Given the fragility of our local train service, I have been exploring ways to get back from town if things go wrong. I had a meeting in Victoria yesterday and went up on the direct Victoria train, which ran late and took something like 40 minutes with an unexplained stop outside Balham. On the way back, I tried the 13:55 to Penge East, as I was curious to see how long it would take. This service reached Penge East at 14:09 which is a minute or two early as it happens. The walk to the 176/197 bus stop is about 7 minutes and I was back in Forest Hill by 14:32 - so actually quicker that the Victoria-London Bridge service despite a walk and a bus journey!