How long is too long - London commute?

[goldpendant]

Hi fellow Londoners,

Looking for a bit of perspective on commuting, mine has always been an easy train ride into Waterloo and a short walk, but I'm at second stage interview for a job that would put my commute up to 1hr 15mins with numerous changes (think bus, tube, bus).

It's a bit much right?

But say I really wanted the job, do people move within London for jobs? We love where we are (SW), a move a bit further north to say Chiswick or Kew would make it manageable, but that means new schools, new house etc, a huge upheaval for a job.

Thoughts please? Should I just accept that it's a pig commute if I'm offered it, or would this wear you out and you'd decline if offered? Disclaimer, I don't really like commuting and expect to need to be in at least 2-3 days a week.

Your original journey as described I wouldn't do, even two or three days a week : a three stage commute with two of the stages being buses is a recipe for misery.

But as a pp said, you can get to Clapham from Kingston then to shepherds Bush from Clapham quick enough.

From there I'd nip round the corner to the other shepherd's Bush station (shepherds Bush market I think?) and go to Latimer road that way. It's still the tube so more frequent than buses and avoids dicing with death cycling through shepherds Bush.

I think 1 hour 15 mins would be tolerable if it involved no changes (or one, max). It’s the trudging round between platforms and up and down escalators that would become tiresome really fast. But if you could just get on and read, it’d be quite nice, especially if only 3 days a week.

You might find that going and returning from work are very different. For me, going to work was much, much easier than returning. It involved three tube changes and a bus. Or two tube changes, a train and a bus. Returning, I hit the peak hour, and it made two of the tube changes very difficult- because the stations were so packed you couldn’t get on the tube. So that’s worth bearing in mind.

Since having kids my 40 minute am, 1.5 hour pm commute feels intolerable tbh. It's London but driving. There's no practical way to get public transport that would take under 3 hours including dropping kids off.
Pre kids I had a 2.5 hour commute (each way) and was fine with it but now I'd look for 30min or less ideally.

Pre covid my commute was similar. Fine for 2/3 days a week I think.

I think the fact that OP's asking the question means it's not fine for her to spend two and a half hours commuting though. Which is fine. Also fine not to want to move away from Kingston.

OP think about the Clapham common route. With a fair wind and all the trains and stars aligned you could be in shepherds Bush 35 in just over half an hour. Then it's just one stop from the other shepherd's Bush station which is less of a fanny-on than it sounds because it's the circle line so no bollocking around with escalators.

*junction not common

I wouldn't change your commute so much - use the train to Clapham junction then switch to overground. Much simpler

That’s sounds absolutely awful, honestly why cause yourself and your family so much grief. anyone that I know that’s done a journey like that burns out very quickly and realises that it’s just to difficult especially with young kids.

I would try to avoid the buses. Also, the Overground at Clapham Junction - trains are only about every 15 mins on that route when I tried it. I used to try to make it work for me, but the connections always made it longer than transferring to the tube at the first available point.

7.48 from Kingston gets you to Sh Bush at 8.34. 4 trains an hour in the morning which seems ok.

In theory it's not bad & not much more than the average the issue is how often it takes longer than that.

Before WFH I had an alleged commute of an hour door to door. It usually took about 2 hours! Cancelled trains, late trains, passenger action or trains so rammed you had to wait for the third or fourth one before you could sardine into them and so missed your connection. Hours and hours spent freezing on the platform at Wimbledon and squashed at Earls Court.

OP, I commute from Birmingham to London (car, walk, train, tube, walk) ...if I do it twice a week then it's OK, but if I do it three times a week than am pretty much knocked out for the rest of the week!

Questions to ask:
How often in reality will you have to commute?
How flexible/hybrid is the employer?
What is the cost of commuting?
How regular is the public transport you will be taking?

Oh and agree with Cowbells...the only thing reliable about my train is how unreliable it is.

Use Citymapper app to look at different routes

Then think around those routes eg can you cut out one stage by using a folding bike or scooter?

If you’re in Kingston then I’ll bet any route getting the train as your first stage is going to be better than a 35 minute bus journey to a tube. For example change to tube at Richmond

I did a 1 1/2 hr commute (all within London) for 7 years. It was fine.

Thanks all, I'm going to do a dummy run in the Clapham route, great idea!

Kingston to Latimer Rd? Via Clapham and avoiding Zone 1 as a benefit.

I had one this length and I left it was too annoying for me but maybe in post covid world a couple days from home?

It's only a part time job so max 3 days per week anyway... current job is ft but currently wfh.

I used to get two tubes and a bus to school. I hated it but I didn't mind if I was late! Plenty of opportunity for horseplay too

Not all commutes in london are equal. I would suggest taking a day off, and actually doing the commute, morning and evening, to see what it's like:

• Is there lots of space on the train, or is it cramped and full? Do you have to stand? Do you have to wait for multiple trains to go before you can even get in?

• How long between changes? Are the connections tight? On time? What is the alternative route like if you miss one?

• Are there frequent works/failures that would impact your route or commute time?

Pre-covid, I had a commute that was 1.5 hours on paper, but regular went up to 2, and even 3 hours in the evening for a myriad a reasons. Having also had to travel a lot, my gut would say that the changes in particular are a bit of a red flag, and you should really know exactly how that would be for you before committing.

It's one thing sitting down and reading a book or watching a film on your laptop for an hour or so, it's another having to get up and down and run around trying to make connections every day, especially after a long days worth. Make sure you're as informed about your decision as possible.

It's less than a Mike between Shepherds Bush overground and Latimer Road tube. I'd walk the last bit - unless there are awkward junctions to cross input shouid only take 15-20mins to walk, and anything that cuts out a change is good for stress levels, and I bet the amount of time taken is similar.

Both Chiswick and Kew are lovely areas to be in so a move there wouldn't be a bad thing. Check secondary schools though.

Moving just for a part time job is crazy though.