Letter just received from Joan Ruddock MP:

Go for it...

Is this for anyone in Lewisham or just if you live in Deptford?

She's MP for Deptford which includes the Crofton Park bits of SE23. I'm presuming she wants to hear from her constituents.

Joan Ruddock's Lewisham Deptford constituency extends South as far as the South Circular, although only on the East side of the railway. So most Honor Oak residents fall into her constituency, but few Forest Hill residents. (Though see this thread for discussion of where the boundary between Honor Oak and Forest Hill lies!)

Tell her not to worry about it - false alarm - I've had a seat pretty much every day on Southern services in the evening peak. And there are often spare seats too.

Even the 15 minute wait isn't nearly as annoying as I thought it would be.

From the recent posts in this thread, it sounds like it is the ELL we need to work on! Empty trains running to New Cross, very poor service after 10pm, overloaded single escalator for the interchange at Canada Water...

The Sourthern Service has in fact immproved as it appears to be no longer over crowded. What I mean by over crowded, is that I havent had someone's hot and sweaty arm pit slapped against my face, when I've been lucky enough to squeeze into a carriage, since the introduction of the ELL.

I'm curious to know how any ELL commuters coped this morning with no interchange at Canada Water because the Jubilee Line was not running between London Bridge and Canary Wharf.

I did see a hand written message on the noticeboard by the ticket booths, but no loud-speaker announcements or advice from the platform staff.

On my train, the driver first mentioned it at Surrey Quays. It would have been handy if he announced it at New Cross Gate so travellers heading west could change onto a Southern train.

Are the ELL people in denial that we have Southern trains? They are meant to complement each other and offer advice on alternative travel options if either service is disrupted.

It would have been good if they had let us know as early as New Cross Gate that the Jubilee was suspeneded, but when I got to Canada Water, a very helpful chap on the Jubilee platform was advising passesngers which buses/train routes to take and I got back onto the ELL and went to Whitechapel-got to Green Park after a change at Victoria and was only 10 mins late for work.

Not the best start to the day but could have been worse. You are right though-no mention of Southern as an alternative!

I am still loving the ELL-novelty hasn't worn off yet.

amelloy - I wish I'd taken your route! (also go to Green Park every morning) Instead, my driver also waited with his announcement until Surrey Quays, at which point there was little time to think about alternative routes. Carried on to Shadwell like apparently most others om my train, only to then be faced with a huge queue of people trying to get onto the Docklands Light Railway Platforms. Nothing moving for 10 minutes there. Next up was the closure of the Bank Branch, which meant everyone had to go to Tower Hill. Plus a passenger alarm on the DLR train I finally got on...then a walk over to the District Line at Tower Hill, and back onto the Jubilee at Westminster. All in all, a 55 minute delay. Sounds like your route worked out much better!

Oh Tinkerbell, you poor thing-what a terrible start to the day. Yuk! I consider myself very lucky to have had the journey I had now I have read that. Best of luck to us both getting into Green Park next week!

It's twice this week that the Jubilee has been out at Canada Water. To be fair, it was written on the board at FH station on Friday morning, but it's to the right of the gates, so no-one can see it!

I ended up boarding the 0929 to LB and went on Southeastern to Charing Cross. The Southern train was two minutes behind a delayed 0920, so had a table and 4 chairs all to myself. I've never felt so relaxed!

Given the ELL is so busy I have gone back to the LB train. The busses out of LB northbound now seem to be moving a lot quicker and there is no hold up on Borough High St. You are also almost guaranteed a seat and the trains are air conditioned.

Going into town I just jump on the first train to arrive at the platform (and walk/bus/tube to get to work); however, getting back home the lazy option for me is to get the ELL rather than traipse back to London Bridge and risk the overcrowding. So...

What are the Southern trains like going back to FH in the evening peak, Londondrz?

I am lucky enough to leave work at 4pm so get the early train however did get a couple last week around 5:30. Wait near the barriers for the train to be announced and then leg it and you will get a seat. Later trains (I did have a "few" beers last week) very much the same thing.

TBH I find it very easy to get a bus from Bank to LB and then a train home to FH. Going via DLR and the ELL seems a pain in the evening (and the only time I did it was a night from hell).

Gaz - the Southern trains are less busy than they were before the ELL opened, even though they're less frequent. In my experience, anyway.

Bad news if you're expecting a seat or a space on a Jubilee Line train in October from Canada Water or London Bridge. BBC London have announced it won't be ready.

I wouldn#t bother with the ELL after 11pm this week.

Thanks rbmartin, that's good to know!
(Perhaps in the 4 weeks after that, they could then do a trial with trains ELL running til...say 12.30am to make up for it...ok, wishful thinking )

The next LOROL (London Overground Rail Operations Ltd) Passenger Group meeting is on 9th September 2010.

If you have any comments regarding ELL/Overground service, please contact me and I will raise the points with them.