GOOD trains to London

Author
Discussion

princeperch

7,911 posts

246 months

Thursday 17th January 2008
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sday12 said:
Can believe noone has mentioned 'one' service to Stratford, DLR/Jubilee to Canary Wharf

50 minutes from Shenfield, outside M25, parking, within 15 minutes of countryside. House prices expensive though.

If you are looking for around an hour to East London seem the best option.
Stratford is fast into London, but having spent a fair amount of time in Stratford unfortunately,it wouldn’t be in the top ten places to live in my book...


Fatbloke

396 posts

279 months

Thursday 17th January 2008
quotequote all
Epsom

SWT to Waterloo 30 mins, Clapham Junction 22 mins

SE to Victoria 35 Mins, Croydon 20 Mins
SE to London Bridge direct 45 Mins

Close to the M25 and A3

Lots of new property, decent enough shops.

pikey

Original Poster:

7,698 posts

283 months

Thursday 17th January 2008
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furtive said:
Pikey - you are me. We've been working on this exact problem for a couple of years now and are no closer to deciding where to move to. And we have schools to consider as well, which makes the move even harder. I've even got a spreadsheet of commute times!

So once you've done all your homework, let me know what you decide and why tongue out
biggrin .. but perhaps not quite the same!

Well one of our 'complications' (if that makes sense) is we don't have specific enough requirements. We're getting married this year and not intending to have kids for a few years after.. but even then it'll be a few more years before needing schooling. So should we pick something 'sensible' with space and around good schools... or should we go for something quirky and interesting on the basis that in 5 years we'll probably want to move anyway?

We started by looking at 'sensible' but are coming round to going for something just for us. Bit like buying a 997 rather than a Volvo I suppose smile

For example, this kinda thing doesn't have many bedrooms or huge kitchen, but does have a pretty funky living room:


Lots of choice but still don't quite know what though - hence prioritising the commuting in the selection process.

Who knows? Having no timeline is a major plus biggrin

pikey

Original Poster:

7,698 posts

283 months

Thursday 17th January 2008
quotequote all
Fatbloke said:
Epsom

SWT to Waterloo 30 mins,
That's a goodie. Not thought of that. Can you comment on Le Parkinggg?

NiceCupOfTea

25,280 posts

250 months

Thursday 17th January 2008
quotequote all
Epsom has a big multistorey in the middle of it but it's not frantically cheap frown

(isn't it still inside the M25?)

I understand your reasons for moving outside the M25. If you want to get the country feel but still remain close to London then I still think Kent is your best bet. Surrey is prime stockbroker belt and is expensive and crowded. There is a shortage of stations directly south (nothing between Oxted and Sevenoaks along the A25 line) but if you plan carefully you can live in the middle of nowhere only 15 mins from a station. I'd definitely be looking around there. In fact, when we were mid-buying our current house in Bromley last summer I was having sinful thoughts about living somewhere else eek.

Maybe in a few years when our travel requirements can be a little more flexible.

Hereward

4,134 posts

229 months

Thursday 17th January 2008
quotequote all
pikey said:
Hereward said:
I would echo the positive comments made about Southern Railways, who serve the South Coast via Surrey into Victoria and London Bridge. Been using them daily for nearly 3 years and have no complaint.

I commute daily from Surrey into Victoria. Plenty of parking at 3 quid a day 4 mins walk from station. I always get a seat on the 0700 in the morning. Plenty of trains to choose from that pass through the East Croydon hub.
Sorry, but from which station is that?
Coulsdon South; 25 mins to London Bridge, 30 mins to Victoria.

Edit; and it's in zone 6, so nice and cheap. Plus there's a local branchline station (Smitham) if the main line is screwed.

Edited by Hereward on Thursday 17th January 11:28

Olf

11,974 posts

217 months

Thursday 17th January 2008
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Pikey,

The school thing is a funny one. I know people who are moving from houses they are perfectly happy in because of a lack of decent state schools. They don't seem to twig that the cost of moving at that end of the market could pay private school fees for quite some time. It's worth thinking about...

pikey

Original Poster:

7,698 posts

283 months

Thursday 17th January 2008
quotequote all
Olf said:
Pikey,

The school thing is a funny one. I know people who are moving from houses they are perfectly happy in because of a lack of decent state schools. They don't seem to twig that the cost of moving at that end of the market could pay private school fees for quite some time. It's worth thinking about...
Good point and goes both ways - already raised by our kid-bearing friends. We've factored those into our costs.

