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Post by 6HP502C on Feb 22, 2019 1:48:53 GMT
Other than Anerley not being on the tram network, is there any reason why buses don't continue in service to Anerley as I remember you mentioned that buses run light to stand at Anerley? I think that is sufficient reason. The 354 provides a service between Birkbeck and Anerley. In London, many people view rail replacement bus services as free services and this one is no exception. The practice of running them where it's not necessary and can siphon revenue from the network should be discouraged.
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Post by 6HP502C on Feb 23, 2019 1:08:15 GMT
EDIT on the 23/24 Feb there are 3 different RRS operating Service A ECT HAM TUR ACT ECM EBY STH EAL NFD BOS OST HWE HWC HWW HAT T23 T5 Service B GRP ECT T23 Service C GRP HPC KNI SKN GRD ACT Service A will be Metroline Service B will be coaches sourced by Abellio Service C will be Abellio
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Post by Deleted on Feb 23, 2019 5:13:03 GMT
EDIT on the 23/24 Feb there are 3 different RRS operating Service A ECT HAM TUR ACT ECM EBY STH EAL NFD BOS OST HWE HWC HWW HAT T23 T5 Service B GRP ECT T23 Service C GRP HPC KNI SKN GRD ACT Service A will be Metroline Service B will be coaches sourced by Abellio Service C will be Abellio So the usual firms. I would be interested to see how busy the service B is, Fresh air being carried mostly I would have thought. The all stops service is tedious.
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Post by localet44 on Feb 23, 2019 7:02:48 GMT
I think you will find Birkbeck tram stop is step free as there is a slope along side the road and comes out nearer the crematorium gates. The National Rail platform is not step free.
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Post by sid on Feb 23, 2019 11:05:47 GMT
I think you will find Birkbeck tram stop is step free as there is a slope along side the road and comes out nearer the crematorium gates. The National Rail platform is not step free. You're right about Birkbeck, it's still an awful bus/tram interchange point though.
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Post by 6HP502C on Feb 23, 2019 18:43:30 GMT
I think you will find Birkbeck tram stop is step free as there is a slope along side the road and comes out nearer the crematorium gates. The National Rail platform is not step free. Good point, hadn't realised that!
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Post by 6HP502C on Feb 23, 2019 21:55:49 GMT
So I drove the New Cross to Dartford via Bexleyheath service. The routeThe service runs half hourly, serving St Johns, Lewisham, Blackheath, Kidbrooke, Eltham, Falconwood, Welling, Bexleyheath, Barnehurst and Dartford. It doesn't really parallel any bus services for more than one stop, thus offering quite a few unique links. Having said that, it is a circuitous service which locals find tedious and wilfully make other arrangements. Unusually for a planned National Rail TOC closure, rail tickets are accepted on TfL bus services when this line is down. The route given between New Cross and Lewisham is somewhat interesting. Instead of running direct via Lewisham Way where the official rail replacement bus stops for St Johns are located, the maps send drivers via Thurston Road. Not only does this avoid the station stops, but forces a double back through the congested Deptford Bridge - New Cross corridor and generates double runs around the New Cross gyratory in both directions. All of this causes delay. I've witnessed drivers going via Lewisham Way anyway. Lewisham to Blackheath is direct. Blackheath to Kidbrooke is north for some distance along the heath itself then back south along Kidbrooke Park Road. People travelling between Kidbrooke and Lewisham expressed bemusement at the routing which goes away from Lewisham before heading back towards it - perhaps the 178 would have been a better option for them. Kidbrooke to Eltham is via Eltham Road, Eltham Hill and down Well Hall Road into the bus station. I followed the bus stop instruction on the map which said to pick up at the stop outside the entrance. I almost left my waiting passengers behind, who were waiting at what turned out to the the officially