Brighton Line - London Bridge Service

[Belinda]

I have noted all of your comments and have writtent to Southern,
copying Sharon Hedges - Passenger Focus - will load up copy of email.

[Jason Wood]

Probably not of interest. But I attach a recent letter I wrote to Southern.

I have noted all of your comments and have writtent to Southern,
copying Sharon Hedges - Passenger Focus - will load up copy of email.

Jason Wood
City Screen Picturehouses
Programming Manager
Hardy House
16-18 Beak Street
London
W1F 9RD
Tel: 020 7734 4342
Fax: 020 7734 4027
http://www.picturehouses.co.uk/

City Screen is a limited company registered in England as company number 2310403 and its registered office is 5th Floor, 7/10 Chandos Street, London, W1G 9DQ

[Jason Wood]

Probably not of interest. But I attach a recent letter I wrote to Southern.

I have noted all of your comments and have writtent to Southern,
copying Sharon Hedges - Passenger Focus - will load up copy of email.

Jason Wood
City Screen Picturehouses
Programming Manager
Hardy House
16-18 Beak Street
London
W1F 9RD
Tel: 020 7734 4342
Fax: 020 7734 4027
http://www.picturehouses.co.uk/

[Waite, Deidre]

Dear Jason

 

I absolutely agree with what you say in your letter.  I think that we should get the local paper involved more and also our local MP.  In the last recession Eastbourne shops/businesses suffered greatly through lack of business and a primary concern was the lack of transport links to the town.

 

In 1991/92 an organisation called the Eastbourne Marketing Group worked in conjunction with local business and the Council to invest money in a number of high profile activities to raise the awareness of Eastbourne (Airbourne was one!) to attract business as well as tourism to the area.  At many committee meetings and other functions the transport links between Eastbourne and London was raised.  It was agreed between all concerned that until transport links were improved Eastbourne would continue to struggle to attract business.  This initiative was instigated in 1992 and one of the transport links, the trains, did improve during the following years.  However, with another recession here and, I notice, businesses closing down in the town, surely train links should be improving not deteriorating because it looks as though Eastbourne will end up, yet again, as the poor relation to other coastal towns in the South East.

 

What does everybody else think about this?  I think we need to publicise the plight of Eastbourne, particularly as I do not think that just you, Jason, will be relocating if accessibility to Eastbourne does not improve.  Nigel Waterstone would remember the hard work done by all in raising the awareness of Eastbourne during and after the last recession as he was our MP at that time too and took part in some of the activities.   

 

Deidre Waite 

Baker & McKenzie LLP is a limited liability partnership registered in England and Wales with registered number 0C311297. A list of members' names is open to inspection at its registered office and principal place of business, 100 New Bridge Street, London, EC4V 6JA. Baker & McKenzie LLP is a member of Baker & McKenzie International, a Swiss Verein.

This message may contain confidential and privileged information. If it has been sent to you in error, please reply to advise the sender of the error and then immediately delete this message. Please visit www.bakernet.com/disclaimer_london for other important information concerning this message, including with respect to Baker & McKenzie LLP's regulatory position.

[Jason Wood]

Thanks Deirdre.

I did send Nigel Waterstone a copy of the letter too.

I note that the posters for Eastbourne (‘the good life just got better’) have been taken down from Victoria....

Jason.



Dear Jason

I absolutely agree with what you say in your letter.  I think that we should get the local paper involved more and also our local MP.  In the last recession Eastbourne shops/businesses suffered greatly through lack of business and a primary concern was the lack of transport links to the town.

In 1991/92 an organisation called the Eastbourne Marketing Group worked in conjunction with local business and the Council to invest money in a number of high profile activities to raise the awareness of Eastbourne (Airbourne was one!) to attract business as well as tourism to the area.  At many committee meetings and other functions the transport links between Eastbourne and London was raised.  It was agreed between all concerned that until transport links were improved Eastbourne would continue to struggle to attract business.  This initiative was instigated in 1992 and one of the transport links, the trains, did improve during the following years.  However, with another recession here and, I notice, businesses closing down in the town, surely train links should be improving not deteriorating because it looks as though Eastbourne will end up, yet again, as the poor relation to other coastal towns in the South East.

