How does everyone travel daily?

School runs in the car, train journeys to education or work, or any other regular trips you might make relying on the roads or transport system.

I would love to know how you get about, and roughly in which sort of direction, as I am trying something with a Twitter feed, which I hope will benefit locals, as well as people planning a journey to or through SE23.

I know there are accounts already out there, but I want to see if we can fine tune something based on the people engaging with it.

Just an idea, but feel free to share your thoughts and journeys.

for myself a train from FH to LB then the 521 bus or a walk if I am feeling energetic.

A 122 or 185 bus from Stop N to the station, then Southern to London Bridge. Reverse in the evening. Bus sometimes cut out for walking if there’s a wait.

14 steps down from kitchen to office … happy to report rare traffic issues, though occasional child pedestrian getting in the way

There is always a show off eh!

Cheers @Baboonery @Londondrz

Honor Oak Park Canada Water Canary Wharf

I’m one of the nutters at the Jubilee interchange, pegging it to the single downward escalator to avoid the scrum. I scowl furiously at the first person who breaks the “walk on the left” rule and causes a log-jam.

Takes about 25-30 mins door-to-door, depending on my position in the Canada Water scrum.

Most days a similar commute to @thirstforwine, though also Honor Oak Park to Westminster via Canada Water once or twice a week. Also, school run/childcare drop-off by shanks pony as required and cycle to various locations to pick up food supplies, via routes which optimise flattened contours and green surroundings.

I too like @thirstforwine & @Brett (BTW Brett was lovely meeting you & the kids at the weekend) have a very short walk to work each day. Sorry guys

Don’t envy you one bit there @anon5422159, that is a horrible horrible place, and it’s infrastructure really lacks! Canada Water I mean

@anon64893700 @anon5422159 And yet when the Overground first started it was empty during rush hour.

Canada Water was one of the biggest mistakes of the Overground development, I have to agree as we use it as an interchange regularly. In fact we hardly ever go to London Bridge anymore (especially without the Charing Cross interchange) - never thought I’d say that when it first opened.

Having gloated about my “commute” I do have to admit that I also occasionally, and in future more regularly, have to go to Stevenage (!) for the day, which means Overground all the way to Highbury & Islington, change for underground to Finsbury Park, then train to Stevenage - that’s a 1.5 hour each-way and £24 a day journey

Crazy isn’t it @Londondrz, can’t believe how quickly it’s taken off and outgrown itself.

The interesting part is, is there actually any scope there to improve things. Once you get down to the Jubilee line the space is incredible, just on the OG platforms it’s a total mess and lack of a way up and down between them.

We need a “FAST LANE”

Haha if only there were room for one of those.

Shanks pony or car for me when local. Overground, Underground Wombling Free when venturing into town.

OH is Overground all the way to Shoreditch High Street then a pleasant amble to Broadgate / Liverpool Street area. But relocating to Canary Wharf next year.

Kids: 3 buses to Streatham via Sydenham and Crystal Palace.

Lodger: Bus to Lewisham, mainline train to Bexley.

Blimey, wildly different journeys there.

Yes, I thought you’d like that!

Indeed, certainly makes my little project idea a little more interesting.

Moved to uncategorized for a wider audience for more feedback

After walking my boy to nursery, I tend to do Southern to LB in the mornings followed by a short hike over to Aldagate, returning in the evenings using the Underground/Overground from Aldate East via Whitechapel.

Forest Hill, Canada Water, Westminster. Sometimes London Bridge if I have spare time. I usually start and finish late so miss the worst of the rush hour, though the Canada Water escalator is never good at any time.

I tend to take these two routes:
10 minute walk to Sydenham. Slow train (c35 minutes) from Sydenham to Victoria. 3 minute walk to the office. This is may favourite route as I always get a seat.

5 minute walk to 75 bus stop at Dacres Road which I take to Penge East - it’s about a 10/15 minute journey depending on the traffic. Train to Victoria (c17 minutes). 3 minute walk to the office.

I got the train to London Bridge once as had to go to a meeting and I nearly cried. It’s so stressful and significantly busier than when I lived in FH in 2004 - 2009. It took me by surprise actually!

Train from Forest Hill to London Bridge, then 17 bus to Kings Cross. Bus takes longer than tube, but I hate the Northern line during rush hour.

As an aside, I usually take the 9:01 or 9:15 from FH to LB. On a Tuesday I get the 8:15 to LB. As I walk out the door on Tuesday the kids yell 'have fun on the happy train daddy’s. Sarcastic little buggers

This is an interesting thread… am still relatively new to the area so still trying out various commuting options to see which works best… am keenly reading everyone’s options! Very useful.

I try to avoid the Tube where possible… I just don’t like it when it’s crowded.

In the morning, I normally get the 06.45 or 06.54 from FH to LB. Then I take the 521 all the way to Aldwych… it takes forever but at that time of the morning it’s actually quite a pleasant trip… so I get into my office around 7.30-7.45 depending. I quite enjoy the morning commute… always get a seat and it’s quite pleasant.

However, I have yet to find a satisfactory journey in the reverse in the evening. When I am not doing something after work, I tend to leave the office around 4. If I try the reverse of the journey above, it can be really hit and miss. The 521 oddly doesn’t have a stop between the southside of Waterloo bridge and Holborn Tube station, so I walk to Holborn from the office (takes around 7 minutes); wait for a 521 which can take ages in traffic to get to LB and then, potentially, wait another 20 minutes for a train to FH.

