A total of 175 minutes delay: Southeastern 76, Thameslink 99

Delay Repay Claims; total 1 January 2017 to 31 October 2017 inclusive = £116.65
(Greater Anglia £10.80, Southeastern £28.80, Thameslink £71.30, Virgin £5.75)
One claim currently outstanding.

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

Week of 02 October 2017

Total lateness 10 minutes, Southeastern 2, Thameslink 8

• Monday 02 October – A good start to the week by Thameslink the 06.24 from Bat & Ball to Sevenoaks was on time today!
• Tuesday 03 October – The 06.24 from Bat & Ball to Sevenoaks was one minute late today. The 06.31 to Waterloo East arrived there one minute late this morning.
• Thursday 05 October – My destination is Bedford today, I commenced my journey on the 08.46 from Bat & Ball to St Pancras International where arrival was six minutes late. I changed on to the 10.02 service to Bedford which departed two minutes late but arrived on time in Bedford.

Week of 09 October 2017

Total lateness 16 minutes, Southeastern 5, Thameslink 11

• Monday 09 October – The 06.24 from Bat & Ball to Sevenoaks was two minutes late today. The 06.31 to Waterloo East arrived there two minutes early this morning. I returned home on the 15.43 from Waterloo East to Sevenoaks which arrived three minutes early. The 16.21 to Bat & Ball was on time. However, due to a broken rail somewhere on the network it was terminating at London Blackfriars today.
• Tuesday 10 October – The 06.24 from Bat & Ball to Sevenoaks was one minute late today. Accordingly, I did not manage to reach my favoured boarding point on platform one before other people occupied it. Partly due to this, and the 06.31 service to Waterloo East being heavily loaded, with some people already standing, when it arrived at Sevenoaks I could not get a seat this morning. I decided to wait for the 06.41 train which is usually less than half full when it arrives at Sevenoaks. Plenty of seats to choose from!
• Wednesday 11 October – My last commute to work in London; the 06.24 from Bat & Ball to Sevenoaks was two minutes late today arriving just as the 06.31 to Waterloo East was running in to platform one. I crossed to footbridge quickly and arrived on platform one as the train came to a halt. Luckily there were a few seats available today. Arrival at Waterloo East was also two minutes late this morning. I finished work, well departed my office, at about 12.00 hours and after some real ale therapy returned home on the 15.19 from London Bridge which arrived two minutes early at Sevenoaks. The 16.00 service to Bat & Ball was on time.
• Thursday 12 October – My destination is Nottingham today. I travelled from Bat & Ball to London St Pancras International and return using Thameslink who were on time in both directions. Similarly, my trains between St Pancras International and Nottingham were both on time.
• Friday 13 October – I travelled to the Isle of Wight today starting my journey from Bat & Ball at 07.40 this train was five minutes late arriving at Sevenoaks. The 07.51 from Sevenoaks to Waterloo was too full therefore I waited for the 08.03 service which arrived in London on time. The train to Portsmouth Harbour was six minutes late due to waiting for a platform to become vacant.

Week of 16 October 2017

Total lateness 82 minutes, Southeastern 61, Thameslink 21

• Monday 16 October – I returned from the Isle of Wight today arrival at Waterloo was on time. However, when I made my way to Waterloo East Southeastern were experiencing problems. The 12.33 to Sevenoaks arrived in platform C at 13.03 and proceeded to Sevenoaks in the path of the 13.03 departure which was also running late. I arrived at Sevenoaks “on time” but the train I travelled on was thirty minutes late! The 14.00 service to Bat & Ball was on time.
• Wednesday 18 October – I started my travelling today from Bat & Ball on the 10.04 to Bromley South where the train arrived two minutes late. Later I continued to London Victoria where arrival was five minutes behind time. I returned home on the 15.23 from London Bridge which was four minutes late arriving at Sevenoaks. The 16.00 to Bat & Ball was seven minutes late arriving there.
• Friday 20 October – My destination was Tunbridge Wells today. The 08.58 from Bat & Ball to Sevenoaks arrived five minutes late. The 09.37 to Tunbridge Wells arrived there two minutes late.
• Saturday 21 October – I travelled to Salisbury today starting from Bat & Ball at 08.10. Thameslink were running late arriving seven minutes behind time at Sevenoaks. Not to be out done the 08.29 Southeastern service from Sevenoaks to Waterloo East was twenty minutes late. By contrast my journey from Waterloo to Salisbury was uneventful.
• Sunday 22 October – I travelled from Weymouth to Wareham today then by bus to Swanage to travel on the preserved steam railway from Swanage to Norden and back to Corfe Castle. I returned by bus from Corfe Castle to Wareham then by train to Dorchester. Later I returned from Dorchester to Swanage arriving nineteen minutes late.

Week of 23 October 2017

Total lateness 6 minutes, Southeastern 2, Thameslink 4

• Monday 23 October – I returned home today from Gillingham in Dorset to Waterloo, then continued from Waterloo East to Bat & Ball via Sevenoaks. No delays to my journey today.
• Tuesday 24 October – I travelled to the O2 Arena to see Metallica play today. The 17.29 Southeastern service to London Bridge arrived there twelve minutes late.
• Thursday 26 October – My destination is Birmingham today. The 06.42 from Bat & Ball to Sevenoaks was four minutes late this morning. The 07.03 to Charing Cross arrived there two minutes early. My journey from Euston to Birmingham New Street was on time.

Week of 30 October 2017

Total lateness 61 minutes, Southeastern 6, Thameslink 55

• Tuesday 31 October – I travelled to London today of my journey on the 13.10 from Bat & Ball to Blackfriars which arrived three minutes late. I cashed a Thameslink Delay Repay voucher at Blackfriars booking office then continued my journey to City Thameslink. I walked from here to the Post Office Museum. After visiting this museum, I crossed the road and rode on the Post Office railway underground in the Mount Pleasant area. After looking around the Post Office railway exhibition I travelled from St Pancras International to Blackfriars then by Underground to Cannon Street.
• Thursday 02 November – My destination is Egham today. The 08.24 from Bat & Ball to Sevenoaks was three minutes late. The 08.31 to Waterloo East was running late at 08.35 but was too full, with no seats vacant that I could see, therefore I travelled on the 08.47 service which arrived six minutes late in London. The journey between St John’s and London Bridge was very slow.
• Friday 03 November – I travelled to Merstham today. I intended catching the 10.10 departure from Bat & Ball to Sevenoaks, then the 10.19 to London Bridge and finally the 10.57 to Merstham. However, Thameslink spoilt my plans due to the 10.10 running five minutes late therefore missing my connecting service. I switched to plan B, departing Bat & Ball on the 10.04 to Blackfriars intending to change on to the 11.08 departure to Merstham. Arrival at Blackfriars was about thirty seconds late and when I crossed from platform two to one the up escalator to platform one was not working, and my ticket would not open the ticket barriers at the entrance to platform one. Accordingly, I missed the train, it departed as I approached it. I then waited half an hour for the next service. Overall Thameslink delayed my journey by forty-eight minutes, another Delay Repay claim. This will require using a Delay Repay claim form because with two tickets covering the journey it is not possible to use the online claim process.