"Dave Arquati" wrote in message
...
Penny Farthing wrote:
"Dave Arquati" wrote in message
...
asdf wrote:
On Wed, 06 Sep 2006 17:51:34 GMT, Penny Farthing wrote:

Next month I have to travel from Hackbridge to Farringdon for 2 days
for a conference. I have to be there before 9am. I have looked at
the trains and it appears I can get a Capital Connect train but they
do not seem to run direct at that time of day. It seems that I will
have to change at Tulse Hill in a 5 minute time window.
In the morning peak, First Capital Connect (FCC) services on the
Wimbledon/Sutton loop only run clockwise round the loop. Anticlockwise
services are provided by Southern to/from London Bridge.

The rest of the time, FCC run round in both directions.

For your morning journey, you could therefore still have a journey
with no changes by taking a clockwise FCC train and riding it round
the greater part of the loop, via Sutton and Wimbledon. This would
take longer (which is why the planner didn't suggest it), but on the
plus side I expect it would virtually guarantee you a seat. (Boarding
at Tulse Hill, you would likely have to stand in a crowded train until
at least Blackfriars.)
The following rail map may help the original poster understand how the
Wimbledon & Sutton loop is laid out:
http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/system...onnections.pdf

Hackbridge station is in square N5. The blue lines are First Capital
Connect trains which run direct to Farringdon (but only clockwise via
Sutton then Wimbledon in the mornings as said), and the green lines are
the Southern trains which require a change to get to Farringdon (and
white-on-green means peak hours only).


Thank you all for your help. I really like the idea of going
anti-clockwise round the loop to avoid a change. However I cannot get
any of the journey planners to take me that way even if I include a 'via'
(St Helier for instance) so I can't work out what time train I need to
get. (I need to be in Farringdon before 8:30)

I am so dreading this journey but you guys are helping me loads so thanks
a million for your time.

To help me understand more can you confirm that the green/white line
around the loop is an anti-clockwise line

Yes, those are the morning-peak-only anti-clockwise services run by
Southern to London Bridge.

As Paul C says, there are departures at 0714 and 0744 via Wimbledon. The
National Rail site doesn't work for these journeys because I think it has
some trouble with circular services. I think the trains are marked with
the destination "Wimbledon via Sutton" until they reach Sutton, at which
point they become services to "St Albans via Wimbledon".

TfL's timetable site at http://tinyurl.com/m626n will also show these
"Wimbledon" departures - if you enter Hackbridge into the first box and
select the appropriate times, and click Search there and on the following
page, you'll get a list of all departures from Hackbridge; the
anticlockwise trains are First Capital Connect "Wimbledon" services at
0642, 0714, 0744, 0810 etc. Don't worry - they don't actually terminate at
Wimbledon, they're just marked that way because the clockwise services are
faster.

If you don't mind reading the timetable, the links that Paul gave are the
most comprehensive. 0642 from Hackbridge arrives at Farringdon at 0744,
the 0714 at 0820 and the 0744 at 0850.


You guys have been just brilliant I wish there was some way I could repay
you. (If you need to know anything about uk driving tests, driving rules and
laws, driver improvement courses, ADI's etc. I'm your gal!) I feel so much
better about it although still quite anxious.

The 7:14 will be perfect but I might go for the 6:42 in case the 7:14 is
cancelled - does that happen often?

I have written to FCC as suggested and await a response from them. I Don't
know what more they could do except lay on an anti-clockwise direct train
just for me! (Breakfast would be good too!!) Or maybe send someone to
accompany me. But I can't really see them doing any of that!! lol

I'll let you know if I hear from FCC and I'll let you know how my journey
goes. (It's the first week of October)

Penn xxxxxxxx