Lee Spur Junction this weekend (Grove Park <> Lee)

[telstarbox]

This weekend there are direct services between Grove Park and Lee due to engineering works at Lewisham. Example "round the houses" service from Orpington to Charing Cross:

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/J18956/2018/05/05/advanced

 

[adrock1976]

I am intending to cover that side of the triangle this coming Monday.

My intended route will be Victoria-Petts Wood or Orpington, then onwards to Lee via Grove Park.

 

[JackTheLad]

There is going to be a lot of disgruntled naive passengers getting on between Orpington and Grove Park who will get on a Charing Cross bound train without looking at where it is stopping

 

[Kite159]

There is going to be a lot of disgruntled naive passengers getting on between Orpington and Grove Park who will get on a Charing Cross bound train without looking at where it is stopping

Agreed as the rail replacement buses will be faster. I wonder how they are getting advertised at Grove Park.

 

[Cletus]

The service i was on this afternoon was very quiet. Had a carriage to myself. It filled up more between Lee and Sidcup with Charing Cross passengers.

 

[Cletus]

From Orpington advertised as going to Deptford, then at Grove Park the driver made an announcement about it be a service to Charing Cross, listing all the stations.

 

[Antman]

I did it yesterday, Petts Wood to Mottingham and back again. It all seemed well advertised and rather surprisingly perhaps no confused passengers.

 

[Kite159]

Advertised at Charing Cross & Waterloo East as heading to Chislehurst, changing to Orpington at London Bridge onwards

 

[Ian. Rown]

Is this weekend the first time ever that a regular timetabled stopping service has operated between Greenwich and Orpington? It was also nice yesterday to travel from Greenwich to Charing Cross via the Thameslink platforms 4/5 at London Bridge, is this also a first since London Bridge was rebuilt.

 

[DVD]

I have used the Sidcup line for twenty five years and do not recall regular timetabled use of the Lee Spur before even during engineering works. My only experience of it before this weekend was occasional unplanned diversions when lines through Hither Green were blocked. I certainly have no recollection of there ever being timetabled services using the Orpington, Sidcup and Greenwich lines in this way. So yes Ian, you may well be right. Having used a couple of times over the weekend, I was surprised how many people were using the route despite greatly elongated journey times from Sidcup and Orpington lines to central London. Rather enterprising of Southeastern.

You may also be correct in suggesting that use of the Thameslink platforms at London Bridge for Charing Cross services is a first, at least for timetabled services.

David

 

[Busaholic]

I lived in and around the area from 1948 until 1988, save for two or three years, and never heard tell of such an arrangement. I'd have loved to have been there to do it. And, for a veteran London bus fanatic, mention of Petts Wood to Mottingham brought back memories of the late lamented 161A service.

 

[gazr]

Also travelled to from Charing X yesterday for this rather rare timetabled move. Was also able to scratch Platform 1 at Elmstead Woods off my list!! Btw, this station is on my list of favorite stations to visit - a hidden oasis on the outskirts of metropolis, especially on a cloud free sunny day!

 

[Cricketer8for9]

Is this a one weekend only or can we look forward to it happening again?

 

[gazr]

Is this a one weekend only or can we look forward to it happening again?

It would need a blockade between North Kent Junction and Lewisham/Hither Green for something like to happen again. Not out of the question, but I cant see it happening anytime soon?

 

[carriageline]

Once TL properly comes back online through platforms 4+5 I would say it won’t be happening, except for maybe a few late trains or huge weekend blocks/core closed etc

 

[eastwestdivide]

I did once do the Lee Spur on a service train between London and Medway. Engineering work E of Dartford meant it came fromLondon, reversed at Dartford and took the Lee Spur and the junctions around Chislehurst to reach the Sole Street route through to Rochester. Early 80s I think, no later than 1986. It'll be in a notebook somewhere.

 

[Class 466]

This was entirely a one off!

The buses from GRP - GNW offered no improvement in journey time as they just put you back on the same train you disembarked at Grove Park!

Certainly was good to see a plan fall into place - I can tell you that much!

 

[JackTheLad]

I was on the last train from Charing Cross last night at 00:30 heading to Petts Wood after a few drinks. It was advertised as terminating at Chislehurst and the SE station staff were advising customers for Petts Wood and Orpington to use the replacement bus from outside the station at 00:50 and not to board the Chislehurst Train when in reality the train got to Petts Wood and Orpington at 01:57/02:00 respectively and the bus 10 minutes later!!! So I ignored their advice and went for the train...

From London Bridge it was advertised as an Orpington Train and the automated announcer at LBG finished by announcing “this train will call additionally at Petts Wood tonight” ... the train was surprisingly quite busy from LBG. There was a driver change at Slade Green at 01:15, quite a young driver and he said that this was the latest and most bizarre driver change he ever had. Quite a few passengers got off at New Eltham for Chislehurst instead, followed by quite a few at Grove Park and when we FINALY got to Petts Wood, I’d say there was a good 20 people still on going to Orpington.

Definitely an interesting journey and one to remember!

 

[Antman]

This was entirely a one off!

The buses from GRP - GNW offered no improvement in journey time as they just put you back on the same train you disembarked at Grove Park!

Certainly was good to see a plan fall into place - I can tell you that much!

The advice at Grove Park seemed to be to take the bus to Lewisham and DLR from there or train to Petts Wood and Victoria train from there.

 

[Antman]

It would need a blockade between North Kent Junction and Lewisham/Hither Green for something like to happen again. Not out of the question, but I cant see it happening anytime soon?

Doesn't that happen from time to time? There have been a few occasions when coastal trains have been diverted via Beckenham Junction and the Mid Kent Line to Lewisham.

 

[Cricketer8for9]

I’ve managed the diversion via the Mid Kent line, but in this case that routing was not possible because, as the earlier poster said, the blockade was north of Lewisham, ie after Parks Bridge Junction where the Mid Kent line joins the main line.

 

[Antman]

I’ve managed the diversion via the Mid Kent line, but in this case that routing was not possible because, as the earlier poster said, the blockade was north of Lewisham, ie after Parks Bridge Junction where the Mid Kent line joins the main line.

Yes I realise it wasn't possible last weekend, just pointing out that it has been used previously.

 

[Cricketer8for9]

Understood. Just a bit annoyed that I was away over the bank holiday.