I think the secret to getting on the train quickly was simply going round the outside, and wandering straight to the front as there were no barriers preventing such cheek.
I didn't even clock people doing it until about an hour in, wondering where these people were just sweeping in from!
Alternative was to just wander down Lines D and E and cut in at the front!
I did see one staff member, wandering through, no loudspeaker just casually listing stations, but not giving any idea of what line, timings or anything.
ps my pal did the same as you. Left after me and got on a train first. He even managed to get a seat, but was on a slow one, and ended up getting back after me. Right merry game of soldiers.
Gallows humour when the "Haddenham only" announcement near the front was met with tonnes of people strolling through. Never knew we had such a high Haddenham contingent!
I would complain to Chiltern if I thought for one second it would meet with anything but a cut & paste reply. Nothing will change, it’s not worth your time.
Having caught DB trains in Germany, it’s clear that UK trains are just a bit of free money for the state railways of Europe who run many of them. They don’t give a toss and why would they?
They made me bin (or the drink there option) my bottle of Coke. Luckily having sacrificed one they did not check my bag for a two for one supermarket option! I never got the take the cap off option. I thought the food and booze in the stadium was okay.
An attendant at a German station apologised having told me the train would arrive in three minutes when it arrived in four. In my language not his of course.
Living in Little Chalfont, wife and I took the tube to Wembley and returned the same way. Got back to Little Chalfont after the final whistle quicker by ten minutes than going to Adams park for a home game by car. When we get to Wembley again suggest driving to Amersham or any station on the Met. Line. £2.15p each way on a Oyster card. Not trying to be smug, just suggesting a alternative route.
Had to wait nearly 2.5 hours in the queue to get a train back to Wycombe, barely moved for the first 90 minutes but once we got into the abysmally signed queues (signs a few feet off the ground) it started to progress.
What with the high prices, authoritarian rules, petty stewarding and poor signposting to the station itself, I hope we don't have to visit that stinking hellhole again for some time.
I was stuck in the big queue for a while until I realised I needed to be in Queue B for later trains to Birmingham, as I was parked at Warkwick Parkway. So after a few minutes of getting from the right side of the queue to where the entrance to Queue B was, I was able to walk straight to the front,
None of the stewards checked our ticket, just asked where we were going so if you had said you were going to any of the stations between Bicester North and Birmingham, you would have got on the train to Birmingham Moor Street and been able to stop off at Wycombe.
My brother returned home to Aldershot via Wembley Central and at one point I thought he was going to get home before I even got on the train, but I had just reached Banbury due to the valid queue jump.
Queueing issues. So. Bridge and queues not part of Chiltern Rail (not our responsibilty)
15000 supporters So. We had as much capacity as we could (not our fault)
The announcements So. Made by a speaker system, due to noise levels (so many supporters at a football match) the announcements couldn't be heard and as it's a residential area we cannot increase the volume (not our fault)
Limited train lengths because the Wembley Stadium platforms aren't long enough (so not our fault)
Limited available stock on this date (so again not our fault)
Presumably if there had been injuries as a result of people having to stand on the paced trains that would be...(not our fault)
if the train is longer than the platform, isn’t it possible to drop off passengers in the front carriages, move forward and drop off the rest. Need in-train announcement of course on arrival to prevent panic at the back!
You'll get a full refund if you didn't use the ticket - I got one when I decided I'd rather not board an absolutely rammed train after lockdown easing this time last year
To be fair they are usually good with compo. I assumed there would be a thousand excuses in this case so did not bother. What irritated me was the claim in the website of a direct train from Aylesbury.
Having learned from the Southend game and an England game since, we drove and paid to park on someone’s driveway near the North Circular/Harrow Road. 30 minutes drive from CSP and 25 minutes walk to the stadium. 3 people and £20 for parking.
It’s not ideal and I would prefer to use public transport but I also remembered massive queues for Wembley Park tube when following Forest to Wembley several times in the 1980s. I think we also had football specials originating at Wembley Park in those days also, but that may be fantasy?
I have a business associate who lives around 300yds south of the stadium. It’s a 15 minute walk around the railway line.
From leaving the stadium it took me about 50 mins to get to Flackwell Heath via his house. I left at 5.30 once the boys had left the pitch and Sunderland had lapped the pitch
Lots of his neighbours rent out gardens and driveways at £20 a pop. Cost me two bottles of wine.
Another suggestion is to drive to Ickenham (only 10 mins away from the A40). Plenty of free street parking or £3 parking at the car park. Then its a £1.80 single (£3.60 return) for the 20 min tube to Wembley Park. On the way out, you are far enough away from Wembley not to get caught in the traffic.
Comments
We took food in in our bags not hiding it. They took the caps of the drinks bottles but gave us the full bottles back - all v strange
I think the secret to getting on the train quickly was simply going round the outside, and wandering straight to the front as there were no barriers preventing such cheek.
I didn't even clock people doing it until about an hour in, wondering where these people were just sweeping in from!
Alternative was to just wander down Lines D and E and cut in at the front!
I did see one staff member, wandering through, no loudspeaker just casually listing stations, but not giving any idea of what line, timings or anything.
ps my pal did the same as you. Left after me and got on a train first. He even managed to get a seat, but was on a slow one, and ended up getting back after me. Right merry game of soldiers.
