Changes to train times between ED & LB

[KidKruger]

I did give myself plenty of time, the 7.30 did what it said on the tin, so maybe a lucky day, which gave me time for a greasy one before SOB. On way back around 1030 was also ok.

[MarkE]

They seem to have got a better handle on managing delayed trains lately, though. At least when they're severely delayed they get cancelled early - definitely worth keeping an eye on the National Rail website or app.

This morning, for instance, they ran the 8:20 direct to London Bridge without calling at Peckham Rye, Queen's Road Peckham or South Bermondsey. Still only arrived into London Bridge at 8:40 due to queueing from South Bermondsey onwards.

Roll the dice, check ahead, plan to be early.

[Countrlass22]

Thanks for advice,need get there 11 am wed to take partner for an operation kinda relying on train as quicker.

shall check before travel

[Monkey]

Arrived at 1808 at London Bridge for the 1810 to East Dulwich. Train was announced as late. We were told it would leave at 1820. Crowds did not start boarding until 18.23. We departed at 1830 and did not arrive to ed until 1845. I will email Charles Horton, CEO, about it. If the email address I have works, I will post it here.

[LUVED]

I was on the same train Monkey and have to say it was a shambles, apart from the very informative and helpful train driver. I wish there were more like him. Please let me know if the email is correct as I would like to let him know how frustrating travelling to and from the station is but also let him know about the great train driver we had tonight and they should employ more people like him.

[Monkey]

Train driver was nice but frankly it did not matter to me. Apologies not accepted, as far as I am concerned!enough is enough. They should get things sorted. Then there will be no need for empty, meaningless apologies.

I am looking for the right contact details at Southern and will post them here?

[Earl Aelfheah]

The announcement at London Bridge station yesterday "try your best to board the service at platform 6, try your best to board this service". Like if I can't get on the train that I've paid for and which is massively late it's because I'M not trying hard enough? Bah!

[cl]

Monkey,

please do share these details if you get them. The service provided by Southern at the moment is absolutely shocking, and I see no reason why people should have to pay a full fare for continual cancelled, severely delayed and severely congested trains. I too will contact him about this.

Thanks

[StraferJack]

it's not just Southern is it? All train cos going into LB are having similar problems

[MarkE]

Pretty sure it was all a knock-on from a much earlier issue.

17:25 from LBG was cancelled so I dashed across in the vain hope that I could make the 17:10 in case it was late running - it was but departed from Platform 8, which goes to show quite how screwed up everything was.

[Jeremy]

I would guess that the reduced number of platforms means that any small delay tends to completely screw up everything..

[Earl Aelfheah]

You would hope that if the train doesn't run to time, they could just recredit your Oyster card. It charges automatically, so why doesn't it debit automatically too?

[MarkE]

Think you're giving them too much credit here - it would be far too difficult for them to know which route you took, or that you weren't waiting to travel with a friend etc.

[Earl Aelfheah]

The Oyster card tracks your journey (i.e. where and when you get on and where and when you get off). It should therefore be possible to calculate when a refund is due because of late running trains.

[StraferJack]

do you think some people might catch up on their phone for a few minutes before tapping thru', to get automatic refunds in that case?

[MarkE]

rahrahrah Wrote:

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

> The Oyster card tracks your journey (i.e. where

> and when you get on and where and when you get

> off). It should therefore be possible to calculate

> when a refund is due because of late running

> trains.

Not sure that's particularly viable. Here's an example - this morning because I was running late I took the train from ED to Peckham Rye and then changed to get to City Thameslink. I was lucky enough to catch a late-running service from Peckham on an already tight interchange - by rights I should have been waiting another half an hour for my connection.

Other days I've gone from ED south to Tulse Hill and then switched for a train to City Thameslink.

If, say, the Tulse Hill route was running late, but I went via Peckham Rye and missed an optimistic connection, whose fault is that - Southern's or mine?

There are countless more examples of this - unless you had Oyster readers on the trains themselves, you'll never know the intention of the traveller in order to refund them appropriately.

[Earl Aelfheah]

You are not being what my boss would call 'solution focussed' here people. Feck it I'm going for some self-facilitated, analytical results oriented reflection (Costa).

[MarkE]

Sorry! As I said, unless you put Oyster readers on the trains themselves (as there are on the buses), you'd not know how a passenger travelled. And that, in itself, would doubtless lead to a lot more fare evasion and lost revenue.

There's also the perspective that requiring a customer to apply for their refund means you're less likely to have to pay out as much as you would if it were automated. There's a big incentive for the TOCs not to be proactive!

[Earl Aelfheah]

You're sacked.

[Monkey]

And again! 1740 delayed by 12 mns. By the time everyone boards, it will be 1800 when we leave and I'll be late to pick up my daughter. I will search for contact details tonight!

[Monkey]

Ok. Here's a contact:

Angela Okello

Deputy Customer Service Manager

Southern & Gatwick Express

[email protected]

Mark your emails to her attention in the title.

The 1740 is late again tonight. I will email her every time the trains are late. Fellow angry commuters, please do the same. We're being taken for fools.