky in that my lad is now well into his 20s, so he has his own matchday routine that sometimes involves mixing in with mine, or other times he does his own thing with his mates. But I totally get if you have a youngster in tow that pre-match pubbing and/or concourse afterwards just isn't a great option. I've gotta find another way though. SASTA has never been great but its just getting worse and worse now.

 

[Bozza]

And there was me thinking you were chauffeur driven to games

He's 12. Give me five years and I will.

 

[portlock seagull]

So instead of standing in a queue for 40 minutes, why not have a couple of drinks on the concourse?

Because he didn’t have a CRYSTAL BALL prior to deciding! Though in fairness you don’t need to. It’s nearly always as shit

 

[Sirnormangall]

Race Hill park and ride has been pretty good for some time. I left the east stand ON the final whistle ( not before, note), waited no more than 5 mins for a bus and got back to my car by around 5.10.

 

[AmexRuislip]

He's 12. Give me five years and I will.

On a similar train of thought, no pun intended.
My eldest nephew now works for Southeastern as a guard, a total grafter, ultimately wanting to become a driver.
He's amazed at the strike action.

 

[BNthree]

Attendance of of over 31,500 today. The higher the attendance is the more people there are catching the trains. Back before premier league days when we had crowds of about 24,000 the train weren’t that bad really. Now we get over 30,000 every match the crowds are just that much more.


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[Guinness Boy]

Attendance of of over 31,500 today. The higher the attendance is the more people there are catching the trains. Back before premier league days when we had crowds of about 24,000 the train weren’t that bad really. Now we get over 30,000 every match the crowds are just that much more.


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I mean, this is a whoosh, right? 31000 in the ground. Good one.

 

[amexer]

It really has got steadily worse over the years to the point where last season and now today a good percentage of the time it's a joke of a service to and from the ground for one reason or another.

The state of the trains in this country at the moment I can't see it improving anytime soon, either, which is a real worry as I'm also getting really tired of it and I know a lot of others who are too.

It must be so frustrating for the club - they're obviously ( surely) aware of the constant problems game after game but nothing realistically they can about it... is there?!

The biggest gripe is travel to and from Amex. I was therefore surprised not one question about this at recent fans forum

 

[essbee1]

Got to Brighton station around 1.40, took over half an hour before a train FINALLY pulled in. So we all get loaded on, and straight away it all kicks off in our carriage between a bunch of boozed-up gobby divs from both sides being all MACHO towards each other. Plod turn up, and haul off some tragic degenerate drunken feral northern ratboy - and in the process, the train door gets broken. So we all have to unload that carriage and trot up to the front carriages to join the sardines packed in up there. So that was fun.

I leave on the final whistle, and hobble my way down to the station (don't ask). Then queue. And queue. And queue. Its 5.30 before I'm on a train back to town, after sweating my arse off for the thick end of 40 minutes.

I love it once I'm at the game, but my tolerance levels on the logistics are wearing mighty thin with this shite. Perhaps the suffocating heat today has made me more irritable, but in hindsight, I wish I hadn't left my garden, and just picked it up on a moody stream instead with a few cold ones.

I totally understand. I didn't go today - train strike on Southeastern Kent. But adding to your story Easy, (and I don't want to come across as all "let's feel sorry
for essbee1" like), but you add to that for me having to get back to Kent on the shit service to London (I can't remember the last time a train left on
time from the station) and you can see why, far from getting excited about a match, I have started to dread Saturday trips to the Amex. I love the
match of course, but it is ruined slightly by the thought of a 3-hour shit show on the trains back home; and pay for the privilege for most of the
way.

 

[Luke93]

Train to the AMEX is low on my list of transport methods.

Mill Hill park and ride was excellent today. Home in Southwick by 17:20 to see United get demolished!

 

[AmexRuislip]

I totally understand. I didn't go today - train strike on Southeastern Kent. But adding to your story Easy, (and I don't want to come across as all "let's feel sorry
for essbee1" like), but you add to that for me having to get back to Kent on the shit service to London (I can't remember the last time a train left on
time from the station) and you can see why, far from getting excited about a match, I have started to dread Saturday trips to the Amex. I love the
match of course, but it is ruined slightly by the thought of a 3-hour shit show on the trains back home; and pay for the privilege for most of the
way.

You should follow a decent club, like Wealdstone
No train hassle there.

 

[Paulie Gualtieri]

The biggest gripe is travel to and from Amex. I was therefore surprised not one question about this at recent fans forum

Lactose Milk being the obvious priority.


Shirley this is something the FAB can bring up with the club and maybe work with the operators based on some of the suggestions made on here about direct trains etc?


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[Bozza]

Race Hill park and ride has been pretty good for some time. I left the east stand ON the final whistle ( not before, note), waited no more than 5 mins for a bus and got back to my car by around 5.10.

I'd wager that...

1. Your seat is in the East.
2. You may have stayed to the final whistle, but were probably swiftly on your toes at that point and didn't clap the team off etc.

...all of which is fair enough, if correct, of course.

I'm not sure that from my position in the WSU I'd have the same success as you do.*


(* - if you now say you are in the WSU I'm going to look pretty silly indeed)