While the Southern service is useful, the issue is it only being hourly. The ideal scenario would be to eventually build extra platforms at Willesden Junction on the semi-fast WCML, adding an extra stop to Tring/MKC services (plus a minor frequency increase on the Overground WLL). This would also offer more interchange opportunities towards Richmond or Stratford, without having to change for the slower Bakerloo line or Watford DC first.
There is invariably engineering work somewhere on the Southern network on a Sunday, although admittedly not in the high summer period.
Its always been like that on Sunday. Has nothing to do with covid or anything like that.
I'd suggest that travellers from Aldrington to Fishersgate are very close to zero and that 99% of travellers from those stations are going to Hove or Brighton. There's frequent bus services parallel to the railway line although not directly to the stations both of which are up alleys. Aldrington only exists because it was the junction station for the Devils Dyke branch.
I fear that too. From Southampton/Portsmouth to Barnham they are effectively semi fast then become pretty much an all shacks service. Just looked at the timetable for today and 40 miles from Southampton to Barnham scheduled in an hour which isnt exactly brilliant but then the next 22 miles as an all stations (except Aldrington) takes 50 minutes which is a very poor 26mph and its almost as though the service is treated as two separate parts.
I think it's been like that for some years. The Arun Valley London service have a roughly 20 mins interval until 9am ish and the Littlehampton to Victoria services have peak extras that mean there's effectively no path for a Southampton to Brighton train East of Barnham until the morning peak has passed.
Thanks, so it‘s likely even if they (SN) found the stock for an extra Brighton train it could only come from Portsmouth in the path that GWR used?
I believe that is the case, all the Southampton early starters come from Littlehampton crewed by Barnham crew. I think they are the only drivers that sign the Havant to Southampton section. With the withdrawal of the 313s there's not going to be trains or crew for extra Southampton services.
As I noted in the other Southampton Brighton withdrawal thread, the DfT franchise consultation that originally proposed removal of the GWR service did say that SN would be required to replace them. That’s what people need to push for.
How else are they going to make the cuts needed? Cutting a service group where this an alternative for passengers is better than cutting one that doesn't.
It is a three or four minute same platform connection at Balham.
Probably insufficient rolling stock. Using 8-car stock at 4-car platforms isn't a great idea even with SDO.
That depends on where they think the 377/3s are best used, particularly given they are allocated to Selhurst.
How is that conclusion reached? The return of (almost) all day services from the Sydenham corridor to East Croydon has much more network benefit than running the London Bridge to Victoria service, where a change can be made at Crystal Palace.
I think one main reason is they often share platforms at Portsmouth and Southampton. But I’ve seen that Southampton at least has had 8 car trains on Saturdays before. Maybe football related.
If you use 8 cars they block the level crossings at a lot of the West Sussex stations. At Fishbourne and Nutbourne these are ahb so the 2nd unit sits on the road with live shoegear so it's not normally permitted. I believe that running all the Coastway services as 8 cars would push the capacity of the electricity supply between Havant and Chichester.
Society's 'affordability' is not the only factor here - if we make suburban electric rail service go from 4tph to 2tph, or similar - guess what - people drive. That is worse for society as a whole - congestion, environment, health, you name it.
Since when has the railway been "affordable"? Fares increase year on year for a lessor service, service cuts, short formations etc.
It's a complicated issue. For Southern they can't afford to cut back their services, but also can't afford to improve them either. Just by reducing the carriages on the Southern Metro roughly 2000 seats a day were lost. It even had a small knock-on effect for the Oxted line where formations have been decreased to 8/10 carriages instead of 12 all day.
At least be grateful that GTR staff are the only operator not to vote for strike action.
It's not permanent, in fact September will likely be a good month for you.
I'm sorry, but this post is simply untrue.
Would you be able to elaborate? On the face of it, a decision must have been made to favour running London Bridge to East Croydon services over London Bridge to London Victoria services?
I agree that there could be an issue with confusing opinion and fact here. Is it wrong to express the opinion that the Southern May 2022 timetable is a good step towards a more efficient railway in challenging times?
