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)