I get on the train at 8.30 ish which gets me into work of about 9.30, I am lucky that I travel just outside busy periods, although I am not worried about the people in Brockley as I already have a seat by then and they choose to live there if they want a seat on the train then they should move thurther south...

With that attitude they could say people in FH should move to Penge if they find it too busy.

That is a very good idea...

18.05 from LB was 4 carriages instead of 8 this evening (a fact announced at 18.05 so there was no chance us lot further up the platform could rush back and squeeze on).
Then trek over to platform 8 and 18.18 doesn't arrive at LB til 18.30 and got rammed immediately with grumpy cold late people.
Some people on this thread are living in cloud cuckoo land if they think Southern are offering us a half-decent service, and it makes me furious the suggestion we should MOVE HOUSE to make up for this company's shortcomings.
Have a care.

Not sure what was going on today - the train I got from FH to LB around 8:30 was short (4 carriages) and this evening the 19:24 was also 4 - I think it's usually longer. The 19:15 hadn't turned up at the point that the supposedly later train was leaving.

A very bad day for Southern, I tend to think. I just wish they would provide more information and do something about it to stop it happening in the future - I tend to think with the ELL coming there's not that much of an incentive, though.

Maybe because the Southern franchise is up for renewal shortly has something to do with the delays and short trains?

Last night I got to London Bridge about 19.30, later than usual, so I'm not familiar with the timetable at that time of night. The 19.35 to Norwood Junction was advertised as fast to Sydenham (no special announcement saying there was a change to the timetable, it looked as if it was the normal service). I decided to get it and make my way home from Sydenham. The train was only two carriages and it did in fact call at all stations before Sydenham, so I got off at Forest Hill.

Checked the timetable today and the 19.35 should call at all stations. Perhaps they curtailed the stops because of lack of rolling stock? In which case why didn't they tell the driver?!

Two carriages on a train out of London Bridge at that time of night is just taking the &^*%!!

i have been regularly catching (or trying to) the 08.21 from Forest Hill to LB which over the past couple of months has been regularly delayed. I thought the 8.11 might be a better option, so have taken that a few times, but its absolutely rammed. Feel sorry for folk further up the line. Then monday night, the 18.51 from LB was only 4 carriages, there were just about fist fights from people trying to get on.

I'm not sure that Southern recognises "peak" periods, since the gap between the 8.11 and the 8.21 frequently ends up being around 20 minutes long, which is ridiculous for rush hour, and the idea of reducing by half the no. of carriages on an evening rush hour train is mad.

Way to make your passengers frustrated, Southern!

The Platform 2 exit at FH is now closed while they do building work on the new ticket barriers. Don't know how long for. At least they've amended the posters about this in the main entrance: on Monday the posters said the exit would be closed from a date in October!

Thansls for informing me. Guess we are looking at 12 months or so closure

If you think the rush hour is bad, I travelled into town yesterday afternoon. The 16:02 was cancelled, the 16:14 was cancelled and the 16:25 was late. 1hr10min to get to Waterloo. Crazy.

It is not that much better very early morning, I am working outside of London so have to get the 6 32 - it is never on time (unless I am running late...) and it is packed as only short trains at that time. all very annoying, just means I end up getting up earlier and earlier to ensure I can make my onward trains.

Sadly, a body on the line in HOP area - trains to all stations from London Bridge badly affected.

http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/service_di...today.html

All over, trains 'normal' again.

In a strange quirk of fate, this turned out to be the 53 year old sister of a collegue who sits 4 feet from me. He was off all last week sorting things out but he seems to be holding up okay.

Fairly comprehensive summary of the requirements of the new Southern Franchise to be found here:
http://londonreconnections.blogspot.com/...ntral.html

Items of interest for FH and HOP:
* Trains departing central London up to 00:30 on Friday's and Saturday's from 2010
* ELL expected to be operational in May 2010 and may open from New Cross Gate -> north London before then
* TfL management of FH and HOP confirmed

Apologies if I have missed this in the thread, but new to the discussion board, looking at the blog mentioned above, I wondered if anyone knows whether it has been confirmed that the overgournd service will stop once the new east london line starts up? A couple of bits on the blog made me wonder:
"The Tender confirms that capacity at London Bridge is expected, from October 2012, to be permanently reduced from the current level of nine platforms to six. "
and "the approach to London Bridge will have a maximum capacity of 24 trains to operate in the peak hour"

Given that there are so many people who use London Bridge to get to work, are these all supposed to get on the Jubilee Line at Canada Water?
Very interested to hear what you all think. Thanks.

Services to London Bridge will continue. From memory they were going to be reduced to 4 per hour. There was some talk of Thameslink services stopping at FH etc but I can't remember if that would be in addition to or as part of the 4tph to/from London Bridge.

Thanks very much - any idea if ones to Victoria will continue the other way?