Really nice Ta, Ghis.

Just ignore all the political bits, that's what I do

I have ditched FH as it's a nightmare, travelling via Catford on the Thameslink now and it's much better.

I have started travelling to Ladywell in the evening too. Much nicer and direct from Charing Cross in 17/18 min.

Conflicting news from various websites over the ELL opening, all was set to open tomorrow with a grand opening with BoJo at Dalston Junction, but there could be a conflict of interest as we're in an election period.

According to a post on Brockley Central, the date has been moved to Monday 19th April.

http://brockleycentral.blogspot.com/2010...ckley.html

Now confirmed due to "techincal reasons"

http://www.mayorwatch.co.uk/brief-and-co.../201011102

I find this really sad, thousands of people put out because of political posturing. Boris, like him or not, is Mayor of London, let him open the poxy line and lets get on and use it.

Just to be clear. The deferment is only for a service during the day (I think between 06:00 and 19:00) and only on Mondays to Fridays and only between New Cross/New Cross Gate and Dalston Junction. So a small deferment it hardly a big deal.

Whatever happens the 'real' start of service (i.e. to West Croydon and Crystal Palace) will not be until 23rd May 2010.

Transport blogs are claiming the main reason is the cameras on board the new ELL trains are not working properly, which would impair the drivers vision of seeing passengers on the platform.

Apparently some stations still haven't been signed off for health and safety either.

Monday or Tuesday has been penciled in as potential reopening dates, however I'm still not happy that the politicians at the GLA are trying to make something out of nothing during this election period. Just get it open and enable passengers to use a line that has been closed for over 2 years.

If Boris wants to open the line officially, he could wait until the proper opening of the line on May 23rd.

My understanding is that LOROL and TfL are working towards opening the line as soon as possible and that the delay has nothing to do with the Mayor or the election.

I presume that you would like the line to be safe before you use it?

Anyway May is not that far away, so I cannot see what difference it makes.

Speaking of station health and safety, I hope they will sort out HOP's platform one soon. Not good when it is crowded.

Typical, Boris can't open the station, but on BBC London News this afternoon, Red Ken and Dulwich MP Tessa Jowell were making political gain out of it at Dalston Junction station today.

Just as a matter of interest, what is wrong with the northbound platform at Honor Oak Park Station?

http://upinforesthill.wordpress.com/2010...ent-works/

Sorry, the blog does not show what it wrong with the platform.

The sheltered area has been fenched off.

The platform one has been reduced to a third for the lenght of the covered area while the wall which collapsed is being made safe. The benches have been removed and unless you go and stand at the end of the platform where the front of the train stops there is not much space when you come down the station stairs when the platform is very crowded (for example when they are train delays).

Under their Safety Management System LOROL monitor the overcrowding on the platform. If it gets unsafe that passengers will simply not be permitted onto the platform until the crowding is reduced (i.e. train has taken those passengers already on the platform).

Got it in one.

The external CCTV cameras with which we check the train before completing station duties are somewhat unreliable at the moment.

Most of the stations this wouldn't really be a massive issue at because there is a clear line of sight down the platform and drivers can operate the "local" door control panel and step out of the train onto the platform to check that the doors are closed correctly and that nothing is trapped etc.

Unfortunately there are a couple of platforms where the curvature prohibits this.

So a revised date of Monday (19/04/10) has been issued whilst Bombardier sort out the issue with the CCTV software, which I am told is the culprit.

Just how did we cope before CCTV