Poor service at Brighton on weekdays

[miklcct]

Why is the West Coastway service so poor on weekdays? According to the 2019 timetable, each hour there were 2 Hove shuttles, 2 Worthing shuttles, 1 train to Portsmouth and 1 train to Southampton. Now, on weekdays, none of the shuttles are running and the remaining 2 express trains are cut to Chichester. So it's less than 1/3 of the scheduled mileage running from Brighton compared to 2019.

The full service is still running on Saturday.

On the mainline, there are no longer regular trains from Brighton to Clapham Junction on Monday to Saturday.

What's wrong with Southern? Where are the trains gone?

 

[sussexbythesea]

One of my biggest gripes has been the poor provision of services on the Coastways from Brighton!
The West and East Coastway timetables pre 2020 were some of the best on the network, and did a brilliant job of combining connectivity, frequency and both faster and slower sevices. With only 2tph stoppers between Brighton and Chichester currently running, it is worse than the Sunday service (at least that provides a direct, albiet slow, service between Brighton and Southampton/Portsmouth).

Whilst it is good that services are being restored between Brighton and Southampton/Portsmouth in May, 2tph along an extremley populated area of the south coast doesn't cut it, and trains will be extremley busy, especially in school holidays. Why can't Southern at least restore some of the West Worthings, it would really help with overcrowding that will only get worse in the Summer.

On the mainline, there are no longer regular trains from Brighton to Clapham Junction on Monday to Saturday.

This is a byproduct of removing the London - Coastway splitters. Whereas before the Gatwick Airport rebuild, Brighton had 4tph to Victoria (2 Gatwick Express and 2 Southern (calling at Clapham Junction), since May 2020, the Southern services (xx:25/:55 off Victoria) to Brighton now run to East Coastway destinations, and the original Combined coastway trains that divided at Haywards Heath now run as one train to Littlehampton.

I agree that Brighton should have a connection to Clapham Junction, but the question is how can you achieve it? Do you add it to the Gatwick Express services (thus making them no-longer Gatwick Express)? Do you (as I think is best), remove Gatwick Express services and bring back the old Brighton express (Brighton-East Croydon-Clapham Junction-London Victoria)? Or do you make the Coastway trains split at Haywards Heath again reintroducing unreliability and shorter trains?

It is overall a shame that COVID and the DFT have effectively destroyed Southern's timetable, as the post 2018 Southern Timetable change was the best timetable and service provision I can remember on Southern's network.

 

[cle]

I agree that Brighton should have a connection to Clapham Junction, but the question is how can you achieve it? Do you add it to the Gatwick Express services (thus making them no-longer Gatwick Express)? Do you (as I think is best), remove Gatwick Express services and bring back the old Brighton express (Brighton-East Croydon-Clapham Junction-London Victoria)? Or do you make the Coastway trains split at Haywards Heath again reintroducing unreliability and shorter trains?

Either of the first two, from a branding point of view the Gatwickj Express is stupid.

But yes, some form of Victoria - CJ - East Croydon - Gatwick - Brighton 4tph, and kill the express, add Three Bridges and Haywards Heath to some. Maybe 2tph have to terminate at Three Bridges or Gatwick.

 

[PedroHav]

If anything the lack of services after Chichester has crippled the Chichester - Havant - Fareham service to one per hour which is not acceptable. It that train is running late from Victoria they turn it round at Fareham - or cancel the train completely.
This Easter holidays there have been many occasions where standing has occurred.

With the May timetable we even lose the GWR semi fast service. On only 2 a day but at useful times, especially from Brighton.

We need the Basingstoke - Brighton semi fast service reintroduced to provide capacity and speed along the coast ... I know some chance!

 

[Peregrine 4903]

Why is the West Coastway service so poor on weekdays? According to the 2019 timetable, each hour there were 2 Hove shuttles, 2 Worthing shuttles, 1 train to Portsmouth and 1 train to Southampton. Now, on weekdays, none of the shuttles are running and the remaining 2 express trains are cut to Chichester. So it's less than 1/3 of the scheduled mileage running from Brighton compared to 2019.

The full service is still running on Saturday.

On the mainline, there are no longer regular trains from Brighton to Clapham Junction on Monday to Saturday.

What's wrong with Southern? Where are the trains gone?

DfT leds cuts with the class 455's being removed. Services have been cut to say money.

Brighton - Hove shuttles return in May, and the Brighton to Chichester services return to Portsmouth/Southampton from May as well.

 

[NSE]

Yeah I’m quite surprised by the SN provision at the moment. I regularly use SN within London so I’ve noticed a few changes but nothing that really causes me any issue due to the general frequencies. But this week I cycled down to Crawley and Eastbourne and both days found myself with a 40 minute wait for the next Victoria service. Not the end of the world, but a surprise. Crawley did have a LBG and a TL service running first, but with the bike I try and minimise the changes.

 

[swt_passenger]

Why is the West Coastway service so poor on weekdays? According to the 2019 timetable, each hour there were 2 Hove shuttles, 2 Worthing shuttles, 1 train to Portsmouth and 1 train to Southampton. Now, on weekdays, none of the shuttles are running and the remaining 2 express trains are cut to Chichester. So it's less than 1/3 of the scheduled mileage running from Brighton compared to 2019.

The full service is still running on Saturday.

On the mainline, there are no longer regular trains from Brighton to Clapham Junction on Monday to Saturday.

What's wrong with Southern? Where are the trains gone?

I’m surprised this is news to you, it’s been discussed in a number of threads already, such as this one:

Southern Further Timetable changes from 19th Feb

Southern are introducing many services back to Dec 21 levels from 19th Feb although main line will be significantly altered due to Copyhold Jc renewal The following services will be reintroduced: All-station services between East Croydon and London Bridge via Forest Hill Services between...

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