SE23.com - The Official Forum for Forest Hill & Honor Oak, London SE23
Online since 2002   11,000+ members   72,000+ posts

Home | SE23 Topics | Businesses & Services | Wider Topics | Offered/Wanted/Lost/Found | About SE23.com | Advertising | Contact | |
 Armstrong & Co Solicitors



Post Reply  Post Topic 
Pages (2): « First [1] 2 Next > Last »
Closure of London Bridge (upper station) in 2015
Author Message
michael


Posts: 3,255
Joined: Mar 2005
Post: #1
03-04-2012 12:28 PM

Back in 2010 we lost our direct connection to Charing Cross, admittedly only at evenings and weekends. These days many people change trains at London Bridge to continue on to Waterloo and Charing Cross.

In 2015/6, as part of the 'improvement works' at London Bridge station, Network Rail plan to have all trains to/from Waterloo East and Charing Cross running through London Bridge without stopping.

Southern trains will continue to terminate at London Bridge with the interchange option for the Northern and Jubilee Line and Canon Street trains, but not Waterloo or Charing X.

My job is currently based in Waterloo, so the easy change at London Bridge is excellent for me and significantly cheaper than using the underground to get to work (even though it would be quicker). I suspect that many people like me will need to switch from Southern trains to East London Line to get to work.

I'm interested to find out how this will impact other people who currently travel on the London Bridge to Charing Cross service. Will there be another big shift from Southern to ELL, and can the four carriage trains handle the extra demand?

Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
poolsneighbour


Posts: 162
Joined: Mar 2011
Post: #2
03-04-2012 01:18 PM

Oh dear... this is really bad news Sad

It was such a shame to lose the Charing X direct service..and now losing the opportunity to change at L.Bridge is a disaster if you want to get into town. London Bridge is perhaps one of the worst connected London Termini which you consider its onward tube connections to the centre of town eg. Tottenham Court Road/Picadilly Circus/Soho - you have to get the Jubilee to Waterloo and then change..or Jubilee to Bond St and then walk..

Not impressed Sad

Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
stefan


Posts: 93
Joined: May 2008
Post: #3
03-04-2012 01:41 PM

its a shame but if its only for the duration of the redevelopment its not too bad allthough it might be more than a year. I work at Trafalgar Square so will just walk from London Bridge to work as I do sometimes know rather pay extra to use the Overground since I only purchase a train ticket only.

Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
Joffe


Posts: 72
Joined: Oct 2011
Post: #4
03-04-2012 02:41 PM

It seems to me that of the trains I get off in the morning, about half the people change trains at London Bridge and half go the the underground or out of the station.

For me it would mean I don't get a nice walk up St. Martin's Lane in the morning but would be forced to get the tube. Not only more expensive but less pleasant too.

Note to self - change jobs for a more suitable location before 2015.

Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
Sherwood


Posts: 1,412
Joined: Mar 2005
Post: #5
03-04-2012 03:07 PM

"Will there be another big shift from Southern to ELL, and can the four carriage trains handle the extra demand?"

I travelled up to town one Friday recently and the four carriages were all full. the answer is no.

Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
stefan


Posts: 93
Joined: May 2008
Post: #6
03-04-2012 03:17 PM

would be great if the train companies could offer a deal where you can use your train only ticket to all terminals within Zone 3 rahter than Forest Hill only so we would have the opetion to go back to lower sydenham or Catford.

Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
Joffe


Posts: 72
Joined: Oct 2011
Post: #7
03-04-2012 03:53 PM

Lower Sydenham is in Zone 4 I think.

This post was last modified: 03-04-2012 03:54 PM by Joffe.

Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
stefan


Posts: 93
Joined: May 2008
Post: #8
03-04-2012 03:56 PM

thats that option gone then Thumbdown

Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
Tinkerbell


Posts: 361
Joined: Dec 2007
Post: #9
03-04-2012 04:27 PM

Would be nice to know if they plan to at least have ELL trains running a bit later in the eve then. My main worry is returning late from the West End - the old Charing X connection used to be perfect for that. I now tend to still use Charing X and then change at LB if it gets to after 11.45pm, but with that option gone I'll either have to take the train to Lewisham and then cab it from there, or change twice on the tube to then go to LB, which isn't ideal as it takes longer. (and might be tight to then make the last train from LB to FH) Let's hope the LB to CX connection won't be out for too long.

Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
lacb


Posts: 627
Joined: Mar 2005
Post: #10
04-04-2012 09:45 AM

Well this is just daft frankly. When the improvement works are finished and there is a smaller terminus section, no doubt the argument will be that hardly anyone uses the London Bridge - Forest Hill service so that can go too.

I do find that if travelling to most places apart from London Bridge itself, it is quicker to go Overground and change at Canada Water. It is more expensive though.

However, the loss of the ability to change at London Bridge when travelling to or returning from CX is plain irritating and I agree with Tinkerbell this makes a late night return a hassle. This will also cause massive disruption at CX in the evening peak. If anything goes wrong that station soon fills up and you can't even get in it, and that is *with* the ability to change at London Bridge.

I think that the root issue here is that Southern use the terminus at London Bridge and South Eastern seem to have monopolised Charing Cross. This is like a return to LBSC and SECR operations a century ago!

If half our London Bridge trains went to Charing Cross instead, now that would be an interesting compromise... yes, some other services might have to do likewise but there may be some interest now with this proposal.

Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
Joffe


Posts: 72
Joined: Oct 2011
Post: #11
04-04-2012 10:21 AM

lacb wrote:
This will also cause massive disruption at CX in the evening peak. If anything goes wrong that station soon fills up and you can't even get in it, and that is *with* the ability to change at London Bridge.


I'd presume that without the ability to change at London Bridge, the station would be a lot less busy.

Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
BMqpr


Posts: 27
Joined: Jul 2011
Post: #12
04-04-2012 10:26 AM

So let me get this right. Southern will still run to London Bridge and terminate there. Where has Southeastern gone, are they terminating at London Bridge also? They are closing the line in between LB - WE & CX totally? What about Cannon Street trains?
Will there be a service between CS & CX?

Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
Sherwood


Posts: 1,412
Joined: Mar 2005
Post: #13
04-04-2012 10:27 AM

No.

People would go directly to Charing Cross to catch a train.

Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
BMqpr


Posts: 27
Joined: Jul 2011
Post: #14
04-04-2012 10:34 AM

So Southeastern will either go directly to CX or terminate at LB?

Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
lacb


Posts: 627
Joined: Mar 2005
Post: #15
04-04-2012 10:39 AM

Joffe, re CX station in evening peak:

Quote:
I'd presume that without the ability to change at London Bridge, the station would be a lot less busy.


Most people who use that station get on the train that takes them to their destination. The ability to change at London Bridge helps when that isn't possible. Only those without a direct train plan on changing at London Bridge at this time - and yes Forest Hill residents fall into this category and may well use alternative routes - this was Michael's question.

I don't think that the claim that CX would be (noticeably) less busy for this is valid as there are many more routes served from that station - many of these only have alternatives from Cannon Street, so when things go wrong, my point still stands.

Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
Sherwood


Posts: 1,412
Joined: Mar 2005
Post: #16
04-04-2012 11:12 AM

I would use Charing Cross to return to Catford Bridge.

Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
Joffe


Posts: 72
Joined: Oct 2011
Post: #17
04-04-2012 01:08 PM

lacb wrote:
Joffe, re CX station in evening peak:


Quote:
I'd presume that without the ability to change at London Bridge, the station would be a lot less busy.

Most people who use that station get on the train that takes them to their destination. The ability to change at London Bridge helps when that isn't possible. Only those without a direct train plan on changing at London Bridge at this time - and yes Forest Hill residents fall into this category and may well use alternative routes - this was Michael's question.

I don't think that the claim that CX would be (noticeably) less busy for this is valid as there are many more routes served from that station - many of these only have alternatives from Cannon Street, so when things go wrong, my point still stands.


If something goes wrong at Charing Cross, it's irrelevant whether or not you can change at London Bridge. London Bridge being closed for changes just means Charing Cross will be a bit less busy when something goes wrong as less people will be using the station (I for example, who use it every day wouldn't be anywhere near it - I'd be on the Jubilee Line heading for Canada Water).

I'm not saying you're wrong, but not really sure I follow what you mean.

Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
lacb


Posts: 627
Joined: Mar 2005
Post: #18
04-04-2012 01:28 PM

If you're heading for Ashford in Kent, say, the ability to use the Overground will have limited appeal. This particular point is to do with how busy CX wil get and that there will be many destinations affected by this.

Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
Sibelius


Posts: 63
Joined: Aug 2011
Post: #19
10-04-2012 12:14 PM

Didn't I read somewhere on this forum that the ELL trains will have extra carriages some time in the near(ish) future (not this year, but sometime at least?
That would be good.
Also, as this problem will be no fault of our own, surely those of us with season tickets from, say, HOP to CX should be able to use these on the ELL during the works?

Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
rbmartin


Posts: 1,075
Joined: Nov 2007
Post: #20
10-04-2012 05:43 PM

I work near Charing Cross once a week and normally use London Bridge as an interchange after experimenting with the ELL/Jubilee/Northern and found it too packed/stressful etc.

However I'll have no choice but to use the tube if Network Rail don't offer an alternative route to CX at no extra cost.

However all my other work related jobs in town I end up using Canada Water and the Jubilee.

Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
Pages (2): « First [1] 2 Next > Last »

Friends of Blythe Hill Fields


Possibly Related Topics ...
Topic: Author Replies: Views: Last Post
  Council approve closure of The Bridge Leisure Centre samuelsen 1 4,036 17-01-2021 12:45 PM
Last Post: samuelsen
  London Overground Part Closure 25 July-2 August ChrisR 7 8,091 12-06-2015 06:44 AM
Last Post: ForestHillier
  Old station discovered outside London Bridge michael 1 4,479 23-04-2015 02:34 PM
Last Post: Snazy
  Jubilee Eastbound - Change at London Bridge or Canada Water? andrewr 23 27,422 16-07-2012 09:18 PM
Last Post: InTheForest
  Tannoys at London Bridge FH_newbie 3 5,361 16-06-2012 08:40 PM
Last Post: jgdoherty
  Inner South London line closure Gep 10 13,451 19-10-2011 11:09 AM
Last Post: NewForester
  London Bridge Station travel survey blushingsnail 0 2,950 18-03-2010 10:40 AM
Last Post: blushingsnail
  Oyster Cards and London Bridge Station Baboonery 5 6,410 04-12-2009 05:23 PM
Last Post: AMFM
  Nice piece on The Shard and new London Bridge Station nevermodern 3 5,497 22-10-2009 03:50 PM
Last Post: Londondrz
  Sunday parking around the London Bridge area admin 0 3,528 14-10-2007 10:44 PM
Last Post: admin