38 replies to this topic

[hyposmurf]

I suspect many of them will walk. Not all, admittedly, but probably enough live within easy distance of the station. Many are also kiss-and-ride i.e. they get dropped off at the station rather than parking. Most people who get off the 18.02 and 18.37 arrivals walk off or get picked up - hardly any go to the car park and drive off.

Yes thats true.If you take a train load of passenegers in rush hour,youll see alot of them walk away from the station or some get picked up.Theres not a major problem with parking at the moment,but it could possibly get worse.I find theres more parking mayhem around the Amersham station courtyard, than Chesham.That's probably due to the size and location of the courtyard in Amersham and additional Chesham folk using the station.

[Bengley]

Personally I have no problem with the Chesham shuttle service, only that sometimes it is inconsistent in a. the times it is supposed to arrive and leave, and b. the drivers often leave later to 'wait for the second/third Amersham service to arrive'. Now I'm not deliberately trying to be cruel to those passengers who are changing on the later Amersham trains, but sometimes it really confuses me that I rush to get the fast Amersham at Moorgate at 1715 just so I can get to the shuttle service at Chalfont 'on time' when I may as well have strolled to Moorgate as the shuttle will be late leaving as it waits for the later trains anyway! I know, a minor inconvenience really, but the drivers do tend to change the rules on the shuttle service in this regard. One driver will wait, the other the next day won't!

Well, that's my rant over, what I really care about is that the service is on time, efficient and doesn't get me sacked for being late to work every week! the 0719 is at least always on time so far, unlike the 0754. And the 0719 seems just as packed in the mornings too, which I was surprised by! I really underestimated how much the service was used at Chesham.... a very valuable service!

FYI it's the signallers' choice if the shuttle waits or goes, not the driver. As soon as the driver gets a clear signal, he will leave (unless a northbound train has just come in, in which case he will wait for the passengers to get on the shuttle)

And when you return, that's also four metres is it? For a start, if you're elderly or disabled getting under the subway to make the connection is very inconvenient and can mean you miss the connection; ask my 93 year old father-in-law who is otherwise fit and healthy but is not that fast on his feet.

Secondly, no, of course a short walk under the subway is not that inconvenient for most people. What is more inconvenient though is, in times of frequent disruption, arriving late at Chalfont following delays on the line and a complete lack of communication or understanding in London that there even is such a thing as the Shuttle, to find that the shuttle has departed two minutes before you got there. This has happened on numerous occasions including last week. That makes me 30 minutes home from London, on top of the delay already encountered owing to signal failure, track failure, not enough trains, broken down train, staff shortage, leaves etc. Stuck at Chalfont when it's -4 degrees is not funny. In any case, it is human nature to prefer to sit on one train and get off it at the end of the journey, not to have to change trains.

Most people do not have an in-built knowledge of the rail system so find changes, however straightforward, inconvenient preferring to sit tight until they arrive at their destination. That's why so many people travel by car even though in many cases it's more expensive and slower (and will come up with all sorts of fabricated reasons as to why it isn't). As someone who is strongly in favour of rail transport, I can see why many don't even consider using it.

If the shuttle leaves early/late or you miss your connection because your Amersham train was excessively late into Chalfont, you are entitled to a full refund of your single journey, which from Zone 1 at peak times is £6, off-peak it's £3.40. To claim this refund, you can either fill in a customer charter form which can be picked up at all stations, or you can fill the form out online (http://www.tfl.gov.u...nds/tuberefund/). As there is a 30 minute interval in shuttle services, if you miss the shuttle, you will DEFINITELY be at least 30 minutes late to your destination (Chesham).

Simply fill that form in and they'll send you a voucher for the full single journey from London/ wherever you came from.

