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This is a juicy train question - Slade green loop to crayford

Having recently moved to the Bexley area, I now use crayford loop to Charlton on a match day.
All fine going to the game, although originally confused me having to use the Dartford bound platform when my instinct was for London bound, but it clicked after a minute.

Anyway, my question, the train out of Charlton only showed it terminating at slade green, not on going towards crayford, for anyone else who uses it, is that usual?
The timetable showed it going to crayford, but not on the station board, I did get off at plumstead with some mates for a pint in the radical club, and when I rejoined at plumstead, that sign did show crayford, 
Did  the 17:25 & 17:55 genuinely terminating at slade green, or would they have continued onto crayford as a sort of new timetable would have started there?, but if so, why did the same services an hour later at plumstead show it ongoing?

im confused.com, a very long winded question, TIA 
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Comments

  • There's no terminus platform at Slade Green. It's just seen as the furthest point out of London before it heads back in. Pretty much any train terminating there will continue around the loop rather than heading to a depot. 
  • Leuth said:
    There's no terminus platform at Slade Green. It's just seen as the furthest point out of London before it heads back in. Pretty much any train terminating there will continue around the loop rather than heading to a depot. 
    Thanks, I know it’s not strictly a terminus, but why would it show it terminating at slade green and going no further on the Charlton platform board, but ongoing to crayford on the plumstead station board, as per the timetable?

    I guess what I’m asking is, if I had got on and stayed on to slade green, it would have carried onto crayford despite it not showing it doing so at Charlton?
  • It would have done yes. I'm not sure of why it only starts talking about heading back into London after a certain point. Probably something to do with zones 1-3 vs 4-6
  • Leuth said:
    It would have done yes. I'm not sure of why it only starts talking about heading back into London after a certain point. Probably something to do with zones 1-3 vs 4-6
    Thanks, just strange that plumstead shows the crayford stop and Charlton doesn’t 
  • edited August 2021
    Yesterday I got the 5.25 train out of Charlton advertised as Slade Green. Stayed on it to Lee via Crayford, Sidcup etc.
    The Blackheath section was all engineered out.
  • After Crayford the sign inside the train continually said next stop Crayford!
    I reckon the train in the opposite direction from Lee, advertised as Slade Green but going eventually to Cannon Street would be confusing somewhat if it admitted it’s secret destination, as at the same time you could have a train on the opposite platform advertising Cannon Street as well.
    The train journey from Lee direct to Charlton takes about 37 minutes. The 202 bus up to Blackheath, and then the (unreliable) service to Charlton is much quicker, the loopy line is a good backup.
  • Yeah my parents live in Lee and I in Charlton. The idea of getting a train to visit them is hilarious! 
  • edited August 2021
    Interesting as Golfie Jnr has got the train a few times (and again yesterday as I couldnt go) and from.Swnley had to (officially) go to Catford Bridge, walk over to Catford & then train to Lewisham to change to go to Charlton. (Although I have said to just get a bus to Dartford & then train to Charlton).

    Might be easier to get to Bexley & try this new loopy thing.

    Reminds me when we played at Selhurst & I'd just bought my first flat in Dartford. There was a special train that went from Norwood Junction into London Bridge & then straight back out again to Dartford. 

    I have known trains to not give out certain stations where they are stopping as they dont want passengers boarding the train to disembark there !  Happy once the train is on it's way to detail those stations & there are passengers there when it stops for them to get on......but apparently not to get off.!!
  • They’ve operated the loop service for a while. Clearly they have to careful how to describe the service, as otherwise people might take a train from a London Bridge to Greenwich via Slade Green  :smiley:

    I’m not sure how they decide when to change the description, maybe they wait until it’s roughly half way from London Bridge to Slade Green
  • The realignment of destination simply kind of happens with no fanfare or announcement. You sit on the train from Charlton to Slade Green, or from Lee to Slade Green, and the train kind of continues with the expectation that passengers might or might not figure things out with no announcement or other information.
    Asking station staff is not usually a successful strategy, in my experience they either don’t know about the service, or feign ignorance.
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  • edited August 2021
    The big question most are dying to know is, what was the rolling stock you were on?

