Yesterday I got the late running 14:19 Guildford to Woking service.
Being only 5 carriages it was busy but I could have had a seat if I wanted.
I then picked up the 14:33 Woking to Surbiton service. It had a scattering of people in some of the carriages but the one I chose, carriage 4 of 8, was practically empty when I boarded it. It got busier as we headed to Surbiton.
In the evening I got the 18:47 Surbiton to Clapham Junction service. It was early into Surbiton and early into Clapham Junction. It was 8 carriages and reasonably busy but there were seats if one wanted to sit down.
At Clapham Junction, I got the late running 19:15 to East Croydon as the 19:12 was cancelled. It was a fairly busy 8-carriage train so I decided to stand. I could have waited for the 19:22 to Haywards Heath but I couldn't be certain it would depart on time.
Once at East Croydon I went to platform 3 to find a non-stop train to Gatwick Airport that was about to depart. A member of the platform staff helpfully pointed this out in case I was expecting it to stop elsewhere.
I wasn't. This class 700, which had been due to go to Gatwick Airport via Redhill, was devoid of most of its passengers as they wanted stations between East Croydon and Gatwick Airport. As a result, it was a very quiet service and very pleasant.
In the back declassified first class compartment there were just 3 of us.
I decided I would change at Gatwick Airport as I would expect the train I could have got from Clapham Junction to Haywards Heath, to be busy and I only need to experience that got 10 minutes.
We headed to Gatwick Airport via the query line so got held outside the station whilst an up train departed. Then we were put into platform 1, crossing the other lines to get there
Once at Gatwick Airport, I didn't hang around as I knew the train to Haywards Heath would be behind the one I was on.
As I got to platform 7, my train pulled in.
I managed to get a single seat near the disabled loo.
The train wasn't as busy as I had been expecting but busy enough.
This evening I got the slightly late running 18:12 Haywards Heath to Gatwick Airport.
It would say it was medium-full. I then picked up the 18:29 Gatwick Airport to Guildford service and this was busy but there were seats free.
It may be too early to notice an increase in passenger numbers. I will be travelling to London later this week so u might get some idea then