What does everybody else think about this?  I think we need to publicise the plight of Eastbourne, particularly as I do not think that just you, Jason, will be relocating if accessibility to Eastbourne does not improve.  Nigel Waterstone would remember the hard work done by all in raising the awareness of Eastbourne during and after the last recession as he was our MP at that time too and took part in some of the activities.   

Deidre Waite
From: southern-east-co...@googlegroups.com [mailto:southern-east-co...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Jason Wood
Sent: 02 March 2009 10:16
To: southern-east-co...@googlegroups.com
Subject: Southern East Coastway Commuters Re: Brighton Line - London Bridge Service

Probably not of interest. But I attach a recent letter  I wrote to Southern.

I have noted all of your comments and have  writtent to Southern,
copying Sharon Hedges - Passenger Focus - will load  up copy of email.

Jason Wood
City Screen Picturehouses
Programming Manager

Hardy House
16-18 Beak Street
London
W1F 9RD
Tel: 020 7734 4342
Fax: 020 7734 4027
http://www.picturehouses.co.uk/

City Screen is a limited company registered in England as company number 2310403 and its registered office is 5th Floor, 7/10 Chandos Street, London, W1G 9DQ

Baker  McKenzie LLP is a limited liability partnership registered in England and Wales with registered number 0C311297. A list of members' names is open to inspection at its registered office and principal place of business, 100 New Bridge Street, London, EC4V 6JA. Baker  McKenzie LLP is a member of Baker  McKenzie International, a Swiss Verein.

This message may contain confidential and privileged information. If it has been sent to you in error, please reply to advise the sender of the error and then immediately delete this message. Please visit www.bakernet.com/disclaimer_london <http://www.bakernet.com/disclaimer_london>  for other important information concerning this message, including with respect to Baker  McKenzie LLP's regulatory position.  

[Adebayo Ogunbufunmi]

Dear All,

 

We need to find an effective way of getting a very simple message across to southern namely that the service has gotten worse so far this year.  They cannot conceivably justify the increases in ticket fares and we need to cite the disastrous changes to the London Bridge and Victoria peak time services as reason for discounting our travel or bucking up their ideas.

 

There needs to be one message and one voice although I will not presume to know how to go about achieving this although I suspect that the letter is probably a very good starting point.

 

Bayo.

[RJH]

All

I too am a very tired and frustrated daily Eastbourne to London Bridge
commuter. I work in consulting in London and often have a further
onward journey from London Bridge to reach client sites which merely
adds further to the misery of daily commuting.

I moved from outer London over 8 years ago for similar reasons as
those described by Jason Wood in his letter. I now live in the Meads
and the family enjoy a terrific existence and yet my daily struggle to
get into and out of London makes my life a real misery (until the
weekend of course).

I am more than willing to throw all my support into the good fight to
drastically redress the woeful service we have to endure as
commuters. I must say that my MAJOR frustration has always been and
still is the need for 'express services' to and from London that
operate FREQUENTLY and FAST. I'm not suggesting that that's all the
line should be used for BUT I am suggesting that a serious rethink of
the use of the line needs to focus more on the needs of the commuter
as a opposed to stopping at every single tiny station on the line to
appease the very few who use them. The line needs a sensible balance
of London commuting 'express services' and local 'stopping services'.

Right now all trains stop at all stations pretty much, causing far
longer than necessary London commuting journey times during the rush
hours. Surely if we hope to attract new commuters to the town, in
turn bringing in revenue for the area's regeneration, this is a key
issue that should be pursued until a successful conclusion is reached?

I find it almost impossible to believe that we cannot get the journey
times down well below what they are at present. Having read
correspondence produced by the Bexhill RAG they too share those
thoughts.

We must push our MPS VERY HARD to achieve a credible commuter service
for the town if we are to have any hope at all of retaining the good
commuters of the town and to attract the new people to the area.

