[RichHI1]

I hope it does all go to Siuthern and we an end to First Group on the Thameslink service.

[Age_of_Reason]

I recall that things were never better between Victoria and Gatwick than when there was two competing services, head-to-head. But that was abolished to sweeten the privatisation.

What’s needed is an open-access path from ECML north of Stevenage to Gatwick with stategic connecting stops only, run by someone pro-active and customer-dependent like Grand Central

[RichHI1]

No problem with that. I personally believe a grand central type secondary franchise should get Victoria Gatwick Brighton. Then you wiuld have real competition. As long as First Group leaves the picture.

[TimFitzgeraldTC]

First Group are indeed awful and would happily have any other operator. LPPS Krisflyer – indeed – not far off Network SouthEast. Would be great to get that back! Southern aren’t terrible but they need to get rid of the “Express” Stock which is totally unfit for purpose on the Gatwick Express service and not very nice on the Brighton Express.

Back to the original point – KGX does look good. But the one thing that greatly frustrates me with all stations now, especially when coming off intercity trains having checked tickets is that you then have to go through the barriers – a pain when travelling with luggage and shows contempt for those who do pay – especially when staff don’t want to open gates for you. I can’t think of anywhere else in Europe where they gate so often on IC Trains. Very poor way to treat customers.

[Age_of_Reason]

Barriers – indeed an excellent reason for more through-trains and cross-platform connectivity

[Bunnahabhain]

Haven’t seen the new concourse yet, was last there on the weekend before it opened, but hopefully it will ease the notorious congestion that others have mentioned. The main factor with departures is they simply don’t allow boarding soon enough by displaying the platform on the board. Often the platform is already shown (and correctly so as it turns out) on the iPhone UK train times app, and it’s not rocket science to work out which train is going where or at least narrow it down to two. It also causes panic boarding as people rush to get on and into seats, the very people who have been standing on the concourse for the last half hour. The train has been sitting for some time since its last arrival, and cleaning etc has long been completed, so what’s the problem allowing boarding say from 30 minutes before departure for those who have the time? It has always been particularly noticeable at KX with the small concourse, as opposed to the likes of Euston and Paddington where no doubt the same boarding procedure from the 1800s rule book is in place.

At least KX commuters don’t have to suffer the truly abysmal terminus experience that is Glasgow Queen St – think old KX with a choir of 6 Turbostars belching out fumes and decibels right in your face.

[ReprievedSoul]

An impressive range of ales… in a £550m terminal station…. to appease the millions of delayed passengers who will waste time there?

[Author]

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