| Author |
Message |
Paul
Joined N/A
| | Posted on Tuesday, 14 December, 2004 - 09:39 am: | |
So it looks like Forest Hill has been royaly screwed over by the new train timetables, shorter trains taking longer less often seems to be the order of the day (if the first 2 days are anything to go by).
Having struggled home through the new 1 train every 20 mins from London Bridge timetable, there still seemed to be 1 train every 10 mins to London Bridge. i.e. there are more trains going from Forest Hill to London than ever come back, what's happening to these missing trains? Do they all sneak back under cover of darkness? Is there a secret stock pile of trains building at London Bridge Platform 7? |
The Dommy
Joined N/A
| | Posted on Tuesday, 14 December, 2004 - 10:51 am: | |
The 7.30 to LBR is on the timetable but seems to be cancelled most days. Fortunately I go for an earlier train... |
PVP
Joined N/A
| | Posted on Tuesday, 14 December, 2004 - 11:25 am: | |
Yeah, I came back last night at gone 7, but the whole train was heaving. I go out of my way to avoid rush hour, but I really don't want to be getting home at gone 8 every night. |
Matt
Joined N/A
| | Posted on Tuesday, 14 December, 2004 - 01:49 pm: | |
Yesterday's chaos at London Bridge station was in part caused by several cancellations (most notably the 18.25 fast train to Forest Hill). However, these trains are still operating under the new timetable, so (barring cancellations) it should be better tonight... |
Rob
Joined N/A
| | Posted on Tuesday, 14 December, 2004 - 08:41 pm: | |
Paul,
Can I please ask you to provide more details about your posting?
I've been through the new timetable and my conclusion is that the new timetable resembles the old one. A few minor changes but I detect nothing that remotely backs up your 'less often' claim.
On the other hand after going through the new timetable I observe the same number of peak hour trains running at pretty much the same time.
And I see the same 4 trains per hour in the post 8pm weekday slots, the same 6 trains an hour on Saturday, the same 4 trains per hour on Sunday to and from London Bridge.
Maybe you've mistaken cancelled trains with them being removed from the timetable?
Which trains are missing from the timetable that makes you feel that the new timetable has them 'less often'? More details would be greatly appreciated.
Kind Regards, Rob |
nasaroc
Joined N/A
| | Posted on Wednesday, 15 December, 2004 - 09:26 am: | |
I have to agree with Bob about the timetable. In the morning between 7.30 and 9.30 there are 16 scheduled trains to London Bridge - that's one train every 7.5 minutes . Admittedly trains may be cancelled, have too few carriages and there may be longer gaps between services (in some cases up to 14 minutes)- but there are just as many trains running as before.
Surely what people are complaining about though Bob is not the timetable but that the trains don't run to schedule. When you arrive at London Bridge or Forest Hill stations and look at the departure boards it is rare not to see trains cancelled or running well behind time. The timetable isn't bad if the trains would only run to that timetable! |
Paul
Joined N/A
| | Posted on Wednesday, 15 December, 2004 - 10:24 am: | |
Rob,
I agree that the trains appear to be on the timetable, however thay don't appear on the 'cancalled' list at the station and certainly don't seem to be running so I can only assume they've disppeared...
Last night I was lucky enough to get out of work early so can't comment.
However this morning it appears that the trade off of having a full length train is to run it 15 minutes late! (Do the drivers know that people at Honor Oak Park/Brockley have now taken to getting into the rear cab as the only chance they have of getting onto a train?). |
Rob
Joined N/A
| | Posted on Wednesday, 15 December, 2004 - 12:25 pm: | |
Nasaroc,
I don't disagree with you. I felt I needed some comfort clarification on the 'less often' because I feared that my anorac-style view of the timetable had a blind-spot. And your picking up of the essence of the postings was laser-like in accuracy.
Paul,
I certainly commiserate with you because I'm in the same boat. Or train if you like. BTW, I caught a train from Liverpool Street run by the company called ONE and the state of the carriages was REALLY dirty. I don't know if it was a once-off or systemic to all their trains. And when I say dirty, did I say it was REALLY dirty? This wasn't just a spot of dirt but baked on grime.
Oh, and my point of mentioning this is that I remember thinking how lovely the trains were at South Central in comparison and momentarily forgave them for their 'cancellation' and 'short train' sins. But only momentarily because when I got back to London Bridge there were fresh disappointments with South Central.
Is it beyond this forum to call for dining cars to be added to the trains?
Kind Regards,
Rob |
BaggieDave
Joined N/A
| | Posted on Thursday, 16 December, 2004 - 01:36 pm: | |
When I first moved to the area 17 years ago we had four trains an hour to town (London Bridge), and a very occasional one to Victoria.
They then changed it to three trains an hour and stopped all the Victoria (via Crystal Palace). Now we have six an hour to LB and two to Victoria and better and later night services. The only whinge I have (beyond the normal ones, the slow guy serving at FH, the lack of counters at HOP, short trains etc) are that in the bad old days of 4 trains an hour, from memory two of those off peak weekdays and Saturdays and Sundays used to go through to Charing Cross (as they still do on a Sunday) which they no longer do. Oh and Thameslink do not leave LB during morning commuting (got a great letter back from one of the Train operating companies about if only our victorian forefathers had realised how popular their train lines would be - regarding the LB onwards bottle neck. Jim Dowd was also interested in this).