Thing is who knows where we'll be in 5 years time? I could be working in Burger King or my plans to become a multi gazzillionaire could have come to fruition (unfortunately there's bit of a hole in that plan at the moment - I only have the end goal so far!!) smile

fido

16,752 posts

254 months

Thursday 17th January 2008
quotequote all
pikey said:
Fatbloke said:
Epsom

SWT to Waterloo 30 mins,
That's a goodie. Not thought of that. Can you comment on Le Parkinggg?
Pfft .. more like 35 minutes - as i'm about to find out in a mo - but you do get 2 sets of trains (1 to Waterloo and London Bridge/Victoria) so rarely have i found myself hailing a cab midst tube/train disruption.

Nuggs

4,640 posts

233 months

Thursday 17th January 2008
quotequote all
pikey said:
Nuggs said:
yesI'm on that line. I commute Haywards Heath-London Bridge every day.

The trains are punctual and clean (although pretty packed by the time they get to HH).

Parking at HH station shouldn't be a problem.
Ahhh, hello wavey

There have been quite a few places around there we have been looking at which have the commuting as a 'drive to HH'. So you reckon parking's ok, but will have to stand?

We were also looking at a place another stop up, Balcombe. Looks nice, but I suspect not enough trains so when there is a stopping train, it'll be rammed.
The 7.13's good for seats.

Balcombe can be okay, depending on train. You really need to work regular hours for it to work as not all trains stop at Balcombe.

pdV6

16,442 posts

260 months

Thursday 17th January 2008
quotequote all
pikey said:
It's got to be outside the M25 really.

We're currently in the Greenwich area which is fine for commuting (for us), but we yearn for countryside and have made the decision to endure worse commuting to have this.
Sounds like the villages in the Sevenoaks area are a good bet, then.

My BiL has moved out to Sevenoaks and works in Canary Wharf. He's 5 minutes walk from the station and yet at the end of his road is open farmland.

page3

4,912 posts

250 months

Thursday 17th January 2008
quotequote all
pmanson said:
Leighton Buzzard where I live (and commute) into Euston from (well that's what I keep telling myself anyway! hehe Some very nice areas nearby if you want the quiet village thing - Soulbury, Heath & Reach etc
Are the trains punctual? Do you usually get a seat?

trooperiziz

9,456 posts

251 months

Thursday 17th January 2008
quotequote all
page3 said:
pmanson said:
Leighton Buzzard where I live (and commute) into Euston from (well that's what I keep telling myself anyway! hehe Some very nice areas nearby if you want the quiet village thing - Soulbury, Heath & Reach etc
Are the trains punctual? Do you usually get a seat?
Trains used to be very punctual when they were silverlink, slipping a bit now they are london midland.
99% of the time get a seat on the 7:58 which gets into Euston at just after 8:30. Always get a seat on the return leg if you are willing to turn up to Euston 10 mins early and wait on the direct train, jumping on a train with 2 minutes to go will mean standing up for half an hour.


pmanson

13,374 posts

252 months

Thursday 17th January 2008
quotequote all
trooperiziz said:
page3 said:
pmanson said:
Leighton Buzzard where I live (and commute) into Euston from (well that's what I keep telling myself anyway! hehe Some very nice areas nearby if you want the quiet village thing - Soulbury, Heath & Reach etc
Are the trains punctual? Do you usually get a seat?
Trains used to be very punctual when they were silverlink, slipping a bit now they are london midland.
99% of the time get a seat on the 7:58 which gets into Euston at just after 8:30. Always get a seat on the return leg if you are willing to turn up to Euston 10 mins early and wait on the direct train, jumping on a train with 2 minutes to go will mean standing up for half an hour.
Not had any problems until this morning when the 7:58 was a couple of minutes late. I've been getting the 7:47 which gets into Euston at about 8:20. Had to stand both ways on Monday but i've had a seat ever since on both legs.

O/T Trooper are you about for a beer tonight? GBBird and I are getting the 5:55(ish) train home and stopping in LB town for a couple of beers if you fancy joining us?

Edited by pmanson on Thursday 17th January 14:11

trooperiziz

9,456 posts

251 months

Thursday 17th January 2008
quotequote all
pmanson said:
trooperiziz said:
page3 said:
pmanson said:
Leighton Buzzard where I live (and commute) into Euston from (well that's what I keep telling myself anyway! hehe Some very nice areas nearby if you want the quiet village thing - Soulbury, Heath & Reach etc
Are the trains punctual? Do you usually get a seat?
Trains used to be very punctual when they were silverlink, slipping a bit now they are london midland.
99% of the time get a seat on the 7:58 which gets into Euston at just after 8:30. Always get a seat on the return leg if you are willing to turn up to Euston 10 mins early and wait on the direct train, jumping on a train with 2 minutes to go will mean standing up for half an hour.
Not had any problems until this morning when the 7:58 was a couple of minutes late. I've been getting the 7:47 which gets into Euston at about 8:20. Had to stand both ways on Monday but i've had a seat ever since on both legs.

