Office relocated and now commuting is a nightmare - anything I can do?

Rockporkchop

Farringdon isn't in north London, it's central London. Your best bet would be to get the train to Victoria, change to the tube and get off at Holborn or Chancery Lane (which are only a couple of stops away from where you used to work at Oxford Circus). Farringdon is a short walk (approx 10 mins) from either station. Your commute shouldn't take much longer than it used to when you worked at Oxford Circus.

pickled_cabbage

Rockporkchop wrote: »

Farringdon isn't in north London, it's central London. Your best bet would be to get the train to Victoria, change to the tube and get off at Holborn or Chancery Lane (which are only a couple of stops away from where you used to work at Oxford Circus). Farringdon is a short walk (approx 10 mins) from either station. Your commute shouldn't take much longer than it used to when you worked at Oxford Circus.

It's not the walk that's doing it - it's the waiting between trains and changing. The tube is an option but it's not quick - honestly, I have actually tried this (many many times). The Victoria Line in the morning is a total mess and trying to get on a tube carriage takes at least 10 minutes as you normally have to wait for a few trains before you can get on. When you look up the times in TFL it gives you station to station times which doesn't take into account getting to the platform, waiting for a train and then getting out the other side.

I'm not trying to make a fuss, but also this is a really expensive option - I only pay £175 per month for my travel but it's going to add £70+ a month on in tube fares which isn't something I really want to add on at the moment. Essentially this office move has taken away 1 hour of my time each week but you're now saying that the solution is also to pay more for the privelidge?

Surely a company has some sort of obligation to at least consult its staff before moving premises? If not - and my commute is a real problem - can I not claim some kind of redundancy? I am trying my best to find a different way to get to work but I've tried everything that others have suggested (other than walking from Cannon St, which I'll try) and it's not bringing the time down.

pickled_cabbage

Star1 wrote: »

Whereabouts in farringdon is the new office? Google maps gives me 33min and 22min walk to Farringdon station from London Bridge / Cannon Street. Google always seem to over-estimate too (google maps says it is a 24min walk from charing cross to oxford street for eaxmple)

I'll check the best route with hubby too, as it isn't always shown on google maps - for example I know that he often walks through smithfields market

It's equidistant between Farringdon and Kings Cross, just north of Exmouth market.

Oldernotwiser

pickled_cabbage wrote: »

Surely a company has some sort of obligation to at least consult its staff before moving premises? If not - and my commute is a real problem - can I not claim some kind of redundancy?

Even if a company consults with its staff (quite unusual) you would find that a move like this would be favoured by those on the north side of London. Also, you really can't expect redundancy because the company's moved within the same city!

I know you said that you don't want to move but are you sure that you've looked at all the possibilities of moving a few miles, perhaps to put you within reach of another train line or Tube station?

viktory

Leave home earlier *shrugs*. Not ideal but you gotta do what you gotta do. Cycling is also an excellent idea.

westv

Anybody who cycles through London in the middle of the rush hour has to be ever so slightly potty!

westv

viktory wrote: »

Leave home earlier *shrugs*. Not ideal but you gotta do what you gotta do.

But how does that make the journey any quicker or easier?

p00hsticks

pickled_cabbage wrote: »

Surely a company has some sort of obligation to at least consult its staff before moving premises?

I suspect the answer to that depends on two main things;

What does your contract of employment say with regards to your location ?

and

What is the distance between the old and the new offices ?

Rockporkchop

pickled_cabbage wrote: »

Basically, my journey before I used to work Oxford Circus. So, I could go to Victoria (direct) and get the tube 2 stops

You said you used to take the tube every day so I don't see how taking two more tube stops will cost an extra £75 a month? Oxford Circus is in the same zone as Holborn/Chancery Lane/Farringdon isn't it?

You said in your OP that your firm have relocated from central London to North London but they have actually only moved less than two miles up the road!

http://walkit.com/walk/?city=london&from=oxford+circus&fuid=437706_462952&to=farringdon&tuid=391468_428479&rta=old&direct=0

Have you checked whether there are any buses from Victoria to Farringdon?

Or how about getting a Boris bike from Victoria to Farringdon, it's only 2.8 miles. You would save money on fares and wouldn't have to waste time going to the gym in your spare time!

Oldernotwiser

westv wrote: »

But how does that make the journey any quicker or easier?

You might get a seat by avoiding the rush hour which always makes commuting easier.