On Feb 17, 9:48*am, "Peter Masson" wrote:
wrote

My guess is, the planners knew from the get-go that 4tph
just wouldn't cut it - that that's basically a token service, and that
it is going to be jam-packed from Day One, starting at the first
station (Clapham Junction), so they took out as many seats as possible
in order to pack as many people in like sardines. *Looks like I'm
going to stick with bicycling to Canary Wharf - at lesat that way I
get a seat to sit on the whole way.

The existing SLL serevice (Victoria - London Bridge) is half-hourly with
2-coach trains, and even in the peaks most passengers get a seat. I am sure
that the ELLX phase 2b service will be well used, but I wouldn't expect it
to be jam-packed. Off-peak everyone who wants one will get a seat, with
plenty of space for bikes and buggies, while in the peaks passengers who
have to stand will, I would expect, have a reasonable space.

It won't be anything like the quickest route from Clapham Junction to Canary
Wharf (via Canada Water) or the City (via Whitechapel or walk from
Shoreditch High Street) - going via Wazterloo will be much quicker - though
the ELLX route will avoid a Zone 1 fare.

Peter

Peter, I wouldn't even begin to compare the current Victoria - London
Bridge service to the ELLX phase 2. And the Victoria - London Bridge
Service was almost NEVER used by commuters going to Canary Wharf - I
should know, because I live within walking distance of Battersea
Bridge station and so I checked it out a couple of times to get to
Canary Wharf. This was my experience: Lovely ride from Battersea
Bridge to London Bridge - always got a seat - passenger cars fairly
empty most of the way (this alone told me that it wasn't being used by
City/Canary Wharf commuters - if not, where were they???). But then I
got to London Bridge . . . . . . . a HUGE hike to the Jubilee line.
Packed to the gills. Sometimes couldn't get one first train. Stuffy
standing-up ride for two stops to get to Canada Water (where the ELLX
will meet), and then the final leg to Canary Wharf. I said, "Never
again" and took to my bicycle. Oh, and because it was a half-hourly
service, if you missed the train . . . . . well, you had to wait a
half hour for the next one (made more sense at that point to take the
next train to Victoria and then hop on a District/Circle line to
Westminster and then once again get on that jam-packed Jubilee line.
Peter, I can assure you, no banker used that Victoria - London Bridge
half-hourly service to get to the City/Canary Wharf.

As for the fastest route being to go direct into Waterloo . . . . . I
can see that being true for somebody who is already on a Waterloo-
bound train (say, he is travelling in from Esher in Surrey), then,
sure, it doesn't make sense for him to get off his Waterloo-bound
train and wait for another train (the ELLX) - that makes no sense.
But for somebody who lives around Clapham Junction, it makes more
sense to arrive in time to board the new ELLX and go direct to the
City/Canada Water. Also depends on where you work in the City. If
you work at the huge Broadgate complex, or anywhere along Bishopsgate,
the ELLX will make the most sense. Obviously, if you work near the
Bank entrance, then the Waterloo & City line might make more sense.
But most of the big banks are centered around Broadgate/Bishopsgate,
and the whole Waterloo route is a nightmare (trains slow down coming
into Waterloo, then you disembark in a huge crowd and have to stand in
a huge queue for the Waterloo & City line and it's never pleasant
being packed together like sardines like that, and then there is
another crush of people at the Bank end of things. I shudder whenever
I think about it - I did enough times to chuck it in and get on my
bicycle. Again, I'm just speaking for someone who lives near Clapham
Junction - obviously for someone living in Esher or Richmond,
bicycling in is not an option. I still think the ELLX phase 2 will be
packed full starting at Clapham Junction - the appeal of being able to
just take one train (no exhanges to other trains) - and an air-
conditioned train - all the way to either the City (Shoreditch), or
Canada Water (just 1 stop from Canary Wharf) has enormous appeal. I
think the ELLX is a wonderful gift to those of us who live near
Clapham Junction.