Recent content by andos

Looks like all the east grinstead trains will be cancelled again! My usual train this morning was cancelled due to driver shortage so I’m not having much luck.

I live in Oxted and they regularly cancel all of our thameslink trains at the first sign of any problems. The service has been shocking lately. For all the money the core has had spent on it, there seem to be a lot of reliability issues.

Thameslink have just updated to say City Thameslink Holborn end will reopen tomorrow (12th Feb) and timetable will go back to normal https://www.thameslinkrailway.com/service-updates/service-updates?uq=638748843897320000#INC5AFF18CE86364957B824BB8F8D18F0D1

I have just driven my mum home from Surrey to Devon. She was due to be catching a train from reading but it got cancelled and there was no other departure for quite a while. If there are extra departures to Devon which are calling at reading unannounced then that is rather frustrating!

I find it quite random. Tuesdays and Thursdays seem to be the busiest days but I’ve found it really variable week to week. I’ve had some days where the train is just as packed as pre Covid and some where there’s still seats free. It probably depends how many trains thameslink have cancelled...

I use trains on the Oxted line too and the only weekday that is even approaching pre Covid usage is Tuesday. Even then the 7.30 thameslink train from Oxted used to be one of the most overcrowded trains in the country and these days normally only a few people standing by east Croydon.

I live in Oxted and have the choice of the East Grinstead to/from Victoria, London Bridge to/From Uckfield or Thameslink. Southern-wise its a game of two halves. The Victoria service is generally pretty good and has improved in reliability. I think the 377s are among the most comfortable...

I've been commuting on southern from Oxted to Victoria for about 3.5 years now. It has improved significantly, resolving the industrial action obviously made the biggest difference but they seem to have fine tuned the time table. We rarely get stuck at the South Croydon junction waiting for a...

Were you on the train from East Grinstead to Victoria arriving about 0810? I hear him quite regularly always brightens my day. He did a good line in football related banter during the world cup!

According to the Evening Standard it was a crossrail test train, no idea if this is accurate https://www.standard.co.uk/news/transport/paddington-station-distruption-major-travel-chaos-as-power-failure-sparks-meltdown-at-busy-transport-a3963731.html

His main aim for his term seems to be an ideological crusade against unions in the rail industry. Actually running any trains doesn't seem to be a priority.

Lots of the East Grinstead Thameslink trains cancelled this morning. In a shocking outbreak of helpfulness they seem to have lengthened some of the later southern uckfield trains are are stopping them at Upper Warlingham and Sanderstead to help those travelling to London bridge.

Could be something like that, or maybe a cancellation just before or after the 1851 last night made it particularly bad last night. One other thing is the old 1723 usually had some 3+2 seating whereas the old 1853 was all 2 + 2 so potentially more people standing just made the carriages look...

Capacity between Victoria and East Croydon does seem to be a problem. There are some strange decisions on train lengths which don't help. e.g. the 17:21 VIC to East Grinstead was 10 coaches when it was the 17.23 and usually had plenty of seats free leaving VIC. Now it is 12 coaches, whereas...

Nah I think he's pressing the "be incredibly rude to another passenger" button! That one seems to be permanently pressed down lately!