GOOD trains to London

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Discussion

rlw

3,321 posts

236 months

Wednesday 16th January 2008
quotequote all
Not what you are looking for but I have been commuting from Bromley for 10 years now all over London. Walk to station - 5 minutes - train to Victoria - 17 minutes - tube anywhere - max 20 minutes even up to Wood Green - so a worst case commute of about 50 minutes door to door. Not as many trains as there used to be though - when we first moved there were 16 an hour between 8.00 and 10.00.

215cu

2,956 posts

209 months

Wednesday 16th January 2008
quotequote all
Beaconsfield to Marylebone.

Very nice part of the world, Beaconsfield New Town is a bit of a dump but it's all relative (it's still very nice).

About 50 minutes from there to Marylebone.

Can recommend Denham Green as well, not a bad part of the world either. Also very well connected for M40/A40 & M25.

About 35 minutes from there.

Also it's Chiltern Line, the most punctual service to London apparently.

Hereward

4,134 posts

229 months

Wednesday 16th January 2008
quotequote all
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.

loafer123

15,404 posts

214 months

Wednesday 16th January 2008
quotequote all

Another vote for Kent.

I go from Hildenborough (one stop up from Tonbridge) even though I live near Tunbridge Wells, because it is just as quick (and more fun) to drive it, and park outside the station, rather than driving into a town, parking and walking to the station.

NiceCupOfTea

25,280 posts

250 months

Wednesday 16th January 2008
quotequote all
Those villages around Tonbridge and Sevenoaks are lovely and are the places I'd choose to live if moving outside the M25. As it is I'm in Bromley and would agree that it's a pretty good mix of easy commuting into London with a greener feel to it. Some stations (Beckenham Junction & Bickley to name two) have easy parking in the nearby roads for free!

It really does beggar belief that the government want us all on trains but provide no easy or cost-effective way of parking at the station!

Olf

11,974 posts

217 months

Wednesday 16th January 2008
quotequote all
pikey said:
5pen said:
Tonbridge is a hadily placed because it is where two main lines join and consequently trains are reasonably frequent. You get a good choice of London Terminus too - London Bridge, Waterloo East, Charing Cross and Cannon Street are all well served and some trains will only stop at Sevenoaks in between. I go to Cannon Street which takes about 45mins in the morning and a bit less in the evening - knock off 5 mins or so for London Bridge.
This sounds really useful and I haven't considered it yet. Thanks - I will browse!
Lets be fair. Tonbridge is a bit of a weird one. You have to visit it to understand. Everything points to it being good... but.

The villages around are lovely, Hildenborough is nice but there are nicer places.

okgo

37,859 posts

197 months

Thursday 17th January 2008
quotequote all
I dont know what your budget is..

But what about woking? walton? esher? surbiton that kind of area.. they are on the hole not that cheap, but any kind of house can be had, from spanked out flats, to village homes.. And all within 30 mins to waterloo..

Surbiton being 16 ish?

Basingstoke ( where I write this from ) is ok also, theres some nice bits OUTSIDE of basingstoke, but on the whole I would prefer to look at guildford over there much nicer place.

NiceCupOfTea

25,280 posts

250 months

Thursday 17th January 2008
quotequote all
pikey, moving so soon after your loft extension? eek

forsure

2,118 posts

267 months

Thursday 17th January 2008
quotequote all
One or two have mentioned 'First Capital Connect'.

A useful service, but:
It uses rolling stock that's now 20 years old. It's all being lightly refurbished, but no new trains on order.
No air-con, no high-back seats.


oyster

12,577 posts

247 months

Thursday 17th January 2008
quotequote all
Is it me or do most posts to this thread have little to do with answering the OP's question, and more to do with encouraging one more resident in your area and so raising your house's value by 50p?

OP says:
Parking at station needed

PH'er response:
I don't know about parking as I walk to the station


OP says:
Need to get to Canary Wharf via London Bridge

PH'er response:
My train goes to Victoria. My train goes to Paddington. My train goes to Charing Cross...... and so on and so on.


OP says:
45mins max to London Bridge

PH'er response:
7.08 arrives 8.20.... and similar



FFS rolleyes

Dr Imran T

2,301 posts

198 months

Thursday 17th January 2008
quotequote all
Fats25 said:
As already said - Tonbridge and surrounding is good.

Originally from Medway with a 50 min commute - which I hated at the time but in hindsight was good. Although you have to be choosey with your areas in the Medway towns!

