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Commute Advice



brightn'ove

cringe
Apr 12, 2011
9,136
London
I'm looking for a bit of NSC's sage wisdom here and I can't find any good info elsewhere.

I'm starting a new job soon and I wondered if any of you travel daily from Brighton to London Bridge. I understand that the thameslink service timings are terrible so I will need a season ticket that allows me to travel on any service.

What times do you get the train from brighton to get into london bridge in time for work? Where do you change? I need to be there by around 8:30 each morning.

Any help is greatly appreciated, thank you.

:bowdown:
 


dazzer6666

Well-known member
NSC Patreon
Mar 27, 2013
52,006
Burgess Hill
I do Burgess Hill to London Bridge 2-3 times a week. Thameslink trains are probably better than Southern at the moment, but do seem quite prone to random cancellation. Getting on at Brighton means you'll be able to get a seat going up and several of the Thameslink trains go direct to London Bridge so no need to change .

If you get one that trundles through London (via Blackfriars etc) then you'll need to change, East Croydon is your best bet then as more trains for LB stop there. You'll be lucky to get a seat there though (it's only 15 mins or so to LB though so no big deal).

Going home is usually more of a pain - can be a bit of a scrum at LB, best to get there 10 mins before your train is due to go and get used to where the doors will be if you want to sit.
 


Beach Hut

Brighton Bhuna Boy
Jul 5, 2003
71,903
Living In a Box
Fortunately I WFH three days a week, trust me commuting is shit at present and trains rarely run on time but you now always get a chirpy announcement from the new on-board supervisor.
 


brightn'ove

cringe
Apr 12, 2011
9,136
London
I do Burgess Hill to London Bridge 2-3 times a week. Thameslink trains are probably better than Southern at the moment, but do seem quite prone to random cancellation. Getting on at Brighton means you'll be able to get a seat going up and several of the Thameslink trains go direct to London Bridge so no need to change .

If you get one that trundles through London (via Blackfriars etc) then you'll need to change, East Croydon is your best bet then as more trains for LB stop there. You'll be lucky to get a seat there though (it's only 15 mins or so to LB though so no big deal).

Going home is usually more of a pain - can be a bit of a scrum at LB, best to get there 10 mins before your train is due to go and get used to where the doors will be if you want to sit.

Thanks for this

The problem i'm seeing with the thameslink services direct from brighton is that you either get there at 8:48 (far too late) or 7:48 (far too early).

I've found that there is a Hove service which comes from littlehampton at 7:10, does anybody get this service? Is it usually packed by the time it gets to hove?
 


brightn'ove

cringe
Apr 12, 2011
9,136
London
Fortunately I WFH three days a week, trust me commuting is shit at present and trains rarely run on time but you now always get a chirpy announcement from the new on-board supervisor.

Thankfully I only need to do it for around a month
 








maglers

Active member
Apr 26, 2011
343
You should look into getting a ticket to St Pancras. You can get off and on at LB. And you can use it on both Thameslink and Southern. I do that from Hassocks every day. Pretty sure the price is the same as Thameslink only to LB. But you should double check that. Gives you a lot more flexibility. And means you can walk along the river and get on at Blackfriars if the LB trains are shagged. Or you fancy a beer or three that way...
 




Hamilton

Well-known member
NSC Patreon
Jul 7, 2003
12,390
Brighton
I'm looking for a bit of NSC's sage wisdom here and I can't find any good info elsewhere.

I'm starting a new job soon and I wondered if any of you travel daily from Brighton to London Bridge. I understand that the thameslink service timings are terrible so I will need a season ticket that allows me to travel on any service.

What times do you get the train from brighton to get into london bridge in time for work? Where do you change? I need to be there by around 8:30 each morning.

Any help is greatly appreciated, thank you.

:bowdown:

Advice?

Don't do it.
 




dazzer6666

Well-known member
NSC Patreon
Mar 27, 2013
52,006
Burgess Hill
Thanks for this

The problem i'm seeing with the thameslink services direct from brighton is that you either get there at 8:48 (far too late) or 7:48 (far too early).