designated stop A! Eltham to Falconwood sees the bus double back up Well Hall Road, continue along Eltham High Street and straight along Riefield Road into Falconwood. Forward via Welling Way to Welling, then along the main road (A207) then Avenue Road to Bexleyheath station. Bexleyheath to Barnehurst zig zags quite a bit. It's straight on from the station, right onto Long Lane, sharp left onto the A220, passing BX, then sharp right onto Barnehurst Road, serving the station from a flagless bit of pavement on the bridge over the line. From Barnehurst, it's the first sharp left onto Northall Road then more or less following the railway line straight into Dartford. Admittedly after all that zigzagging, I missed this turn the first time and ended up cautiously navigating around parked cars until I got back onto line of route Running timesThe route was timed for the height of Sunday shopping hours. This was in stark contrast to the Lewisham to Dartford via Woolwich service which is timed for 7am on a Sunday morning. As a consequence, after around 6pm I was sat at almost every bus stop for 5 minutes awaiting time. Passengers were agitated and a few expressed wishes to defect to the 89, which also serves Lewisham, Blackheath, Welling, the bit of Bexleyheath people want to go to and Barnehurst. I think some drivers just drive without respecting the timetable, but I don't feel very comfortable doing that on a service like this. I was instructed by a controller to ensure I was not running early at Welling. I left Falconwood on time and arrived at Welling 4 minutes early, waiting at the bus stop until my scheduled departure time. However, when I got back, I got a ticking off for being observed running early in Welling. Sometimes you can't win! LoadingsFairly light throughout. Some people did get off the bus and get on the 89 at places like Blackheath and Welling, the only thing stopping some people getting off being the 89's rather low frequency on Sundays. I suspect many people travel to the North Kent or Sidcup lines instead of using the replacement bus. SummaryIt was a nice enough route, but felt somewhat purposeless because people don't seem to like using it very much. I very much preferred the route via Woolwich Arsenal, which was busy and straight rather than wildly circuitous. All that said however, props to Go-Ahead for devising a route that serves all of the stations properly. The road network doesn't allow for a more direct routing. Route difficulty rating - 2/3 (intermediate) Enjoyability - 3/5 (moderate) Next route review - Green Park to Acton Town Night Tube replacement service, where the TfL Snapback will make a rare appearance.
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Post by gloriouswater on Feb 24, 2019 0:12:42 GMT
So I drove the New Cross to Dartford via Bexleyheath service. The routeThe service runs half hourly, serving St Johns, Lewisham, Blackheath, Kidbrooke, Eltham, Falconwood, Welling, Bexleyheath, Barnehurst and Dartford. It doesn't really parallel any bus services for more than one stop, thus offering quite a few unique links. Having said that, it is a circuitous service which locals find tedious and wilfully make other arrangements. Unusually for a planned National Rail TOC closure, rail tickets are accepted on TfL bus services when this line is down. The route given between New Cross and Lewisham is somewhat interesting. Instead of running direct via Lewisham Way where the official rail replacement bus stops for St Johns are located, the maps send drivers via Thurston Road. Not only does this avoid the station stops, but forces a double back through the congested Deptford Bridge - New Cross corridor and generates double runs around the New Cross gyratory in both directions. All of this causes delay. I've witnessed drivers going via Lewisham Way anyway. Lewisham to Blackheath is direct. Blackheath to Kidbrooke is north for some distance along the heath itself then back south along Kidbrooke Park Road. People travelling between Kidbrooke and Lewisham expressed bemusement at the routing which goes away from Lewisham before heading back towards it - perhaps the 178 would have been a better option for them. Kidbrooke to Eltham is via Eltham Road, Eltham Hill and down Well Hall Road into the bus station. I