I have had quite a number of weekly tickets that stopped working a day or so after I bought them

In the past I found that the readers at the barrier at Forest Hill seemed less sensitive than those on the Underground. I had on a few occasions to take my freedom pass out of my wallet to get it to register. Not a a problem recently though.

On another point, Deutsche Bahn is excellent news. If you find the National Rail enquiry site is working slowly, go to http://www.bahn.de which will give you the same information in an instant (and also produce timetables for such useful journeys as Herne Hill to Samarkand - great fun). The German site may not always be updated for service disruption though, which may be a consideration round here.

On the subject of the back gate, it appears that it is now closed in when the station is not manned. This is just not acceptable.

Agreed...

I've travelled home after 9pm both nights so far this week, and the gate has been locked on both occasions. However, the ticket office was also closed and the two side gates on the up platform were both open allowing passengers to enter or exit as they pleased.

Why therefore, can't the gate on platform 2 be left open to save passengers the slog up and over the bridge and all the (much discussed on this forum) associated problems this brings?

Is this another example of Southern NOT thinking about "thinking like a passenger"!

It might be becasue they've put a monitor up on the wall down there and think it will be vandalised at night. Quite honestly, we've managed without a screen at the bottom of the stairs for the last 90 years or so - why on earth do we need one now? In any case it will only be useful when the gate is open! How stupid is that.

The ticket office was closed on Saturday morning, but Perry Vale gate was open as were all the ticket barriers. It seems at weekends we either have trains running or a ticket office open but not both at the same time!

Complain to Chris Daley the Southern Manager for Forest Hill and other local stations along our line at

comments@southernrailway.com

What's to say this screen wont be vandalised during the day anyway?
and have we ever needed a monitor to tell us about the late running of Southern trains at the bottom of these stairs before? Ughhhhhh!!!

The Platform 2 gate is being locked in the evenings again. I've e-mailed Southern to ask why.

I'm new to this site so hello fellow FH'ers. I have read many of your posts and found them extremely interesting. Thank you.

I have recently noticed a new Emergency Point has been erected outside of the WH Smiths and wondered whether anyone was aware of the reasoning.

I asked one of the 6 police officers at forest hill station this morning, (not sure why we they were there either), is this an indication of things in FH at the moment?

What did the Police Officer say when you asked?

Hi Ooameye, welcome to se23.com.

There are frequently police at the station as a matter of routine and deterrant so I wouldn' worry. They just seem to support the ticket staff at busy times.

Dont know about the emergency point but I hope if ever its needed it actually works and doesn't go through to an answer machine.

He was completely unaware of its existence, and thought it may have been a link to British Transport Police.
I would have though if that was the case the point would have been installed within the grounds of the station itself.

I wouldnt think this a reflection on Forest Hill, more so on policing policy in London generally. Cheaper to install a help point in the high street than maintain regular policing out of hours.

There has been an emergency point here for a long time, although the previous one was removed some time ago. The old one used to have grafitti on it saying that 'plants are evil'.

The increase in numbers of police is probably more a reflection on historic understaffing in Forest Hill ward now being corrected, rather than a crime spree. Forest Hill does not really have more or less crime than most other parts of London.

I do find it odd that opinion polls consistently suggest that people want to see more 'bobbies on the beat' and complain about lack of police visibility.

Then when they see police, they think it must mean some kind of crime wave.

Occasionally, tickets are checked on this line. Ticket collectors supported by police attend every station on the line.

The same happens on the Catford line.

Bad news I am afraid...
The following is from Southern Railways:

Re letter above from Southern Railways

Another cop out from Southern! Why don't they just admit they don't care about their customers?

I fail to see what difference the work they have already done at the Perry Vale entrance makes to the situation. There are no ticket barriers or ticket machines on the Perry Vale side yet to vandalise - just one display screen so why do they have to close it off at all? The main entrance is often closed off in the evenings and weekends leaving the gate next to the taxi office open for entry/exit. If they can leave the station open on one side when they feel like it why not both sides?

Michael - do we have TFL's assurance that things will change for the better come 20th September?

I noticed today there were 3 non-yet-active barriers in place along with a gap for what I presume will be a wider spacial access barrier.

So hopefully the gate closure issue will be sorted sooner rather than later.

Still no sign of a ticket machine on the Perry Vale side though.

And one day, when this is all sorted, the underpass might just get a facelift.... so much for the 6 weeks after commencement of building works as Forest Hill Central...

I think we have to accept that nothing will happen until TFL take over in Sept. Less than 4 months now.
Southern will not spend any money on manning the gate where they do not have to.