O/T Trooper are you about for a beer tonight? GBBird and I are getting the 5:55(ish) train home and stopping in LB town for a couple of beers if you fancy joining us?

Edited by pmanson on Thursday 17th January 14:11
I would tell you were to stand on the platform to virtually guarantee a seat, but then you'd nick mine wink

I'd love a beer tonight, but unfortunatley i'm up in Newcastle at the moment!


pmanson

13,374 posts

252 months

Thursday 17th January 2008
quotequote all
trooperiziz said:
pmanson said:
trooperiziz said:
page3 said:
pmanson said:
Leighton Buzzard where I live (and commute) into Euston from (well that's what I keep telling myself anyway! hehe Some very nice areas nearby if you want the quiet village thing - Soulbury, Heath & Reach etc
Are the trains punctual? Do you usually get a seat?
Trains used to be very punctual when they were silverlink, slipping a bit now they are london midland.
99% of the time get a seat on the 7:58 which gets into Euston at just after 8:30. Always get a seat on the return leg if you are willing to turn up to Euston 10 mins early and wait on the direct train, jumping on a train with 2 minutes to go will mean standing up for half an hour.
Not had any problems until this morning when the 7:58 was a couple of minutes late. I've been getting the 7:47 which gets into Euston at about 8:20. Had to stand both ways on Monday but i've had a seat ever since on both legs.

O/T Trooper are you about for a beer tonight? GBBird and I are getting the 5:55(ish) train home and stopping in LB town for a couple of beers if you fancy joining us?

Edited by pmanson on Thursday 17th January 14:11
I would tell you were to stand on the platform to virtually guarantee a seat, but then you'd nick mine wink

I'd love a beer tonight, but unfortunatley i'm up in Newcastle at the moment!
Standing by the blue foot bridge (I thin that's what it is) on the LB platform seems to be working well for me.

I think a Thursday beer may become a regular occurance (possibly in Euston) so let me know when your about. How's the move going?

trooperiziz

9,456 posts

251 months

Thursday 17th January 2008
quotequote all
pmanson said:
I think a Thursday beer may become a regular occurance (possibly in Euston) so let me know when your about. How's the move going?
Move is going very slowly! Regular Thursday beer sounds ideal, my whereabouts are completely dependant on the client, but hopefully the next long term gig will be in London.


GreatGranny

9,097 posts

225 months

Thursday 17th January 2008
quotequote all
Couple of nice houses in Hascombe Surrey, the village looks very nice, Milford 3 miles away, just over 50 mins to Waterloo. Parking at Milford £4.30 per day. Sorry no idea on reliability of this line but its probably been mentioned previously.

Kermit power

28,634 posts

212 months

Thursday 17th January 2008
quotequote all
pikey said:
Fatbloke said:
Epsom

SWT to Waterloo 30 mins,
That's a goodie. Not thought of that. Can you comment on Le Parkinggg?
I would second Fatbloke's recommendation.

Quite a few of the trains in from Epsom actually start at Epsom, so you can be certain of getting a seat on them. There are 6 an hour into/out of Waterloo in rush hour, and they generally run punctually.

If you have to drive, then you have the option of the bloody expensive NCP car park 20 seconds from the station, or alternatively, park in Hook Road multistorey, which is about a 5 minute amble, and costs £3.50 per day, or £14.10 weekly.

Alternatively, you could drive to Ewell West station (about 400 yards from my house) and park in the large station car park there for £4.30 a day. This is one stop further in, so your journey is something like 60p cheaper, and 32 minutes instead of 35, but there are only 4 trains an hour rather than 6, and this only runs in to Waterloo, although it does stop at Vauxhall, so you get good connectivity with the Victoria line as well.

In terms of location, yes, it is inside the M25 (by about 3 miles) but that has never been a problem for us, as there are plenty of little lanes across the downs that get you outside it with minimal hold ups, and you're right on the edge of the Surrey Hills around Dorking.

Tomasz

125 posts

209 months

Thursday 17th January 2008
quotequote all
Coventry.

No, really.

No, really!

One hour on the train into Euston, 25 mins from there to Canary Wharf, you'll save so much money on house prices the high (have no idea how much) train fare will be a pittance.