Mystery Flyer wrote:

The line and timetable doesnt work in 3 ways.

(snip)

2) Getting to Kings Cross Thameslink (the only time I use these trains
now) from Wimbledon takes over an hour including lots of what seems to
be 10mph chugging.

Wimbledon to KX Thameslink is 44 minutes according to the timetable.
Wimbledon - Vauxhall - KXSP via Victoria Line is quicker of course,
though more of a hassle with heavy luggage. Obviously if you're coming
from a station between Sutton and Wimbledon the Thameslink journey will
take longer.

I agree that there does seem to be considerable amount of "10mph
chugging",as you put it, on this route. There train often wait at the
platforms at Herne Hill and Blackfriars, and there's a general sense of
sluggishness.

3) Its *very* hard to fathom out where the trains are going since they
are timetabled 'Sutton' or not at all - they often don't show up on the
Wimbledon destination boards at all even though they are on the online
timetable.

I think the trains are either described as Sutton via Wimbledon if
they're going clockwise, or Wimbledon via Sutton if anti-clockwise
(though perhaps the via point doesn't appear all the time).

I've not had information problems at Wimbledon before, at least not
with the indicator on the bi-directional Thameslink platform - it has
correctly shown clockwise departures to Sutton, and anti-clockwise
(i.e. via central London) departures to Luton/Bedford/St. Albans.

Was the line ever in Beeching plans for closure. The trouble with the
line is that on many of the stations St Helier, Morden South, South
Merton, Wimbledon Chase the connections are pretty easy to the
Underground either at Morden or Wimbledon.

Even Sutton Common it is a relatively short bus ride to Morden and in
West Sutton's case it is also pretty near Sutton.

The line is ideal for conversion to tram operation with a Morden
diversion between South Merton and Morden South. The patronage figure
are poor. Trains from Kingston, Raynes Park, Epsom etc could then be
diverted via Tooting, Streatham and onto the Thameslink system.

The tram has totally boosted the Wimbledon-West Croydon line and I'm
sure similar could happen on this line.

Martin
Mizter T wrote:
Mystery Flyer wrote:

The line and timetable doesnt work in 3 ways.

(snip)

2) Getting to Kings Cross Thameslink (the only time I use these trains
now) from Wimbledon takes over an hour including lots of what seems to
be 10mph chugging.

Wimbledon to KX Thameslink is 44 minutes according to the timetable.
Wimbledon - Vauxhall - KXSP via Victoria Line is quicker of course,
though more of a hassle with heavy luggage. Obviously if you're coming
from a station between Sutton and Wimbledon the Thameslink journey will
take longer.

I agree that there does seem to be considerable amount of "10mph
chugging",as you put it, on this route. There train often wait at the
platforms at Herne Hill and Blackfriars, and there's a general sense of
sluggishness.

3) Its *very* hard to fathom out where the trains are going since they
are timetabled 'Sutton' or not at all - they often don't show up on the
Wimbledon destination boards at all even though they are on the online
timetable.

I think the trains are either described as Sutton via Wimbledon if
they're going clockwise, or Wimbledon via Sutton if anti-clockwise
(though perhaps the via point doesn't appear all the time).

I've not had information problems at Wimbledon before, at least not
with the indicator on the bi-directional Thameslink platform - it has
correctly shown clockwise departures to Sutton, and anti-clockwise
(i.e. via central London) departures to Luton/Bedford/St. Albans.

Was the line ever in Beeching plans for closure. The trouble with the
line is that on many of the stations St Helier, Morden South, South
Merton, Wimbledon Chase the connections are pretty easy to the
Underground either at Morden or Wimbledon.

Even Sutton Common it is a relatively short bus ride to Morden and in
West Sutton's case it is also pretty near Sutton.

The line is ideal for conversion to tram operation with a Morden
diversion between South Merton and Morden South. The patronage figure
are poor. Trains from Kingston, Raynes Park, Epsom etc could then be
diverted via Tooting, Streatham and onto the Thameslink system.

I doubt passengers from Kingston, Raynes Park, Epsom etc would like
that. Wimbledon to Blackfriars takes twice as long as Wimbledon to
Waterloo, and while Vauxhall and Waterloo have good interchange to the
West End, the City and Docklands, the Thameslink line has poor
interchange at Elephant &Castle and no interchange at all with the
Jubilee or Central line.

The line is ideal for conversion to tram operation with a Morden
diversion between South Merton and Morden South.

I don't think that will be very popular at Wimbledon Chase, unless it
is looped into Dundonald Road but that would miss out Wimbledon.
Presently Wimbledon tram stop is a single platform in a very
constrained site hiw many trains per hour could it support?

The patronage figure
are poor. Trains from Kingston, Raynes Park, Epsom etc could then be
diverted via Tooting, Streatham and onto the Thameslink system.

This would require flying junctions or diveunders to get from the Up
Slow line to the Tooting connection - a huge capital cost. Also one
reason the ELLX did not go to Wimbledon as paths were in short supply
on the Tooting line so, all in all, not very feasible.

OC