North London to Slough?

[Willthiswork?]

Considering a new job in Slough.

I am in north London. Would need to get two tubes to Paddington in rush hour.

I have heard the Paddington to Slough route is fraught with delays overcrowded trains.

How hard and how long is this journey likely to be? Is it tolerable long term?

 

[Antman]

Considering a new job in Slough.

I am in north London. Would need to get two tubes to Paddington in rush hour.

I have heard the Paddington to Slough route is fraught with delays overcrowded trains.

How hard and how long is this journey likely to be? Is it tolerable long term?

You'll be going against the flow so it should be ok

 

[MarkyT]

Is it likely to be a long term appointment? Unfortunately in the short term you will be experiencing all the pain and disruption involved in finishing Crossrail's Great Western branch to Maidenhead and Reading and side the effects of electrification and resignalling further afield. Once that's all finished however and Crossrail trains are running right through central London, that should make your journey much easier as you'll probably need only one tube leg to interchange with Crossrail direct to Slough.

 

[Nippy]

Going out to Slough in the morning will be fine. In addition to the two non stop per hour (taking approx 15 minutes) there are numerous stoppers taking up to 30 minutes. As has been said, the GWML at the moment is a building site, but mostly runs ok. Things seem to get later the later you get into the day.

 

[Bletchleyite]

You'll be going against the flow so it should be ok

You'd be amazed how much demand there is in that direction. Some trains are standing room only. Some aren't, so it's worth experimenting to find which.

 

[Class 170101]

Going out to Slough in the morning will be fine. In addition to the two non stop per hour (taking approx 15 minutes) there are numerous stoppers taking up to 30 minutes. As has been said, the GWML at the moment is a building site, but mostly runs ok. Things seem to get later the later you get into the day.

But don't forget the obligatory overrun on Monday morning.

 

[Willthiswork?]

It's a permanent job.

Is there likely to be lots of delays, cancellations, and it gets worse at the day wears on? Bad in the evenings?

 

[Bletchleyite]

It's a permanent job.

Is there likely to be lots of delays, cancellations, and it gets worse at the day wears on? Bad in the evenings?

IME pretty rotten, yes - the fast services are particularly unpunctual.

If you plan around the journey time of a slower service, they are frequent enough that delays shouldn't cause you too much of an issue.

 

[D1009]

Unfortunately to get from most parts of North London to Paddington requires a somewhat indirect and complicated tube journey, and it can be quicker to take the bus.

 

[Willthiswork?]

IME pretty rotten, yes - the fast services are particularly unpunctual.

If you plan around the journey time of a slower service, they are frequent enough that delays shouldn't cause you too much of an issue.

So basically the fast services dont turn up on time most days which negates the point of having them and the rest dont run on time either alot of the time?

I've seen on the train line that slow services cn be nearly 40 minutes.
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Unfortunately to get from most parts of North London to Paddington requires a somewhat indirect and complicated tube journey, and it can be quicker to take the bus.

Can it? Bus journeys from north London to paddington in rush hour traffic? Would that honestly be quicker.

 

[Bletchleyite]

So basically the fast services dont turn up on time most days which negates the point of having them and the rest dont run on time either alot of the time?

My experience is that the fast services are pretty random in their punctuality in the evening. Some of them can also be rather busy. I think it's worth having the realtimetrains app or similar on your phone - if you don't have a fixed work finish time this might still be workable.

 

[Willthiswork?]

Looking on google journey planner it is 90-100 mins in one direction and that is if everything works. So I'm looking at 2 hours on a bad day?

 

[jopsuk]

orbital journeys in outer London are not well catered for. By any means of transport. If you tried driving you;d be in jam hell.

 

[yorkie]

Can it? Bus journeys from north London to paddington in rush hour traffic? Would that honestly be quicker.

North London is a big place. In most cases, the answer will clearly be no. But as we don't know the origin, it's impossible to give the best possible advice.

 

[Willthiswork?]

Finsbury park...east side

 

[jopsuk]

This is of course true. Whilst not wanting a street address, at least telling us what stations are near the starting point is useful when trying to help!

 

[Willthiswork?]

This is of course true. Whilst not wanting a street address, at least telling us what stations are near the starting point is useful when trying to help!

I just did

 

[Antman]

Finsbury park...east side

Pic/Vic to Kings Cross and Circle/H&C to Paddington

 

[hwl]

Paddington slow services will improve (capacity and frequency) fairly soon when the electric stock starts running and then get better again when crossrail takes over.

 

[jopsuk]

I just did

We posted at the same time!

To get to Paddington, TFL journey planner actually suggests Victoria to Oxford Circus, change to Bakerloo. Though this south to north change isn't QUITE as short as the same direction change!

 

[CatfordCat]

Traveline South East journey planner is generally offering Finsbury Park - Kings Cross - Paddington - Slough. Journey times in the morning peak (Finsbury Park Station to Slough Station) anywhere between 45 minutes and an hour.

I had (before knowing where in N London) wondered if something via the N London Line to Acton Central and a walk to Acton Main Line might work (this message seems to have got eaten) but not convinced...

 

[lightbulb]

If you time this right, the journey should take around an hour. Assuming you need to be Slough for 0900, if you leave Finsbury Park at 0735, you'll be in King's Cross at 0745. Allowing 10 minutes for interchange and waiting time, you should be leaving King's Cross around 0755, and arriving in Paddington by 0810. Taking the 0821 to Hereford (usually platform 5) you'll arrive in Slough at 0837.

 

[Bletchleyite]

If you can tolerate arriving around 0910, the 0851ish (might be 0852) is a far quieter train. You'll get a seat on either, but on the 0851 you'll get half a coach to yourself except in peak tourist season.

 

[W-on-Sea]

Definitely not quicker to bus it to Paddington from Finsbury Park. In fact I can't think of anywhere where the bus would be quicker in North London. The Bakerloo line parallels the Edgware Road as far as Kilburn Park, and while bus 46 (to Hampstead and beyond) is convenient and mostly runs along quieter back streets, the Bakerloo and Jubilee would get you more quickly to the places between St Johns Wood and Finchley Road. So maybe Hampstead and at a stretch Kentish Town West might be quicker by bus than tube but I kind of doubt that. Possibly more convenient by bus, but still likely to be slower.

 

[miami]

Have you considered Picadilly all the way through to Heathrow and Bus to slough? Only one change, something like 70 minutes on the Picadilly then the #77.

 

[lightbulb]

If you're going to consider tube and bus, then this would certainly be the cheapest option (a Travelcard for Zones 1-4 would cover you if you go to Hounslow Central then bus 81 to Slough; or Zones 1-5 via Hounslow West), but it would be slow. To be in Slough by 0900, you'd need to leave Finsbury Park on the Piccadilly line at 0650, arriving Hounslow Central 0743, walk 5 mins to Hounslow Bell Corner, taking the 81 at 0752, arriving Slough 0857.

This'd cost £46.50 for a 7 day Travelcard Zones 1-4, compared with £82.10 for an out-boundary 7 day Travelcard from Slough to Zones 1-6 for travel via Paddington and Slough by tube and GWR.

 

[PermitToTravel]

Have you considered Picadilly all the way through to Heathrow and Bus to slough? Only one change, something like 70 minutes on the Picadilly then the #77.

The 81 is also worth considering for Heathrow<->Slough travel, it goes from Bath Road (to which there are numerous frequent free bus routes) and takes under half an hour at the relevant times of day. Can be gotten from one of the Hounslow Piccadilly line stations too but I think staying on the train to Heathrow would beat it, rush hour traffic in Hounslow is quite something