Forest Hill to Farringdon

[bicbasher]

I'm travelling to Farringdon for work purposes on Monday, TfL's Journey Finder suggests I use London Overground to Whitechapel then the H&C line.

NRE suggests the Overground also, but then changing at Shadwell for the DLR to Bank, then the Northern to Moorgate and then the H&C/Metropolitan/Circle to Farringdon, yet there's nothing for the Southern/FCC interchange at London Bridge.

Also, TfL's Oyster fare finder has the default fare at the NR rate which suggests using the Southern/FCC route (the alternative being a TfL/NR combined fare), yet I can't find a simple time via London Bridge on Journey Planner or NRE.

Is it quicker to use Southern/FCC or should I use the Overground and wait for one of the 6tph to Hammersmith at Whitechapel?

 

[causton]

Personally? Overground then H+C

Not too sure about whether it's the quickest, but is it really only 6tph Whitechapel - Hammersmith?

 

[MikeWh]

There are very few FCC through London Bridge in the peak hours. There are basically 3 fares. SO/FCC is cheapest as NR only, LO/LU or LO/DLR/LU is next as a TfL only fare while SO/LU is the mixed very expensive version.

 

[bicbasher]

There are very few FCC through London Bridge in the peak hours.

Luckily I don't have to travel until 1300.

Personally? Overground then H+C

Not too sure about whether it's the quickest, but is it really only 6tph Whitechapel - Hammersmith?

Yes, it's only 6tph on the H&C. Between Liverpool Street and Hammersmith it's 12tph with the additional Circle line trains from Edgware Road.

 

[causton]

Ah, I assumed it was a peak journey! Southern and FCC should be fine then, I'd triple check nre first though just in case it messes up

 

[John @ home]

To find the cheaper Southern & FCC journey opportunities, search for Forest Hill to Farringdon via City Thameslink.

 

[bicbasher]

Now I've checked NRE with the information John @ home posted, it's a bit tight with the interchange at London Bridge, so I think I'll use the Overground and H&C on Monday.

Thanks all.

 

[johnnycache]

Forest Hill 1257
London Bridge 1311

London Bridge (platform 6) 1315
Farringdon 1330

 

[MikeWh]

Forest Hill 1257
London Bridge 1311

London Bridge (platform 6) 1315
Farringdon 1330

What's the minimum connection time at London Bridge?

 

[bicbasher]

The train I was planning to use, the 1315 arrives at London Bridge at 1329 leaving me with a Usain Bolt run up the stairs and footbridge to connect with the 1330 FCC service to Bedford on Platform 6. Hardly ideal.

I'd say for a fit able bodied person, you need at least 2-4 mins to connect from the Southern platforms, especially Platform 15-16 at the far end where the footbridge doesn't go across to walk to the Southeastern/FCC platforms.

Open Train Times has the 1315 pulling into Platform 11, which makes it risky. Platform 8 would be the best platform to pull in.

The x27 and x57 from FOH ex Victoria have the connection time with the Bedford services, unlike the ex Caterham I was planning on using.

 

[RJ]

Lets be realistic now - most people who know which platform the FCC service goes from will make that connection. The FCC train is almost always a couple of minutes late anyway.

 

[bicbasher]

Lets be realistic now - most people who know which platform the FCC service goes from will make that connection. The FCC train is almost always a couple of minutes late anyway.

True, on the times I've waited on Platform 6 for a Charing Cross service, the Bedford train is either slightly delayed or stays on the platform with enough time to board.

 

[Skoodle]

How about going backwards a few stops and picking up the FCC from East Croydon? Saves the hassle of changing at London Bridge.

 

[Paul Kelly]

Official minimum connection time at London Bridge is 10 minutes.

The FCC train is almost always a couple of minutes late anyway.

For most of the day the working times for the FCC northbound departures seem to be a minute and a half later than the public times, which would probably explain that.

 

[bicbasher]

How about going backwards a few stops and picking up the FCC from East Croydon? Saves the hassle of changing at London Bridge.

Tempting, but there's only 2tph to East Croydon from Forest Hill.

 

[RJ]

I used to commute from Forest Hill to Farringdon, going via Whitechapel wouldn't have ever crossed my mind. It's going out of the way much further north and east of the destination. You're also stuffed if the H&C goes up the spout. The time penalty would be more severe if anything went wrong once you get onto the ELL. The following routes were the ones I used;

1. Via London Bridge. If FCC service missed then bus 17
2. Bus to Denmark Hill then train to Farringdon
3. Bus throughout via Elephant & Castle

Going via East Croydon is a bonkers idea unless you really want to waste time. It takes about the same time to get there from Forest Hill as it does to get to London Bridge. If mobilty is an issue, London Bridge has step free access. Plus I wouldn't say East Croydon is particularly access friendly given the huge gap between the platform and trains on Platform 2 where the nb FCC services go from.

I don't believe in this ridiculous tight connection nonsense either (unless you leave an appropriate amount of slack at the destination) as things often go wrong. Given the LBG - ZFD headway is 4tph then I left 20 minutes slack to allow for a missed connection or the need to take an alternative route. 4 minutes at London Bridge is absolutely fine, just so long as you won't be adversely affected by a 15 minute time penalty should you be unlucky.

Personally I don't like using the Underground and do advocate the usage of buses in London. For the purpose of this journey, the Underground is seldom useful if time is an important factor.

 

[bicbasher]

Thinking about Bus Route 17, is it worth changing for a Cannon Street service and boarding the bus there instead of LBG?

 

[RJ]

Thinking about Bus Route 17, is it worth changing for a Cannon Street service and boarding the bus there instead of LBG?

I wouldn't have thought so in the middle of the day. However during peak times when the roads are a bit busier, it might save you a bit of time.

 

[hammerwood]

Bus 521 from London Bridge (to Waterloo) works out too - get off at Holborn Circus, it's just a 5 minute walk from there to Farringdon.

 

[bicbasher]

I ended up going via Whitechapel, leaving on the 1304 to H&I and arriving at Farringdon at 1347.

On the way back, I went on FCC and Southern, however I was surprised that I didn't miss the OSI time at London Bridge as I went for a bite to eat before heading on Southern to Forest Hill. It was at least 30 mins between exiting using the Platform 1-6 gates and re-entering using the 8-16 gates.

 

[Be3G]

30 minutes is apparently the length of that OSI – probably based on the assumption that passengers will be waiting on the concourse for their train, so will be spending a while between gates.