Attention: Please take a moment to consider our terms and conditions before posting.
St Pancras International to Charlton station
ElfsborgAddick
Posts: 29,470
Can somebody please help with this.
I am convinced that you cannot travel direct to Charlton from St Pancras and you must change at London Bridge. Am I correct?
My friend is certain that you can.
0
Comments
-
You are incorrect. There are direct trains to Charlton from St Pancras11
-
You can, Thameslink.
3 -
Thameslink trains run a direct half hourly service from St Pancras International via Charlton towards Rainham.3
-
Call yourself a Charlton fan??ElfsborgAddick said:Can somebody please help with this.I am convinced that you cannot travel direct to Charlton from St Pancras and you must change at London Bridge. Am I correct?My friend is certain that you can.51 -
Thanks all, I used nationalrailcouk and was adamant it was not possible.
I thought I knew my way around the rail network.0 -
Indeed by connecting Gillingham with Luton, it's the perfect journey to take grumpy northerners on, the sort who thinks the south of England has all the prosperity...clive said:Thameslink trains run a direct half hourly service from St Pancras International via Charlton towards Rainham.6 -
I suspect that whatever direction you were travelling, you’d get out at the other end and wonder if you’d actually left! 😱😉killerandflash said:
Indeed by connecting Gillingham with Luton, it's the perfect journey to take grumpy northerners on, the sort who thinks the south of England has all the prosperity...clive said:Thameslink trains run a direct half hourly service from St Pancras International via Charlton towards Rainham.7 -
The only excuse is the OP has been abroad for too long. A truly embarrassing thread that the vast majority would wish not to be associated with.14
-
I was convinced you could not go direct and you'd have to change at London Bridge.swords_alive said:The only excuse is the OP has been abroad for too long. A truly embarrassing thread that the vast majority would wish not to be associated with.
You're being too kind with allowing me an excuse
3 -
Sponsored links:
-
That used to be the case but it changed a few years ago.ElfsborgAddick said:
I was convinced you could not go direct and you'd have to change at London Bridge.swords_alive said:The only excuse is the OP has been abroad for too long. A truly embarrassing thread that the vast majority would wish not to be associated with.
You're being too kind with allowing me an excuse1 -
Changed when the bermondsey flyunder opened and now it is not possible to travel down the greenwich line to charing cross direct (change at london bridge) but you can travel to Luton and bedford. yay.0
-
I imagine you didn't select St Pancras International rather than St Pancras on the journey planner.ElfsborgAddick said:Thanks all, I used nationalrailcouk and was adamant it was not possible.
I thought I knew my way around the rail network.
Thameslink trains are sometimes victims of weekend engineering works.1 -
Bedford/luton train1
-
Call yourself a Charlton supporter? 🚂1
-
It's one of the things that attracted Nathan Jones to the club.Alwaysneil said:Changed when the bermondsey flyunder opened and now it is not possible to travel down the greenwich line to charing cross direct (change at london bridge) but you can travel to Luton and bedford. yay.5 -
Eventually I found the serviceWeegie Addick said:Call yourself a Charlton supporter? 🚂 0 -
Can't do it direct from bloody Eltham though, can ya?
Not being able to get down to Ebbsfleet in 20 minutes from my sister's adds two effing hours to a Eurostar run.
Still there is at last talk of a competitor to Eurostar with Ebbsfleet and Ashford maybe re-opening as a result.
3 -
Agree - losing Eurostar from Ebbsfleet is a terrible decisionPragueAddick said:Can't do it direct from bloody Eltham though, can ya?
Not being able to get down to Ebbsfleet in 20 minutes from my sister's adds two effing hours to a Eurostar run.
Still there is at last talk of a competitor to Eurostar with Ebbsfleet and Ashford maybe re-opening as a result.
2 -
It is also quite murky. Here are some things about that line that people may not know.Lordflashheart said:
Agree - losing Eurostar from Ebbsfleet is a terrible decisionPragueAddick said:Can't do it direct from bloody Eltham though, can ya?
Not being able to get down to Ebbsfleet in 20 minutes from my sister's adds two effing hours to a Eurostar run.
Still there is at last talk of a competitor to Eurostar with Ebbsfleet and Ashford maybe re-opening as a result.
1. The actual line, known as HS1 (although the owners are trying to 're-brand' it, I can't be arsed to look up what their new name is) is entirely private. It is not controlled by Network Rail. It sub-contracts Network Rail to get the expertise that it doesn't have in-house. Why doesn't it have that expertise? Because it's a consortium, the biggest shareholder is South Korean pensioners.
2. Because it is completely private, it can set track access fees (which Eurostar and any rival must pay) as high as it likes, and nobody can do anything about it, other than scream. In recent months the screaming has finally paid off, and as a result some new companies are looking at it. But you won't see anything before 2030 earliest.
