We do need lifts.

I have spent a lot of time using the lifts at various underground stations, mostly on the Jubilee line and they are very rarely not working and excellent if you have a buggy etc. Generally they are indoors which helps but one of the reasons I suspect the cost is so high is that they will be quite high spec. to minimise the potential down time.

The biggest problem will be people who don't 'need' to use the lifts using them all the time and those that do having to wait. Lets hope people are responsible and let the people who need them use them.

We've just received an update from Network Rail re the new footbridge. They are planning to demolish the remaining footbridge and install the new lift shafts during the weekend 24-26 October (Sat-Mon). According to the letter, this work will be noisy and continuous (day and night), so I hope you don't live too close

Also, Steve's talk re the Canal at the Hob might need a bit more amplification

So presumably the line will be closed during this period

I shouild imagine they will crane away the old bridge and again use a crane to put the new one in place so no line closures.

NF is however far more qualified to answer this than I.

The National Rail website lists engineering work affecting Forest Hill on Sunday 25th with busses replacing trains between London Bridge and Croydon via Sydenham.

See:
http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/service_di...fa328e9c58

Yeah, I got the letter this morning, too. Going to be noisy. Still, that's what you get for living by a railway line.

By the way, it doesn't actually say they'll be installing the lifts this weekend, it just says that's when the work will be starting - it's quite an ambiguous phrasing. They won't be operational until next year.

Ah, I stand corrected.

Here is al ink about protests against the cuts in service:

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/a...e-cuts.do#

loveperryvale reports:

Please note that Perry Vale will be closed to all vehicular traffic between Waldram Place and Hindsley's Place over the following two weekends:-

12noon Saturday 24th October until 4am Monday 26th October

12noon Saturday 28th November until 4am Monday 30th November

These are to allow crane operations to take place at Forest Hill Station as part of the new footbridge installation works.

Traffic, including buses, will be diverted via Westbourne Drive.

I contacted London Overground with my own enquiry about FH Station and if you have a Solo debit card, this can be used now, although they claim that I won't be able to purchase anything on Oyster until mid 2010 isn't until the new services are operational. If that's the case, the little newsagent in Dartmouth Road will have an influx of Oyster PAYG customers from January.

Huuuge crane in action already for tonights/tomorrows bridge removal.

Was an amazing sight!
Shocked at the height of the new towers for the stairs etc though.

I was shocked by the height too. Then I realised that the height included the structure for the lift mechanism. To get an idea of how it might look there is a picture from Stratford Station.

Aaah thank you Michael, makes a little more sense now. Was not sure if they were going to use a traditional or hydraulic lift.

Im sure the sight will soon become the norm.

I had a peep today on Platform 1 seeing as I'm now commuting by train thanks to the 176 getting held up for 20 mins at a time in Waterloo. I take it the concrete holes is where the lift shaft is?

Incidentally, I tried to use the self-service machine at 9.15 by the cashpoint and for some reason it decided to re-boot itself! So went to the other one which always has someone fiddling around for change and managed to buy a ticket. The queue for the ticket office was by the door!

Did you find the ticket screen difficult to read?

The new LU colour-scheme is atrocious. Anyone with impaired vision has no hope of being able to use it.

I find it unpleasant to use and I've got 20/20 vision.

The lift are for accessibility. Shame about the ticket machines

I noticed this too. It has all the same functions as before - but in a hard to read colour scheme. Made worse when the sun was shining I thought.
I don't have any vision difficulties either.

It was harder to read yes, the other thing I noticed was that LOROL haven't updated the list of cards that are accepted above the chip and pin device, despite the machine accepting my debit card which Southern never accepted. (Cue embarrassing dash to the cashpoint!) Although they have on the touch screen in the top right hand corner 'All major credit and debit cards accepted' But you have to look carefully as the text is tiny against the colour.

Sorry to be pedantic, but the colour scheme is only used at London Overground stations, not LU, which has a much easier touch screen device, which I'd like to be seen implemented when the old Southern machines are replaced next year.

This morning, while waiting for my train, I had a look at the structure so far for the new lifts.

It could be my imagination but some of the girders (if that's the correct word) for the structure seemed to look quite rusty already (or have some other type of orangey substance on them). This confused me, as surely the girders used would be brand-new?

Has anyone else noticed this and/or can anyone set my mind at rest ahout this?

It might be worth contacting overgroundinfo (at) tfl.gov.uk who were helpful with my enquiries about the station.