Barnes, London

[Lastnamefirst]

I am thinking of moving to Barnes. I wondered, is anyone who lives there already able to tell me about (pre-Covid) what the trains were like on a morning (to Clapham junction/Vauxhall/waterloo)? I’m aware that there are only trains every 10 to 15 minutes. Are they too busy let you risk not being able to get on the train you have arrived for? As I say I’m interested in what they were like pre covid rather than now

There should be space at Barnes but I have seen trains absolutely rammed by the time they get to Wandsworth Town

Hammersmith Bridge is shut, with no immediate plans to reopen, so access across the Thames could be congested.

I used to get on at Wandsworth Town and it was almost always a squeeze, and often impossible to get on after 8am.

Barnes shouldn't be so bad, it tended to properly fill up at Putney. Trains tend to empty out (up to a point) at Clapham Junction, and again at Vauxhall.

At Barnes I think there are eight trains per hour. (They've been messing around with it during corona but outside of that I think it's eight.) They're about every seven to eight minutes.

You do get used to just shoving yourself on when you see a tiny space, though. I found that there was usually a little more space right at the back of the train.

Oh -- depending where you are in Barnes, there's also Barnes Bridge station. But that only gets half the number of trains as Barnes, as the line splits just after Barnes and BB station is on one spur of a rail loop.

I used to get the 740 or 749 from Barnes every morning (except Friday). Never ever an issue getting on, probably got a seat 50% of the time. Even if one was cancelled still got on the next one no problem. I would get on the middle, front busier.
Maybe it gets lots busier after 8. Not sure about that.

To be clear - I am talking pre March 2020. I haven’t gotten on a train since then.

Do factor in the time to get to the station. There aren't many houses nearby! Buses down Roehampton Lane are busy, only single deck, and fewer now Hammersmith bridge is shut.

Thanks everyone - really helpful!