Mythical weekend rail service - East Dulwich

[JRDulwich]

Surely it’s not just me that finds the constant lack of a reliable train service at a weekend frustrating? Southern seem to use any excuse to axe weekend services despite the demand which puts more pressure on the roads through buses and cars. 

Wondered if in the past any particular forms of lobbying - petitions, councillors etc - have worked to exact change or is it a lost cause? 🙏🏻

[malumbu]

Write to your MP to take up with Southern/DfT/rail regulator 

[Earl Aelfheah]

On 02/12/2023 at 07:01, JRDulwich said:

Surely it’s not just me that finds the constant lack of a reliable train service at a weekend frustrating? Southern seem to use any excuse to axe weekend services despite the demand which puts more pressure on the roads through buses and cars. 

Wondered if in the past any particular forms of lobbying - petitions, councillors etc - have worked to exact change or is it a lost cause? 🙏🏻

It is absolutely ridiculous, I agree.

[Forest Hill Climber]

Even when the trains are supposed to be running  ..........  yesterday Sunday 10th Nov, two consecutive London Bridge trains were cancelled - 18:44 and 19:14.  Twice an hour is barely a service anyway, but then having to wait more than an hour! What are we supposed to do? Going out into central London has become less appealing over the past couple of years because of unreliable transport across London.

[first mate]

I also agree. 

[Penguin68]

Moves against privately owned cars only work when public transport is available and dependable. And relatively frequent. Often at weekends trains effectively disappear for planned works, or for unplanned reasons as now. And buses offer tortuous and long east west travel for us (trains offer effectively none). I use public transport whenever I can, which seems increasingly infrequently! It's either not there or not going my way. 

[malumbu]

I had a great bus and tube journey to and from central London on Saturday night.  Trains weren't running, but my connections were brilliant.  Friday to North Greenwich was also successful.

Conversely my bus journey to Sydenham yesterday was disrupted by road works and the fatal shooting.

London public transport is brilliant and no need to use a car for the majority of my journeys.

I did raise frequent engineering work on the Overground and a reduction in post COVID mainline with Ellie and feel she needs to make this a higher priority.

[Forest Hill Climber]

It's brilliant that that you had a brilliant experience and that TFL is brilliant. If it's all so brilliant, why did you need to write to our brilliant MP?  Has she agreed to do anything about anything?

[Moovart]

Can we call our MP by her full name Ellie Reeves even if she is our bezzy mate behind the scenes?  I think it undermines the importance of a role when we call our elected representatives by their first name only so I'm all for full names.

[Sue]

28 minutes ago, Forest Hill Climber said:

It's brilliant that that you had a brilliant experience and that TFL is brilliant. If it's all so brilliant, why did you need to write to our brilliant MP?  Has she agreed to do anything about anything?

If you read Malumbu's post properly, you will find out why he wrote to Ellie.

Oh, ooops, I mean Ellie Reeves. Just in case it wasn't clear who I meant 🙄

Edited Monday at 13:36 by Sue

[Penguin68]

10 minutes ago, Moovart said:

  I think it undermines the importance of a role when we call our elected representatives by their first name only so I'm all for full names.

In which case she is actually The Lady Cryer, married to John, Baron Cryer. She chooses to use her maiden name for electoral purposes. 

[Insuflo]

Pure ignorance on your part. She uses her given name. There is no requirement, legal or otherwise, for a woman to change her name on marriage. She is not an adjunct to John Cryer.

[Rockets]

The rail service is particularly poor and the weekend traveller seems to take the brunt of it. Whenever we are making plans for any given weekend we always check ahead for fear of the dreaded "Bus Replacement Service" and the frequency of trains not being available has increased markedly at weekends over the last few years.

1 hour ago, Forest Hill Climber said:

It's brilliant that that you had a brilliant experience and that TFL is brilliant. If it's all so brilliant, why did you need to write to our brilliant MP?  Has she agreed to do anything about anything?

[alice]

43 minutes ago, Insuflo said:

Pure ignorance on your part. She uses her given name. There is no requirement, legal or otherwise, for a woman to change her name on marriage. She is not an adjunct to John Cryer.

Personally, I think describing herself as Ellie is misleading.  

[Penguin68]

3 hours ago, Insuflo said:

She is not an adjunct to John Cryer.

She chooses not to use that name professionally, which is her right, but as the wife of a Baron the style I quoted is legally hers, even though she may not have made a legal change to her name on marriage. This is different from a wife choosing not to use her husband's name. Her legal style is The Lady Cryer, even though she doesn't choose to use it professionally. 

Edited Monday at 17:35 by Penguin68

[Forest Hill Climber]

Should political representation be concentrated in families? Ellie and John are both MP's as is Ellie's sister Rachel. Both of John's parents were MP's.  Very cosy.

 

I Imagine Ellie couldn't care less about public transport as she uses the car park at work. I have previously written to Ellie but there was zero response.

Edited Monday at 17:02 by Forest Hill Climber
Mixed up John with his dad Bob

[Penguin68]

36 minutes ago, Forest Hill Climber said:

Mixed up John with his dad Bob

But of course John, as a Life Peer is also in  Parliament, if in the Upper Chamber. 

[malumbu]

49 minutes ago, Forest Hill Climber said:

Should political representation be concentrated in families? Ellie and John are both MP's as is Ellie's sister Rachel. Both of John's parents were MP's.  Very cosy.

 

I Imagine Ellie couldn't care less about public transport as she uses the car park at work. I have previously written to Ellie but there was zero response.

I got responses, just not very good.  I could have written a better one myself.  No doubt her team replied.  She has a good record of dealing with difficult family issues I'm reliably informed.

4 hours ago, Moovart said:

Can we call our MP by her full name Ellie Reeves even if she is our bezzy mate behind the scenes?  I think it undermines the importance of a role when we call our elected representatives by their first name only so I'm all for full names.

I go out my way to call elected representatives by formal names.  Mayor Khan and former Mayor and former PM Johnson.  Off this site I just called them by their surnames.  I detest the whole move to first names for politicians.  It started with Johnson, whose first name I won't use.  He is not my mate, he is not cuddly and funny.  He is a self serving  liar who was happy to screw the country up for political gain.  I asked the Beeb to not use his first name but they fobbed me off.

I use Ellie here for effect, to make out we are on close terms, which we aren't.  And for effect, ie complain through official channels before posting on social media.

I go threatened by my MP once, a long time ago, that anecdote is for the pub