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Liphook Rail link Bus - Art Woodhouse (17th Dec 2008 - 21:55:44) Can anyone please explain to me the raison d'etre of the Liphook Rail Link Bus. Being a simple uncomplicated soul I thought it was to meet the train? Well silly me. Maybe the "couldn't give monkeys uncle" attitude of the train staff on the trains (I accept Dave in the ticket office is a diamond) has rubbed off on them. The thing is that the 6.15pm train leaves London late most days (unless of course I am late getting to waterloo and it leaves on time). The driver makes no effort ever to make up the time so often as not the train arrives at Liphook - typically 7.15pm instead of the timetabled 7.11pm and so just as the bus is due to leave!! Now included in the timetable is a statement that in the event of the train being late the bus can and must wait 5 minutes. So that gives me to 7.20pm to get off the train and onto the bus. Tonight we arrived at 7.18pm and of course the bus had gone giving me an hours wait!! Now the bus journey takes only a half hour and as it leaves every hour the bus driver has a chance to put this feet up in the warm for the other half hour whilst I'm stamping my feet to keep warm outside in the cold night air. I have complained now about this so many times to SWT who systematically refer my complaint to the bus garage who in turn write me a nice letter assuring me it wont happen again and then of course it does!!!

Re: Liphook Rail link Bus - Dawn Hoskins (18th Dec 2008 - 09:40:55) Hi Art, I sympathise with you. Dave is the only thing related to ‘service’ that is dispensed from Liphook station. Passfield is very poorly served as our choices to get to the station in the morning are ‘zero’ in my opinion. 1) walk on a dark road with no paving and no street lights the 3 miles to the station – NO! 2) be driven all around Whitehill, Greatham Bordon etc’ in order to get to Liphook station on the circular bus route – making sure you get on at least one hour before your train is due because that is how long it takes – NO! 3) Drive in and pay £4:20 every day to park – NO! There is of course the fabulous No:13 bus service. I use the word service with caution as I’m not sure which member of the public it can serve? Does it run at weekends – NO; does it run in the afternoon/evening – NO; does it run before school starts – NO; do you investigate it by getting the bus to Alton and then get bloody stranded in the High Street with heavy bags of Christmas shopping and no means whatsoever of getting home – YES you flaming well do! Well – stuff being environmentally friendly then!!! It is one of the reasons that so many ‘Liphookonians’ choose to drive the extra distance to Haslemere – where although there is no transport home (no difference) there is frequent trains – unlike Liphook which is either bypassed or involves a 15 minute stationery wait on the platform beforehand. Hence, revenue at Haslemere has gone up considerably [see shiny new bridge etc] and Liphook continues to fall [see staff hours reduced and continued lack of investment]. What really makes me laugh is the Government banging on about ‘sustainable development’ and ‘sustainable transport’. The new housing estates in Passfield were passed on the grounds that there was a bus service into Liphook and a Post Office! Ha Ha. Still Art, unlike me, you still have a job to commute to. At this moment in time I would give anything to be hanging around on a cold platform - as at least that would mean I had a job to go to.

Re: Liphook Rail link Bus - Art Woodhouse (18th Dec 2008 - 10:53:40) I congratulate you Dawn. Your rant knocked spots off mine!!! It ernough to drive me to drink. Obviously the Railway Hotel at Liphook station whilst I wait the hour for the bus.

Re: Liphook Rail link Bus - John Wingfield (18th Dec 2008 - 15:26:04) Hi Dawn, As a regular reader of your daily column in the Liphook Post i beg you, please do not leave us in the air like this; what happened to your job ? Good luck,John ...

Re: Liphook Rail link Bus - Stephen (19th Dec 2008 - 13:40:05) Solution - bicycle.

Re: Liphook Rail link Bus - Dawn Hoskins (19th Jan 2009 - 14:14:22) John, give me your e-mail if you really want to know, otherwise I'm not putting my lifestory up here!! Regarding the bicycle option: Although I don't mind the idea of coming home cold, wet and covered in road salt and muck, the idea of starting the day in that sorry state is not appealing. Also, the Passfield Road is a blinking disaster zone for cyclists. Unlit and no pavement and a very narrow road that is constantly sped along. I see bikes getting carved up EVERY day. So, thanks but no thanks.

Re: Liphook Rail link Bus - Stephen (20th Jan 2009 - 09:36:49) Well now we know that if you have time to kill waiting for the bus you can always go over to the car park for some "fun".

Re: Liphook Rail link Bus - Dawn Hoskins (20th Jan 2009 - 11:06:22) Mmmmm I must say that I have never seen any car bouncing or window steaming going on. I must have been walking to my car with blinkers on!! I am too far out of my youth to find it a) attractive b) physically possible!!!

Re: Liphook Rail link Bus - Melanie (23rd Jan 2009 - 14:03:52) On the plus side, when I was not well a couple of weeks back, but had foolishly attempted to get to work, the lovely bus driver of the rail link service was kind enough to give me a lift back to The Square to save me the full walk back home, when I realised I was in no fit state to be going anywhere except back to bed.

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