NEWSLETTER FEBRUARY 2021
The Newsletter can be found below or you can
download it in PDF format.
WEST SUSSEX RAIL USERS ASSOCIATION
64, Brampton Court,
Stockbridge Road, Chichester, West Sussex, PO19 8PD
Tel: 01243 788028
E-mail: contact@wsrua.org.uk
Twitter: twitter.com/wsrua
Future of your Association
There was a heartening response from many members agreeing to
the proposals set out in our November Newsletter for continuing
the Association into 2021 and beyond. These proposals were:
- For your existing Officers and Committee to continue until
the next AGM.
- To abolish the annual subscription from 1 March 2021 and
live off our reserves.
- Assuming we have an AGM in 2021 and in future years, the
costs of those together with the website, postage and stationery
will give us 5 years before funds run out and by then Roger and
I may want to call it a day with an EGM to close the
Association.
We are now implementing the proposals. We will not be seeking any
subscriptions for 2021 and those few subscriptions already paid in
advance for 2021 will be treated as donations unless the members
concerned wish to have refunds.
Some 50 members have been paying their subscription by
standing order. These standing orders should be cancelled before 1
March 2021 if you have not already done so.
Current Timetable to 12 December including Lockdown until 2
December
The current weekday timetable introduced on 7 September showed
few changes to the July services. We still have basically a Saturday
service and this seems quite adequate for the number of passengers
travelling. The late additions to the July timetable of the 06.18
Bognor to London Bridge and the 17.12 London Bridge to Chichester
continue to run. These services are formed of 12 coaches of Gatwick
Express stock.
New timetable from Monday 22 February
With the impact of coronavirus and the new national lockdown
measures, Southern’s passenger numbers have fallen to around 15% of
pre-Covid weekday levels. Additionally, the impact of coronavirus on
crew availability, as their staff may need to self-isolate or
shield, means Southern are adapting the timetable to ensure they
continue to deliver a resilient and reliable service for passengers.
.
For these reasons there will be reductions in current levels of
the Monday to Friday service from Monday 22 February onwards.
Southern have developed a revised weekday plan which should better
match anticipated demand in the months ahead. The plan focuses on
maintaining services earlier in the morning, later in the evening
and at peak times, based on feedback from key workers and
stakeholders. Southern have also aimed to maintain services for
‘school trains’ at suitable times in readiness for all students
returning. These are the planned changes affecting the Arun Valley
line and the western end of the West Coastway line:
- The 06:51 Bognor Regis to London Victoria will not run,
however see the next item about the 0700 Bognor Regis to London
Bridge which will be a replacement.
- The 0608 Southampton Central and 0700 Bognor Regis to London
Bridge (which attach at Horsham) after East Croydon will divert
to London Victoria calling at Clapham Junction. Passengers for
London Bridge should change at East Croydon for frequent
alternative services.
- The 20:15 Portsmouth & Southsea to London Victoria will not
run.
- The 18:02 London Bridge to Portsmouth & Southsea and Bognor
Regis will not run. An alternative service operates at 1805
London Victoria to Bognor Regis. Passengers from London Bridge
should travel on alternative frequent services between London
Bridge and East Croydon.
- The 20:22 London Bridge to Horsham will not run.
- The Thameslink service that connects Horsham to London
Bridge (and Peterborough) via Littlehaven, Ifield, Crawley,
Three Bridges, Gatwick Airport, Horley, Redhill, Merstham,
Coulsdon South and East Croydon will operate on a half-hourly
basis.
- Services between Horsham and Dorking will be reduced to
operate every hour, a normal service will operate on the rest of
the line between Dorking, Epsom and London Victoria.
- The peak-time only Thameslink service from Littlehampton to
Bedford will not operate. Customers should use alternative
Southern and Thameslink services.
Weekend services are not due to change, but engineering work
continues which can of course amend the regular patterns.
Passenger Benefit Fund Improvements
There is another tranche of improvements in West Sussex underway
for the passenger benefit fund (also a refurbishment of Ifield with
a new accessible ticket office and improved staff area and upgrading
the customer information point on platform 2 at Barnham). The main
list is:
- Arundel – customer information screen, footbridge
redecoration, seating, waiting room refurbishment
- Amberley – canopy over ticket machine, landscaping,
refurbishment of waiting shelter, seating
- Pulborough – customer information screen, general
refurbishments
- Billingshurst – customer information screen, toilet
refurbishment
- Christ’s Hospital – waiting shelter, landscaping, seating
- Crawley – improvements to waiting area, seating
- Bosham – Additional seating, a canopy over the ticket
machine, Customer Information Screen, landscaping, reseal floor
booking hall and toilet improvements
- Fishbourne, Nutbourne and Southbourne – seating
- Goring by Sea – canopy over ticket machine, seating
- Durrington on Sea – cycle parking, seating, waiting room
refurbishment
- West Worthing – canopy over ticket machine, seating, waiting
shelter
- Worthing – waiting shelter, toilet improvements, seating,
landscaping
- East Worthing – seating, improve fencing, work to platform
- Shoreham by Sea – refurbishment of waiting room, waiting
shelter, seating, landscaping
Looking ahead
Our next Newsletter will include updates on the Gatwick
Airport improvements and the August closure of our line for work
at Horsham.
Trevor Tupper
(Secretary/Treasurer)