3. However that's only half of the problem. When the train reaches the Tunnel it is on someone else's property. That company is Getlink, in which the French government has a juicy stake. It has its own charges and also sets the "safety parameters". You can't run any old train through the Tunnel. It has to be high speed otherwise it slows down the others. That much is normal. But all kinds of other conditions have been set, it means that nearly all the TGV or ICE-type trains running around Europe are not permitted in the Tunnel. All this has helped preserve Eurostar's monopoly.
4. The French government also kept its stake in Eurostar. See how that works? Eurostar was merged with Thalys, which in turn is part of State-owned SNCF. It is that lot which refuses to bring back services to Ebbsfleet/Ashford. They argue that they are concentrating on "core services" to "maximise yield". They also have a point in that the British government during Covid shovelled money into ll the private operators running national services but refused to help Eurostar. These things are not easily forgotten.
Successive British governments held stakes in the Tunnel, HS1 and Eurostar. It sold its interests in all. The French government didn't. And here we are. Sky high prices and two stations sitting doing nothing.
This country has made stupid transport decisions all my life. All the more baffling when it also invented the commercial railway.19 -
Sponsored links:
-
people in Kent got what they voted for1
-
A very good overview of this particular problem and highlights something that I have tried to impress on people for a good while. I've worked in the rail Industry since 1974, it was privatised in 1988, but, I and my colleagues worked under Labour and Conservative governments, both starved the railways of cash and Margaret Thatcher believed it would a good idea to convert railway lines into roads. The point of my post is that, if you think that a Labour Government will be any different to previous governments you are wrong, I've never voted Conservative but when it comes down to this particular public service, whatever government is in power, they will take out more than they invest. You can add quite a few other privatisations and sell offs to the list, Dartford Crossing, The Water industry, the energy sector, right to buy, all were sold to give money to the treasury with no regulation put in place to govern investment and serve the people.PragueAddick said:
It is also quite murky. Here are some things about that line that people may not know.Lordflashheart said:
Agree - losing Eurostar from Ebbsfleet is a terrible decisionPragueAddick said:Can't do it direct from bloody Eltham though, can ya?
Not being able to get down to Ebbsfleet in 20 minutes from my sister's adds two effing hours to a Eurostar run.
Still there is at last talk of a competitor to Eurostar with Ebbsfleet and Ashford maybe re-opening as a result.
1. The actual line, known as HS1 (although the owners are trying to 're-brand' it, I can't be arsed to look up what their new name is) is entirely private. It is not controlled by Network Rail. It sub-contracts Network Rail to get the expertise that it doesn't have in-house. Why doesn't it have that expertise? Because it's a consortium, the biggest shareholder is South Korean pensioners.
2. Because it is completely private, it can set track access fees (which Eurostar and any rival must pay) as high as it likes, and nobody can do anything about it, other than scream. In recent months the screaming has finally paid off, and as a result some new companies are looking at it. But you won't see anything before 2030 earliest.
3. However that's only half of the problem. When the train reaches the Tunnel it is on someone else's property. That company is Getlink, in which the French government has a juicy stake. It has its own charges and also sets the "safety parameters". You can't run any old train through the Tunnel. It has to be high speed otherwise it slows down the others. That much is normal. But all kinds of other conditions have been set, it means that nearly all the TGV or ICE-type trains running around Europe are not permitted in the Tunnel. All this has helped preserve Eurostar's monopoly.
4. The French government also kept its stake in Eurostar. See how that works? Eurostar was merged with Thalys, which in turn is part of State-owned SNCF. It is that lot which refuses to bring back services to Ebbsfleet/Ashford. They argue that they are concentrating on "core services" to "maximise yield". They also have a point in that the British government during Covid shovelled money into ll the private operators running national services but refused to help Eurostar. These things are not easily forgotten.
Successive British governments held stakes in the Tunnel, HS1 and Eurostar. It sold its interests in all. The French government didn't. And here we are. Sky high prices and two stations sitting doing nothing.
This country has made stupid transport decisions all my life. All the more baffling when it also invented the commercial railway.4 -
I've made the trip from St Pan to Charlton a few times, much easier then the deafening Northern Line tube to Lnd Br etc3
-
Make sure you check before doing this journey at the weekend as the stretch between london bridge and st pancras is often closed which leads to a v tedious northern line section between kings x and london bridge.I checked and this northern line section is required this weekend for instance.0
-
An alternative might be one stop on the Met Line to Farringdon and the Lizzie to Woolwich. Plenty of buses back to The Valley from just across the road or a stroll if you’re up to it.Alwaysneil said:Make sure you check before doing this journey at the weekend as the stretch between london bridge and st pancras is often closed which leads to a v tedious northern line section between kings x and london bridge.I checked and this northern line section is required this weekend for instance.4 -
https://www.thetimes.com/uk/transport/article/train-ticket-prices-europe-fall-third-v75khn6lc?utm_source=SailthruPragueAddick said:Can't do it direct from bloody Eltham though, can ya?
