|
Forest Hill Rail Station
|
| Author |
Message |
gingernuts
Posts: 505
Joined: Nov 2007
|
22-07-2008 03:40 PM
Statistics can tell you anything you want to know - depends on how they are presented!! 
|
|
| |
|
 |
Sillyrabbit
Posts: 5
Joined: Jul 2008
|
22-07-2008 04:07 PM
Can I say that I am slightly distressed at the thought of ticket barriers at HOP. As it is the station is tiny and quite a lot of people have to squeeze through two very small doors. I can't begin to fathom where they will put these ticket gates and just how long the queues will be to get through every morning.
I can see a lot of people (including myself) missing trains on a regular basis because of this.
And then to top it off they'll install the things and leave them open making the whole exercise redundant.
On a daily basis at London Bridge they open the gates because of the sheer number of people that arrive at the same 3 platforms every day.
I wish they'd consult the people that use these services. To be honest I just wish they'd visit these places at rush hour and get a real idea of what it is actually like at those times.
Needless to say - I am less than thrilled.
|
|
| |
|
|
Sherwood
Posts: 1,414
Joined: Mar 2005
|
|
| |
|
|
prc
Posts: 21
Joined: Jun 2008
|
22-07-2008 05:16 PM
So when there are no barriers, people complain about fare dodgers....
When there are barriers to cut out the fare dodgers, people complain about the barriers......
There really is no winning situation is there?
I'm not particularly happy that I have to walk round from the back of the station to platform 1 every morning, but I leave a few minutes earlier and make the train that I want.
In the evenings on the way home, the gate from platform 2 is open and ticket is checked. Ticket inspectors get in the way, but they have to check tickets as that is the whole point of the system.
I am waiting for gates at plaform 2 which will make it all a bit easier, but I really don't think that the situation is as bad as people make out. I certainly haven't been inconvenienced beyond belief.....
|
|
| |
|
|
Baboonery
Posts: 581
Joined: Sep 2007
|
22-07-2008 05:43 PM
It isn't, but only because they haven't implemented it the way they said they would. The platform 2 gate has been open much more than they said it would.
I agree that they seem to be unable to win, but the way they planned it, and still say they want to implement it, is terrible.
|
|
| |
|
|
CAW
Posts: 32
Joined: Jun 2008
|
22-07-2008 05:52 PM
That is utter twaddle - just because we do not want fare dodgers but want an efficient station it does not mean they cannot win.
They can win by implementing the changes effectively, changes that are most effecient for the situation. If that means spending more time planning and more money so be it.
|
|
| |
|
|
prc
Posts: 21
Joined: Jun 2008
|
23-07-2008 08:15 AM
and where is the money going to come from? There isn't an endless pot of money to chuck at staion improvements.
The only problem that I see with the new system is people with tickets on oyster cards. Last night the queue for people trying to scan their oyster cards on the exit from platform 2 stopped people with paper tickets trying to get through the gate. We should all go back to paper tickets as it is quicker for the meantime.
|
|
| |
|
|
Forester
Posts: 15
Joined: Feb 2006
|
23-07-2008 09:39 AM
Ridiculous! We should all change our tickets to adapt to Southern's arcane, botch job of a solution to fare-dodging at Forest Hill. And why don't we just accept a cut in the number of services and start climbing on the roof of the carriages in order to commute so that Southern can increase their profits further.
|
|
| |
|
|
Londondrz
Posts: 1,538
Joined: Apr 2006
|
23-07-2008 09:50 AM
How come whenever Southern rebrand they manage to paint their trains in two seconds flat, that is not a cheap thing to do.
|
|
| |
|
|
CAW
Posts: 32
Joined: Jun 2008
|
23-07-2008 10:02 AM
Well said!!
Lets all shirk the modern, well thought out oyster system to make Southern a little more cash! How dare I use an oyster card that inconveniences people like this, how inconsiderate of me. Well if it makes you feel better prc, to stop queuing I have been walking straight past the inspectors. Most of the time they don't care, when they can be bothered they might offer an 'excuse me', they are obviously soooo concerned about fare dodgers!!
|
|
| |
|
|
nevermodern
Posts: 653
Joined: Feb 2007
|
23-07-2008 10:08 AM
I think we've been through the 'oyster card vs paper ticket' debate before...and oyster cards get people through barriers quicker, as long as the software is working properly. So just make sure the software works properly.
As for station improvements: roll on TfL taking over the station in 2010-ish. There may be no 'endless' pot of money, but there've been vast improvements to Tube stations under TfL, and they're our best hope for both general improvements to our station, and the wider redevelopment of the station as a whole. *No-one* is going to do anything about that station knowing that it's going to change hands in two years' time: it just doesn't make financil sense. I hope both our councillors and the Forest Hill Society are pre-empting the move to TfL and preparing the ground for improvements once they take over.
|
|
| |
|
|
prc
Posts: 21
Joined: Jun 2008
|
23-07-2008 11:44 AM
CAW you need to get some anger management lessons.
|
|
| |
|
|
CAW
Posts: 32
Joined: Jun 2008
|
23-07-2008 11:50 AM
That was a well constructed argument and to say it was written in anger detracts from the earnestness with which it was said!