I've found that there is a Hove service which comes from littlehampton at 7:10, does anybody get this service? Is it usually packed by the time it gets to hove?

Do you need to go to London Bridge ? If Blackfriars or City Thameslink is viable you have more direct options......

I tend to get earlier trains as the journey is much more pleasant so not sure about crowding. I know from others that trains going through Burgess Hill much after 7 are already pretty full by that point.
 




brightn'ove

cringe
Apr 12, 2011
9,136
London
Do you need to go to London Bridge ? If Blackfriars or City Thameslink is viable you have more direct options......

I tend to get earlier trains as the journey is much more pleasant so not sure about crowding. I know from others that trains going through Burgess Hill much after 7 are already pretty full by that point.

Great point, London Blackfriars would also be fine, i'll dig a bit into that option, thanks!
 




Hamilton

Well-known member
NSC Patreon
Jul 7, 2003
12,390
Brighton
I'm looking for a bit of NSC's sage wisdom here and I can't find any good info elsewhere.

I'm starting a new job soon and I wondered if any of you travel daily from Brighton to London Bridge. I understand that the thameslink service timings are terrible so I will need a season ticket that allows me to travel on any service.

What times do you get the train from brighton to get into london bridge in time for work? Where do you change? I need to be there by around 8:30 each morning.

Any help is greatly appreciated, thank you.

:bowdown:


But if you must, then you're pretty screwed on Southern direct at that time. You'll be changing at East Croydon.

Or, whereabouts are you headed? is your office nearer Blackfriars? In which case Thameslink it there.

The worst thing about TL is the trundle from East Croydon to Blackfriars which can take an age.

Which is your closest station? Brighton or Hove/Preston Park?
 




brightn'ove

cringe
Apr 12, 2011
9,136
London
But if you must, then you're pretty screwed on Southern direct at that time. You'll be changing at East Croydon.

Or, whereabouts are you headed? is your office nearer Blackfriars? In which case Thameslink it there.

The worst thing about TL is the trundle from East Croydon to Blackfriars which can take an age.

Which is your closest station? Brighton or Hove/Preston Park?

Hove is my closest station, the 7:10 from hove which gets into LB at 8:16 is my best option atm I think, that i've found at least.
 


Hamilton

Well-known member
NSC Patreon
Jul 7, 2003
12,390
Brighton
Hove is my closest station, the 7:10 from hove which gets into LB at 8:16 is my best option atm I think, that i've found at least.

That's right.

TL cheaper, but then you've got to get to the Brighton mainline, which means you have to jump on a SASTA train (Southern). The Preston Park TL train at 7am gets in at just before 8.30.

Looks like those Southern idiots are your best bet.
 


Hamilton

Well-known member
NSC Patreon
Jul 7, 2003
12,390
Brighton
Hove is my closest station, the 7:10 from hove which gets into LB at 8:16 is my best option atm I think, that i've found at least.


And I'd still say don't do it. Wouldn't wish this purgatory on my worst enemy.

Maybe I'm a bit jaded.
 






Beach Hut

Brighton Bhuna Boy
Jul 5, 2003
71,903
Living In a Box
Do you need to get the tube from London Bridge ?

It is quite a hike from the platform. Quite often I get the 06:22 from Shoreham which is Bridge bound and change at the Heath for Victoria as work at Warren Street, the fact that Miss Piggy rarely lets you get off the train without having to squeeze past her is another thing altogether.
 


dazzer6666

Well-known member
NSC Patreon
Mar 27, 2013
52,006
Burgess Hill
And I'd still say don't do it. Wouldn't wish this purgatory on my worst enemy.

Maybe I'm a bit jaded.

Fair points. If I didn't work from home a couple of days a week, travel overseas a fair bit and break up the commute and had to do it 5 days a week I would have quit my job by now. It's depressing.
 



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