A total of 103 minutes delay – Southeastern 22, Thameslink 81. Getting better!

Delay Repay Claims: total 1 January 2016 to 31 March 2016 inclusive = £41.00

Keith is a SRTA member and a regular commuter from Bat & Ball to London via Sevenoaks. Each month he gives his personal experiences and views.

Week of 28 March 2016

Total lateness 3 minutes: Southeastern 0, Thameslink 3

• Tuesday 29 March – Not at work today but an early start, too early for Bat & Ball, therefore I had to walk to Sevenoaks. I travelled on the 05.43 to Charing Cross which arrived four minutes early. My destination today was Kidderminster for the Severn Valley Railway. Whilst waiting at Euston for my train to Birmingham New Street I noticed that the departures information screen had been updated in respect of information about Virgin services since I was last at Euston. The estimated time to when boarding commences is shown and the times the train is due at all calling points is displayed. A useful addition in my opinion.
• Friday 01 April – Bat & Ball to Tilbury Riverside this morning. The 08.00 from Bat & Ball was three minutes late arriving at Sevenoaks. The 08.27 from Sevenoaks was one minute late departing and arrived one minute early in Cannon Street. I walked to Fenchurch Street Station and took a service to Tilbury Town from here I travelled on the connecting bus service to Tilbury Riverside where I boarded a cruise liner bound for Newcastle.

Week of 4 April 2016

Total lateness 21 minutes: Southeastern 15, Thameslink 6

• Tuesday 05 April – Carlisle to Bat & Ball via Settle, Leeds and London! The 16.15 from Charing Cross to Sevenoaks was on time likewise the 17.00 to Bat & Ball.
• Friday 08 April 2016 – The 06.24 from Bat & Ball was one minute late arriving at Sevenoaks again today. The 06.30 to Waterloo East departed a minute late and was twelve minutes late arriving at Waterloo East. This delay was due to overnight engineering works just north of New Cross Station not have been completed correctly. A conductor rail was placed too high and it broke off the power collector shoes from a train that passed over it leaving that train stranded blocking the up fast line. Accordingly, all services had to be routed over the slow line which caused many delays and some services were diverted to Blackfriars and Victoria.

Week of 11 April 2016

Total lateness 68 minutes: Southeastern 4, Thameslink 64

• Monday 11 April – A very bad start to the week the 06.24 from Bat & Ball to Sevenoaks was cancelled, the next service at 06.42 was shown as being delayed and the following service at 07.10 was on time. The 06.48 to Blackfriars and Luton was also shown as being on time. I suspect that the cancelled 06.24 to Sevenoaks was sent via Orpington after calling at Bickley so as to permit the 06.42 departure from Sevenoaks (06.48 at Bat & Ball) to run to time. When I first saw that the 06.42 service was shown as being delayed I thought I would try to establish what delayed actually meant; five minutes, twenty minutes or more? Unfortunately the telephone on the station building at Bat & Ball was broken therefore this was not possible. As 06.42 approached this train was still shown as being delayed but it moved to second service due after the 07.10 departure. The Blackfriars service suddenly became attractive. I crossed to platform one and travelled on this service to Blackfriars were it arrived eight minutes late at 07.56. Effectively just over an hours delay to my journey; my first Delay Repay claim of April will be made today! Whilst waiting for a train service to somewhere I walked round undertaking a station lighting update; five lights on the platforms and two out of four on the footbridge are not working; no change since my last report on this subject. Unfortunately, it will not be possible to provide regular updates on the faulty lighting at Bat & Ball Station unless I travel home late due to the lighter mornings and evenings.
• Wednesday 13 April – Confusion on the 16.13 departure from Waterloo East again today, the train was made up of eight carriages, (two four coach units). The information screens at both Waterloo East and Sevenoaks showed this but the on train announcements advised passengers that the front four coaches were for Ramsgate and the rear three coaches for Folkestone Central! The train arrived at Sevenoaks one minute early and the service to Bat & Ball was on time.
• Thursday 14 April  – The 06.30 to Waterloo East was very busy today, on departing Orpington only a few unusable middle of three seats were available and about ten people were standing in the carriage I was travelling in. Misleading automated information announcements on the 16.13 departure from Waterloo East again today, the train was made up of eight carriages, (two four coach units). The information screens at both Waterloo East and Sevenoaks showed this but the on train announcements advised passengers that the front four coaches were for Ramsgate and the rear three coaches for Sandwich! How was the train going to travel between Folkestone Central and Dover to complete this journey to Sandwich with a section of track missing?!
• Friday 15 April – One to note in your diary. The 06.24 Thameslink service from Bat & Ball was on time departing and also arriving at Sevenoaks this morning. This was surprising because the rails were wet from early morning rain showers. The 06.30 to Waterloo East departed Sevenoaks on time and was one minute late arriving in London. I used the 16.13 departure from Waterloo East today which arrived on time at Sevenoaks. Similar confusion about the make-up of the train and destinations to yesterday.

