advice re: morning trains to canary wharf pls

[seemster]

Does anyone get the 8 or 8.15 or 8.30 from Peckham Rye to Canada Water? Are the trains generally overcrowded or bearable? Do they run on time? I could get on one stop earlier at Denmark Hill but always hear awful things about the jams in the ticket area and stairs..

Would I be better off getting the bus to New Cross Gate from where the trains are more frequent? Or would it make no difference?

Also, what's the change on to the Jubilee line like? I've done it in the day and it's pretty painful squeezing on to the escalators, I have images of absolute mayhem at rush hour...

Wouldn't mind driving if car parking prices weren't so prohibitive.

Thanks for any advice - it will save me doing a practice journey!

(Apologies for cross-posting, think I put it in the wrong section before)

[george74]

I quite often get the 7:45am-8:30am trains from Peckham Rye to Canada Water and they are completely fine. You'll be lucky to get a seat, but even when they are quite busy you are only talking 3 stops, so no hassle at all.

The change onto the Jubilee Line can be quite hectic (for a few mins) as only one escalator, but again, just take a deep breath and go with the flow....

I used to head the other way via Honor Oak Park and that is tens times worse!

Good luck.

[Lowlander]

I sometimes take the 0745 and sometimes get a seat. It's fine.

It takes 2 minutes to get down the escalator onto the Jubilee platforms and I can be in Canary Wharf for just after 0800.

The problem is that arriving at Canada Water after around 0815 you have to let a few trains go before you can get on, and it can take 15 minutes to go one stop!

[katgod]

The key to the change at Canada Water if you don't like crowds is to just take a seat and wait, as said above, 3 minutes for the crowd to go down.

And DKH will hopefully improve once there is more than one door to exit via. Which MUST be soon, they've been working on the new exit for so long.

In the scheme of commutes PR or DKH to Canary Wharf is really not a bad one.

[seemster]

All very helpful, thanks very much!

[Gimme]

The jams in ticket hall and stairs at Denmark Hill aren't that bad. Mildly irritating for about 30 seconds usually.

And they are about to open a new ticket office to solve that problem too.

If Denmark Hill is nearer you, I wouldn't listen too much to what people say about the people jams...

[ruffers]

Have you considered a motorbike / scooter?

[cosmonaut]

There's also the train to Lewisham that connects with the DLR. It makes for a ~slightly~ longer journey (still less than 10 min) and there are only two an hour BUT in my experience the train/DLR isn't as rammed as the other route.

[Bic Basher]

In the unlikely event you use Oyster PAYG, both routes cost ?1.60 each way per journey during the peak or a Zone 2 only travelcard is valid.

[rjsmall]

I'd add that if you are going via Canada Water make sure you touch the pink oyster card validator near the top of the escalators so that you are charged a zone two only route. Not sure if you would be charged for a zone one and two ticket (e.g. a route via London Bridge) but I suspect the default would be the highest cost ticket and not the lowest.

More details here http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tickets/14871.aspx

[njc97]

Alternative way to avoid the scrum at Canada Water is get on the front of the train, then go up the escalator to ticket hall and then back down again. Probably no quicker than waiting for crowd to clear, but feels more productive.

[Lowlander]

rjsmall Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I'd add that if you are going via Canada Water

> make sure you touch the pink oyster card validator

> near the top of the escalators so that you are

> charged a zone two only route. Not sure if you

> would be charged for a zone one and two ticket

> (e.g. a route via London Bridge) but I suspect the

> default would be the highest cost ticket and not

> the lowest.

>

> More details here

> http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tickets/14871.aspx

From Peckham Rye to Canary Wharf, no need

[seemster]

Thanks again for all this - definitely won't need to do a practice journey now!