Soton Central or Eastleigh to Waterloo commute...

[benjii]

Hello Saints fans.

 

I would be interested to hear of the experiences of people who commute to Waterloo from Soton Central (or Parkway - same train) or Eastleigh and arrive at around 09:00. In particular, how reliable is the service? Is it often late or, in fact (despite grumblings), is it actually fairly reliable?

 

I have some decisions to make over the next few months and your feedback is much appreciated.

 

Not sure if I can post again today so please don't take a failure to respond as rudeness on my part - I will reply when I can!

 

Thanks.

[Hatch]

I go into Waterloo from Shawford ( free parking!).

 

They are usually fairly good, or they were last year anyway, there has probably been as many delays this year already as there was in the whole of last year.

 

All in all it's a thumbs up from me.

[ooh it's a corner]

don't do Eastleigh, you'll take forever to get there.

 

Parkway is easier to get to, particularly if Eastleigh is an option, but the parking is expensive. I live in Highfield and frequently head to London. For me, its a taxi to Central and get the 7.30 which arrives Waterloo about 8.45 generally very reliable.

 

If you do get on at Central you guarantee getting a seat, the same cannot be said of getting on at Parkway, and if you get on at Winchester (which the Eastleigh train would route you to) you'll probably get a seat 50% of the time.

 

I hate the trains back, always busy from 3pm onwards. If you have the joy of running onto a train 20 seconds before it departs Waterloo, praising your own athleticism with your final bound, the joy is immediately cut short with the realisation that you will standing up until Winchester.

 

I appreciate everyone is in a different boat, I have friends and relatives that commute every day, some on mega bucks (£150k +) which they would never earn in Southampton, others on £50-60k which you could earn in Southampton.

 

Not sure what the season ticket is these days - £4.5K ? - which means you need to be paid £7k ish to break even. Add a big wedge to that for the buggerance factor.

 

For me, I've been happier earning 10k less in Southampton rather than face the commute.

 

But each to his/her own....

 

:-)

Edited 24 January, 2012 by ooh it's a corner
typo

[Gemmel]

Most days benji from Soton central, I think there are a few others on the board as well. In truth they are pretty reliable, but then they ******* should be really given the cost.

 

Can't guarantee the air quality in carriage 3 on a Monday morning though

[benjii]

I go into Waterloo from Shawford ( free parking!).

 

They are usually fairly good, or they were last year anyway, there has probably been as many delays this year already as there was in the whole of last year.

 

All in all it's a thumbs up from me.

 

Cheers, hopefully just a bit of new year lethargy then and nothing indicating a new trend!

 

don't do Eastleigh, you'll take forever to get there.

According to this - http://ojp.nationalrail.co.uk/service/timesandfares/ESL/WAT/tomorrow/0700/dep - it's 1hr 20 from Eastleigh to Waterloo as opposed to 1hr 12 mins from Parkway. A monthly season ticket is also about £30-40 cheaper so it seems like a better option altogether?

Parkway is easier to get to, particularly if Eastleigh is an option, but the parking is expensive. I live in Highfield and frequently head to London. For me, its a taxi to Central and get the 7.30 which arrives Waterloo about 8.45 generally very reliable.

I will aim to live within short walking distance from wherever I commute from but thanks for the tip anyway!

 

If you do get on at Central you guarantee getting a seat, the same cannot be said of getting on at Parkway, and if you get on at Winchester (which the Eastleigh train would route you to) you'll probably get a seat 50% of the time.

 

I hate the trains back, always busy from 3pm onwards. If you have the joy of running onto a train 20 seconds before it departs Waterloo, praising your own athleticism with your final bound, the joy is immediately cut short with the realisation that you will standing up until Winchester

Noted - and I've experienced this on business trips before.

 

I appreciate everyone is in a different boat, I have friends and relatives that commute every day, some on mega bucks (£150k +) which they would never earn in Southampton, others on £50-60k which you could earn in Southampton.

 

Not sure what the season ticket is these days - £4.5K ? - which means you need to be paid £7k ish to break even. Add a big wedge to that for the buggerance factor.

 

For me, I've been happier earning 10k less in Southampton rather than face the commute.

 

But each to his/her own....

 

:-)

 

See below comments!

 

Eastleigh is 15 mins slower but generally quieter, so can be better sometimes. Nothing worse than seeing the train pull up already full. Used to get a seat at parkway easily enough though. Not too bad on times, probably delayed once or twice a week out of the 10 journeys. But obviously you get some days where the delays are just mental. I've had a couple of 4 or 5 hour journeys.

 

Cheers.

 

I wouldn't recommend long term commuting to anyone, its stressful. Mainly that feeling of leaving work and having a huge journey ahead. I didn't mind the mornings, you get to sit and read for ages before work, rather than having that instead work feeling when you wake up. I used to work late and get a quieter train home too as I couldn't stand the 530-630 waterloo carnage.

The reality is that I will rarely be out of the office in time to get the train before 7ish anyway so I'm hoping the return journey will generally be ok. But cheers.