followed the bus stop instruction on the map which said to pick up at the stop outside the entrance. I almost left my waiting passengers behind, who were waiting at what turned out to the the officially designated stop A! Eltham to Falconwood sees the bus double back up Well Hall Road, continue along Eltham High Street and straight along Riefield Road into Falconwood. Forward via Welling Way to Welling, then along the main road (A207) then Avenue Road to Bexleyheath station. Bexleyheath to Barnehurst zig zags quite a bit. It's straight on from the station, right onto Long Lane, sharp left onto the A220, passing BX, then sharp right onto Barnehurst Road, serving the station from a flagless bit of pavement on the bridge over the line. From Barnehurst, it's the first sharp left onto Northall Road then more or less following the railway line straight into Dartford. Admittedly after all that zigzagging, I missed this turn the first time and ended up cautiously navigating around parked cars until I got back onto line of route Running timesThe route was timed for the height of Sunday shopping hours. This was in stark contrast to the Lewisham to Dartford via Woolwich service which is timed for 7am on a Sunday morning. As a consequence, after around 6pm I was sat at almost every bus stop for 5 minutes awaiting time. Passengers were agitated and a few expressed wishes to defect to the 89, which also serves Lewisham, Blackheath, Welling, the bit of Bexleyheath people want to go to and Barnehurst. I think some drivers just drive without respecting the timetable, but I don't feel very comfortable doing that on a service like this. I was instructed by a controller to ensure I was not running early at Welling. I left Falconwood on time and arrived at Welling 4 minutes early, waiting at the bus stop until my scheduled departure time. However, when I got back, I got a ticking off for being observed running early in Welling. Sometimes you can't win! LoadingsFairly light throughout. Some people did get off the bus and get on the 89 at places like Blackheath and Welling, the only thing stopping some people getting off being the 89's rather low frequency on Sundays. I suspect many people travel to the North Kent or Sidcup lines instead of using the replacement bus. SummaryIt was a nice enough route, but felt somewhat purposeless because people don't seem to like using it very much. I very much preferred the route via Woolwich Arsenal, which was busy and straight rather than wildly circuitous. All that said however, props to Go-Ahead for devising a route that serves all of the stations properly. The road network doesn't allow for a more direct routing. Route difficulty rating - 2/3 (intermediate) Enjoyability - 3/5 (moderate) Next route review - Green Park to Acton Town Night Tube replacement service, where the TfL Snapback will make a rare appearance. A route I've ridden a few times this month, both the scheduled New Cross - Dartford one you're describing and the emergency Lewisham - Dartford via the same roads that ran last week. It didn't feel that well organised - we all got on one bus in New Cross, to immediately be told to get on the one behind it before it had even moved off! Practically every bus I rode was being driven in F1 mode (that bus got into Dartford about 10 early according to RTT), except for the Mercedes Tourismo coach I ended up on later that evening. Has to be said, the coach was far more comfortable than the E400 with hard suspension I had immediately before it - you feel those bumps when it's being floored!
The route is very confusing, and every bus I got on seemed to go a slightly different way. One of my drivers missed Falconwood and Kidbrooke, and didn't seem to know where the stop was in Welling, telling me "you know this is a rail replacement" when I flagged him down One went down the South Circular from Eltham to Kidbrooke, probably wanted more space to thrash the bus One made sure he didn't miss any stops, but the satnav directed him the wrong way from Falconwood, continuing down Rochester Way until he was back in Eltham! Took us a while to get back up Well Hall Road and Shooters Hill, too, due to peak hour traffic, combine that with Bexleyheath being gridlocked and eventually it took us about 2 and a half hours to reach Dartford!
