They are building a lift for disabled people at Bexleyheath station. I just dont get why? The station is already accessible on both sides. Plus, 2 stops down... Falconwood isn't!! What muppet makes these decisions?? They spunk money worse than Dowie!
Ha ha that is ridiculous. Where on earth does the lift go from and to? There is street level and erm...............street level. Does the lift take you onto the station roof?
Southern are just as bad. Their service is even worse than SouthEastern, yet they spent tens of millions on a new footbridge at East Croydon. This new footbridge:
* Cost 20 million quid * Replaced the subway, rather than adding to it, which meant there's no difference in the capacity when switching between platforms * Isn't fully covered, so that when it rains (a reasonably regular occurence in Britain, even doscounting the current monsoon season) everyone gets soaked and the floor becomes slippery & dangerous * Has destination indicators, but only the small ones - which are, admittedly, handy if you happen to be travelling directly to the final station (listed) but not much fucking use if you're trying to get to any of the thirty stops in between
Having patronised East Croydon frequently for the last couple of years, I can say that Southern aren't even in the same universe of incompetence as Southeastern. On two occasions at least two occasions this year, Southern have run trains when Southeastern haven't.
SouthEastern are no worse than Connex were. I lived in Deptford for twenty five years - trust me, depending on where you live (Reigate for me over the past two years), Southern are worse. East Croydon service is very rarely going to be atrocious - it's a mainline station and there are always trains to and from it unless the whole network is shut. Further down the lines, services get sacrificed for the Gatwick Express, Brighton and Horsham services every day.
Interesting you say that Leroy. I've definitely had the opposite in my commuting. I lived in Bromley North/Sundridge Park for a long time and South Eastern really were absolutely shocking. The connections to Grove Park and back were the least of my woes. I'm now on the line to Victoria from Wallington and I have to say it's much better. They have their moments for sure but nowhere near as bad as South Eastern in my experience. Connex were bloody awful as well though!
we are currently doing part of our journey by coach. this takes about 20 mins by train but has been over an hour by coach. they really can't run a bath. they were making the coaches call all stations but then a staff member, on my suggestion, decided to run every other coach fast from Battle to Wadhurst. This worked great for two days until management found out and told them every coach had to call all stations meaning longer journey times for all. Only after everyone moaning for a few days have they now changed it again. Still a nightime some days especially when they run double deckers down small country lanes. got another couple of weeks of this at least.
There's no doubt tht south eastern need to improve. But a lot of it is down to network rail, the outdated infrastructure of the network from the 1800s, and poor communication.
There's no doubt tht south eastern need to improve. But a lot of it is down to network rail, the outdated infrastructure of the network from the 1800s, and poor communication.
Most of the communication problems are down to Southeastern as is the condition of the trains and stations.
The running of the trains are down to Network Rail, and what they say goes in anything they have control of.
I can recall a person hit by a train at Paddock Wood, and Network Rail ( or railtrack as it was then ) would not allow the power to be turned off to allow medics onto the track until after a Eurostar passed by as it would have delayed it!
I left the railway almost 14 years ago, after being on it for 16 years, and they were working at capacity way before then. Take London Bridge for example. If in the rush hour a train is delayed by even a few seconds, trains back up to New Cross in minutes. If you could look out of the window towards London, i think most people would be shocked to see how many trains are in front of them and how close they are too each other. At some points trains can be less than 300ft behind each other. Which in terms of railways is bloody close. It would only take a few seconds of the driver not being 100% on the ball and a train could easily go into the back of another.
The need to keep trains running is so important, it is really the major issue now days and over rides most issues. If for example you are taken ill on a train, the staff are now told that the biggest issue is to remove the patient from a train, unless they are uncon or have a broken limb, then it becomes one of the most important things for the medics to do on arrival to avoid any delays to passengers/trains.
I've come in from Sidcup for the last 22 years but have just moved to Sundridge Park/Bromley North. One thing I have learned in the last two weeks is the service is much more reliable on the Chislehurst line. Can't believe I didn't move sooner then I wouldn't have had to put up with the bucket of shit which is the Sidcup line. I pity you poor bastards doing that journey.