Not being able to get down to Ebbsfleet in 20 minutes from my sister's adds two effing hours to a Eurostar run.
Still there is at last talk of a competitor to Eurostar with Ebbsfleet and Ashford maybe re-opening as a result.
Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane, which owns 30% of Avanti West Coast one of the operators looking at giving Eurostar competition. Trains direct to Milan, Marseille & Lyon, but also looking at using Ebbsfleet & Ashford. Branson’s Virgin Trains and a start up - Genesis - also interested. Not expected before 2029 though.1 -
Lincsaddick said:I've made the trip from St Pan to Charlton a few times, much easier then the deafening Northern Line tube to Lnd Br etc
Plus avoiding the long walk once inside the stations.
2 -
making your way from London Bridge tube to LB BR and vice versa is a marathon trek (only minimal exaggeration)ElfsborgAddick said:Lincsaddick said:I've made the trip from St Pan to Charlton a few times, much easier then the deafening Northern Line tube to Lnd Br etc
Plus avoiding the long walk once inside the stations.2 -
Agreed, I have a rest half way.Lincsaddick said:
making your way from London Bridge tube to LB BR and vice versa is a marathon trek (only minimal exaggeration)ElfsborgAddick said:Lincsaddick said:I've made the trip from St Pan to Charlton a few times, much easier then the deafening Northern Line tube to Lnd Br etc
Plus avoiding the long walk once inside the stations.2 -
There's no evidence of that. Indeed during her time in office a lot of lines were electrified. BR itself tried to close the Settle and Carlisle line, but this was refused by the government (a young Portillo being the transport minister involved).Bailey said:
A very good overview of this particular problem and highlights something that I have tried to impress on people for a good while. I've worked in the rail Industry since 1974, it was privatised in 1988, but, I and my colleagues worked under Labour and Conservative governments, both starved the railways of cash and Margaret Thatcher believed it would a good idea to convert railway lines into roads. The point of my post is that, if you think that a Labour Government will be any different to previous governments you are wrong, I've never voted Conservative but when it comes down to this particular public service, whatever government is in power, they will take out more than they invest. You can add quite a few other privatisations and sell offs to the list, Dartford Crossing, The Water industry, the energy sector, right to buy, all were sold to give money to the treasury with no regulation put in place to govern investment and serve the people.PragueAddick said:
It is also quite murky. Here are some things about that line that people may not know.Lordflashheart said:
Agree - losing Eurostar from Ebbsfleet is a terrible decisionPragueAddick said:Can't do it direct from bloody Eltham though, can ya?
Not being able to get down to Ebbsfleet in 20 minutes from my sister's adds two effing hours to a Eurostar run.
Still there is at last talk of a competitor to Eurostar with Ebbsfleet and Ashford maybe re-opening as a result.
1. The actual line, known as HS1 (although the owners are trying to 're-brand' it, I can't be arsed to look up what their new name is) is entirely private. It is not controlled by Network Rail. It sub-contracts Network Rail to get the expertise that it doesn't have in-house. Why doesn't it have that expertise? Because it's a consortium, the biggest shareholder is South Korean pensioners.
2. Because it is completely private, it can set track access fees (which Eurostar and any rival must pay) as high as it likes, and nobody can do anything about it, other than scream. In recent months the screaming has finally paid off, and as a result some new companies are looking at it. But you won't see anything before 2030 earliest.
3. However that's only half of the problem. When the train reaches the Tunnel it is on someone else's property. That company is Getlink, in which the French government has a juicy stake. It has its own charges and also sets the "safety parameters". You can't run any old train through the Tunnel. It has to be high speed otherwise it slows down the others. That much is normal. But all kinds of other conditions have been set, it means that nearly all the TGV or ICE-type trains running around Europe are not permitted in the Tunnel. All this has helped preserve Eurostar's monopoly.
4. The French government also kept its stake in Eurostar. See how that works? Eurostar was merged with Thalys, which in turn is part of State-owned SNCF. It is that lot which refuses to bring back services to Ebbsfleet/Ashford. They argue that they are concentrating on "core services" to "maximise yield". They also have a point in that the British government during Covid shovelled money into ll the private operators running national services but refused to help Eurostar. These things are not easily forgotten.
Successive British governments held stakes in the Tunnel, HS1 and Eurostar. It sold its interests in all. The French government didn't. And here we are. Sky high prices and two stations sitting doing nothing.
This country has made stupid transport decisions all my life. All the more baffling when it also invented the commercial railway.
The key reason why Eurostar trains don't stop at Ashford and Ebbsfleet is Brexit, which makes any international stops massively more expensive to operate, with teams of border and custom officers required.
It's also made serving other international destinations in the EU much less attractive too, as you'd need all this security infrastructure, which also takes up a lot of space, just to serve a couple of London trains a day.0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XdHvieEpSk&ab_channel=HansR.deVries