[ianbartlett]

If the shuttle leaves early/late or you miss your connection because your Amersham train was excessively late into Chalfont, you are entitled to a full refund of your single journey, which from Zone 1 at peak times is £6, off-peak it's £3.40. To claim this refund, you can either fill in a customer charter form which can be picked up at all stations, or you can fill the form out online (http://www.tfl.gov.u...nds/tuberefund/). As there is a 30 minute interval in shuttle services, if you miss the shuttle, you will DEFINITELY be at least 30 minutes late to your destination (Chesham).

Simply fill that form in and they'll send you a voucher for the full single journey from London/ wherever you came from.

I realise that (as does almost everyone who commutes from Chesham) but, fundamentally, I don't want a refund; I want to get home on time or at least as early as possible.

The 'excessively late' issue is part of the problem. LU will usually hold the shuttle for ten minutes before sending it off. However, this takes no account of how out of whack the rest of the line has got; there is no point aiming for the shuttle to meet the next scheduled connection when that is also fifteen/twenty minutes late. The vast majority of users are stuck on the late London train and will not be happy to find they are stuck for another twenty five minutes in order that the shuttle can make the next, already late connection. That's why, for commuters, through trains would be better. If they're late, they're late - no 'let's hope they've held the shuttle' stress!

[147]

Trrain 430 the 1709 Fast Amersham train from Aldgate has no booked connection with the shuttle.
I believe this train arrives at Chalfont in between the existing two eight car Chesham trains.

[hyposmurf]

Although the refund was handy I to wouldve wished the train wsnt so delayed.I think anyone who has used the Chesham service in rush for a number of years, understands how incredibly frustrating the delays and cancellation can be.Sitting there on a cold station waiting for the Chesham train whilst numerous Amersham trains go by,just seemed to be rubbing salt in the wound.Hopefully this better balance of service will address this better.

[Bengley]

I realise that (as does almost everyone who commutes from Chesham) but, fundamentally, I don't want a refund; I want to get home on time or at least as early as possible.

The 'excessively late' issue is part of the problem. LU will usually hold the shuttle for ten minutes before sending it off. However, this takes no account of how out of whack the rest of the line has got; there is no point aiming for the shuttle to meet the next scheduled connection when that is also fifteen/twenty minutes late. The vast majority of users are stuck on the late London train and will not be happy to find they are stuck for another twenty five minutes in order that the shuttle can make the next, already late connection. That's why, for commuters, through trains would be better. If they're late, they're late - no 'let's hope they've held the shuttle' stress!

It'll be tonnes better when the through service starts and the driver of the train announces at Chalfont that the train is now an Amersham train instead because of a late train off the Chesham branch, or a failure of some description affecting the Chesham branch.

Then what!?

[echinosum]

During the snow disruption, the Chesham shuttle was reinstated, and the bay platform at Chalfont was in use in contradition to the little paper notice saying "this platform is not in use".

This tends to confirm my suspicion that during disrupted operation through Chesham trains will be difficult to operate. What will they do when they no longer have the odd 4-car trains in usable condition to send out and run an emergency service? And the bay platform infrastructure is no longer maintained and has to be formally closed like the bay platform at Rickmansworth?

It's a shame they spent all that money to improve the electrics on the Chesham branch in order to be able to run a service that will inevitably be much less reliable. It would have been so much cheaper and more reliable to convert it to diesel operation. They could even have had direct Marylebone services all day if they wanted them.

[Matthew (MPJ/Admin)]

It's a shame they spent all that money to improve the electrics on the Chesham branch in order to be able to run a service that will inevitably be much less reliable. It would have been so much cheaper and more reliable to convert it to diesel operation. They could even have had direct Marylebone services all day if they wanted them.

I doubt Chiltern would want direct Chesham services into Marylebone, they would I assume prefer more revenue generating services via High Wycombe to Birmingham and beyond.

[echinosum]

I doubt Chiltern would want direct Chesham services into Marylebone, they would I assume prefer more revenue generating services via High Wycombe to Birmingham and beyond.

I said TfL could have them if they wanted them. They would have to pay for them. Chiltern would have its price.