I use South Eastern every day. My monthly Season ticket is £520. That's over £6200 every single year. For that I get a decent high speed service. Not good. Decent. This week from three days it has been late into London on all three days. Apparently this is due to the flooding although it's unclear why this is causing my line a delay as there is no flooding on the line and the only trains using the line are high speed trains.
For the price I'm paying I'd like to get a daily massage off Rachel Riley, or at the very least working wifi and more seat space. Value for money is frankly appalling. I could probably rent a room in a flat near my office for less than the cost of my travel and walk in every day if it wasnt for that fact I have a family to get home to.
My current experience is Northern Rail. The trains are slow, smelly, noisy diesels that would have looked out-of-date in Beeching's time. Timetables have not adjusted for the fact that trains are too slow to continue to keep up with the timetable set decades ago, leading to the below issue:
Starting Station: Departs at 9am on time 1st stop: Due 0915, arrives 0920, departs 0925 due to door malfunction 2nd stop: Due 0930, arrives 0940, departs 0943 etc... Terminus: Due 1000, arrives 1015.
I don't mind the fact that they're slow, but if you board at a station in between the start and terminus, you're regularly left standing around for 5-10 minutes every day because the trains simply cannot keep up with the outdated timetable. I'd rather they adjusted the timetable as the train I get in the mornings is due 7am but regularly fails to depart until 5 to 10 minutes after this time. Considering it's the North, this means mostly having to stand in wind/rain waiting for a train due to poor timetabling. Of course, if I started arriving 5-10 minutes later myself, I'd often miss the train because once every so often a train is able to keep up with the timetable.
Station facilities are knackered as well. Only the major cities have ticket offices, working ticket machines and roofs. Most stations have no ticket machines, no office, no building and no shelters against wind/rain. Trains are always overcrowded and there's always several people who board rush hour trains with bikes/prams/pushchairs. I don't mind this, but there needs to be extra carriages as there's simply no room for the extra furniture. Most of the time, unless you board at the station the service commences from, you don't get a seat as by the time it gets to the 2nd station, there are already many passengers standing.
Season ticket prices are, to be fair, quite generous. Day tickets can be a complete con though, especially before 9.30.
There are no ticket barriers, instead only a single geezer individually inspecting each passenger's ticket as they enter/leave a major station, leading to crushes every morning and evening. I got stuck in a 20 minute queue to leave a station once because the fake train coppers had set up a barricade at rush hour to make sure everyone had paid, and then proceeded to check one ticket at a time.
Not enough services either. Rush hour means 2 services an hour on a line, otherwise you get 1 an hour.
Having lived with Southeastern for most of my younger life, I'd say Southeastern is definitely much better than Northern in most areas. The exceptions are that both handle rush hour poorly (can't get seat on either service between 7-9am) and Northern's pricing and reliability is much better - the only cancellation I've had in 2 years is because of a suicide on the tracks.
I thought they were brilliant when we went to Wigan. Free and some great entertainmnet on the way back.
Granted they are cheap/free as long as you don't board or alight at either Manchester or Liverpool. And the last train home is always pretty hilarious. And the first train for the clubs is great for orange tanned tattooed clubbers wearing nothing but cellophane wrap to protect their modesty, and that's just the men. Women are exactly the same except necking two bottles of Aldi-brand Lambrini on the journey in.
I've come in from Sidcup for the last 22 years but have just moved to Sundridge Park/Bromley North. One thing I have learned in the last two weeks is the service is much more reliable on the Chislehurst line. Can't believe I didn't move sooner then I wouldn't have had to put up with the bucket of shit which is the Sidcup line. I pity you poor bastards doing that journey.
I've come in from Sidcup for the last 22 years but have just moved to Sundridge Park/Bromley North. One thing I have learned in the last two weeks is the service is much more reliable on the Chislehurst line. Can't believe I didn't move sooner then I wouldn't have had to put up with the bucket of shit which is the Sidcup line. I pity you poor bastards doing that journey.
Poor! Don't let Brendan see that.
LOL m_a_m. Southeastern leave me feeling very poor by taking my hard earned and proving a third world service.
