The Blackfriars Dash

Posted on by November 4, 2019

If you want to travel from St Pancras International to Bat & Ball, one option that National Rail Enquiries suggests is that you change trains at London Blackfriars. However, the following are typically suggested itineraries: –

St Pancras International dep19352005
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In both examples, only three minutes allowed to change between trains at Blackfriars. To achieve this, you need to exit platform one, walk via a subway to platform three. Based on my experiences, even if you are sitting in the first, or last, coach of the train arriving at Blackfriars, this is not enough time to successfully transfer between trains.

Senior Railcard Moments September 2019

Posted on by October 31, 2019

Our Bat & Ball correspondent, Keith Alderman, has now retired. However, when Thameslink allow him, he’s making good use of his Senior Railcard!

Delay Repay Claims: total 1 January 2019 to 30 September 2019 inclusive = £53.20
(Southeastern £25.10, Southern £2.00, South Western Railway £6.62, Thameslink £9.10, Virgin £10.38).
Three claims outstanding.

This month’s delays: total 81 minutes, Southeastern 74, Thameslink 7

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Annual General Meeting Thursday 17 October 2019

Posted on by October 9, 2019

Here is the Agenda for next week’s Annual General Meeting.

There is plenty to talk about, including the prospects for future rail services now that the re-franchising exercise has been abandoned and now that the introduction of the new Maidstone East to Cambridge service has been delayed again.

Sir Michael Fallon MP is speaking as well as the rail companies, so we hope that you will join us at the meeting.

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Senior Railcard Moments August 2019

Posted on by September 4, 2019

Our Bat & Ball correspondent, Keith Alderman, has now retired. However, when Thameslink allow him, he’s making good use of his Senior Railcard!

Delay Repay Claims: total 1 January 2019 to 31 August 2019 inclusive = £53.20
(Southeastern £25.10, Southern £2.00, South Western Railway £6.62, Thameslink £9.10, Virgin £10.38).

This month’s delays: total 120 minutes, Southeastern 74, Thameslink 46.

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Split ticket saving, again

Posted on by September 4, 2019

I want to travel from Bat & Ball to York next month. The best fares I was quoted were £92.05 to York and £40.70 for the return journey, a total of £132.75.

However Advance Singles using Grand Central’s services from King’s Cross to York cost £12.35 each way. Add £13.00 from Bat & Ball to St Pancras International, and £8.60 from St Pancras International to Bat & Ball makes a total of £46.30.

That’s a saving of £86.45 – 65%!

No wonder the Train Companies want to abolish split ticketing!!

SRTA comments on Southeastern December 2019 timetable

Posted on by September 2, 2019

The SRTA has been reviewing Southeastern’s proposals for changes to the December 2019 timetable.

We welcome the agreement to assist with connections at Swanley for Darenth Valley line users. That’s how a joined-up railway should work.

However, SRTA has a significant concern with one of the proposed timetable changes. This concerns the change to the stopping services, 1726 from Charing Cross and 1739 from Cannon Street. It appears to us that the proposal totally ignores the interests of the large number of passengers who travel from Cannon Street to Chelsfield and beyond.

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