Denmark Hill to Blackfriars

[MarianaTrench]

I am going back to work in September and I was thinking of alternatives to the dismal bus journey commute!

Would I stand a chance of getting on to a train to Blackfriars in the morning, around 8 ish? I took that train last year when I was pregnant and I gave up, no way I was going to be able to squeeze in to that person's armpit.

Is it still this busy or are there now more trains (this is wishful thinking..)

[titch juicy]

I personally prefer the bus. Top deck, headphones on, windows open, watching life go by.

The extra 20 mins on the journey is a luxury rather than an inconvenience for me.

I'd take that every time over a sweaty, shoulder to shoulder train commute.

[danielson00]

The 0705 from Denmark Hill to Blackfriars is usually rammed, I am guessing the 0805 wouldn't be much better!

[Lazero]

Try catching the trains that terminate at Blackfriars (e.g. 0813 Southeastern coming from Orpington) rather than one of the Thameslink trains that go on to Luton/ Bedford. There are only 2 of them (so times may not work), but I usually find them to be more punctual, and I even sometimes get a seat on the 0832! The Thameslinks sometimes sit outside Blackfriars while Sutton loop trains go by, whereas the Southeastern trains go to their own platform. Because they stop at fewer stations, and because they don't go through to Farringdon/ Kings Cross, they also seem to be less full.

Looks like the statistics back up the punctuality: http://www.recenttraintimes.co.uk/Home/Search?Op=Srch&Fr=Denmark+Hill+%28DMK%29&To=London+Blackfriars+%28BFR%29&TimTyp=D&TimDay=6a&Days=Wk&TimPer=4w&dtFr=09%2F05%2F2016&dtTo=06%2F06%2F2016&ShwTim=AvAr&TOC=All&ArrSta=5&MetAvg=Mea&MetSpr=RT&MxScDu=&MxSvAg=10&MnScCt=2&MxArCl=5

[rendelharris]

Cycle down the Surrey Linear Canal path starting at Peckham Library, across Burgess Park, up the on-pavement cycle lanes of the OKR to Elephant and then you've got a beautiful brand new completely segregated cycleway all the way to Blackfriars Bridge and beyond if desired. No armpits, no delays and no charge! 4.5 miles from East Dulwich station and very few lights, 10-30 minutes depending on fitness and inclination.

[Sue]

MarianaTrench, I have a burning need to know whether your name comes from one of my favourite Octonaut episodes :))

[uncleglen]

It's a very deep part of the Pacific Ocean if I recall....

[ED - NAGAIUTB]

The 8:10 @ Peckham Rye (so 1 stop up) is usually half empty. I get that into Blackfriars. Everything else is rammed.

[Renata Hamvas]

Hi ED, I think you mean the 9.10? I've just checked the timetable, there doesn't seem to be an 8.10 but there is a 9.10. This service is still poor, still too few trains, still a human sardine can. There may be extra capacity trains arriving over the summer (ie fewer seats). The big push needs to be 4TPH for this service in the 2018 timetable revamp, it does need it, with the developments at Catford etc and increased year on year demand at each station it's not getting any better!

Renata

[sheff]

No, there is an 8.10 from Peckham Rye to Blackfriars, it terminates there on its own platform.

The 8.01 comes in and is rammed often to the point of not being able to get on...

Same for the 8.16 train that rund to Luton...

The 8.10 comes in and there are usually seats....

There was an odd one like that from Sydenham Hill I used to get which was a perfect train! Always had seats...

[Renata Hamvas]

Ahh, sorry, I was checking between Peckham Rye and City Thameslink. The 8.01 and 8.16 stop at the other stations and this one doesn't so misses out on potential passengers!(better for those of you travelling from Peckham Rye but worse for the Nunhead and Denmark hill Passengers).

Thanks

Renata

[Strawbs]

ED - NAGAIUTB Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> The 8:10 @ Peckham Rye (so 1 stop up) is usually

> half empty. I get that into Blackfriars.

> Everything else is rammed.

This is what I do, all of the others are generally running late and absolutely rammed at PR, you can always get on at PR but space is limited.

[wulfhound]

@rendelharris ED to Blackfriars Bridge in 10 minutes by bike? You are Chris Hoy and I claim my ?5 ;)

[rendelharris]

wulfhound Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> @rendelharris ED to Blackfriars Bridge in 10

> minutes by bike? You are Chris Hoy and I claim my

> ?5 ;)

:-) Well, I was basing that on the fact that last time I did it it took me seventeen minutes and I was overtaken by a substantial number of much younger, fitter and better-biked people who disappeared into the distance pretty quickly. Maybe ten minutes is a bit optimistic, fifteen definitely doable and twenty doable for just about anyone - average speed of 13 mph which is easy to stick to even in traffic, let alone with traffic free cycle paths.

[kristymac1]

I cycle this route every day - Forest Hill Road to Farringdon. I reckon even '20 mins doable for just about anyone' is a bit optimistic- unless you're not stopping at the lights...... I agree that it is a decent route and once the pedestrians get used to the cycle superhighway it'll be great ;-)

> :-) Well, I was basing that on the fact that last

> time I did it it took me seventeen minutes and I

> was overtaken by a substantial number of much

> younger, fitter and better-biked people who

> disappeared into the distance pretty quickly.

> Maybe ten minutes is a bit optimistic, fifteen

> definitely doable and twenty doable for just about

> anyone - average speed of 13 mph which is easy to

> stick to even in traffic, let alone with traffic

> free cycle paths.