Could be worse though, we could live on the Bexleyheath line! ;o)'
I've come in from Sidcup for the last 22 years but have just moved to Sundridge Park/Bromley North. One thing I have learned in the last two weeks is the service is much more reliable on the Chislehurst line. Can't believe I didn't move sooner then I wouldn't have had to put up with the bucket of shit which is the Sidcup line. I pity you poor bastards doing that journey.
Poor! Don't let Brendan see that.
LOL m_a_m. Southeastern leave me feeling very poor by taking my hard earned and proving a third world service.
Could be worse though, we could live on the Bexleyheath line! ;o)'
I don't get the hate for the Bexleyheath line - surely it's just as bad as the others?
When oh when are we going to see the 12 carriage trains? Having lengthened the platforms on the Sidcup line some ten years ago, before running out of money for rolling stock, there's been a similar exercise recently, but still no longer trains.
When oh when are we going to see the 12 carriage trains? Having lengthened the platforms on the Sidcup line some ten years ago, before running out of money for rolling stock, there's been a similar exercise recently, but still no longer trains.
Anyone ITK?
I wonder this also! Appeared to be a big rush to get all platforms extended before the olympics which I assumed would see the introduction of the 12 carriage trains but to date I have never seen one let alone been on one!
For the prices we pay all rush hour trains should be 12 carriages.
It could possibly be a typical cock up. In the rush to complete the platforms, they forgot that they simply didnt have enough room on the tracks.
When a train stops at a red signal, there must be a gap between the rear of the train and the previous signal so should a train go past a red signal, it should in theroy have a didtance to travel before it crashes into the train in front. The distance does vary from location to location, but in normally 300ft. In London, on the approach to LB the gap can be shorter. But, if the trains are longer by 2 of 4 coaches, this gap is almost gone, so unless the area is resignalled or fewer trains run, thus haveing one train every two signals apart, its hard to see it happening.
It could possibly be a typical cock up. In the rush to complete the platforms, they forgot that they simply didnt have enough room on the tracks.
When a train stops at a red signal, there must be a gap between the rear of the train and the previous signal so should a train go past a red signal, it should in theroy have a didtance to travel before it crashes into the train in front. The distance does vary from location to location, but in normally 300ft. In London, on the approach to LB the gap can be shorter. But, if the trains are longer by 2 of 4 coaches, this gap is almost gone, so unless the area is resignalled or fewer trains run, thus haveing one train every two signals apart, its hard to see it happening.
Just turn the whole track in to a fast moving travelator that we have to jump on and off. At least it will keep running.
Or lower the tracks and run double decker trains, young 'uns on the top deck smoking & scratching the windows, old 'uns downstairs.
Or increase the number of doors and their width, so there are less delays with people getting on & off.
I've come in from Sidcup for the last 22 years but have just moved to Sundridge Park/Bromley North. One thing I have learned in the last two weeks is the service is much more reliable on the Chislehurst line. Can't believe I didn't move sooner then I wouldn't have had to put up with the bucket of shit which is the Sidcup line. I pity you poor bastards doing that journey.
Poor! Don't let Brendan see that.
LOL m_a_m. Southeastern leave me feeling very poor by taking my hard earned and proving a third world service.
Could be worse though, we could live on the Bexleyheath line! ;o)'
I don't get the hate for the Bexleyheath line - surely it's just as bad as the others?
It was a joke (hence the smiley thingy at the end).
It could possibly be a typical cock up. In the rush to complete the platforms, they forgot that they simply didnt have enough room on the tracks.
When a train stops at a red signal, there must be a gap between the rear of the train and the previous signal so should a train go past a red signal, it should in theroy have a didtance to travel before it crashes into the train in front. The distance does vary from location to location, but in normally 300ft. In London, on the approach to LB the gap can be shorter. But, if the trains are longer by 2 of 4 coaches, this gap is almost gone, so unless the area is resignalled or fewer trains run, thus haveing one train every two signals apart, its hard to see it happening.
Yes agreed, and surely the same applies to points and crossings. Around the Lewisham area you can see 10 carriage trains from Hayes straddling the points while they wait at signals, consequently holding everyone else.
