Rail users face longer journeys (From The Argus)

nah - this is a good change for me as I will be able to get home quicker and my morning train remains unchanged. You can still get to London Bridge at other times but it means using the worst train company on the planet

Southern have axed my service at 18.32, I live in fishersgate and we suffered when the last time table revision was done, now I have no train home until 18.47 because I can not make the earlier train, what are they playing at?

Oh no, I can't commute to London! A-boo-hoo-hoo...

Seriously, live where you work, work where you live.

NoWaySeriously wrote:
Oh no, I can't commute to London! A-boo-hoo-hoo... Seriously, live where you work, work where you live.

what a pratt.

Most people commute because they HAVE to not because they want to. Personally I have no idea how people manage to do battle with the journey, especially the poor buggers who are forced to use the cattle trucks that First Capitol Connect see fit to provide their paying customers with. Perhaps if you are forced to do it every day NoWaySeriously you might change your tune. Thankfully I only have to go to London periodically but I support those who do it every day. The implication of this timetable change has not been properly considered and everything appears to have been done under the smokescreen of providing an extended Gatwick Express.

wardth wrote:

NoWaySeriously wrote:
Oh no, I can't commute to London! A-boo-hoo-hoo... Seriously, live where you work, work where you live.

what a pratt.

Most people commute because they HAVE to not because they want to. Personally I have no idea how people manage to do battle with the journey, especially the poor buggers who are forced to use the cattle trucks that First Capitol Connect see fit to provide their paying customers with. Perhaps if you are forced to do it every day NoWaySeriously you might change your tune. Thankfully I only have to go to London periodically but I support those who do it every day. The implication of this timetable change has not been properly considered and everything appears to have been done under the smokescreen of providing an extended Gatwick Express.

Been there and done it. 1:35 in the morning, 1:45 in the evening, not including walking from the station to home/work.

It's not fun, only did it for 2 months because it did my head in and I had no life left.

And everyone has a choice. You don't have to take the stupid meaningless office job in the "City" to pay for your 28 bedroom house... Once again, people living beyond their means. If that's the life you choose, don't complain about it.

They have also removed two trains that used to run between 5 and 6 from Gatwick Airport due the new service.

They previously had to double the trains on this service to cope with the demand, so now everyone on the 5:36, will have to move over to the allready cramped 5:41 which takes twice as long.

Commuters travelling to London Bridge will only have a choice of two direct services at 6.01am and 7.33am.

Rubbish. What you mean is all Commuters from Brighton Station. We don't all travel from Brighton Station.

BBBrighton wrote:
nah - this is a good change for me as I will be able to get home quicker and my morning train remains unchanged. You can still get to London Bridge at other times but it means using the worst train company on the planet

I hate to shatter your illusions but even those Brighton passengers face potential incovenience. Why? Because Southern is doing away with all its commuter services to Brighton in the evening peak hours and expecting us all to travel on the Gatwick Express. That means both the 18.07 and the 18.17 are axed and instead we have to travel on the existing Gatwick Express services to Brighton. Quite how these 16 carriages of standing-room only passengers will manage to fit on the Gatwick Express services is anyone's guess, given that the Gatwick Express trains are only being increased from 7 to 10 carriages. And 20% of space on the Gatwick Express services is for First Class -- up from around 10% on existing Southern commuter servies. All the nice new rolling stock is also being axed and replaced with "refurbished" (i.e old) stock. Journey times are also up to 1 hr 10 minutes (from 1 hr 6 minutes) because of a long stop at Gatwick. It's mad.

no mention that the hourly service from Brighton to Watford Junction is to be axed! this is a great service for people, especially the elderly, who don't want to lug their bags through the tube system to get to Euston! I fail to see how there will be any 'improvements' when services are being cut...

I used to commute. Then, one day, I saw the light. I took a motorcycle test.

It's cheaper. It's more reliable. I always get a seat. I'm never late.

It's not so nice riding in the winter, but spring, summer and autumn are great. Also, if I feel like taking a detour I can do so without worrying about the "next train".

You have a choice!