Moved to Crowborough - Just over the hour - but you would be anmazed how much that extra 10/15 mins pisses you off on a daily basis.

Now live in Kings Hill (West Malling) - train is awful into the city - so I ride every day - but location for living is excellent for me. Everything I need and love it here. Could drive to Paddock Wood or Tonbridge in 15 mins though.

In Kent - Sevenoaks and Tonbridge are probably best commuter places, and still far enough away from London with good villages around.
Good points there. I used to live in greenhithe kent, the quick trains were about 40 mins or so but there was a regular service into london...
Make sure you pick a place that has a regular service and not just a quick train every now and again.
Also take into acc. that usually during peak times the trains are quicker. The late trains back to greenhithe used to stop at most stations and thus was a lot longer than the peak time trains.
Kent is a lovely place to live, if you can try and get a place where you can walk to the station and not have to worry about parking..

Dr Imran T

2,301 posts

198 months

Thursday 17th January 2008
quotequote all
you can get Southeastern trains from london bridge - some of the trains stop at Greenwhich which has a DLR station. From Greenwhich you can get the DLR to C. Wharf.
If you look at areas on the gillingham/gravesend line then you may not even have to go into central london to get to canary wharf...

I.e - greenhithe - Greenwhich - change at Greenwhich for DLR and then straight over on the DLR to Canary wharf.

Try looking at Bexley village smile

NiceCupOfTea

25,280 posts

250 months

Thursday 17th January 2008
quotequote all
oyster said:
Is it me or do most posts to this thread have little to do with answering the OP's question, and more to do with encouraging one more resident in your area and so raising your house's value by 50p?

OP says:
Parking at station needed

PH'er response:
I don't know about parking as I walk to the station


OP says:
Need to get to Canary Wharf via London Bridge

PH'er response:
My train goes to Victoria. My train goes to Paddington. My train goes to Charing Cross...... and so on and so on.


OP says:
45mins max to London Bridge

PH'er response:
7.08 arrives 8.20.... and similar



FFS rolleyes
So what's your contribution to the thread?

Surely it's better to have some replies that may or may not be of some use (at least describing an area and station if not the parking) than a completely empty thread?

pikey

Original Poster:

7,698 posts

283 months

Thursday 17th January 2008
quotequote all
Vixpy1 said:
Some nice villages around Reading, however Reading itself is a dump.
Oooh yeah. I used to work for DIGITAL a loooong time back. Fun days though - I had the same car as you back then smile

pikey

Original Poster:

7,698 posts

283 months

Thursday 17th January 2008
quotequote all
rlw said:
Not what you are looking for but I have been commuting from Bromley for 10 years now all over London. Walk to station - 5 minutes - train to Victoria - 17 minutes - tube anywhere
No, not really. 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.

pikey

Original Poster:

7,698 posts

283 months

Thursday 17th January 2008
quotequote all
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?

pikey

Original Poster:

7,698 posts

283 months

Thursday 17th January 2008
quotequote all
Olf said:
Lets be fair. Tonbridge is a bit of a weird one. You have to visit it to understand. Everything points to it being good... but.

The villages around are lovely, Hildenborough is nice but there are nicer places.
Err... ok. Not been there - didn't even know it existed smile

May have a drive round this weekend

moleamol

15,887 posts

262 months

Thursday 17th January 2008
quotequote all
The Virgin service from Wigan is quite nice in First Class, might be a bit fr though. wink

pikey

Original Poster:

7,698 posts

283 months

Thursday 17th January 2008
quotequote all
okgo said:
I dont know what your budget is..
Sorry, private but is healthy enough to allow me to consider most options.
okgo said:
But what about woking? walton? esher? surbiton that kind of area.. they are on the hole not that cheap, but any kind of house can be had, from spanked out flats, to village homes.. And all within 30 mins to waterloo..
Yeah, I've kept my eye on Woking and surrounding areas as that's the one that keeps coming up. Interested to hear of others "my train's great!" stories though. Surbiton isn't different enough from where I am right now.


pikey

Original Poster:

7,698 posts

283 months

Thursday 17th January 2008
quotequote all
NiceCupOfTea said:
pikey, moving so soon after your loft extension? eek
hehe Yes! And bloody nice the end result is too. We love it! Good thing is that the all estate agents agree say the amount it's put on the house's value is way above what it cost (financially... not in stress!!).