Half empty trains leaving Falmer ?.

[Tummy Burger]

OK we all know that travel for night games can be BAD, and last night was particularly woeful, but please can someone explain WHY THE FRICKIN trains from Falmer to Brighton depart half empty. YES HALF EMPTY, when there are thousands waiting.

Previous excuses I have heard :

Dangerous to let too many people on the platform - err horse shit, there was stacks of room.

That the trains cannot be delayed or some such drivel. Again rubbish. Last night train after train was leaving half empty. Doors open on train, no one standing where the doors are, and police and stewards do not let any more people out to fill it up.

??

Chants of " You don't know what you doing" were being aimed at the police / stewards last night as it was happening. Can anyone explain why they would allow this. Totally infuriating.

Hate people moaning about anything at our new home, but this is just mind boggling.

 

[Barrel of Fun]

There was a window of just less than a minute to put more people on the 2215ish. The platforms were empty with the crowds being held back. Lots of indecisiveness from the stewards.

Room to put 50 or more on. Not the end of the world, but a different kettle of fish when the temperatures drop and the heavens open.

It would have been very easy to get the 50 onto the platform and onto the train in the time available.

 

[perseus]

Railway stations are very dangerous places when crowded. Not the dangerous on their own usually, it is the trains that are dangerous.

 

[EddieReader]

They dont no what there doing.......

 

[Tummy Burger]

There was a window of just less than a minute to put more people on the 2215ish. The platforms were empty with the crowds being held back. Lots of indecisiveness from the stewards.

Room to put 50 or more on. Not the end of the world, but a different kettle of fish when the temperatures drop and the heavens open.

It would have been very easy to get the 50 onto the platform and onto the train in the time available.

Could have got more than 50 on there in my opinion. Maybe 100, but what do I know. It just seems ridiculous.

 

[thedeadone]

There was a window of just less than a minute to put more people on the 2215ish. The platforms were empty with the crowds being held back. Lots of indecisiveness from the stewards.

Room to put 50 or more on. Not the end of the world, but a different kettle of fish when the temperatures drop and the heavens open.

It would have been very easy to get the 50 onto the platform and onto the train in the time available.

i was on that train and there was loads more room, i would of said you could of got at least 100 on there.the problem was the staff on the platform didnt know how many carrages were gonna be that train!.what a joke!!

 

[Lord Bracknell]

On the Lewes-bound platform, the same issue seemed to be developing. People were waiting in large numbers in the middle of the platform, but very few were waiting on that part of the platform where the front of the train comes to a halt. Other people were being held back, not being allowed to enter the platform.

Having seen this, and realising that the likelihood was that the next train to arrive would leave with empty seats available at the front, I spoke to a steward who was marshalling people at the back of the queue. He suggested that I spoke to someone at the gate to the platform. I did - to a British Transport Police officer, who agreed that the train was indeed likely to leave with empty seats. But he said that the stewards had been trying to persuade people to move along the platform, but they weren't doing so - hence the need to hold people back from getting on the platform.

The problem is passenger behaviour. It's obvious that something better needs to be achieved, but if large numbers of people insist on NOT moving down the platform, there's not much that any steward can do to "sort it out".

Fortunately, when the Lewes-bound train arrived, it turned out to have more carriages than anyone seemed to be expecting - and everyone was able to get on, including the hundred or so people who had earlier been held back from entering the platform. This was at about 10.30pm.

One improvement would be a working public address system at Falmer Station - maybe that would persuade more people to move along the platform.

 

[Beach Hut]

On the Lewes-bound platform, the same issue seemed to be developing. People were waiting in large numbers in the middle of the platform, but very few were waiting on that part of the platform where the front of the train comes to a halt. Other people were being held back, not being allowed to enter the platform.

Having seen this, and realising that the likelihood was that the next train to arrive would leave with empty seats available at the front, I spoke to a steward who was marshalling people at the back of the queue. He suggested that I spoke to someone at the gate to the platform. I did - to a British Transport Police officer, who agreed that the train was indeed likely to leave with empty seats. But he said that the stewards had been trying to persuade people to move along the platform, but they weren't doing so - hence the need to hold people back from getting on the platform.

The problem is passenger behaviour. It's obvious that something better needs to be achieved, but if large numbers of people insist on NOT moving down the platform, there's not much that any steward can do to "sort it out".