 

Then there's the fares. it went up £11 a week a year ago. The women laughed a bit embarrassed when she told me and said 'is that alright'. As if I had a choice. Think it was about £122 per week. Some weeks i'd stay in London so avoided getting monthly. If you can commit to a whole year it's cheaper obviously but then you have that feeling of knowing you have a year of it!

 

As for money, depends on your situation here if it's good value and worth continuing. I mean, if you could afford somewhere decent in london for the price of your rent + train fares then it's a better option. Still I've commuted up there for internship work before, so basically I paid £450 per month to work! Didn't feel much better off in my last job either despite the 50 hours a week! See below comments!

 

Most days benji from Soton central, I think there are a few others on the board as well. In truth they are pretty reliable, but then they ******* should be really given the cost.

 

Can't guarantee the air quality in carriage 3 on a Monday morning though. Cheers. Noted. If I see you on the platform I will keep moving along

 

Appreciate the comments. The situation is that I am starting a new job in London (evidently!). I have loads of friends in London and loads of friends in Soton so could happily live in either. But, I would like to buy a property. I don't have enough deposit to get anywhere decent in London but could get somewhere perfectly nice in Soton/Eastleigh and be left with a monthly mortgage payment which, when added to my train ticket, isn't much more than what my friends who live anywhere nice in London pay in rent each month.

 

Given the property market is currently depressed and rentals are on the up it seems more prudent to buy somewhere and bite the bullet(train).

 

I also have a relocation allowance which has to be used by end of 2012/13 tax year and it seems a waste not to use that as it can be applied tax-free to things like legal fees and acquiring new white goods.

 

I just don't fancy the idea of pouring £800 a month (or whatever) down a rental black hole when I won't get a better chance to buy a property for years.

 

Appreciate all the comments.

[Saintandy666]

Trains can be good and bad. Cross countries trains I find are often late... but other times good, but I find they are most often late! Though I have to say Cross Country down from Birmingham last weekend was excellent in its time keeping!

 

It did make me laugh though, the other week when I was in Oxford, and the two trains before mine back to home(first great western) were late/cancelled, one because of an irreversible fault and the other one because it was waiting for a driver! And my train was late.

[qwertySFC]

Awful - Better off getting a bicycle - at least you can get a seat

[toofarnorth]

Why dont you look to get a place somewhere in between London and soton. I know quite a few people around basingstoke way where they have a shorter/cheaper commute and its only 30 minutes down to soton.

[JackanorySFC]

Trains can be good and bad. Cross countries trains I find are often late... but other times good, but I find they are most often late! Though I have to say Cross Country down from Birmingham last weekend was excellent in its time keeping!

 

It did make me laugh though, the other week when I was in Oxford, and the two trains before mine back to home(first great western) were late/cancelled, one because of an irreversible fault and the other one because it was waiting for a driver! And my train was late.

 

Jeez, you have to comment on every thread don't you? He was asking about commuters experiences.... Anyway, I digress!

[Hatch]

Who on here does commute every day to Waterloo then..

 

You might be lucky enough to meet me!

[JackanorySFC]

I commuted from Southampton Parkway for 6 years (just stopped now).

 

Eastleigh is a no go. Forget what that thing you copy and pasted says it's 1hr 6mins from Parkway (using the 07.08 as an example, it gets in at 08.14), the fact it only stops at Winchester means it gets priority over the Eastleigh train that stops everywhere and the seats are thinner (5 abreast as opposed to 4) with rubbish drop down tables – seriously after 6 years little things like this get pretty important!

 

Not sure what time you start work but I’d recommend getting an earlier train, I swapped to the 06.38 from SP a couple of years ago, much quieter, never trouble getting a seat and meant my journey across London was pretty stress free (I even swapped to Thames Clipper rather than tube when the sun was out). Yes you have to get up earlier but when your getting up at that time anyway, an extra 30 minutes in bed doesn’t hurt anyone (and it might increase your chances of an early finish if your boss notices you getting in early most days).

 

I also rode by bike most days and took it on the train and rode to work – saved me a fortune and good for the old fitness regime.

 

All in all it isn’t too bad, but a means to an end. I’ve managed to find a job here that I can leave at 8.30 and be at work for 9, after my years of commuting this is heaven! Also you’ll get wound up by the constant:

 

Smarmy Cockney type: “So san, where do you live then?”

You: “Savampton mush”

SCT: “Faaakin ‘ell, that must be a mission getting to and from work?”

You; (for the 20th time that week…) “Actually it’s not THAT bad, only 2hrs door to desk…. etc etc etc”

 

After a while you just want to have a “Falling Down” moment and kick off shouting “ your right, I f***ing hate it, train was late again today and after 40 minutes waiting on a freezing platform I had to sit next to a fat lump that had Coldplay in their headphones just loud enough so I could hear thus preventing me from sleeping, but do it so I don’t have to live with ***s like you in this crime infested hell hole!”

 

To be fair they are rarely late but when they are, and you’ll know it that moment you walk into Waterloo to see it rammed with people forlornly staring at the info’ boards, it’s really really bad!

 

Stay away from the wierdo’s that sit in their own section (front carriage next to disabled bogs usually) every day having “cake parties” or , wine out of paper cups and generally making a noise. Quiet carriage with a few cans of Heineken Export for me!

 

Good luck.