95 -100 minutes to go 60 miles! It’s absolutely abysmal.

Richard Hand
Meads Village, Eastbourne
Daily Eastbourne to London Bridge commuter

[Jason Wood]

I obviously strongly agree with this.

For the record, Southern have not yet replied to the letter I sent over two weeks ago.

Jason Wood.

Jason Wood

City Screen Picturehouses
Programming Manager

Hardy House, 16-18 Beak Street
London,  W1F 9RD
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7734 4342 Mob: +44 (0) 7855 392 014

www.twitter.com/picturehouses
www.picturehouses.co.uk

[Ian Phillips]

All
 
So last Friday 13th March the 5.23pm from London Bridge left the station and there was the following announcement by the guard:
"Due to overcrowding I have decided to decommission the 1st Class Carriages and now any standard class passenger can use this space."
However they disguise the problem, this incident (one of quite a few in the last few days) shows that they cannot sustain the traffic in people that get on the train at London bridge.  
To the 1st class passengers it is yet more reason to ask why they pay a difference. To those who travel standard ...yet more reason to feel like cattle rather than human beings.
 
How much more can we tolerate this and Jason I am so with your thinking. Travelling to work is now a nightmare and I see no relief until I move to London or retire. Neither of which I want to do.
 
I am wondering if we can sue them as a test case for the way we are treated for the money we pay. I would also ask for our MP's to raise the question in the Houses of Parliament whether this effect of London to Brighton increase in rail traffic was really what they asked for? Did they really mean for Southern to do so at the expense of the Eastbourne/Hasting Traffic?
 
How can we apply more pressure on Southern?
 
Regards
 
Ian
Commuter Lewes - London Bridge formerly Seaford to London bridge ....but now drive to Lewes.... as the connection doesnt connect. 
 

---

Date: Thu, 19 Mar 2009 15:40:50 +0000

Subject: Southern East Coastway Commuters Re: Brighton Line - London Bridge Service

From: jas...@picturehouses.co.uk
To: southern-east-co...@googlegroups.com

[Andrew Leach]

On Mar 19, 4:44 pm, Ian Phillips <ian_m_phill...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
> I am wondering if we can sue them as a test case for the way we are treated for the money we pay. I would also ask for our MP's to raise the question in the Houses of Parliament whether this effect of London to Brighton increase in rail traffic was really what they asked for? Did they really mean for Southern to do so at the expense of the Eastbourne/Hasting Traffic?
>
> How can we apply more pressure on Southern?

Do have a look at the rest of the postings in the Group. Probably
easiest in the web view: http://groups.google.com/group/southern-east-coastway-commuters/topics

In particular, Nigel Waterson has written to Lord Adonis (who is now
responsible for railways in some capacity or other) and that letter is
reproduced.

I've posted in one thread some information from the Railways
Inspectorate about what constitutes a safe service -- surprisingly
there doesn't appear to be an objective standard, and "safe" is
defined in terms of reasonable passenger discomfort. That raises an
interesting prospect of standing for more than 20 minutes, which was
the old Passenger Charter standard, means the service becomes unsafe.
Certainly if I travel on the 1723 from Clapham Junction (1716 ex
Victoria) and change at Haywards Heath on to your 1723 LBr train, I'm
often standing all the way to Lewes.

Andrew

[Berni]

Lord Adonis is the Minister of State for Transport, with special
responsibility for railways. Essentially, he is Mr. Railways and he
does have the power to review the Franchise specification and
Southern's commitments. On our side is the fact that by Southern's own
measurements they are failing to perform.

[David Phillips]

Hi. The next Meet the Managers is due on the 26th March 2009 at Victoria
station. Why don't we arrange for as many members as possible, including
those who normally go the London Bridge to travel on the 06.57 from
Eastbourne and make our feelings known. Invite the press to.
David

No virus found in this outgoing message.
Checked by AVG.
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12:26

[Berni]

I'm up for that.