You can please some of the people some of the time, but you can never please all of the people , all of the time. We moan all the time about our trains but when they stop or don't run all of a sudden it's like someone cutting a leg off. You try driving on the M25 every mornuing.. then you will know what delays, inconvenience and frustration is all about. The train is still and always will be the best form of land transport in this country!

seven dials wrote:

BBBrighton wrote:
nah - this is a good change for me as I will be able to get home quicker and my morning train remains unchanged. You can still get to London Bridge at other times but it means using the worst train company on the planet

I hate to shatter your illusions but even those Brighton passengers face potential incovenience. Why? Because Southern is doing away with all its commuter services to Brighton in the evening peak hours and expecting us all to travel on the Gatwick Express. That means both the 18.07 and the 18.17 are axed and instead we have to travel on the existing Gatwick Express services to Brighton. Quite how these 16 carriages of standing-room only passengers will manage to fit on the Gatwick Express services is anyone's guess, given that the Gatwick Express trains are only being increased from 7 to 10 carriages. And 20% of space on the Gatwick Express services is for First Class -- up from around 10% on existing Southern commuter servies. All the nice new rolling stock is also being axed and replaced with "refurbished" (i.e old) stock. Journey times are also up to 1 hr 10 minutes (from 1 hr 6 minutes) because of a long stop at Gatwick. It's mad.

whiles theres no way I could ever defend Southern and FCC and their total disregard for passengers, the times havent really changed that much. The 18:07 and 18:17 have indeed been axed and replaced with 18:00 and the 18:17 so its not widly different. I am concerned that each train is going to be rammed (not to mention a huge health & safety nightmare with all them suitcases etc!) Plus the fact fares will probably go up nine thousand percent to pay for these 'improvements' while we have to put with a slower service and older trains, Im feeling a bit short changed!? oh the joys of commuting :)

oops 18:15 not 18:17, do'h

whats 2 minutes between friends

BBBrighton wrote:

seven dials wrote:

BBBrighton wrote:
nah - this is a good change for me as I will be able to get home quicker and my morning train remains unchanged. You can still get to London Bridge at other times but it means using the worst train company on the planet

I hate to shatter your illusions but even those Brighton passengers face potential incovenience. Why? Because Southern is doing away with all its commuter services to Brighton in the evening peak hours and expecting us all to travel on the Gatwick Express. That means both the 18.07 and the 18.17 are axed and instead we have to travel on the existing Gatwick Express services to Brighton. Quite how these 16 carriages of standing-room only passengers will manage to fit on the Gatwick Express services is anyone's guess, given that the Gatwick Express trains are only being increased from 7 to 10 carriages. And 20% of space on the Gatwick Express services is for First Class -- up from around 10% on existing Southern commuter servies. All the nice new rolling stock is also being axed and replaced with "refurbished" (i.e old) stock. Journey times are also up to 1 hr 10 minutes (from 1 hr 6 minutes) because of a long stop at Gatwick. It's mad.

whiles theres no way I could ever defend Southern and FCC and their total disregard for passengers, the times havent really changed that much. The 18:07 and 18:17 have indeed been axed and replaced with 18:00 and the 18:17 so its not widly different. I am concerned that each train is going to be rammed (not to mention a huge health & safety nightmare with all them suitcases etc!) Plus the fact fares will probably go up nine thousand percent to pay for these 'improvements' while we have to put with a slower service and older trains, Im feeling a bit short changed!? oh the joys of commuting :)

Yes BB I suppose ultimately we're all just in this together. And for all I know it might turn out to be a brilliant service.
The real outrage in all this is the change of the 7.47 am service into a 7.44 Getwick Express service meaning it no longer stops at East Croyden or Clapham Junction. The timetabling geniuses at Southern finally saw the obvious flaw in the plan of having a full commuter train stop at Gatwick to pick up plane passengers so they've put on an extra Gatwick Express service that starts from Gatwick at 8.17, the same time we arrive there...in other words our 7.44 Gatwick Express is an entirely pointless train. If they'd cut out this completely unnecessary Gatwick stop they could still have continued to stop at East Croyden and Clapham Junction as now and arrived at Victoria at 8.52 as is planned. The reason they can't? Southern say it's the fault of the government for mandating them to provide six Gatwick Express services from Brighton at peak hours. When I argued that they no longer need to follow this because they are adding an extra service starting at Gatwick at 8.17, they conceded that there was another problem: They've reallocated all our rolling stock so there are no Southern coaches left to change the new 7.44 Gatwick Express branded service into a Southern service.
Seriously, anyone who wants to fight Southern on the failure to continue serving East Croyden and Clapham Junction should focus on this service because it is an entirely pointless Gatwick Express service and could be turned back into a Southern service with a little flexibility in the new arrangements.
I, meanwhile, am off to Clapham Junction to stand at the end of the platform in my new capacity as a trainspotter...See you on the train bb!

well done you seven dials, you actually got them to admit to something? Eveytime I complain (Which is a lot) I get the usual govt guidelines claptrap...It just doesnt make any sense to re-vamp the timetable and not actually consult the people that use the service and pay handsomely to do so. Scrap the god awful FCC service which would increase capacity by a considerable margin I say!