Altered Thameslink Service Tomorrow Monday (26th Jan)

[Renata Hamvas]

Farringdon Station is flooded. There are no cross London Thameslink trains running and services won't resume until Tuesday at the earliest. There has been an alternative service published for some routes eg via Herne Hill. http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/posters/TLSouth(1).pdf

No information is available on-line for the service that I'm hearing many complaints about at the moment, the Sevenoaks to Kentish Town via Nunhead/Peckham Rye/ Denmark Hill. I've just called Thameslink Customer Services and they have said that there will be service running on this line but only as far as Blackfriars and then you'll need to switch to alternative transport. Unfortunately they were unable to give me any indication as to whether the Blackfriars trains will run to the usual Thameslink timetable on Monday to Friday, to the Saturday timetable or any specific timetable at all! I can't guarantee the information I've been given is correct, I would suggest all users of Thameslink services allow extra time for their journeys tomorrow.

Renata

[Strawbs]

Thanks so much for the heads up!! Can't believe its still flooded! Hopefully trains will be ok to Blackfriars but hell knows how I am now going to get home in time for childcare!

[AGW3]

Thanks Renata. Very nice of you to take the time to alert us. There were problems on Friday, but I'd hoped they would be sorted out by tomorrow.

[dwe]

I didn't see this email until just now but can conform the trains are still buggered.....I checked on the National Rail enquiries website this morning and it all seemed fine - even had one train pull into HH and stop but they wouldn't let anybody on.

[Strawbs]

Altered timetable (I try to get the 7.34) 7.20 or 7.50 were the before 8 options which I checked too late to get the 7.20. On the 7.50, it was delayed and obv busy but we got on which is the main thing as an announcement was made that it was already full before arriving at PR. I am hopeful there will be trains home from Blackfriars today!

[Renata Hamvas]

I think the HH ones are running as per the emergency timetable on the link above. NH/PR/DH are on a Saturday service, terminating at Blackfriars. Thanks for your posts/emails.

Renata

[StraferJack]

following thameslink on twitter is useful to keep on top of disruptions

@TLRailUK

as of this morning they are pumping 28000 gallons of water an hour with 250,000 to go

flooding is bad news and not easily fixed - ask the businesses in Herne Hill

[njc97]

Can anyone confirmd if the NH/PR/DH service is running? National Rail website says 2 tph from Blackfriars, but the live departure boards dont show any of them.

I came in this morning via Overground/Jubilee line to Southwark. F***ing horrible.

[ladyruskin]

The latest information can be found on the Thameslink website here:

http://www.thameslinkrailway.com/your-journey/live-running-thameslink/

Not much use but better than nothing!

[JohnL]

On yesterdays twitter they said they couldn't turn off the broken water main as it fed a hospital.

Anyway 63 crowded as everyone avoids Thameslink.

[Renata Hamvas]

Hi njc97, I haven't today's service myself, but the feedback I've been receiving from residents is that the trains are running to and from Blackfriars and are following a Saturday service, ie 2 TPH.

Renata

[Jeremy]

Still, at least we have the good old London Bridge service to fall back on...

[cookie]

Service was very patchy at Herne Hill this morning with announcers encouraging passengers to use South Eastern routes. People's frustration wasn't helped by the cordon of revenue protection officers on duty at the platform entrances. Bad timing.

[JohnL]

cookie Wrote:

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

> Service was very patchy at Herne Hill this morning

> with announcers encouraging passengers to use

> South Eastern routes. People's frustration wasn't

> helped by the cordon of revenue protection

> officers on duty at the platform entrances. Bad

> timing.

That will be their version of working from home :)

[Sqiggles]

The Herne Hill services has been a disgrace since Christmas. It is regularly not possible to get onto trains at Herne Hill due to extreme overcrowding (preusmably not helped by the problems on the London Brdige services), there have been a couple of adjustments to the timetables which leave 15 minute gaps between trains during the peak 8am to 8.45am period, and this is often made worse by cancellations. We have got used to the fact that the trains rarely run on time, but at least there used to be a reasonable throughput of trains you could actually get onto.

The current problems also illustrate that the suburban lines are not the operator's priority. There is absolutely no reason why they could not be operating a proper service to and from Blackfriars. The suggestion that a train to Victoria is an adequate replacement to a train to Thameslink station is ridiculous and a cop out. Has anyone from TL ever tried to get on the tube at Victoria in the morning? But the Gatwick/Brighton trains get preferential treatment, and the Wimbedon loop trains just get cancelled.

[JohnL]

Sqiggles Wrote:

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

> The Herne Hill services has been a disgrace since

> Christmas. It is regularly not possible to get

> onto trains at Herne Hill due to extreme

> overcrowding (preusmably not helped by the

> problems on the London Brdige services), there

> have been a couple of adjustments to the

> timetables which leave 15 minute gaps between

> trains during the peak 8am to 8.45am period, and

> this is often made worse by cancellations. We

> have got used to the fact that the trains rarely

> run on time, but at least there used to be a

> reasonable throughput of trains you could actually

> get onto.