[simond]

Berni, could you email members directly with the meeting time in case
they don't see this proposal in advance?
It could be a good opportunity for members to make themselves known to
each other, but I'm not sure how this is most acceptably done. Could
you or David walk through the train between Plumpton and Haywards
Heath wearing a name badge so that the rest of us know you and can say
'hello'? Or I suppose we could all sport a sad-face motif (opposite
of smiley!) about our persons, but it's difficult to think of a
solution that doesn't risk being corny!
And is there a particular issue (or an order of priority of issues) we
should pursue on 26 March?

Simon

> > 12:26- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

[Laurent]

Reply from Southern regarding the overcrowded 1723 from LBG and under-utilised 1822:

 

From next Monday 30th March the last of the re-furbished class 442 comes on line which will be 10 carriages allocated to the 1822 London Bridge to Eastbourne, releasing 12 of the class 377 carriages we are required to release for FCC to use. There are no spare carriages to strengthen the 1723 London Bridge to Eastbourne, and I understand it would be impossible for the class 442 trains to operate the 1723.

 

So we’re losing another 2 carriages and end up with refurbished stock…

 

Laurent

 

---

From: southern-east-co...@googlegroups.com [mailto:southern-east-co...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Ian Phillips
Sent: 19 March 2009 16:44
To: southern-east-co...@googlegroups.com
Subject: Southern East Coastway Commuters Re: Brighton Line - London Bridge Service

 

All

 
So last Friday 13th March the 5.23pm from London Bridge left the station and there was the following announcement by the guard:
"Due to overcrowding I have decided to decommission the 1st Class Carriages and now any standard class passenger can use this space."
However they disguise the problem, this incident (one of quite a few in the last few days) shows that they cannot sustain the traffic in people that get on the train at London bridge.  
To the 1st class passengers it is yet more reason to ask why they pay a difference. To those who travel standard ...yet more reason to feel like cattle rather than human beings.
 
How much more can we tolerate this and Jason I am so with your thinking. Travelling to work is now a nightmare and I see no relief until I move to London or retire. Neither of which I want to do.
 

I am wondering if we can sue them as a test case for the way we are treated for the money we pay. I would also ask for our MP's to raise the question in the Houses of Parliament whether this effect of London to Brighton increase in rail traffic was really what they asked for? Did they really mean for Southern to do so at the expense of the Eastbourne/Hasting Traffic?
 
How can we apply more pressure on Southern?
 

[Andrew Leach]

On Mar 23, 2:33 pm, Laurent <lseve...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Reply from Southern regarding the overcrowded 1723 from LBG and
> under-utilised 1822:
>
> From next Monday 30th March the last of the re-furbished class 442 comes on
> line which will be 10 carriages allocated to the 1822 London Bridge to
> Eastbourne, releasing 12 of the class 377 carriages we are required to
> release for FCC to use. There are no spare carriages to strengthen the 1723
> London Bridge to Eastbourne, and I understand it would be impossible for the
> class 442 trains to operate the 1723.
>
> So we’re losing another 2 carriages and end up with refurbished stock…

Bear in mind that the refurbished 442 stock is a lot more comfortable
than the other stock we get to use (377s, mainly, and even better than
375s).

I've just spent quite an enjoyable ten minutes with Andy Byford
(Operations Director) at Victoria. [More about that in another
discussion thread]

He confirmed that the 1822 LBG-EBN would be 442 stock from Monday, and
that this means that a "Gatwick Express" train would run from London
Bridge (rather than Victoria) to Eastbourne (not Brighton) without
calling at Gatwick. He did say that this was less than ideal.

I believe the number of seats on a 10-coach 442 is more than an 8-
coach 377, although quite a lot fewer than a 12-coach 377. But as has
been noted, the 1822 is under-utilised. I reckon it's likely that
there will not be a capacity problem on this service, until people
realise that it's a really comfortable, fast train! If that happens,
presumably people might be expected to migrate from the 1723 which
will help with the capacity problems with that service. I wonder if
that's the plan...

Andrew