This website and forum is great. A lot of information about Surbiton has helped me make up my mind that I'm going to take the plunge and move out of Central London (which, while convenient, is dirty and noisy) and move to Surbiton.
I have a relatively noddy question about travelling to/from central London.
I understand that there are three kinds of trains from Surbiton to Waterloo - fast, semi-fast and slow.
Given that the fast train is one of the best zone 6 - zone 1 connections, I imagine it's one of the reasons Surbiton is so popular. So here's my question:
Can you actually get on a train? I expect that in rush hour they'll be busy (and some will have come a considerable distance before they even get to Surbiton), but there's a big difference between (i) having to stand (even if a bit squashed) on a train all the way to London and (ii) having to let 1 or 2 or 3 (or more) trains go by because you can't actually get on them.
I've got visions of hundreds of commuters trying to get on a train at 8.30 in a morning and only a few being successful.
Or am I just being silly?
Any info on this gratefully received.
Thanks.
Comments
Not a silly question at all.
I commute from Surbiton to Waterloo every day. If you want to travel on a fast train that leaves between 7.30 and 8.30 there is very limited standing room. It is often uncomfortably crowded, but you should be 100% guaranteed of getting on the first train on a normal day.
The only times that I have not got on the first train is when there are serious signal/suicide problems leading to severe delays or the trains are running short formations (4/8 coaches instead of 12). To quantify, this has happened only once so far this year and perhaps three times last year.
After 8.30, standing room is more plentiful and you may even pick up a rare seat on a fast train, but it is worth noting that not so many of them are fast after this time.
Commuting from Surbiton isn't too bad, but probably going from Esher or Walton a bit further out would be better as you'd get a seat every time (although less trains per hour and a slightly longer and vastly more expensive commute)
My only worry is that this will not continue. South West Trains steadfastly refuse to stop more trains at Surbiton, and they have actually reduced the peak time trains that service the station over the years.
This problem is exacerbated by the explosion of new flats that are being built in the Surbiton area as well as further down the train line. Surbiton is a lovely area, but the vast majority of people who move here do so for the fast train link first and foremost. The area has been growing by at least 200 flats per year over the last 10 years and there are many more than that further out.
Earlsfield seems to be the first station on the line where it is difficult to get on the first train that comes in. Surbiton could get like that, but I don't think it will be for a few years yet.
That's extremely helpful. Thanks very much.
Do I take, by implication, that the slower trains are easier to get on than the faster ones?
I only work a 15 minute walk from Waterloo, so a fast train at 8.40ish would do me fine (or a slow one at 8.30).
I assume the position on the way back from Waterloo to Surbiton is the same - if you get a train during the rush hour(s), you probably have to stand up (and be squashed); and if you don't then you might get a seat.
As I said, extremely helpful stuff and means that if I can find myself a flat within a 10 minute walk from the station (evidently not in short supply, though not as cheap as a further walk), I could be at work in about 45 minutes (on a fast train). Not bad at all for a lovely riverside town in Zone 6!
With the great shopping in Kingston and the fast trains and the lovely riverside, I can see why Surbiton is a popular choice (notwithstanding some of the less than positive comments on this forum about the 'undesirable element' in the town - thought a lot of them seem to be several years old). Having lived within a stone's throw of Victoria station for longer than I'd like, I can't imagine Surbiton can be anything other than the most delightful breath of fresh air.
Thanks to everyone on the forum for their insightful comments on a variety of topics (most of which I have already read).
S
Hello, Welcome to Surbiton
A couple of points. IMO the 8.08 is probably the most popular train into town each morning. it is a 12 coach train and if you wait at the back then you'd be surprised out how often you can get a seat. if you don't - hey it is only 13 mins of standing till you are at Waterloo.
the points made about the return journey are true - the waterloo concorse when the platform comes up is like exodus.
My Girlfriend works in Grosvenor sq and her PB time from Surbiton to office (via bond st) is 29 mins. pretty amazing when you think about it.
my final point is - Surbiton station is an architectual gem. if you are forced to wait there for any reason - take a look around at the building - some authentic art deco details and the recent paint job make it look like a sugar lump beacon of home when it looms into view.
p.s for weeks after half term/ Christmas etc try not to buy your ticket on the day the queues can be irksome.
The slower trains are slightly less crowded, but still get busy because there are so few that stop at the intermediate stations during rush hour. If you are going to Waterloo, you'd be much better sticking to the fast trains.
It is indeed pretty much the same position getting back, although when you get to know which platforms the trains go from you will often get a seat because the trains are empty as they start from there. It is quite comical when a Surbiton train comes up on the departure board at rush hour, because half of the people on the packed Waterloo concourse start moving to that platform!
Again, even if you are not there right when the train is announced, you will still physically get on it as long as there are no signalling type delays.
The commute is certainly very good if you are within walking distance of Waterloo. I work with people from much closer in to central London who take longer to get to work than me.
I certainly hope that you enjoy living here, and I am sure that you will. There is an undesirable element in most towns, and I'd actually say it is much smaller in Surbiton than almost anywhere else I have been. I have lived here for years and never feel uneasy about walking around in the early hours of the morning if I am back late.
Websites like this are designed to a certain extent for people to vent their frustrations, so you will often see more about the bad news that the good. A lot of the problems can be traced back to the YMCA a couple of years ago, but that has really quietened down now even though the place itself is still there. There is one bar to avoid (opposite Waitrose) and other than that all seems great.
The only way to avoid this type of thing any more is to move to one of the more sterile, 'upper-middle class only' towns like Esher or Weybridge. Even then, there is a small element still going on, and you would miss out on the advantages of living in a slightly more mixed place.
it's surprising how good some free newspapers are
I go to work on a bicycle but as I go past Walton Rail Station I pick up THE METRO, a free newspaper for train buffs and it's great