Gallows humour when the "Haddenham only" announcement near the front was met with tonnes of people strolling through. Never knew we had such a high Haddenham contingent!
I would complain to Chiltern if I thought for one second it would meet with anything but a cut & paste reply. Nothing will change, it’s not worth your time.
Having caught DB trains in Germany, it’s clear that UK trains are just a bit of free money for the state railways of Europe who run many of them. They don’t give a toss and why would they?
Still, privatisation is always good, right?
They made me bin (or the drink there option) my bottle of Coke. Luckily having sacrificed one they did not check my bag for a two for one supermarket option! I never got the take the cap off option. I thought the food and booze in the stadium was okay.
It's to stop people chucking a full bottle, standard practice at all grounds isn't it?
An attendant at a German station apologised having told me the train would arrive in three minutes when it arrived in four. In my language not his of course.
Living in Little Chalfont, wife and I took the tube to Wembley and returned the same way. Got back to Little Chalfont after the final whistle quicker by ten minutes than going to Adams park for a home game by car. When we get to Wembley again suggest driving to Amersham or any station on the Met. Line. £2.15p each way on a Oyster card. Not trying to be smug, just suggesting a alternative route.
Had to wait nearly 2.5 hours in the queue to get a train back to Wycombe, barely moved for the first 90 minutes but once we got into the abysmally signed queues (signs a few feet off the ground) it started to progress.
What with the high prices, authoritarian rules, petty stewarding and poor signposting to the station itself, I hope we don't have to visit that stinking hellhole again for some time.
Seems it is, my more worldly wise young friend brought a spare bottle cap with him to apply after the original was chucked away.
If you want to get your money back btw... https://www.chilternrailways.co.uk/contact-us
They were actually extremely quick (lol) last time I had to get a refund off them
I was stuck in the big queue for a while until I realised I needed to be in Queue B for later trains to Birmingham, as I was parked at Warkwick Parkway. So after a few minutes of getting from the right side of the queue to where the entrance to Queue B was, I was able to walk straight to the front,
None of the stewards checked our ticket, just asked where we were going so if you had said you were going to any of the stations between Bicester North and Birmingham, you would have got on the train to Birmingham Moor Street and been able to stop off at Wycombe.
My brother returned home to Aldershot via Wembley Central and at one point I thought he was going to get home before I even got on the train, but I had just reached Banbury due to the valid queue jump.
Reply from Chiltern Rail today. Monday
Queueing issues. So. Bridge and queues not part of Chiltern Rail (not our responsibilty)
15000 supporters So. We had as much capacity as we could (not our fault)
The announcements So. Made by a speaker system, due to noise levels (so many supporters at a football match) the announcements couldn't be heard and as it's a residential area we cannot increase the volume (not our fault)
Limited train lengths because the Wembley Stadium platforms aren't long enough (so not our fault)
Limited available stock on this date (so again not our fault)
Presumably if there had been injuries as a result of people having to stand on the paced trains that would be...(not our fault)
Interesting
“So, sit down & shut up, you ninnies.”
if the train is longer than the platform, isn’t it possible to drop off passengers in the front carriages, move forward and drop off the rest. Need in-train announcement of course on arrival to prevent panic at the back!
Potential health and safety issues?
Nephew who was at the match got back quicker to university at Cardiff than I did home to Aylesbury!
I've stuck in a complaint and compo claim, doubt I'll get anywhere though. Just wanted a moan about their pathetic excuse for a service really.
You'll get a full refund if you didn't use the ticket - I got one when I decided I'd rather not board an absolutely rammed train after lockdown easing this time last year
To be fair they are usually good with compo. I assumed there would be a thousand excuses in this case so did not bother. What irritated me was the claim in the website of a direct train from Aylesbury.
Having learned from the Southend game and an England game since, we drove and paid to park on someone’s driveway near the North Circular/Harrow Road. 30 minutes drive from CSP and 25 minutes walk to the stadium. 3 people and £20 for parking.
It’s not ideal and I would prefer to use public transport but I also remembered massive queues for Wembley Park tube when following Forest to Wembley several times in the 1980s. I think we also had football specials originating at Wembley Park in those days also, but that may be fantasy?
Doing the same this weekend for Forest…COYR!
£20 for parking?!
That’s Wembley prices on match days.
It is, but you paid £20 to park on someone's drive over a mile away!?
Parked at Hillingdon Station = £3.
Return journey on Underground = £3.60
Walked straight on to a train at Hillingdon; after the game, walked straight on to a return train at Wembley Park. Had a seat in both directions.
Home quicker than I would have been from AP.
I have a business associate who lives around 300yds south of the stadium. It’s a 15 minute walk around the railway line.
From leaving the stadium it took me about 50 mins to get to Flackwell Heath via his house. I left at 5.30 once the boys had left the pitch and Sunderland had lapped the pitch
Lots of his neighbours rent out gardens and driveways at £20 a pop. Cost me two bottles of wine.
Ditto using Chalfont and Latimer but cheaper as I have a senior railcard attached to my Oyster card.
Another suggestion is to drive to Ickenham (only 10 mins away from the A40). Plenty of free street parking or £3 parking at the car park. Then its a £1.80 single (£3.60 return) for the 20 min tube to Wembley Park. On the way out, you are far enough away from Wembley not to get caught in the traffic.