Not as pleasant as the journey in.

Other options are get the District Line from Temple to Monument and walk over bridge to LB… haven’t actually tried that yet but a friend does it regularly and says it’s okay.

Or bus to Waterloo, Tube to Canada Water and Overground to FH. This is undoubtedly the fastest option home BUT The Tube will be rancid in the summer (if we ever get one)…

I think I may need to continue to do research for the elusive pleasant journey home option!!

Wow so this thread blew up a lot more than I was expecting. Thank you everyone for contributing towards this thread, and I am glad some have found it useful and informative too.

The next step really is for me to see what services offer the best information for everyones journeys (I’m sure some of you already follow some of these on Twitter) then use the (@)SE23travel Twitter account I have set up, and create a localised feed, rather than ALL areas that the service covers.
Add to that the ability for easy travellers to tweet into the account and share delays, issues etc which may not be being reported. These can then be RT’ed to followers too.

Hope that makes sense.
Just as a note, it’s not meant to be a definitive resource guaranteed to tell you everything, but more a combination of a social experiment and a localised user base informing other locals.

Cycle to work in Barbican via Peckham, Bermonsey and London Bridge - home via CS6 and Burgess Park -in the summer through Nunhead Cemetery

Train via National Rail and then walk
Overground to Whitechapel/Underground HC Line

Sometimes need to go to East Grinstead (change at East Croydon)

Very occasionally Northampton Overground to C Water/Underground G Park/Euston

usually wallk to Sydenham, Overground to Dalston Junction, then a 38 bus to Hackney, Mare St.
the wife usually takes the boy to nursery, so gets a bus up to Catford/Catford Bridge and then a train either to Blackfriars, or Cannon St?/London Bridge - and a walk to Southwark Bridge Road, right by the river. Sometimes she’ll go to Sydenham and then straight to London Bridge.

I used to go only to Whitechapel, and get a 254 bus, to avoid zone 1, but our office moved further north, so it’s now a lot quicker to go through to DJ, and bus back, but £50 a month more expensive!

185 bus from the fire station to halfway down Lordship Lane (about 30 mins), or 10 min walk to the Capitol and 176 to same destination. Fairly dull - and ridiculously crowded buses recently, even at 7:30 in the morning. Return journey in reverse!

Much more civilised to stay on the OG till Shadwell and use the DLR, rather than wait at Canada Water to squeeze on the 5th or 6th cattle truck to Canary Wharf. Very little in it time-wise.

Very interesting option there, thanks for sharing.

Right now 185 to Catford Bridge then Southeastern into Charing Cross. Im one of the ones anxiously waiting for the LB interchange to become available so i can just walk to Forest Hill.

I make a point of getting on which train comes first at forest hill. This means I usually go via Canada Water, which is faster. But sometimes I end up of a Southern train, which means I get a seat (usually 1st class, because it is doesn’t apply, and it makes me feel like I’m a rebel).
At LB or CW I change to the Jubilee line to get to Waterloo.

Changing at CW I go via the ticket hall to avoid the queues for the escalator. It isn’t really quicker, but I feel more like a human being.

Changing at London Bridge changed last week. My tip is not to follow the signs for Jubilee line but head for the Northern line and turn right in the underground ticket hall.

Coming home I have worked out the three minutes out of each fifteen that make it better to get off the Jubilee line at London Bridge. So depending on what time I leave the office I vary the route to save that precious 5 minutes between trains arriving at Forest Hill.

Looking forward to August to test the new line to Waterloo East.

Keep being a rebel Michael!

#SuitsYouSir

Re London Bridge, thanks for this @Michael do you mean go to Northern Line down the stairs on the outdoor concourse, once you come out of the mainline rail station? How much time does it save? I found my long walk via Tooley Street in the rain quite frustrating this morning. Especially after the 20 minutes of delays whilst the driver discovered that the red signals around HOP were faulty.

Rather than going round Tooley Street, when you get off the train at London Bridge go straight ahead. There is a pelican crossing with Network Rail staff with loud hailers shouting for people to remain/cross. Once you cross this little road (Joiner Street) keep going straight on down an escalator into the Shard Arcade and follow signs for the Northern Line, but when you arrive at the tube station you just find the Jubilee line gates to your right.

It is very easy but they don’t want you to know about this route because if everybody knew, it would be too crowded. So can we keep it as our little secret?

A master of subliminal messaging, our @michael

I don’t know what you mean. I’m just trying to offer people a different route which is easier. If people don’t like it that’s fine, they can easily switch back to their preferred route the following day. I’ll even say sorry.

There is no financial cost of trying it out. You can also take it from me that this is a route used by others, including me, and the implications of taking this route are entirely predictable and risk free.

… whereas if people were to change their route today it would be irreversible and might lead to the destabilisation of the transport network as a whole for future generations?

Thanks - v helpful.

Aaaannnnnddd utter chaos this morning at FH train station… I arrived as usual for the 06.54 train to LBG only for it to show “Delayed”… then the 7.10 was on time… which kept getting later and later and then also changed to “Delayed”… followed by a slew of cancellations and more delays… for some reason all the Overground ones seem to stop at New Cross gate (or maybe I just had bad timing)… anyway, I gave up at 07.20 and got a bus into town instead… took forever but at least I got into work… only a mere 2 hours after I left the house!

The joys of the disruption rain can cause eh Doesn’t sound like it was a good morning out there at all for many.

It was bad this morning.