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Trains and transport getting worse in our area
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nottinghillbilly


Posts: 653
Joined: Dec 2010
Post: #1
01-05-2018 09:54 PM

Over the past few months I've noticed the train services and also the bus routes getting worse and worse and just really needed to vent about it and see if others feel the same.
The overground trains to and from Forest Hill are getting more and more overcrowded..ditto the Canada Water interchange and jubilee line platform going westbound.The trains are often delayed and slow running to Canda Water or London Bridge.
London Bridge trains have at least one morning rush hour cancelation every day.
Evening overground trains are almost always frequented by sometimes aggressive beggars.
Often we have 2 weekends a month with no train service
The 176 timetable has been cut and I wish they'd re-instate in back to Oxford Circus rather than the a**e end of Tottenham Court road.
I've lived here 7 years and am finding getting to and from my work in central London on time harder and harder.
on more than one occasion its taken 90mins to get to Bond St!
Wondering if others feel as worn down by it as I am.
We can't afford to move more centrally and I can't get a similar job in the local area.
I pay £1500 a year in travel costs for a dwindling service.
Its a lovely area but its getting to be a drag living here because of this.
A girl I work with Moved to Honor Oak 6 months ago and is now moving out of the area again because of the nightmare journey to and from work.
Starting to wish I could follow suit

This post was last modified: 01-05-2018 09:57 PM by nottinghillbilly.

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Erekose


Posts: 557
Joined: May 2010
Post: #2
02-05-2018 06:17 PM

Sadly all this tallies with my experience recently. Canada Water interchange alone is enough to put one in a foul mood for the rest of the day.

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Sherwood


Posts: 1,412
Joined: Mar 2005
Post: #3
02-05-2018 06:27 PM

Transport is a lot worse elsewhere. Often when I go to Crystal Palace the roads get grid-locked and I have to get off the bus and walk.

When Southern Region staff were on strike people were being fired if they could not get to work on time.

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Mjohnstone


Posts: 6
Joined: Mar 2018
Post: #4
03-05-2018 09:48 AM

I've had the same problem. I solved it by cycling to work. Forest Hill to Chelsea is a dream. It takes 1 hour, mostly back streets and cycle ways. Exercise for the day done, no need to pay for gym membership or transport. I started by doing it once or twice a week and now every day it's not raining heavily or windy I'm in my bike. Glorious. I'm an unfit almost 30 year old woman, no lycra, second hand bike. Highly recommend.

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nottinghillbilly


Posts: 653
Joined: Dec 2010
Post: #5
03-05-2018 07:32 PM

I wish I could cycle in.
But aged almost 60 I cannot ride a bike and don’t think I want to practice in the crazy streets of South London never mind having to go through the West end to my work place.
So sadly I am very much at the mercy of public transport or walking to bond st and back which in a retail job which involves standing all day isn’t really an option!

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Mjohnstone


Posts: 6
Joined: Mar 2018
Post: #6
03-05-2018 09:52 PM

Lots of people who look to be in their 60-80s cycle and I personally know a 94 y.o. who cycles to his local shops. Maybe an electric bike would help? Second hand ones appear to be £300 ish. I'd be happy to show someone the quiet way to the other side of the vauxhill bridge.

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nottinghillbilly


Posts: 653
Joined: Dec 2010
Post: #7
04-05-2018 10:04 PM

Thank-you but I really am too scared to risk it.
I never learned to ride a bike because I grew up in central London and My Mother had her childhood friend killed whilst cycling in Notting Hill Gate (this was in the 1930's/40's!) so she never wanted me to ride a bike and I guess the fear of cycling has stuck with me!
I think if I'd learned as a child and was just rusty fine but to go out on the open road in London as a beginner puts the fear of god into me!
I'd rather use a scooter on the pavement to get to work!

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Mjohnstone


Posts: 6
Joined: Mar 2018
Post: #8
05-05-2018 09:52 AM

I'm sorry to hear about your mum's friend, and the impact it's had on you both. The scooter is a good idea. They seem to be very popular now. Could make more convenient stations accessible... There's also the citymapper smart bus, £3 per ride but only in the centre at the moment as far as I know.

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SEN


Posts: 59
Joined: Oct 2010
Post: #9
06-05-2018 07:20 AM

Going back to the original point on trains/buses - I agree about the overcrowding on Overground completely, and the interchange at Canada Water is insane (one down escalator, no stairs...who signed that off!?).

My experience (20 years plus) is that trains are much more reliable than they were thanks to investment over the past couple of decades - really they are. However in that time there has been so much building around our areas, the working population has significantly increased. Just look at the flats built around FH in past 5-10 years. It's brought a welcome boost to local shops and eateries, but train sizes haven't kept pace. A solution would be for Overground to run 10 carriage trains but poor old north London can't cater for them (couldn't resist a digWink) so we're stuck with 5. I suspect that investment costs to change that would be prohibitive. The London Bridge revamp has caused disruption, hopefully we're coming to the end of that.