It could possibly be a typical cock up. In the rush to complete the platforms, they forgot that they simply didnt have enough room on the tracks.
When a train stops at a red signal, there must be a gap between the rear of the train and the previous signal so should a train go past a red signal, it should in theroy have a didtance to travel before it crashes into the train in front. The distance does vary from location to location, but in normally 300ft. In London, on the approach to LB the gap can be shorter. But, if the trains are longer by 2 of 4 coaches, this gap is almost gone, so unless the area is resignalled or fewer trains run, thus haveing one train every two signals apart, its hard to see it happening.
Just turn the whole track in to a fast moving travelator that we have to jump on and off. At least it will keep running.
Or lower the tracks and run double decker trains, young 'uns on the top deck smoking & scratching the windows, old 'uns downstairs.
Or increase the number of doors and their width, so there are less delays with people getting on & off.
What about us cyclists? Will we still be able to put a fold up bike over the door when people want to get off?
It could possibly be a typical cock up. In the rush to complete the platforms, they forgot that they simply didnt have enough room on the tracks.
When a train stops at a red signal, there must be a gap between the rear of the train and the previous signal so should a train go past a red signal, it should in theroy have a didtance to travel before it crashes into the train in front. The distance does vary from location to location, but in normally 300ft. In London, on the approach to LB the gap can be shorter. But, if the trains are longer by 2 of 4 coaches, this gap is almost gone, so unless the area is resignalled or fewer trains run, thus haveing one train every two signals apart, its hard to see it happening.
Just turn the whole track in to a fast moving travelator that we have to jump on and off. At least it will keep running.
Or lower the tracks and run double decker trains, young 'uns on the top deck smoking & scratching the windows, old 'uns downstairs.
Or increase the number of doors and their width, so there are less delays with people getting on & off.
What about us cyclists? Will we still be able to put a fold up bike over the door when people want to get off?
They should be thrown off and told to ride to their destination.
After the mysterious London Bridge signal fire evening rush hour fiasco for the rearranged Doncaster game I emailed s**th**st*rn to enquire about where to go for a refund as I'd travelled in via Waterloo on southwest trains - I got an almost immediate reply with the standard "we don't answer any enquiries inside 10 working days" - on the 10th working day after I got two emails first saying we've had a lot of enquiries we won't get to yours for a while followed by a 2nd saying they'd dealt with my enquiry and the matter was now closed according to them! I wrote to s**th**st*rn's customer relations department and have never had a reply. After the first "we don;t deal with anything inside 2 weeks..." email I applied to southwest for a delay replay type refund and received my vouchers in a couple of weeks - and it had nothing to do with them I got delayed I just bought my ticket from them. s**th**st*rn please note that is how you deal with "customers" if you're not a dog and pony con trick operation who rely on the fact that we're too busy working for a living to pursue them when they repeatedly rip us off.
It could possibly be a typical cock up. In the rush to complete the platforms, they forgot that they simply didnt have enough room on the tracks.
When a train stops at a red signal, there must be a gap between the rear of the train and the previous signal so should a train go past a red signal, it should in theroy have a didtance to travel before it crashes into the train in front. The distance does vary from location to location, but in normally 300ft. In London, on the approach to LB the gap can be shorter. But, if the trains are longer by 2 of 4 coaches, this gap is almost gone, so unless the area is resignalled or fewer trains run, thus haveing one train every two signals apart, its hard to see it happening.
Just turn the whole track in to a fast moving travelator that we have to jump on and off. At least it will keep running.
Or lower the tracks and run double decker trains, young 'uns on the top deck smoking & scratching the windows, old 'uns downstairs.
Or increase the number of doors and their width, so there are less delays with people getting on & off.
What about us cyclists? Will we still be able to put a fold up bike over the door when people want to get off?
They should be thrown off and told to ride to their destination.
I've come in from Sidcup for the last 22 years but have just moved to Sundridge Park/Bromley North. One thing I have learned in the last two weeks is the service is much more reliable on the Chislehurst line. Can't believe I didn't move sooner then I wouldn't have had to put up with the bucket of shit which is the Sidcup line. I pity you poor bastards doing that journey.
Poor! Don't let Brendan see that.
