On Sun, 02 Apr 2017 12:54:42 +0100, Graham Harrison
wrote:

On Sat, 01 Apr 2017 09:47:12 +0100, e27002 aurora
wrote:


OK, so I have had it with the Woking RailAir coach link. I need an
alternative means of reaching the airport. Train from the South Coast
to Woking is fine. But what are the alternatives for reaching the
airport?

Has anyone used Uber? How does it work? What is the service like?

There are very good reasons to go to Heathrow - I still go there to
catch long haul flights. I'm prepared to put up with GWR to Reading
then the bus to get a non stop flight. Equally Gatwick sometimes via
Reading.

That said, going from Bristol, Southampton or Exeter (all
possibilities for me) means a shorter and easier journey at the UK end
but for long haul will mean a chage of plane somewhere.

Are you in a position to make somekind of trade off and use either
Southampton or Gatwick?

Gatwick would be wonderful. Unfortunately, my destinations are
usually easily available from Gatwick.

So, two weeks back my Air China ' plane touched down just before 16:00
after a 12-hour flight from Beijing. I had risen at 5:30 CST in Hebei
province to reach the airport in plenty of time. 5:30 CST is 21:30
GMT the previous day.

By 17:00, having cleared immigration, picked up my baggage and passed
thru customs, I was at the Heathrow Central bus station. There I had
a thirty-five-minute wait for the express to Woking.

Customarily the driver stows one's baggage. That evening he told his
passengers to stow their own baggage. I would add my back was not in
good shape.

At Woking, I caught a delayed fast train at about 18:16. Unfortunately
someone used it to terminate his earthly life between Worplesdon and
Guildford. And, we were held outside Guildford for 2.5 hours. At
Guildford, not unreasonably all passengers had to alight. Within ten
minutes we were on a stopping service to Portsmouth. I walked into my
UK home at about 23:00.

It is very likely a minicab, or taxi, would have gotten me to Woking
considerably earlier. There are three trains an hour on the
Portsmouth direct. So, chances are I would have caught an earlier
train and been home by 20:30 - 21:00.


As an aside, the events of that evening showed the value of having a
guard on board. Apparently, the driver went into shock. The card
called the BTP, and Network Rail. He saw that the driver was given
tea and comfort. As we lost heating and the lighting the guard dealt
with a sick passenger and a lady going into labour. The issue of the
role of guards needs careful attention before they are eliminated.