End of the line for Charing X services
Brockley Central has heard it said by some pseud or other that the quality of a people's television has an inverse relationship with their quality of life - with Italy and the UK used as case studies. If so, it would explain why Sydenham has its own 'television station' while you lot are stuck with the written word.
Sydenham TV has broadcast the final voyage of the direct service to Charing X, which took place last Saturday and which was accompanied by protesters, marking the occasion with a miniature coffin. It was an impressively organised PR stunt, which managed to generate a lot of coverage to highlight the campaign to have the route reinstated and prevent reductions in service frequencies.
You can watch the video here. You can also sign the petition here.
Props to Tamsin for sending the link.
20 comments:
New thread title submission: "The Charing X Factor"
Or... Cow[b]ells Toll for Rail Service
Brilliant video, good on 'em. How apt that the coffin had to stand.
Top stunt, I love it, and the song is brilliant.
I moved to Twickenham 10 months ago but I've signed the petition. It's an act of insanity, you can barely get on a train to Brockley at 5.30pm
You can barely get on a train to Brockley, New Cross or St Johns from 11pm onwards even on week days, especially at this time of year. Platform 5 at London Br where most of our trains run from is usually heaving right up til the last train
I would just like to point out that there was nothing minature about that coffin! I helped carry the bleedin thing!!
Let's all reduce the amount we pay them by a third ...
It was quite slim-line, though - as coffins go. Things got distinctly surreal after the filming stopped and some went home but others set off (with coffin) to Chandos. Richard and I got slightly left behind and it was quite fun asking a hot-chestnut vendor which way the coffin had gone. He pointed us in the right direction and asked what it was all about, so we gave him a leaflet by way of explanation.
Then the pub was half full of a whole load of Father Christmasses - some of whom wanted to be photographed with the coffin, which at one point was stacked head down by the one-armed bandit...
I fail to see how the reduction in services constitutes an "improvement in services" which was on their press release. I am sure they will bring out some nonsense about giving us all Oyster pay as you go benefits but this won't help commuters who now can't use trains that don't exist!
This strikes me as the height of stupdity. Surely we should be looking are more rail services and not less. Its the same as Boris and his lack of support for the south london line.
I swear these things don't happen North of the river.
But as economics lessons teach us, the priority for a private company like Southern, with shareholders is to make a profit rather than provide a service. Service provision is simply a means to making money and if they can do that more easily by axing local London services and replacing them with highly expensive and profitable trains running from further out in Kent, then all the better.
So you are back the politics and privatisation in the name of efficiency being a disaster for the basic society needs of public housing, public transport, public health and the utilities.
The railways went in Margaret Thatcher's last idealogical fling but in the ten years since then the NHS is being gradually privatised with no-one really noticing.
Yesterday evening I caught the 11.14 from london Bridge. It was so crowded that initially the doors wouldn't shut. Some people were left on the platform because there was no room. i don't know if it's now always like this - certainly I'll make sure if I'm going on the last train that I get there very early.
Angela - it's always like that after 11pm. Just about every train in the direction of New Cross, Brockley, St Johns etc is crammed so full that the doors won't close. Your experience is the norm I'm afraid.
How bad was your journey home this evening???
VERY bad... lot's of people being angry as only the british commuter can manage. "PLEASE move down"...every one looks at their shoes.
Gave up and went to elephant & Castle. Jumped on the 172, bailed out at Peckham and schleped.
Took three hours but managed to stay remarkably zen.
On foot is safer in this weather - and calmer all round. It was in the February snow last year that I discovered that I am actually within walking disance of work just south of Lewisham Hospital.
On the rail side, though, we are only two signatures short of 3000 for the on-line petition if anyone has not signed... Unfortunately the snow at just the wrong time stopped the delivery of some posters for the shops in Brockley and put me off putting them up on the trees around Telegraph Hill, but it would be really, really nice if we could get up to 5000 by the start of the New Year. Please spread the word...
I arrived at London Bridge a bit earlier than usual, with thoughts of some post work christmas shopping. One look at the mass of people on the concourse with furrowed brows scrutinising platform boards, the driving snow and any thoughts of fancy mince pies from Fortnum and Masons went out of the window and the focus was on getting my butt home.
Around 3 hours, 3 crammed bus rides and 2 snow/sludge trundles home I made it.
So glad I live in zone 2.
I walked all the way from London Bridge to Brockley. Only took 2 hours and wasn't too bad by the standards of most people's journeys last night. I recommend it.
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