Residents are reporting problems parking in Effingham Junction station car park, as it is now mainly full from Tuesday to Thursday from mid-morning. The surface of the car park and the entrance are also poor. These problems will only worsen when the planned 295 new houses are built in the village in the next few years.
South Western Trains are undertaking a rolling programme of station car park improvements www.southwesternrailway.com/plan-my-journey/planned-improvements/car-park-improvements
A second floor (or deck) are being added to many station car parks where expansion on the ground floor is impossible as at Effingham. Farnham station’s car park was decked in 2016 although it is a larger car park than Effingham. As reported in GetSurrey here in November 2016.
Effingham Junction’s station car park has recently been surveyed by South Western Trains. EFFRA has been advised that the car park is more likely to be considered for improvement and expansion if residents are known to be in favour. We would welcome the views of residents as to whether expanding the car park would be a good idea or not, and will pass on the views of residents to South Western Trains.
I recall that a while ago the Council suggested developing a car park on the nearby Common ostensibly for the use of residents wanted to use the Commn’s facilities. Luckily this was objected to as we all realised it would be a back door way of providing additional station parking. The latest suggestion of a 2-tier parking facility has its merits as parking at Effingham station is now really horrendous. However, the height of any structure and its visual impact on the Common would need to be considered, also access to the car park, as traffic levels at the bridge and T-junction during the peak morning period is already bad fron around 7.50 am and will worsen if more people take advantage of the additional parking provided.
Annus Horribilis? NO not a disastrous year, but a DISASTROUS Wednesday morning.
It was my wife’s 80th Birthday on Monday 19th November and a gathering of family for lunch was arranged for Wednesday 12-30pm in central London.
Family traveled from Eastbourne – Norfolk and France. We decided to take the train to Victoria from Leatherhead as we thought Effingham Station carpark would be very busy.
My wife and I left Effingham for Leatherhead at 10-45am giving us plenty of time to park and catch our 11-20am train to Victoria. We arrived at Leatherhead Station carpark at 10-55am to find EVERY 227 parking spaces FULL.
We drove a short distance to Randalls Road municipal carpark. EVERY 226 spaces were FULL. We then drove to Church Road carpark. EVERY 48 spaces were FULL. Off to Station Road carpark. EVERY 99 spaces were FULL.
In desperation we drove to the SWAN CENTRE carpark 337 spaces. Unfortunately four hour parking limit.
We drove back to Effingham and tried the Effingham Station carpark. 188 spaces FULL. We drove to Bookham and as luck would have it two spaces out of 61 were available.
Yes, we were late for lunch, but old and wise enough not to let our travel problems spoil this special occasion.
The point I am making. What is going to happen when the Berkeley Homes and possibly Church Road developments are complete? Another possible 350 / 600 cars looking for parking spaces at local stations.
Yes, it really will be a ANNUS HORRIBILIS ( Year’s ahead ) not morning.
Yesterday 4th December 8-55am took my wife to Effingham Station. Noticed two parking spaces left!!!
Extra capacity would be welcomed and is long overdue. Many travelling are unable to find a space after the early morning commuters have parked. This will worsen considerably for commuters and day time travellers when the planned extra homes are built in the next few years around our village, not to mention the extra housing planned in neighbouring villages who will also use Effingham Junction Station. A second level of parking is welcomed. The entrance would also benefit from some attention please!
Juliet, Pleased to read your interesting views. A point my wife made. With very limited bus services to the station from the village how can residents get to the station. If I’m not available to take her then at 80 what other options has she apart from taxis? Perhaps we should be campaigning for regular bus services to the station?
For a short while a couple of years ago the 479 route was changed to pass Effingham station – this was a great Idea as it served more people in Horsley as well. If this was reinstated it would surely encourage some commuters to use it (assuming it turned up!)
Second tier makes sense – plus improvements to entrance/exit which is a nightmare for traffic in and out just before/after bridge – especially when cars/buses park in bus layby and block sight. Then there will need to be a plan for cars from any future Wisley development!!!!!!
Before any extra tier is built they need to sort out the entrance road and make this into a genuine two-lane slip, so cars entering the station are not held up by those exiting. At the moment this is potentially very dangerous as cars queuing to turn right into the station cause a hazard for cars behind them.
Two tiers might help for a while but if Wisley goes ahead it will be full again almost immediately. The answer has to be sustainable public transport and safe cycle routes to / from Effingham.
Effingham Junction car park at the moment is a disgrace. There’s an abandoned car there which hasn’t been moved all year. Large puddles still form to catch out the unwary where overhead lights aren’t working.
The state of the car park is appalling ,especially given the charges that you have to pay .The entrance /exit is dangerous especially now the early darkness and bad weather have set in . It needs to be two way .
The two tier sounds like a good option which is worth exploring.
I have commuted for the last 23 years from Effingham station. It’s always been busy. All comments made already stand. Improved two way exit/entrance, another tier, pot holes repaired, proper drainage etc.
In addition Horsley, Cobham, Leatherhead, Oxshott stations all have taxi ranks, EJ does not, so provision for taxis would help lessen demand for parking places.
The car park already spills out onto the main road and cannot cope with current demand. I am in favour of both improving and enlarging the car park.
As we are to expand as a village its imperative that the infrastructure tries to stay ahead. This means the car park at Eff Junc must be expanded.
First, this MUST NOT be an excuse to develop the common.
Second, the entrance road must be made safe and converted to a proper two way road in and out of the car park and consideration given to a redesign of the junction with effingham common road
Third we must accommodate better conditions and incentives for people to take their bikes, encourage more use of public transport to and from the areas of housing expansion and add a small taxi rank at the station
Fourth, the only option to expand the car park is to dig down or install an extra above ground level, please do not develop the common.
Quite apart from car parking difficulties the access for disabled travellers going to
London is a disgrace. All the money spent revamping the station a few years ago but not a thought given to disabled access. In
fact it was worse after the revamp.
Iris Watts