>

> The current problems also illustrate that the

> suburban lines are not the operator's priority.

> There is absolutely no reason why they could not

> be operating a proper service to and from

> Blackfriars. The suggestion that a train to

> Victoria is an adequate replacement to a train to

> Thameslink station is ridiculous and a cop out.

> Has anyone from TL ever tried to get on the tube

> at Victoria in the morning? But the

> Gatwick/Brighton trains get preferential

> treatment, and the Wimbedon loop trains just get

> cancelled.

Exactly the same with the Sevenoaks trains.

They went through a phase when there was an automatic

announcement about why the train was late - and in the

space left for the reason there was a load of gibberish

or nothing - never ever a reason - and they expect

people to use.

[dwe]

I'd like to elaborate on my journey this morning.

I get the 5.59 from Kent House, change at Herne Hill and wait for the Blackfriars train.

Both trains were on time according the National Rail website when I left my house. I got off at HH and the electronic board on the platform for the Blackfriars train suggested a goods train was passing through (which it often does), but no mention of the cancelled train. The guard at the station had to walk up and down the platform telling people that Thameslink trains were buggered, and that we were advised to wait for a Victoria train in 30 mins time. There were about 20 of us that had just got off the Victoria service to catch the Blackfriars connection, as there was no indication it was cancelled.

A Thamselink train turned up, stopped at HH, refused to open its doors, and then went on its merry way. I asked the guard why the boards weren't updated (they are done at Three Bridges apparently), and why the train that stopped couldn't open its doors (not allowed to make unscheduled stops).

You really could make it up.

[StraferJack]

" But the Gatwick/Brighton trains get preferential treatment, and the Wimbedon loop trains just get cancelled."

If you have to make a priority decision, if something has to given, that makes sense tho doesn't it?

That weighing up and balancing of priorities has to be done on stressed systems - and people living 4 miles away from work can get to work by other means, at short notice. People living 50 miles away, or travelling from airports with luggage can't

[JohnL]

StraferJack Wrote:

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

> " But the Gatwick/Brighton trains get preferential

> treatment, and the Wimbedon loop trains just get

> cancelled."

>

> If you have to make a priority decision, if

> something has to given, that makes sense tho

> doesn't it?

>

> That weighing up and balancing of priorities has

> to be done on stressed systems - and people living

> 4 miles away from work can get to work by other

> means, at short notice. People living 50 miles

> away, or travelling from airports with luggage

> can't

Somebody suggested running all london local trains as

Overground.

Then Overground doesn't have long distance to worry

about.

[Strawbs]

dwe Wrote:

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

> I'd like to elaborate on my journey this morning.

>

> I get the 5.59 from Kent House, change at Herne

> Hill and wait for the Blackfriars train.

>

> Both trains were on time according the National

> Rail website when I left my house. I got off at HH

> and the electronic board on the platform for the

> Blackfriars train suggested a goods train was

> passing through (which it often does), but no

> mention of the cancelled train. The guard at the

> station had to walk up and down the platform

> telling people that Thameslink trains were

> buggered, and that we were advised to wait for a

> Victoria train in 30 mins time. There were about

> 20 of us that had just got off the Victoria

> service to catch the Blackfriars connection, as

> there was no indication it was cancelled.

>

> A Thamselink train turned up, stopped at HH,

> refused to open its doors, and then went on its

> merry way. I asked the guard why the boards

> weren't updated (they are done at Three Bridges

> apparently), and why the train that stopped

> couldn't open its doors (not allowed to make

> unscheduled stops).

>

> You really could make it up.

Honestly if that was me I think my head would have exploded at that point!!

[Strawbs]

do we know if there are trains running from Blackfriars to PR this afternoon? I am going to attempt to leave work early today in order to get home in time for the kids. I can see online there is a 5.12 direct to PR. (16.46 and 17.14 already showing as cancelled)

[Renata Hamvas]

Hi Strawbs, I think they are running at 16.42 , 17.12 and 17.42. The other trains are the normal ones for a Monday evening and that's why they are showing up as cancelled. Renata

[Strawbs]

I am here now and you are right. It's a bit of a shambles as there is confusion what platform the train is coming in to but by all accounts it should be here soon.

Thanks renata.

[Strawbs]

It just gets better and better, train should have left 8 minutes ago but there is no driver for the train! Surely this is a delay that could have been avoided?! It's not like they didn't know the train was coming....

[Strawbs]

Train cancelled due to no driver!! Surely with wll the delays that are already in play they'd at least make sure they had drivers for th trains they are actually running? Getting seriously peeved now!