I just get fed up with liberal attitudes with people sitting on the fence, these private companies make millions in profits at our expense and it is not too much to ask for them to put a little back and show some consideration towards their 'customers' (used loosely).
|
|
| |
|
|
prc
Posts: 21
Joined: Jun 2008
|
23-07-2008 12:05 PM
Sitting on the fence? I'm not sure that I am. I am in favour of the ticket barriers, I think that they need more barriers, but am happy to have someone checking that I am travelling with a ticket...
|
|
| |
|
|
CAW
Posts: 32
Joined: Jun 2008
|
23-07-2008 12:13 PM
I am in favor of barriers also - I should not have to subsidize the people that do not pay, HOWEVER it should be done in a way that does not make the lives even worse for the commuters that do pay!
If they spent more money they could have more barriers BOTH sides and make a station that is ergonomic as well as secure for ticket fraud. Your sitting on the fence because you appear to be happy to have your day made even worse (lets face it, commuting is not very fun already), you are saying we should change our habits and buy an unsecure paper ticket that can be lost and not reclaimed in order to cater for Southern.
If everyone was a walk-over, and nobody ever stood up to these companies our lives would become progressively worse, but people not wanting to complain as not to offend anybody!! we're too british about it - people in NY do not accept bad service!
|
|
| |
|
|
michael
Posts: 3,261
Joined: Mar 2005
|
23-07-2008 02:01 PM
Jim Dowd in parliament:
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/debates/?i...176#g698.2
With change comes difficulty, as everybody knows. New stations are being fitted with the Oyster card system, which has been hugely successful on the underground network and on London buses. Extending it to the national rail network will be to the advantage of passengers throughout the area and the country, wherever it is adopted. Bringing in the Oyster card service means bringing in gates, which is where the current problem exists. There is a plan at Sydenham and Forest Hill stations to introduce over two phases and by the end of this year automatic gates, which will be brought on line while the Southern Trains franchise is still in existence.
Unfortunately, this is causing many of my constituents considerable inconvenience and has made their lives difficult because of restrictions on the up service from Sydenham and the down service from Forest Hill, requiring people to go to the other side of the station and back over footbridge to get to the service they want. For people with buggies or luggage or with mobility difficulties, that is extremely inconvenient. Everybody understands why the new system is being brought in, but it cannot be right to inconvenience the law-abiding and ticket-buying majority in the hope of catching the fare-evading minority. My constituents certainly do not see it that way.
Fortunately, the elected mayor of Lewisham, Sir Steve Bullock, arranged for me and him to meet senior Southern Trains managers at Forest Hill and Sydenham stations last Friday and, more particularly, for the managers to meet a number of constituents?their customers, passengers, or whatever they are called these days?and to hear from them first hand precisely how difficult their lives have been made by the lack of co-ordination in introducing the programme. As I say, nobody disputes the need to reduce fare evasion and to improve security by ensuring that only genuine passengers have access to both trains and stations. My constituents would agree with that proposition.
However, as the full scheme can be implemented by the end of this year, we are asking Southern Trains?it has agreed to consider this?to revert to the original position of unguarded gates until such time as it can bring in the whole scheme. My constituents will then be able to have access to both the up and down platforms at all times of the day with minimum inconvenience. I hope and expect Southern Trains to respond positively in a short space of time.
Well said Jim!
|
|
| |
|
|
CAW
Posts: 32
Joined: Jun 2008
|
23-07-2008 02:05 PM
Thats brilliant!
I'm glad a poltician is taking notice of his constituants... lets wait and see what Southern come back with.
|
|
| |
|
|
brian
Posts: 2,002
Joined: Apr 2005
|
23-07-2008 06:12 PM
At 5.15 PM today down gate open and I think unpersonned.
This morning at 10.45 there were four gentlemen on the gates. Seemed excessive for that time of day. I assume they all get paid.
|
|
| |
|
|
ambient
No longer registered
Posts: 85
Joined: Nov 2007
|
28-07-2008 10:45 AM
Has sanity returned to our stations? The downside platform gate was open and manned by ticket checkers this morning. I observed the same at Sydenham on their upside gate. Does anyone know if this was a one-off gesture by Southern because they feel happy about the sunny weather, or represents a more permanent change of approach?
|
|
| |
|
|
Gaz
Posts: 86
Joined: Jul 2008
|
28-07-2008 11:41 AM
At Syd this morning, the guard said that the gate would be manned every morning between 7-10am (and apparently in the evening too, between 4-7pm).
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Search
Help
