when the train to Victoria is cancelled...

[MT4]

Hi,

What's the best/quickest way to get to Clapham Junction from Sydenham when the Victoria train is cancelled? It's a real pain!!

Thanks

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[stuart]

Try catching the Overground to Surrey Quays and get the new Clapham Junction trains from there. This may keep you out of Zone 1 if cost is an issue.

Stuart

[chrism]

Surely quickest it to pop down to penge east (10 mins by foot) and catch the train directly to Victoria in 17 mins.

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[Eagle]

The OP asked best way to CJ not Lon V .

Trains from Penge East do not stop at CJ.

Your question does not have an easy answer.

[chrism]

Sorry!

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[stuart]

You could get train back from Victoria (paying Zone 1 fare) or possibly change at Herne Hill?

I assume the problem was with the weekend working beyond Crystal Palace so going to Norwood Junction and catching a train from there is risky. Safest, if there is a Southern Train due on platform 2 is go all the way to East Croydon and get a fast straight to Clapham Junction.

For me, it would be an opportunity to try the 4 times an hour service from Surrey Quays to CJ. That's the beauty of Sydenham - there are so many travel options that you can get round almost any disruption choosing from a multiplicity of re-routings.

Anyway tell us what you did and the result ...

Stuart

[michael]

I would have thought there are quite a few possibilities, which is quickest and best can only be worked out knowing train times.

1. Get the Overground to Crystal Palace and get other services to Clapham Junction (every 30 minutes I think)
2. Head down to Norwood Junction / East Croydon and come back in again (theoretically outside zones 2-3 but that should not a problem if they have cancelled trains)
3. Change at Surrey Quays for Overground to Clapham Junction

My expectation is that route 2 is the fastest most of the time, but there are bound to be times when this is not true, so I don't know what to suggest.

[MT4]

Hi,

Thanks for your suggestions everyone!

I ended up getting the overground to Surrey Quays and then on to Clapham Junction. The SQ - CJ line is very useful for such instances, although it's definitely not the quickest of trains! I think in future I might go via Waterloo if there are problems with the Victoria train - my final destination is actually Thames Ditton, and there's a direct train there (through CJ) from Waterloo.

It'd be tight but I should be able to get to Waterloo to catch the same train I'd have picked up anyway at CJ.

Anyway fingers crossed this is all irrelevant again for the foreseeable future......!

[Tockerty]

This post fits in nicely with some observations my sister shared when she came to stay. She lives out of town, and was discussing with a friend about Londoners and public transport. The first observation was that people in London are unwilling to wait more that 15mins. The second was that the are always disagreements about how to get from A to B. Which was backed up at least twice during the day as my partner and I spent several minutes discussing our travel plans. Of course there is the Journey Planner on TFL to back up your case, but it's not always the deciding factor. I guess we are just spoilt with options.

[bensonby]

Sydenham RO Wast Croydon followed by a fast train up to CJ is by far the quickest route!

It would only be slower if the connections are hugely messed up.

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[MT4]

So there were more problems with the trains this morning!

This time I jumped one of the few trains running into town at that time of day (7.30ish), and made it to Waterloo by the skin of my teeth in time to get the 8.06 train, which is the same one I'd have picked up anyway at Clapham Junction en route to Thames Ditton.

This is probably now the best back up option if there are no trains heading directly to Clapham Junction!

Thanks again for all suggestions

[Checkmate]

there is the Journey Planner on TFL

The main issue I have with Journey Planner - and also, to a degree, National Rail Enquiries - is when making a journey across London that requires a tube journey between London rail termini.

These websites allow you about an hour to get from, for example, London Bridge to Paddington. I can do it in half that quite easily, and I am not exactly a fast walker!

Though it is very true to say, there are always many different ways to do the same journey.... even my Syd - Padd trip has options.... (London Bridge > Jubille > Waterloo > Bakerloo > Padd.... LB > Jubille > Baker St > Padd or skip LB altogether and go Syd > Vic > Circle > Padd!)