On the positive side and a journey that can be more pleasant - I just checked out the proposed changes to London Bridge timetables from 20 May (here) and overall, cuts I feared don't seem to have happened, though on a quick check towards London Bridge there seem to be 4 trains 7-8am, and 6 trains 8-9am. If you pick the right train/location you can normally get a seat, and you can change for very frequent services to Waterloo East and Charing Cross - if there are onwards options that would suit you from there.

This post was last modified: 06-05-2018 07:20 AM by SEN.

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Poppy9560


Posts: 273
Joined: Aug 2008
Post: #10
06-05-2018 10:26 AM

this weekend really takes the mickey out of we poor passengers-a totally inadequate rail replacement bus - why pick a bank holiday weekend? It was overcrowded at HOP so people were pushing and shoving to get on at BrockleySad and I had to stand squashed up all the way. If they need to do engineering work they could at least pick a weekend when the Catford Bridge line into London is working so we have a reasonable alternative route. I usually check before a weekend and stay at home if there are issues but had to meet family and friends

this isn't an acceptable level of service

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Mjohnstone


Posts: 6
Joined: Mar 2018
Post: #11
06-05-2018 10:40 AM

I think they might pick long weekends to do engineering works because there's fewer commuters than on a weekday. If more than two days is needed for a big project, or work cannot be left half done between weekends, or it means one weekend is disrupted rather than two, it might be the most sensible option.

I'm grateful they avoid doing it during the week and that the workers give up their long weekends to keep public transport improvements... on track.

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Sherwood


Posts: 1,412
Joined: Mar 2005
Post: #12
06-05-2018 10:56 AM

I think the line from Catford is still working. I think trains to London are only every half hour.

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nottinghillbilly


Posts: 653
Joined: Dec 2010
Post: #13
10-05-2018 11:03 PM

No trains again this sunday..and I have to get to work!
Its an utter joke.
and the rail replacement bus service is nothing short of pathetic!

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samuelsen


Posts: 448
Joined: Feb 2016
Post: #14
11-05-2018 10:54 AM

Before the switch to London Overground, line closures were infrequent, but now it's become a regular event.

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Mjohnstone


Posts: 6
Joined: Mar 2018
Post: #15
12-05-2018 08:43 AM

Could you get the bus? It's nice on the weekend.

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nottinghillbilly


Posts: 653
Joined: Dec 2010
Post: #16
12-05-2018 10:45 PM

I work near Bond St and have to be in work by 10.45 on a Sunday.
the 176 stops at tottenham court road which involves a long walk when I have to spend all day on my feet.or changing buses or getting Central line.
without a train service sadly this is the only option for most west end shop workers like myself.
Last Bank holiday weekend we were once again marooned without a train service.

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rbmartin


Posts: 1,074
Joined: Nov 2007
Post: #17
13-05-2018 07:36 PM

You always know when there's no trains from FH when the 176 and 185 are packed thanks to the replacement buses going to New Cross Gate or London Bridge the long way round.

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m00ky


Posts: 52
Joined: Nov 2014
Post: #18
31-05-2018 06:59 AM

Well the new timetable is a disaster. The loss of direct trains to Easy Croydon before 0825 is hard to stomach for my commute, but all the journey times are longer, more changes and so far it is the normal disaster of delays and cancellations.

There is a petition for this if anyone is interested:

"Govia Thameslink Railway should have its contract immediately removed"

https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/220440

I'm doubtful the petition will do much more than get the normal brush off from government if it hits enough signatures.

Sadly I believe it will probably take an actual train wreck for anything to change.

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Sherwood


Posts: 1,412
Joined: Mar 2005
Post: #19
31-05-2018 09:32 AM

"Easy Croydon"
Has Stelios bought Croydon?

Seriously, they are planning to build two additional platforms at East Croydon. Presumably they actually plan to have more trains to and from East Croydon. This might have something to do with the Westfield Hammerson Shopping Centre development.

It's a bizarre situation. Even a Conservative Government does not plan to put the East Coast Line out to tender!

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Bobaldo


Posts: 7
Joined: Oct 2012
Post: #20
04-06-2018 10:52 AM

Yep, I too am feeling the loss of direct trains between FH and E Croydon. The situation is equally bad at the end of the working day. If you can't leave the office to catch the 16:57 - the next direct train is 19:57.

Norwood Junction is now a misnomer. You'll be waiting a long time for anything coming through here actually also stopping at E Croydon. More often than not the Train apps direct you to travel direct to London Bridge and then get the stopper back to FH.

I can't help feeling ripped off given the London Bridge development work was supposed to improve and not remove the service.

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