How easy is it to get from Surbiton to Waterloo, if attempting to board a train at Surbiton from 07:30-08:00 on a week day?
I understand that different people view things differently, so:
- can a passenger get a seat?
- can a passenger get stand?
- can a passenger get on a train?
- if a passenger has to stand, will they have enough personal space to hold and read a book?
Comments
Although it would be very rare to get a seat at that time, you should always be able to board the first train in and have a reasonable amount of standing room.
The real 'pinch point' from Surbiton is between 8.00 and 9.00. 8.00 to 8.30 seems to be the busiest time, but SWT run full length (12 coach) trains at this time. For some reason, the length drops to 8 coaches after 8.30, so these trains can actually be MORE crowded!
The real problem is that the service is run at breaking point capacity-wise, so if just one train is delayed or cancelled, the knock on effect can make it impossible to get on the other trains.
I sometimes get the 7.38 which is only about 16 minutes to Waterloo. I don't normally get a seat but plenty of standing room, and because it doesn't stop until Waterloo it doesn't get any more crowded. I usually go earlier about 6.50 but only just manage to get a seat even then so it doesn't make much difference. It is rarely too crowded and is well served by regular trains