Southern’s failings impact Southeastern customers too
On the National Rail Enquiries Website today there was a page providing details of where Southern season tickets were being accepted. Southeastern will accept tickets on routes including:
- Hastings and London via Tonbridge
- Ashford International and London, but NOT on High Speed services.
The last two bullet points probably explain why Southeastern services have been overcrowded on arrival at Sevenoaks on strike days – and why the Sevenoaks station car park has been overcrowded too.
Whilst I sympathise with those people who are experiencing difficulties getting to work due to the Southern strike, why should Southeastern season ticket holders have to stand whilst another train operating company’s passengers use Southeastern services on a regular basis?
Presumably Southern compensate Southeastern for this in some way. How is this going to be passed on to Southeastern customers who have to stand or, in some cases, cannot physically board their normal train?
We are all in this together, I fear.
@ian True, but the knock-on effect does not seem to be appreciated and it looks that – once again – Southeastern are making a profit out of others’ misery.
This is an interesting point here. Although Southern services are even worse than those on Southeastern they are also much cheaper. For example, I know many Tunbridge Wells travellers from the Langton Green end who drive to Ashurst or Eridge nearby thus avoiding the town traffic and parking problems and to take a cheaper albeit slower train with much less late evening flexibility on return journeys. You can save over £1,000 a year on an annual season doing this on average. But anyway this morning trains were again heavily delayed due to ongoing electric supply problems but also virtually empty. Christmas commuters are voting with their feet and working from home if they can. It’s a miserable service all round.
Parking at Sevenoaks was a nightmare this morning.
The Southern service is cheaper because the journey time from Eridge takes longer, is to London Bridge (requiring onward travel to Cannon Street or Charing Cross) and less frequent.
Re: Ticket acceptance on Southeastern services when its trains are disrupted, and complaints that we are forced to stand, similar criteria apply when our trains are disrupted and passengers have been obliged to use other operators including TfL.
Lets not be selfish?
As many people as possible need to write to Cllr Matthew Dickins at SDC about the severe parking problems. SDC need to help. It would be very easy to lift some parking restriction in streets near the station e.g. road such as Redlands Road could easily accommodate some parking (perhaps one side only). What has happened with the Morewood Close car park? – is this still season ticket only? Given that when the new car park opens there will be a net increase of only 40 spaces as more on street parking is to be taken away the situation is unlikely to improve much.
OK beware of travelling this weekend to London. Trains are very overcrowded and being diverted via Bromley South line. Be prepared to stand and for a much longer journey. Happy Christmas shopping from Southeastern.
The diversions last weekend were the consequence of Network Rail engineering works.By all means blame the operator when necessary, but engineering works are outside its control.
Those hankering for renationalising the rail industry should perhaps reflect on the fact that the majority of delays and cancellations are the responsibility of publicly owned Network Rail, fact that politicians of all parties seem reluctant to acknowledge.
Southern are now officially shipping refugees from their network over to Southeastern stations:
http://www.southernrailway.com/southern/news/southern-offers-travel-advice-for-strikes-next-week/
Thanks. The car park was reported full at 0700 this morning, which suggests many people are still preferring to drive to Sevenoaks.