For one day only - it happened.        

By all accounts, it was very well used on Easter Sunday with standing room only on some services.

Good! I had a suspicion that they picked Easter Sunday in order to claim that there is no demand for the service.

Which begs the question -

Was Forest Hill better-off with the old 9 mins to London bridge then on to Charing Cross for an additional 5 minutes?

OR

Has the Overground been a fair swap? (Although having FH on the Tube map is probably a benefit in itself).

But it will obviously be a bonus when the LB trains come back though.

This post was last modified: 02-04-2024 01:40 PM by Anotherjohn.

Not exactly a fair comparison. Back at the end of the last century (1999) to avoid confusion, we had fast trains fro Fores Hill to London Bridge that didn't stop and Honor Oak Park or Brockley. The only problem was that they were absolutely packed at peak time. I would usually stand in the corridor outside the first class compartments or use the luggage carriage. These slam door trains were fast but not particularly comfortable, and they only continued to Charing Cross off peak.

The connections to the south were good with a daily service direct to Brighton. Bot the fastest way to get to the coast but easier. Lots more trains to East Croydon as well as West Croydon/Dorking and Crystal Palace/Victoria. But to the north the East London Line was pointless - very infrequent and not Jubilee line. And when there was a problem on a section of the line everything would collapse like dominos - a problem in East Grinstead would impact connections at Croydon, knocking off the timing for the whole network and amplifying delays through the day. This was the main reason for segregating most of the services, and it generally works - we just need to change more when going longer distances.

Today we have more opportunities for interchange with Jubilee line and London Bridge and Canada Water, improved interchange at Whitechapel including Crossrail, and direct connections to Highbury and Islington. There is also a regular Thameslink service through London Bridge providing additional connections to The City and King's Cross.

Connections to the vast majority of destinations in London are easier and faster, particularly to central, west, north east and east London, and with more alternative routes to almost all locations. The exceptions are East Croydon/Gatwick, charing cross, and London Bridge. And the biggest issues we have at present are Overcrowding on the short Overground trains, and too few services to London Bridge. Hopefully things will improve after December and we will get back to being one of the best connected parts of London that isn't on the official underground system.

Thank you Michael - that's educated me on the matter!

Because I moved away from FH in the late 90s, I only knew the LB, CX and Brighton services so all of the destinations and connections offered by the Overground are new to me, except for very occasional use.

So, although my question wasn't a good one, it looks like FH is better off from a general commuting perspective now than it was - and it'll be even better, which is great.

Getting the connection at Canada Water for the tube was a game changer. At last I could easily get into the West End and not get clobbered when changing for the tube at London Bridge or Charing Cross.

However, I now use Whitechapel for the Elizabeth line which has made it even more faster and the Lizzie line trains aren't claustrophobic for me.

I also like the fact there's a one change of train to get to Ealing, Hanwell, Southall and Heathrow, nor do I have to get on a packed tube to Stratford.

However, I do miss the direct trains to East Croydon which makes it easier to travel down to Sussex. Now I either stay on the Overground and change at West Croydon for the tram or change at Norwood Junction.