I think all the long distance users are using the other two lines - I was usually the only passenger going all the way, and at Dartford there were always big crowds of people getting off trains and walking up the footbridge, but never more than 4 or 5 at the bus stop. Even the mini Dart I rode seemed to cope fine with the loadings. Can I also say how depressing and cold the main stop is in Dartford? It's such a horrible place to spend potentially half an hour waiting at.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 24, 2019 5:07:41 GMT
EDIT on the 23/24 Feb there are 3 different RRS operating Service A ECT HAM TUR ACT ECM EBY STH EAL NFD BOS OST HWE HWC HWW HAT T23 T5 Service B GRP ECT T23 Service C GRP HPC KNI SKN GRD ACT Service A will be Metroline Service B will be coaches sourced by Abellio Service C will be Abellio Service A looks a bit messed up Towards - Earls Court (UL71) Fleet Reg Destination Due Stop Id Stop Name VW1071 LK60AEV Earls Court 05:08 47173 Boston Manor Station VW1250 LK12ACF Acton Town 05:10 47173 Boston Manor Station VW1286 LK12AOT Earls Court 05:10 56374 South Ealing Station VWH2009 LK14FBC Earls Court 04:53 51593 Hammersmith Bus Station VWH2234 LK66DWO Northfields Station 05:03 77515 Hounslow West Station VWH2277 LK17CZD Earls Court 05:09 71280 Chiswick Police Station VWH2409 LK67ENU Northfields Station 05:10 51235 Hatton Cross Station
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Post by sid on Feb 24, 2019 5:35:34 GMT
Go Ahead trainer MEC38 on Lewisham to Orpington service yesterday evening with ENGINEERING BUS NOT IN SERVICE on the LED, also buses from Arriva Gillingham on the route. Service disrupted by roadworks at Grove Park.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 25, 2019 15:36:33 GMT
EDIT on the 23/24 Feb there are 3 different RRS operating Service A ECT HAM TUR ACT ECM EBY STH EAL NFD BOS OST HWE HWC HWW HAT T23 T5 Service B GRP ECT T23 Service C GRP HPC KNI SKN GRD ACT Service A will be Metroline Service B will be coaches sourced by Abellio Service C will be Abellio Apparently the Abellio subcontract to coaches for Service B was not agreed by LU rail replacement, and nor had they been informed.
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Post by 6HP502C on Feb 25, 2019 15:38:46 GMT
Service A will be Metroline Service B will be coaches sourced by Abellio Service C will be Abellio Apparently the Abellio subcontract to coaches for Service B was not agreed by LU rail replacement, and nor had they been informed. Who is claiming this?
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Post by Deleted on Feb 25, 2019 16:06:54 GMT
Apparently the Abellio subcontract to coaches for Service B was not agreed by LU rail replacement, and nor had they been informed. Who is claiming this? I believe it was the CIA staff at Earl's Court, when the stopping arrangements were altered locally to co-ordinate connecting services to stop at the same stop. That is what I was told by someone who was working that night. So I cannot clarify exactly how accurate that statement is.
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Post by 6HP502C on Feb 25, 2019 22:05:07 GMT
So I drove the Green Park to Acton Town Piccadilly Line Night Tube replacement service. This was operated with MMCs, LTs and one E400H from WL.
The route
The service ran every 10 minutes throughout to match the Night Tube frequency. It was a very easy route. Straight down the A4 to Chiswick, then round the North Circular and into Acton Town.
It served Green Park, Hyde Park Corner, Knightsbridge, V&A Museum for South Kensington, Glocester Road then express over the Hammersmith Flyover to Acton Town.
Stands were at Charles II Street and Acton, Market Place.
The service offered interchange with Service A (Earl's Court - Heathrow T5) at Acton Town.
Running times
The 40 minutes given was very generous - it took just over half that.
Loadings
Penny numbers. I carried a maximum load of 3 passengers. Meanwhile the N9s were bursting at the seams and the N97s were full and standing leaving Green Park.
Vehicle choice
Euro 5 E400H 2423. I attempted to take 9408 but it didn't want to start! 2423 seems to have new batteries but the performance was restricted.
Summary
Short route with virtually no demand. There really wasn't very much going on.
Route difficulty rating - 1/3 (easy) Enjoyability - 2/5 (fairly unenjoyable)
Next route review - Earl's Court to Wimbledon, 23/24 March
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Post by 6HP502C on Feb 25, 2019 22:25:11 GMT
I believe it was the CIA staff at Earl's Court, when the stopping arrangements were altered locally to co-ordinate connecting services to stop at the same stop. That is what I was told by someone who was working that night. So I cannot clarify exactly how accurate that statement is.
The plan was to have coaches on Service B from the outset, which is what was delivered. Porters had even been arranged in addition to CIA staff.
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