OK, two things on Southern website.
London Bridge- "Owing to signalling problems at London Bridge no services can operate between London Bridge and New Cross Gate." There have been signalling problems every day this week?

Then from a link on the mian page there are further announcements re train changes http://www.southernrailway.com/southern/...services/, the most important being that "The following services which have been withdrawn since Wednesday 7 January remain withdrawn:

They are the 16.36, 17.06, 17.38, 18.06 and 18.36 London Bridge to West Croydon services and the 17.12, 17.42 and 18.13 West Croydon to London Bridge services."

I don't see them coming back any time soon or that the remaining trains can be relied on given that signalling is screwed.

So, I have written to Southern today
"Good morning,

I wish to complain about the fact that several trains to West Croydon are withdrawn: The following services which have been withdrawn since Wednesday 7 January remain withdrawn: They are the 16.36, 17.06, 17.38, 18.06 and 18.36 London Bridge to West Croydon services and the 17.12, 17.42 and 18.13 West Croydon to London Bridge services.

Given that the London Bridge to Sydenham route is hugely busy, it is not acceptable to reduce to 2 trains per hour, especially given that you cannot rely on those trains to leave on time. Any advice to use Canada Water is and Overground is contradicted by the fact that the overground interchange there is overcrowded (in fact posters at stations say do not use Canada Water between 4:30pm to 7:30pm for overcrowding). New Cross Gate is also getting dangerously overcrowded.

It seems that the work in anticipating what services could be delivered from start of JAN15 was, how shall I say, not done very well. Perhaps more importantly there is a real and increasing risk of injury caused by the overcrowding at London Bridge, Canada Water and New Cross Gate.

The current position is wholly unacceptable and also dangerous. Have you any indication as to when the situation will improve. For instance is the daily "signalling problems" something that will be fixed in the near future.

Regards "
I'd suggest its time for people to email / write to anyone you can think off - Southern, Mayors Office, Evening Standard etc. Stress the Health & Safety issues..
BTW, the route I have settled on to get back to HOP is train from either Cannon St or Lon Bridge to New Cross. Then 171 or 172. Its annoying to have to get a bus, its longer, but its relatively predictable and stress free.