I travel from the East London Line to Sidcup occasionally visiting family
and was planning to do so this evening, but was really quite amazed to find
that New Cross has no trains running out of London for 1 hour 20mins in the
early evening of Saturday, not even on another line from which we could
change for Sidcup. This is really a quite staggeringly poor service for a
station in London, especially about the only place where you can change from
SE Trains onto the Underground without going into central London.

It is all the more amazing that there is a gap of 1hr20 given that
Overground Network maps state that New Cross has 6 trains per hour. I know
this is intended to be a daytime frequency, but 6.30 on a Saturday evening
is not late night.

I don't really have a question, just had to get that off my chest somewhere!

"Tony Wilson" a@a wrote in message
...
I travel from the East London Line to Sidcup occasionally visiting
family
and was planning to do so this evening, but was really quite amazed
to find
that New Cross has no trains running out of London for 1 hour 20mins
in the
early evening of Saturday, not even on another line from which we
could
change for Sidcup. This is really a quite staggeringly poor service
for a
station in London, especially about the only place where you can
change from
SE Trains onto the Underground without going into central London.

It is all the more amazing that there is a gap of 1hr20 given that
Overground Network maps state that New Cross has 6 trains per hour.
I know
this is intended to be a daytime frequency, but 6.30 on a Saturday
evening
is not late night.

I don't really have a question, just had to get that off my chest
somewhere!


I've just done a search on the National Rail journey planner for next
saturday (12 Feb), and there are quite a few trains between 18:00 and
19:00 alone.
When is this 1h20 gap you speak of ?
Most do appear to be Southern services from London Bridge, rather than
South Eastern.

Matt Wheeler wrote:
"Tony Wilson" a@a wrote in message
...

I travel from the East London Line to Sidcup occasionally visiting
family
and was planning to do so this evening, but was really quite amazed
to find
that New Cross has no trains running out of London for 1 hour 20mins
in the
early evening of Saturday, not even on another line from which we
could
change for Sidcup. This is really a quite staggeringly poor service
for a
station in London, especially about the only place where you can
change from
SE Trains onto the Underground without going into central London.

It is all the more amazing that there is a gap of 1hr20 given that
Overground Network maps state that New Cross has 6 trains per hour.
I know
this is intended to be a daytime frequency, but 6.30 on a Saturday
evening
is not late night.

I don't really have a question, just had to get that off my chest
somewhere!



I've just done a search on the National Rail journey planner for next
saturday (12 Feb), and there are quite a few trains between 18:00 and
19:00 alone.
When is this 1h20 gap you speak of ?
Most do appear to be Southern services from London Bridge, rather than
South Eastern.



Southern trains don't run to New Cross - they only go to New Cross Gate
(different station although it's close by).

However, I've just done a search on trains from New Cross to Lewisham (2
stations down the line and you should be able to easily switch to a
Sidcup service and there are 4 trains at least between 6pm and 7pm - at
6.02, 6.11, 6,20 and 6.50. After the 6.50 one, they change to roughly a
train every 30 minutes or so.

However, I've just done a search on trains from New Cross to Lewisham (2
stations down the line and you should be able to easily switch to a
Sidcup service and there are 4 trains at least between 6pm and 7pm - at
6.02, 6.11, 6,20 and 6.50. After the 6.50 one, they change to roughly a
train every 30 minutes or so.

I think I see where I have gone wrong; I was relying on the SE Trains
timetable from their own website, which lists all the trains on the various
lines heading out towards Dartford. On that there is a gap in trians to New
Cross and beyond between 1823 and 1945. TfL's Journey planner came up with
simple changes at New Cross at 1823 and 1950 but all manner of convoluted
routes taking up to an hour and a half from Rotherhithe to Sidcup in between
these times, hence I went directlt to SE Trains themselves to check the
actual rail timetable.

However it appears Hayes trains also stop there which are not listed on the
same timetable.

My fault, and thanks for the information which saves a trip to London
Bridge- though still, it is very odd that they go from 4 an hour on the
Dartford lines all day, then there's a 1hr20 gap, then back up to 4 an hour
till 12.30am!

Don't get me started on the "six trains an hour"...on Sundays, there
are six trains an hour, but they're grouped so you have three trains
within eight minutes, then almost a half hour gap, then the same thing
again. Good timetabling, South Eastern...

Patrick

wrote in message
ups.com...
Don't get me started on the "six trains an hour"...on Sundays, there
are six trains an hour, but they're grouped so you have three trains
within eight minutes, then almost a half hour gap, then the same thing
again. Good timetabling, South Eastern...

Patrick

That does seem to be a common theme. With three lines leaving from Dartford
towards London, it has always surprised me that of the 8 trains an hour on a
Sunday they all leave in groups (including the fast) and then as you say a
massive gap.

In Dartford case this could possibly be said to be ok, if this meant
connecting services and changing times were kept to a minimum for
passengers, but alas not. If I was travelling from Chatham to Bexleyheath, I
would be extremely lucky to make a connection at Dartford without waiting
nearly 30 minutes.

Keith Spink
InfoTransport (http://www.infotransport.co.uk)
Transport Images (http://www.transportimages.com/)