LOL m_a_m. Southeastern leave me feeling very poor by taking my hard earned and proving a third world service.
Could be worse though, we could live on the Bexleyheath line! ;o)'
I don't get the hate for the Bexleyheath line - surely it's just as bad as the others?
It was a joke (hence the smiley thingy at the end).
I was in a hurry to get home after work last night to meet some friends so time was an issue. We were meeting at Greenwich.
I get on a train at London bridge stating it was a "via Greenwich" train, going fast to there then onwards to other places. Fantastic I thought.
I then get on the train and after about 10 minutes where they are usually deptford bound it goes the other way, maybe a different route that skips out deptford I thought. That's fine.
I gradually realise I'm going further and further away from Greenwich. A few places which sound like they are miles away flash by as this fast train bypasses them. Everyone on the train looks like it's not an issue. I've messed up and it's all because I've had a couple of drinks. Having vowed to never drink again and 30 minutes later after having a domestic with my gf by text because she found my incarceration in a runaway train "funny" I arrive at Orpington, the first stop.
At which point literally everyone gets of the train and moves to another platform. I then overhear some guy saying where the hell are we. Guess what, I wasn't insane, southeastern just gave me a magical mystery tour of the suburbs, along with everyone else on the train.
I manage to control my temper and never have outbursts ever because I know if I do I go crazy (I think I've had one where I "lost it" once in my whole life) but I wanted to absolutely destroy this train as, having been a fast train to Orpington it proceeded to stop at every stop on the way back.
I was in a hurry to get home after work last night to meet some friends so time was an issue. We were meeting at Greenwich.
I get on a train at London bridge stating it was a "via Greenwich" train, going fast to there then onwards to other places. Fantastic I thought.
I then get on the train and after about 10 minutes where they are usually deptford bound it goes the other way, maybe a different route that skips out deptford I thought. That's fine.
I gradually realise I'm going further and further away from Greenwich. A few places which sound like they are miles away flash by as this fast train bypasses them. Everyone on the train looks like it's not an issue. I've messed up and it's all because I've had a couple of drinks. Having vowed to never drink again and 30 minutes later after having a domestic with my gf by text because she found my incarceration in a runaway train "funny" I arrive at Orpington, the first stop.
At which point literally everyone gets of the train and moves to another platform. I then overhear some guy saying where the hell are we. Guess what, I wasn't insane, southeastern just gave me a magical mystery tour of the suburbs, along with everyone else on the train.
I manage to control my temper and never have outbursts ever because I know if I do I go crazy (I think I've had one where I "lost it" once in my whole life) but I wanted to absolutely destroy this train as, having been a fast train to Orpington it proceeded to stop at every stop on the way back.
I was in a hurry to get home after work last night to meet some friends so time was an issue. We were meeting at Greenwich.
I get on a train at London bridge stating it was a "via Greenwich" train, going fast to there then onwards to other places. Fantastic I thought.
I then get on the train and after about 10 minutes where they are usually deptford bound it goes the other way, maybe a different route that skips out deptford I thought. That's fine.
I gradually realise I'm going further and further away from Greenwich. A few places which sound like they are miles away flash by as this fast train bypasses them. Everyone on the train looks like it's not an issue. I've messed up and it's all because I've had a couple of drinks. Having vowed to never drink again and 30 minutes later after having a domestic with my gf by text because she found my incarceration in a runaway train "funny" I arrive at Orpington, the first stop.
At which point literally everyone gets of the train and moves to another platform. I then overhear some guy saying where the hell are we. Guess what, I wasn't insane, southeastern just gave me a magical mystery tour of the suburbs, along with everyone else on the train.
I manage to control my temper and never have outbursts ever because I know if I do I go crazy (I think I've had one where I "lost it" once in my whole life) but I wanted to absolutely destroy this train as, having been a fast train to Orpington it proceeded to stop at every stop on the way back.
I've not been so furious in a long time.
So did you make it to Greenwich then?