    Toot, tooooot!
  • As Seth says its because advertising the final destination, which is Cannon Street, would mean confusing departure boards showing both platforms serving that destination. Possibly the theory is that it's quicker to get a London train to London Bridge then change for Crayford.

    We have loops here in West London. Some trains leave Waterloo with an announcement that 'This train is for London Waterloo' which is true in that it goes out to Hounslow via Brentford and comes back via Richmond. 


  • Maybe there is a way to classify loopy trains and let people know about them in a non confusing way?
    Call them a circular service or something.
  • Quite often the destination changes to Sidcup at Woolwich Arsenal and then Cannon Street as it woks the loop.

    Once whilst I was waiting for a Greenwich line train on platform 1 at London Bridge the platform displays showed Cannon Street as the destination. This meant Platforms 1, 2 and 3 all showed Cannon Street. Anyone taking the train from platform 1 wanting a short trip across the bridge would have got a shot.
  • iaitch said:
    Now you've told eveyone about it, it will look like this next home game.

    Four passengers die in 39unbearable39 heat on Indian train  South China  Morning Post


    Southeastern would still have the heating on full temperature 
  • Are people really going from Charlton to Lee via Slade Green?
  • Dave Rudd said:
    Are people really going from Charlton to Lee via Slade Green?
    It's done for operational reasons not passengers. Trains from Cannon Street run both ways round the loop via Slade Green (via Greenwich or Bexleyheath).
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  • Dave Rudd said:
    Are people really going from Charlton to Lee via Slade Green?
    I did on Saturday after the game. 
    My excuse is I did my back on Thursday and didn’t fancy a stressful journey home.
    Going it was the 202 to the Standard and a slow painful walk from there.
    Trains are unreliable but if you consider parking and attendant fart arseing about, if everything works the looper can get me from my door to my seat in an hour.
  • seth plum said:
    Dave Rudd said:
    Are people really going from Charlton to Lee via Slade Green?
    I did on Saturday after the game. 
    My excuse is I did my back on Thursday and didn’t fancy a stressful journey home.
    Going it was the 202 to the Standard and a slow painful walk from there.
    Trains are unreliable but if you consider parking and attendant fart arseing about, if everything works the looper can get me from my door to my seat in an hour.
    Can i suggest a bus from the Standard to Charlton Village.
  • I'm going to give this a try tomorrow, getting to Charlton from Sidcup via bus always seems to take forever, especially for an evening game with rush hour traffic 
  • Interesting as Golfie Jnr has got the train a few times (and again yesterday as I couldnt go) and from.Swnley had to (officially) go to Catford Bridge, walk over to Catford & then train to Lewisham to change to go to Charlton. (Although I have said to just get a bus to Dartford & then train to Charlton).

    Might be easier to get to Bexley & try this new loopy thing.

    Reminds me when we played at Selhurst & I'd just bought my first flat in Dartford. There was a special train that went from Norwood Junction into London Bridge & then straight back out again to Dartford. 

    I have known trains to not give out certain stations where they are stopping as they dont want passengers boarding the train to disembark there Happy once the train is on it's way to detail those stations & there are passengers there when it stops for them to get on......but apparently not to get off.!!
    Happens all the time on the long distance services out of Waterloo.  Most stop at Clapham to pick up only, not advertised as a destination to encourage people to take the suburban stoppers.  I always wonder what would happen if you disembarked at Clapham, would the guard shout “oi, you can’t get off here”?
  • seth plum said:
    Dave Rudd said:
    Are people really going from Charlton to Lee via Slade Green?
    I did on Saturday after the game. 
    My excuse is I did my back on Thursday and didn’t fancy a stressful journey home.
    Going it was the 202 to the Standard and a slow painful walk from there.
    Trains are unreliable but if you consider parking and attendant fart arseing about, if everything works the looper can get me from my door to my seat in an hour.
    Can i suggest a bus from the Standard to Charlton Village.
    Yep. Thought about that but decided I needed the exercise.
  • I imagine supporters living in places like Bexley and Crayford would use this route regularly
  • I imagine supporters living in places like Bexley and Crayford would use this route regularly
    Far less than you’d think. Really surprises me, takes all the parking hassle away
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