Fortunately, when the Lewes-bound train arrived, it turned out to have more carriages than anyone seemed to be expecting - and everyone was able to get on, including the hundred or so people who had earlier been held back from entering the platform. This was at about 10.30pm.

One improvement would be a working public address system at Falmer Station - maybe that would persuade more people to move along the platform.

Interesting as got the 22:07 direct to Brighton and a BT Liaison Lady was very good along with other BTP making people move down and also not in one line. Thought they organised it very well.

 

[Deleted User X18H]

Or where they half full. I was down near the platform entrance when the 22:07 left looking half full and the Abion fans sang 'you don't know what you're doing'

The Leeds shouted ' you fooking kuntz ya bastards let us train ya fucker' until the pretty female neighbourhood BT officer came over to reprimand them. Then at least one of them cried and asked for his blankey.

 

[teaboy]

Would better, more hands-on stewarding at the station help? When the platform is open if the stewards actually escort people down to the far end then this problem will vanish.

 

[The_Real_SussexSeagull123]

Trains are such a joke!!

 

[Ernest]

Interesting as got the 22:07 direct to Brighton and a BT Liaison Lady was very good along with other BTP making people move down and also not in one line. Thought they organised it very well.

I caught the 2207 and it was an UNEVENTAL journey till I was sexually MOLESTED on platform 7 by some WEIRDO who legged it before I could GET the gendarmes to APPREHEND him

 

[Deleted User X18H]

I caught the 2207 and it was an UNEVENTAL journey till I was sexually MOLESTED on platform 7 by some WEIRDO who legged it before I could GET the gendarmes to APPREHEND him

Beach Hut?

 

[Ernest]

Beach Hut?

I don't KNOW I'm still TOO traumatised to GIVE a positive ID

 

[Working class pride]

Without finger pointing, it would be good if the train companies gave some thought to how they can improve things

 

[beorhthelm]

this seems to be a recurring problem since the Spurs game, i dont understand why its not addressed yet. the stewards/police must know what length of train is stopping and where the front will stop - if they dont know this they should, simple matter of training, guidence from the rail co. paint some markers if needed. so they should know where the crwod can spread out to and gudie them in this (most regular train commuters will work it out anyway within a few journeys). then they need to simply count x number onto the platform. they know how many are allowed/can fit on each train. im pretty sure i saw counters in use at one game.

there really is no excuse for any train to leave with space.

 

[bognorandy]

I think part of the reason people wont move down the platform is from the farce of the first few games where people were made to go right to end of platform only to find that when the train pulled in it was six carriages and stopped miles up platform so people were pushing running back to door which surely on a platform is a very dangerous thing to have happening. Southern trains have a lot to sort out still and dont understand this having to go out through barriers and back in a again at Brighton station. After Peterborough game I was sat on a 7 carriage train at Brighton that was half empty to Southampton yet had seen another train pull in from Falmer I guess all those people were held back at station as no one else seemed to get on.

 

[Jameson]

I don't think Falmer station platforms are big enough. I was amazed that they were not extended and deepened as part of the project; clearly the last thing anyone wants is a tragedy with someone going onto the track so we should not blame the stewards and police for being cautious. From what I've witnessed from the eastbound platform is that if there's a 3 car train coming in they fill the platform adjacent to where the carriages stop; pretty sensible. But we do need 1) more trains, especially soon after the game ends, (within the first 20 minutes) and 2) more carriages on the trains. Sending down a 3 car train to Lewes/Seaford/Eastbourne is ridiculous. Last night there did seem to be space on Brighton bound trains but we did get an extra train at 10:03 to Eastbourne on our side whereas at the Liverpool game there was a 25 minute gap. If we do increase the capacity to 30k next season some pretty serious work on getting people though quickly and safely is required, in my opinion.

 

[Danny-Boy]

Trains are such a joke!!

Were you the one chanting "Brighton Falmer" behind Norman Baker on BBC South-East news last night?

Put him off he kept saying about improving services from BRIGHTON to the South Coast, when he meant London (or even Croydon).

 

[Danny-Boy]

I caught the 2207 and it was an UNEVENTAL journey till I was sexually MOLESTED on platform 7 by some WEIRDO who legged it before I could GET the gendarmes to APPREHEND him

Happened to me nearly 30 years ago at Goldstone. Old gay dogs don't learn new pervy tricks seemingly.