I got off at Lewisham and got the DLR, made me about an hour late all in all. Upsetting because the people I was seeing in Greenwich I never get to see as they had all come from a long way. So if there was one day I didn't want it to happen, it was that one
Day 73 and still no sign of the footbridge at New Eltham. I'm sure if this had been entrusted to Captain Mainwaring and his merry band, we would be able to cross the line without walking halfway round New Eltham to do it by now. If I paid for my train travel I would complain vigorously.
Comments
Ha ha that is ridiculous. Where on earth does the lift go from and to? There is street level and erm...............street level. Does the lift take you onto the station roof?
The running of the trains are down to Network Rail, and what they say goes in anything they have control of.
I can recall a person hit by a train at Paddock Wood, and Network Rail ( or railtrack as it was then ) would not allow the power to be turned off to allow medics onto the track until after a Eurostar passed by as it would have delayed it!
I left the railway almost 14 years ago, after being on it for 16 years, and they were working at capacity way before then. Take London Bridge for example. If in the rush hour a train is delayed by even a few seconds, trains back up to New Cross in minutes. If you could look out of the window towards London, i think most people would be shocked to see how many trains are in front of them and how close they are too each other. At some points trains can be less than 300ft behind each other. Which in terms of railways is bloody close. It would only take a few seconds of the driver not being 100% on the ball and a train could easily go into the back of another.
The need to keep trains running is so important, it is really the major issue now days and over rides most issues. If for example you are taken ill on a train, the staff are now told that the biggest issue is to remove the patient from a train, unless they are uncon or have a broken limb, then it becomes one of the most important things for the medics to do on arrival to avoid any delays to passengers/trains.
For the price I'm paying I'd like to get a daily massage off Rachel Riley, or at the very least working wifi and more seat space. Value for money is frankly appalling. I could probably rent a room in a flat near my office for less than the cost of my travel and walk in every day if it wasnt for that fact I have a family to get home to.
Could be worse though, we could live on the Bexleyheath line! ;o)'
Anyone ITK?
For the prices we pay all rush hour trains should be 12 carriages.
Fucking bandits!
When a train stops at a red signal, there must be a gap between the rear of the train and the previous signal so should a train go past a red signal, it should in theroy have a didtance to travel before it crashes into the train in front. The distance does vary from location to location, but in normally 300ft. In London, on the approach to LB the gap can be shorter. But, if the trains are longer by 2 of 4 coaches, this gap is almost gone, so unless the area is resignalled or fewer trains run, thus haveing one train every two signals apart, its hard to see it happening.
Or lower the tracks and run double decker trains, young 'uns on the top deck smoking & scratching the windows, old 'uns downstairs.
Or increase the number of doors and their width, so there are less delays with people getting on & off.
What about us cyclists? Will we still be able to put a fold up bike over the door when people want to get off?
After the first "we don;t deal with anything inside 2 weeks..." email I applied to southwest for a delay replay type refund and received my vouchers in a couple of weeks - and it had nothing to do with them I got delayed I just bought my ticket from them. s**th**st*rn please note that is how you deal with "customers" if you're not a dog and pony con trick operation who rely on the fact that we're too busy working for a living to pursue them when they repeatedly rip us off.
:-)
I get on a train at London bridge stating it was a "via Greenwich" train, going fast to there then onwards to other places. Fantastic I thought.
I then get on the train and after about 10 minutes where they are usually deptford bound it goes the other way, maybe a different route that skips out deptford I thought. That's fine.
I gradually realise I'm going further and further away from Greenwich. A few places which sound like they are miles away flash by as this fast train bypasses them. Everyone on the train looks like it's not an issue. I've messed up and it's all because I've had a couple of drinks. Having vowed to never drink again and 30 minutes later after having a domestic with my gf by text because she found my incarceration in a runaway train "funny" I arrive at Orpington, the first stop.
At which point literally everyone gets of the train and moves to another platform. I then overhear some guy saying where the hell are we. Guess what, I wasn't insane, southeastern just gave me a magical mystery tour of the suburbs, along with everyone else on the train.
I manage to control my temper and never have outbursts ever because I know if I do I go crazy (I think I've had one where I "lost it" once in my whole life) but I wanted to absolutely destroy this train as, having been a fast train to Orpington it proceeded to stop at every stop on the way back.
I've not been so furious in a long time.