So to conclude don't understand some to the issues as generally service is much better than it was 10 years ago - OK it can always improve. There are of course more important things in life like the lack of pubs in the Hornimans area (see Moor Park Tavern Thread). Also happy to start a thread on my mate Nigel's lovelife - he is a single guy but other friends are desparately trying to matchmake - a sort of FH blind date. Or is this totally inappropriate for this serious web site. No doubt my old 'mate' Toffee Jim will be having a go at me. |
Hilltop General
Joined N/A
| | Posted on Thursday, 16 December, 2004 - 04:03 pm: | |
Is this Musical Nigel, with the mullet? |
Jack
Joined N/A
| | Posted on Thursday, 16 December, 2004 - 04:38 pm: | |
Or possibly Interesting Nigel, with the amusing dress sense...Top hat and tails and a gas mask for extra effect. No wonder he's single. |
BaggieDave
Joined N/A
| | Posted on Thursday, 16 December, 2004 - 04:56 pm: | |
When I first moved to the area 17 years ago we had four trains an hour to town (London Bridge), and a very occasional one to Victoria.
They then changed it to three trains an hour and stopped all the Victoria (via Crystal Palace). Now we have six an hour to LB and two to Victoria and better and later night services. The only whinge I have (beyond the normal ones, the slow guy serving at FH, the lack of counters at HOP, short trains etc) are that in the bad old days of 4 trains an hour, from memory two of those off peak weekdays and Saturdays and Sundays used to go through to Charing Cross (as they still do on a Sunday) which they no longer do. Oh and Thameslink do not leave LB during morning commuting (got a great letter back from one of the Train operating companies about if only our victorian forefathers had realised how popular their train lines would be - regarding the LB onwards bottle neck. Jim Dowd was also interested in this).
So to conclude don't understand some to the issues as generally service is much better than it was 10 years ago - OK it can always improve. There are of course more important things in life like the lack of pubs in the Hornimans area (see Moor Park Tavern Thread). Also happy to start a thread on my mate Nigel's lovelife - he is a single guy but other friends are desparately trying to matchmake - a sort of FH blind date. Or is this totally inappropriate for this serious web site. No doubt my old 'mate' Toffee Jim will be having a go at me. |
BaggieDave
Joined N/A
| | Posted on Thursday, 16 December, 2004 - 05:01 pm: | |
Brilliant, I've illicited a response from Hiltop (but no TJ as yet) - his name is not really Nigel but there is great interest in the residents of Forest Hill who have so much time on their hands that as well as doing much charitable work they can manage otehr people's love lives for them as well. Perhaps we can find 'Nigel' a mate through SE23.com, certainly wont have to go miles as one does (apprarently) if you go speed dating in central London or use Dating Direct. Any interest out there - asuming you are a hot blooded male probably not you Toffee Jim, but if you have a sister? I think there was a speed dating thread on this site, but even I can't be assed to join that one. |
ToffeeJim
Joined N/A
| | Posted on Thursday, 16 December, 2004 - 06:20 pm: | |
My view is that the railway line should be reconverted to a canal and extended northwards to meet the Thames. That way we could sell our cars, travel into work by speedboat and beat the congestion charge to boot. Obviously there would be a slow lane for users of traditional kayaks hewn from sustainable forest (to keep BaggieDave's contingent happy).
On a Sunday the whole thing could be given over to punting and picnic areas on the banks so that Nigel could take out any suitable dates he'd been fixed up with the night before.
I have another idea about asking Lewisham Parks Dept to convert London Road into cascading water gardens but one thing at a time. Perhaps next year. Also the residents of the posh estate at the top of the hill might object to the necessary re-routing of the South Circular through their back gardens. But hey, we all have our crosses to bear! |
Jack
Joined N/A
| | Posted on Thursday, 16 December, 2004 - 06:56 pm: | |
Dave, perhaps you should suggest to Nigel that he takes a trip to the non-posh side of town - provided he is prepared to travel that far, he will find pubs aplenty and good looking women in plentiful supply. I'm sure TJ will back me up on this. |
BaggyDave
Joined N/A
| | Posted on Tuesday, 04 January, 2005 - 12:40 pm: | |
And a happy New Year to you to Toffee (and Jack). Was it you who I saw with a half pint of weak lager and lime in the Railway Telegraph yesterday? I'm on to you.
I've not located the updated timetable for the Crystal Palace High level line via Lordship Lane, Honor Oak etc. My local trains seem to have totally disappeared as with the tracks. For those of you who are interested in this drivel a 1950s timetable has been posted on the Moor Park Tavern (RIP) thread.
Oh and my view is that the posh estate should have either a tunnel going through from FH station or its own fernicular going up and down the Hill.
And Jack, are you flirting with me or Toffee, or both of us? And just out of interest what is your gender (this is me flirting back)
Hiltop, you still alive after the Xmas excesses and the muggings in SE23 increasing at an exponential rate?
And Nigel has a date with an ex-SE23er, I'll keep you all posted |
Jack
Joined N/A
| | Posted on Wednesday, 05 January, 2005 - 11:55 am: | |
Dave, just to confirm that I have not been flirting with you or TJ. I have just been amused by your long running online punch up. I'm male BTW and not that way inclined - not that there's anything wrong with that (to steal a line from Seinfeld). |
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