origin

It looks like a fun little trip.

I was told about these a number of years ago. I have family that use to work in the service, now retired. They know every station in the UK.

I know that Imperial Wharf \ Chelsea Harbour is a new station. It was only just built in the past few years, by the developers of Imperial Wharf.

pjennings

Dear all,

I read this thread (and the associated 'West London Parliamentary Trains to cease' thread) with interest and enjoyment.

I work at the University of Winchester and I and one of my fellow researchers would very much like to use your experiences as an example of using of social networks in the context of Law, in this case, using Flyertalk in the context of train services being withdrawn or not. We would like to present our research at an IT Law Conference in London next month with a view to later publishing it in academic and/or professional journals.

So may I ask you:

(1) if you would agree, in principle, to our using the information in this thread in our work
(2) if any of you would be prepared to take part in a short interview, either by telephone or email.

We will, of course, respect your confidentiality and we will not reveal your identity, your handle or any personal information about you. We would like to include you in our acknowledgements but we will only do this if you would like us to.

I won't put my email address or phone number in a public post, but do please PM me if you would like to discuss further or if you would be willing to be interviewed and please do reply to this post as well.

Paul Jennings
University of Winchester

Jimmie76

Yes to both 1) and 2), I'll send you a PM shortly. Oh and welcome to FT. ^

Jimmie76

YGPM!

warreng24

BUMP

I am still planning to make the 16.11 (aka 4.11pm) departure from Clapham High Street on Friday 19 October. Anyone wishing to join me, please send a PM. Or be on the lookout for the guy with the bright yellow FT tag hanging from his shoulder-bag (aka man purse).

Fare is £1.90 with an Oyster Card.
Thanks to Jimmie76 for the fare info, routing info, and the idea!

GregWTravels

I shall be there (PM already to you Warren). I am not sure what I will be wearing, but will look for bright yellow FT tags and just follow the crowd.

BAViscount

Well, I just found this thread...how quaint it all is! It's particularly interesting to me as I spent my formative years in Battersea and seeing the references to the Latchmere and Longhedge gave me a nice little nostalgic tingle! (For those who don't know, "The Latchmere" is a very well known pub on the main drag, 'Battersea Park Road'. But generally the area around the pub is also known by locals as "The Latchmere", so hearing someone say "I saw your mum at the Latchmere the other day" doesn't necessarily mean that she was propping up the bar, she just happened to be in the area.)

I have to say though that the way you describe the delay in the doors being allowed to open does sound about on par with Southern Trains services in general (even the publically-scheduled ones!). I recently went through a spate of catching a Southern train from Hackbridge to Victoria, and every time the train pulled in to Hackbridge I would impatiently stab away at the door opener for some time before it actually illuminated and allowed us to board.

Hmm, now I've got a bit of time on my hands I might just get myself to Olympia and jump aboard...it would be great to see Battersea from a different perspective, plus I know a great little Trinidadian takeaway near Clapham High Street that could do with a repeat visit!

Jimmie76

Well there certainly wasn't a delay in opening the doors initially, it was just once I'd got on that they shut them and then they went (which is a euphemism for were put) out of service for at least 30 seconds. The staff obviously realised that I could (and would ) have kicked up an unholy fuss if Jenbel hadn't been allowed on board and put the doors back in service and allowed them to be opened again.

Just be aware that you can only go KPA to WWR on the morning Southbound service, If you want to get to CLP you have to get another train. The afternoon Northbound service starts at CLP and goes all the way to KPA calling at WWR on the way.

Jimmie76

Just sorry I can't confirm or deny if I'll be there yet.

warreng24

FINAL BUMP

I am still planning to make the 16.11 (aka 4.11pm) departure from Clapham High Street on Friday 19 October. Anyone wishing to join me, please send a PM. Or be on the lookout for the guy with the bright yellow FT tag hanging from his shoulder-bag (aka man purse).

Fare is £1.90 with an Oyster Card.
Thanks to Jimmie76 for the fare info, routing info, and the idea!

GregWTravels

Yesterday, warreng24, LondonAndy and I caught the 16:11 departure on a very rainy and grey London day.

I had half a day off work, so headed towards Clapham High Street from my house near Clapham Junction station. I caught the 345 bus towards Peckham, which handily drops me right off in front of Clapham High Street Station.



19 October, 2012; CLP - KPA; 16:11 - 16:29

warreng24, LondonAndy and I all made our way separately to Clapham High Street, and despite never meeting before were able to find each other relatively easily.

