Hi,

I commute each day from Finchley Central to Bank. I have been avoiding
the busses replacing the train since the derrailment because I
suspected they would just take too long. Instead I have been getting
the 82 bus to Finchley Road and picking up the Metropolitan line from
there. This journey takes me about 1h20min which is only about 20min
longer than my normal journey (door to door).

This morning a 460 turned up so I decided to try catching the
Thameslink train from Cricklewood but this was a big mistake. I'm not
sure what was going on with the Thameslink this morning but I was
waiting at the station for about 50mins before a train turned up and
then it crawled along because there were so many trains on the line in
front of it (according to the driver). My total journey time was about
2h30min.

So I am now wondering whether I should just try and get the busses
that are replacing the trains from East Finchley - has anyone done a
similar journey and found the times to be reasonable?

Thanks
Andy

In article ,
(Andy Coleman) wrote:

Hi,

I commute each day from Finchley Central to Bank. I have been avoiding
the busses replacing the train since the derrailment because I
suspected they would just take too long. Instead I have been getting
the 82 bus to Finchley Road and picking up the Metropolitan line from
there. This journey takes me about 1h20min which is only about 20min
longer than my normal journey (door to door).

This morning a 460 turned up so I decided to try catching the
Thameslink train from Cricklewood but this was a big mistake. I'm not
sure what was going on with the Thameslink this morning but I was
waiting at the station for about 50mins before a train turned up and
then it crawled along because there were so many trains on the line in
front of it (according to the driver). My total journey time was about
2h30min.

So I am now wondering whether I should just try and get the busses
that are replacing the trains from East Finchley - has anyone done a
similar journey and found the times to be reasonable?

Thanks
Andy

What about getting the 382 bus from Finchley Central to New Southgate
and then using WAGN to get into Moorgate and Northern Line to Bank? Tfl
shows about half an hour on the bus, and then WAGN's fastest peak
services get to Moorgate in 21 mins - add five minutes to get to Bank
and it might even be a bit faster than your normal journey...

James

snip

What about getting the 382 bus from Finchley Central to New Southgate
and then using WAGN to get into Moorgate and Northern Line to Bank? Tfl
shows about half an hour on the bus, and then WAGN's fastest peak
services get to Moorgate in 21 mins - add five minutes to get to Bank
and it might even be a bit faster than your normal journey...

James

You can walk from Moorgate to Bank in less than 5 minutes ! Its only a
couple of hundred yards.

On Wed, 22 Oct 2003 13:24:21 +0100, James Bentall
wrote:

In article ,
(Andy Coleman) wrote:

Hi,

I commute each day from Finchley Central to Bank.
[snip]
So I am now wondering whether I should just try and get the busses
that are replacing the trains from East Finchley - has anyone done a
similar journey and found the times to be reasonable?

What about getting the 382 bus from Finchley Central to New Southgate
and then using WAGN to get into Moorgate and Northern Line to Bank? Tfl
shows about half an hour on the bus, and then WAGN's fastest peak
services get to Moorgate in 21 mins - add five minutes to get to Bank
and it might even be a bit faster than your normal journey...

Not sure exactly where you are in Finchley but if you can get to the
North Finchley bus terminus the 221 bus will get you to New Southgate
which links you to WAGN as per the advice above for Moorgate and then
onwards to Bank by Northern Line or on foot or bus if you feeling
exceptionally lazy.

The 221 will probably be busy as it runs from Edgware and via Mill Hill
East but half of the buses start from North Finchley towards Turnpike
Lane so you may have more of a chance of getting on a bus. The 221 is
also a double deck while the 382 is just a midibus and may be packed
beyond belief during the current problems.

Another option could be to go to Friern Barnet bus terminal and get a 43
bus the whole way. A long slog and again probably busy but it does run
direct to Bank and London Bridge. Could be an option on the way home.

Hope that helps.
--
Paul C


Admits to working for London Underground!

"Paul Corfield" wrote in message
...

the 382 is just a midibus and may be packed
beyond belief during the current problems.

A 382 packed? Someone should photograph that!

--
John Rowland - Spamtrapped
Transport Plans for the London Area, updated 2001
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Acro...69/tpftla.html
A man's vehicle is a symbol of his manhood.
That's why my vehicle's the Piccadilly Line -
It's the size of a county and it comes every two and a half minutes

On Thu, 23 Oct 2003 00:23:53 +0100, "John Rowland"
wrote:

"Paul Corfield" wrote in message
.. .

the 382 is just a midibus and may be packed
beyond belief during the current problems.

A 382 packed? Someone should photograph that!

I said "may". Not a route I've used yet but having lived through the
hell that was travelling in North East London when we had no Central
Line for weeks then I would not be remotely surprised to find all buses
in the Northern Line catchment area full.

For goodness sake the little diddy W12 in Walthamstow had people jammed
up against the windscreen during Central Line Hell as it is the only
quick way to Snaresbrook and South Woodford from the Victoria Line.
Travel patterns were turned completely upside down - quite an odd and
yet interesting thing to observe.
--
Paul C


Admits to working for London Underground!