The key player in all of this is the DfT, so that is where you must direct your resources. Obviously the DfT will deny any involvement but if you bow to that then you will end up going round in circles through the TOCs, TfL, Network Rail, ORR etc.

So far as I can tell the local Labour MPs have done all they can to resolve this. However, with the centralised nature of the DfT it is going to be difficult to get them to change their mind before the next round of franchising (in the year 2016). The problem is that it is normally expensive to get a TOC to make changes between franchise renewals.

Interestingly this is totally different with LOROL, the operators of London Overground. There they have a concession, where TfL take the revenue risk, and 'open book accounting', which is where the costs to make any change are totally transparent and all that happens is that LOROL adds on the previously agreed profit margin. I should mention that LOROL have a series of Key Performance Indicators, with fines and bonuses, on everything including state of station, working departure screen, presence of staff, etc.

TfL London Rail wanted to implement the London Overground type concession across the whole of Greater London but the DfT (and presumably their (Labour) ministers would not agree to that. The best that TfL London Rail were able to achieve were a number of station and service performance standards to be included in the franchise specification.

Obviously Forest Hill and Sydenham stations have already been transferred to LOROL and now comes under the KPI regime so far as the stations are concerned.

Peter Staveley