I arrived first about 5 minutes to four o'clock. I scanned the platform, and determined that as there was only one other person on the platform at the time, who was a rather bored looking woman reading a book, that she was neither Warren nor Andy.

I looked at the departure board, and saw the 16:11 to Kensington (Olympia) listed as the 2nd service. The 15:58 to Victoria came and went, and the 16:11 service moved up to 1st on the departures board for platform 2.



Having bent over to grab this picture, I heard behind me a voice say, "you must be Greg." I turned around to see LondonAndy coming up the stairs to the platform.

"Indeed I am," I said, and LondonAndy explaining that he guessed that someone taking a photo of a train schedule wasn't your average commuter.

Warreng24 arrived not long after, from Boston (USA) via ORD and his hotel, looking very lively for someone who had flown overnight.

The train arrived on time. Unlike Jimmie76 and Jenbel's experience, the train was never taken off the departure board, and there was an announcement of the train over the tannoy.

We made sure we were close to one of the doors once the train came to a stop, and I quickly hit the "door open" button. Luckily we had no trouble getting on, and were joined by a few other people who looked to be commuters rather than people there to experience a soon to be discontinued parliamentary train journey.

I commute from Clapham Junction into Victoria every working day, so the train itself was pretty familiar - a standard Southern commuter train.



Interesting, though this train didn't have the network map, I had noticed on my daily commute that the Southern network map does show a limited service to Wandsworth Road station.



Wandsworth Road station is where we pulled into next for a brief stop. The doors go in and out of service very quickly on these trains, only being active for about 30 seconds. A few people jumped on at Wandsworth Road station, but the train remained for the most part empty.

Next up was the unusual bit, where the train departed from the main line up towards Battersea Park and Victoria, and instead took the cord off over Factory Junction and Latchmere Junction No. 1.

Quite a grey day, which meant there wasn't great views of much. However, living in the area, I was pretty sure there isn't much of a view we were missing.



There was a short delay as we sat on the track, similar to what Jimmie76 had described, so I assume it is a delay built into the schedule. We soon enough rolled on, passing not far from my house, and joining the line up towards Chelsea.

We crossed over a swollen-looking Thames, and pulled into Imperial Wharf. This station was busier than either Clapham High Street or Wandsworth Road, and we had a few people getting on, then upon hearing the announcement that the train was only going as far as Olympia, about half of them quickly jumped back off again.

The train passed by Chelsea's football grounds, quickly called at West Brompton and passed by the soon to be redeveloped Earl's Court before continuing to its final stop, Kensington (Olympia).





It was a short trip, but interesting. For me, beside for soothing the inner-train-geek in me, it provided a few other interesting points. First, we past close by my current house in Battersea, and ended up departing at Kensington Olympia, about a 5 minute walk from where I previously lived in London. Secondly, living near Clapham Junction, I often take the London Overground Service. Much of the service we took (From Latchmere junction through to Imperial Wharf to Kensington Olympia) is covered by the existing Overground service from Clapham Junction to Willesden Junction. And most of the part that isn't covered by the existing Overground service (Clapham High Street to Wandsworth Road and then to Factory Junction) will soon be covered by the new southern loop of the Overground. This new service starts in December, and is one of the prime factors in closing this route. It is, in essence, a preview for me of additional transport options coming to my part of town. (In fact, we saw an Overground train in trials on this route while waiting at Clapham High Street station).

Train journey over, a celebratory drink. Having been a former local (1 and a half years ago), I led the way to a local pub. I choose the Bird in Hand, which since I was last living in the area had changed from a gastro-pub to an Italian restaurant. Despite not having any ales on tap, we did stay and had a few drinks, though given the train spotting nature of the day - real ales and beards probably should have been the order of the day.

Thanks to warreng24 for organising the trip, and thanks to LondonAndy for joining. Doubt I will get an opportunity to do that route again before the closure in December, so probably my first and last Parliamentary train experience.

peersteve

.....thanks for taking us along with the fine descriptions and photos.....even the raindrops make me feel nostalgic.....thanks!

Jimmie76

Excellent stuff very pleased that you had a good time, you had a scruffier train than we did on the morning run, we had tables at seats. Shame the weather was crap, I would have loved to have been there but I was very busy that Friday and hardly had a minute to myself.

origin

What a fun trip. Its great that they are now getting public transport to that area. The Imperial Wharf station has helped so much.

FlyerTalker6245

It is threads like these that make me love FT.

I may be a nutter, but at least I'm not a raving lunatic :P