Week of 18 April 2016

Total lateness 7 minutes: Southeastern 2, Thameslink 5

Monday 18 April – The 06.24 from Bat & Ball was just over two minutes late arriving at Sevenoaks this morning and the 06.30 to Waterloo East was running in to platform one as I crossed the footbridge from platform four. On the 16.43 departure from Waterloo East I noticed at both Waterloo East and Sevenoaks today the information screens were advising passengers that the front coaches of this service were for Ramsgate and the rear four coaches were for Folkestone Central. Perhaps the make-up of leading unit is now variable.

Tuesday 19 April – The 06.30 to Waterloo East was very busy today, on departing Orpington only a few unusable middle of three seats were available and about twelve people were standing in the carriage I was travelling in.

Wednesday 20 April – The 06.24 from Bat & Ball was two minutes late arriving at Sevenoaks this morning. Fortunately, the 06.30 to Waterloo East was also late arriving at Sevenoaks this morning and an easy connection was achieved.

Thursday 21 April – Another date to note in your diary. The 06.24 from Bat & Ball was on time departing and also arriving at Sevenoaks this morning. The 06.30 to Waterloo East was also on time at Sevenoaks and arrived in London two minutes early!

Sunday 24 April – Travelling to Warwick Parkway today on Chiltern Trains services. I started my journey from Bat & Ball at 08.33 to Elephant & Castle arriving on time at 09.30 then on the Bakerloo Line to Marylebone. One thing I noticed on the Chiltern Trains service was that on the entrance door to each toilet compartment is a sign carrying a unique ID number and wording that invites you to text any problems with the facility to the advertised text number. Why don’t Southeastern do that?

Week of 25 April 2016

Total lateness 4 minutes: Southeastern 1, Thameslink 3

• Monday 25 April – I started my journey home from Kingham this evening and travelled to London Paddington. There is currently no Bakerloo Line Underground service from Paddington due to engineering works. The recommended alternative is to walk to Edgeware Road and join Bakerloo Line services there, quite a long walk. Personally I prefer to use the Metropolitan Line from Paddington and change on to the Bakerloo Line at Baker Street for onward travel to Charing Cross.
• Tuesday 26 April – The 06.30 to Waterloo East was very busy this morning, possibly due to the threatened strike on Southern services from Tonbridge causing people to travel a different route to London. There were very few spare seats on departure from Sevenoaks and more than usual standing after departure from Orpington.
• Wednesday 27 April – The 06.24 from Bat & Ball departed ten seconds early and was also ten seconds early arriving at Sevenoaks this morning! The 06.30 to Waterloo East was extremely busy again this morning, probably due to the strike on Southern services. There were just enough seats available for those boarding at Sevenoaks and only one or two for Orpington passengers. There were about ten to twelve people standing in the carriage I was travelling in when we departed from Orpington.
• Thursday 28 April – There were a lot of people waiting in the location where I normally board the 06.30 to Waterloo East this morning. Advanced commuter skills were applied; I looked at the assembled group and assessed the track conditions. They were slightly wet therefore I moved to the London side of the group on the assumption that the train would stop slightly past the usual stopping place. My estimate was right and the doors were right in front of me when the train came to a halt.

Other points

On 26 April I noticed posters on Waterloo East and Sevenoaks stations inviting passengers to collect copies of the new timetables, effective from 15 May 2016, from stations or to view them online. At Sevenoaks Station booking office in the evening I asked for copies of the two new timetables for Sevenoaks services. I was given the current ones, when I asked for the new ones I was told they were not available yet! On 29 April I tried again at Sevenoaks and the booking office staff advised me that they expected to have the new timetables on Sunday.