[rendelharris]

kristymac1 Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I cycle this route every day - Forest Hill Road to

> Farringdon. I reckon even '20 mins doable for just

> about anyone' is a bit optimistic- unless you're

> not stopping at the lights...... I agree that it

> is a decent route and once the pedestrians get

> used to the cycle superhighway it'll be great ;-)

Honest to God, I never jump red lights (if you see a vaguely fat fortysomething sitting at the lights annoyingly shouting "red light!" at those who do it'll most likely be me) but thinking about it, seventeen minutes was on a Sunday morning so very few pedestrians using the pelicans, and those who passed me were most likely keen racers...call it half an hour for an average commuter then, still way better than waiting for a ghost train at ED!

Yes some pedestrians need to become acclimatised, I've had several people shouting "get back on the road!" recently, though whether that's ignorance of the new paths or an objection to them I haven't stopped to ascertain.

[nunhead_man]

Strangely the Southwark Bike Train branch runs from Denmark Hill and joins the main line at Burgess Park on its way to Blackfriars - errrr - http://southwarkcyclists.org.uk/events/

[TB2]

The Thameslink / Southeastern service is being revised from Bank Holiday Monday in August as the latest piece in the London Bridge story - but it means the extra services that Southeastern ran into Blackfriars from Denmark Hill will cease. So the train from Denmark Hill to Blackfriars will be 0804, 0819, 0826, 0839 and 0845. See http://www.networkrail.co.uk/aspx/3828.aspx . Hope that helps with your planning - the 40 bus has nice new buses now and i think the 185 will get them very soon as well.

[bonaome]

This was my commute until Easter. The 08:04 was OK to get on on the 1 in 10 occasions when it was on time. But it was so frequently so late that my general experience was that it would be packed with people who'd actually turned up for the 8:13 or even the 8:19. That said you can get on the trains. Like most people I found a spot for boarding that worked 9/10 times, and wedged myself into the train like a self-canning sardine.

You could try the 7:37 but that seems to be very often cancelled.

In short, you can get on those trains if you are now more tolerant of the armpits you mention than you were when you were pregnant. If it's space, or God forbid a seat you need - find another way. If you actually need Blackfriars, you might find it easier to endure if you get the bus to the Elephant (176/40) and get on the Thameslink there (where lots of people get off - usually used to get a seat from the Elephant).

Sorry I can't offer a more encouraging post.

[MarianaTrench]

Hmm. Food for thought.

I actually work at Waterloo, not Blackfriars, but I was thinking of perhaps buying a scooter and scoot from Blackfriars to waterloo (and look like a right tool, I know ...).

I used to cycle to work but after becoming a responsible parent I have become quite anxious about cycling in London. And an anxious cyclist is one that shouldn't be on the road. There are just too many people on their mobile phones, not looking, and it just takes one ...

The train from Peckham Rye ending at Blackfriars sounds like a good bet ...

thanks all.

[rendelharris]

Fair enough MT, cycling's not for everyone and as you say, anxiety is not conducive to safety. But if you work at Waterloo, surely overground to Clapham Junction from DH and then the trains virtually every minute from there to Waterloo would be a good bet?

[bonaome]

If you're going to Waterloo - just get the bus. 176 all the way.

[Nigello]

The 176 is direct but it takes a long time, and it forever stops half way to change drivers (something that rarely happened, if at all, until about three or four years ago). Also, the 176 is jam packed from The Plough to Denmark Hill every morning at rush hour and vice versa in the late afternoon.

[Lowlander]

rendelharris Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Fair enough MT, cycling's not for everyone and as

> you say, anxiety is not conducive to safety. But

> if you work at Waterloo, surely overground to

> Clapham Junction from DH and then the trains

> virtually every minute from there to Waterloo

> would be a good bet?

Clapham Junction to Waterloo is rammed in the morning rush hour, you might have to let at least 2-3 trains go by before there's space. Coming back you can often get a seat at Waterloo though.

I've taken the 176 back from the Strand at 1830 on occasion and it's taken 40 minutes to Dulwich Library, which isn't bad.

[wulfhound]

I used to cycle to work but after becoming a responsible parent I have become quite anxious about cycling in London. And an anxious cyclist is one that shouldn't be on the road. There are just too many people on their mobile phones, not looking, and it just takes one.

Can echo that feeling. Did give me pause for thought, especially as I was hit by a car when our son was a baby - but ultimately I want to still be able to keep up with my kids (within reason) when I'm in my 50s and 60s, and cycling to work is one of the best ways to ensure that (especially as I'm a little fonder of high-calorie food & drink than most medics would advise). It's very rare for cyclists to be killed by cars in Inner London 20mph zones - buses and HGVs are far more deadly. So if you can find routes that minimize your overlap with heavy vehicles, that helps mitigate the risk a lot. (I can only find one incident of a cyclist being killed by a car in Zone 1+2 in the past year - where a driver who was far in excess of the speed limit hit a cyclist who was well over the legal blood alcohol limit).

That said, when I did give up cycling for a couple of months, found that jogging in to work a couple of times a week was pretty much as good from a fitness point of view. Rather more time consuming though & neither my legs nor my schedule could handle there-and-back every day. Cycling to work = no need to change clothes if you ride slowly, or you can carry a change with you. Running, no option for that - a shower when you get there is non negotiable, so you have to plan ahead.