Oystergate: Showdown Time

[admin]

Your chance to share your opinion with the guys who run the railroad. Mayor Steve Bullock has challenged them to meet him, and you, at Sydenham Station, 6pm Friday 18th July. Steve said:

"The installation of barriers is causing delays and inconvenience of a large scale as well as putting individuals who have mobility problems of any kind in a very difficult position ...join me to hear directly from users directly how much inconvenience you are causing them"

Report here: http://www.sydenham.org.uk/news_oystergate_3.html

Admin

[nasaroc]

Delighted to see the Mayor has intervened in Oystergate (see lead story, home page).

It is essential that we get all the basic info together (with photographs and video if necessary) to present to Chris Burchell and Ian Brown on Friday July 18th.

The new system came into operation at FH Station on Monday and passengers say that they were held on the Perry Vale side for 8 minutes in the middle of a thunderstorm whilst waiting for their tickets to be inspected.

This is a system that clearly isn't working - it's time to dump it until a proper system has been set up!

[boon]

Is there any indication as to whether or not anyone from Southern (apart from 6 bored ticket inspectors) will actually turn up? I'll certainly be in attendance, but will they?

I'm quite impressed that no one is just letting this drop and allowing Southern to have their way. If enough people keep at them about this, surely they have to make some sort of concession, even if it's just opening the side gate during peak hours to relieve congestion.

Of course, as I said in the other thread, I've been using Penge West, which is actually quite lovely and peaceful in the morning. It's much nicer than starting the day with a full on rugby scrum at the ticket barriers. I could be wrong, but I could swear that in the few weeks I've been going there the morning crowd size has increased by a noticeable amount. Other Sydenhamites?

[bensonby]

I'll be there...

[nasaroc]

I'd be surprised if the two invited officials don't turn up. I will check with the mayor's office just before the 18th that they have accepted the invite.

Boon - You aren't going to escape gating forever by using Penge West. All stations along the line will be gated before Oysters come fully into operation. Best to get this sorted out now.

Bensonby - could you take some pics/videos of the gates during evening rush hour ?

[mysti77]

I'll be there. The only thing is that I don't have any valid case (no disability or kids). I only have the inconvenience and frustration of the pile up at the ticket barriers and annoyance when my card does not work. Oh and the extra 3 or more minutes that it takes me to walk the longer way.

I do have concerns though that if I ever hurt myself, have a baby or have heavy luggage/lots of shopping it will become much more than an inconvenience. Do you think this is enough of a point to raise or will I just trivialise the matter?

[ALIB]

Mysti 77, these are serious issues you raise. OK, in the big scheme of things our most pressing concerns are for the disabled/elderly and those with children and luggage. However, Sir Steve mentions that the unnecessary inconvenience and delay for daily commuters is unnacceptable and completely avoidable.

Please voice your concerns.

Ali b

[bensonby]

Bensonby - could you take some pics/videos of the gates during evening rush hour ?

I'll try and remember.... I'll try and get a few before the 18th.

[bensonby]

Mysti 77, these are serious issues you raise. OK, in the big scheme of things our most pressing concerns are for the disabled/elderly and those with children and luggage. However, Sir Steve mentions that the unnecessary inconvenience and delay for daily commuters is unnacceptable and completely avoidable.

Please voice your concerns.

Ali b

absolutely - aside from teh disabled access the inconvenience just isn't on. We pay (over the odds) for a service - thus we should be able to use that service in as convenient a fashion as possible. (at least I'm still naive enough to believe that) Sydenham isn't suitable for barriers - there isn't enough room for an adequate amount of barriers.

It is also my opinion that the inconvenience caused is actually illegal. (cf. byelaw 6)

[boon]

Boon - You aren't going to escape gating forever by using Penge West. All stations along the line will be gated before Oysters come fully into operation. Best to get this sorted out now.

Definitely, the PW solution is temporary until they can sort things out at Sydenham. That said, PW has less than a tenth of the traffic of Sydenham (195k vs 2.14m in 06/07 according to http://www.rail-reg.gov.uk/server/show/nav.1529), so even with barriers in place the same congestion issues are unlikely to arise. I'd still much rather use Sydenham - it's closer and better serviced.

In the meantime, I got off at Sydenham yesterday at around 6.30pm and noticed that they had not just the barriers open, but also the side gate on the station side, which wasn't opened even back when there were no barriers at all. I didn't see whether or not the platform 1 gate was open, but clearly they realize that there's a problem at peak times. Is this standard practice now?

[bensonby]

I think I may have forced the gates open inadvertantly yesterday evening at about 1820...


I was following the crowd through and although people were putting tickets in the barriers didn't seem to be closing, or even, "twitching" between people feeding their tickets in.

so, being the reasonable person that I am I assumed that the staff at the station, being reasonable people and seeing the overcrowding, had left the barreirs open. So when I followed the chap in front - entering the barriers when they were open - I was surprised to find they closed on me when I was half way through. Needless to say, because I was alrady nearly through I just kept on walking...

There was much beeping and alaruming behind me. But I didn't look back as a wishd to get home in good time.


The side gate on platform 2 was nearly always open before....

[boon]

The side gate on platform 2 was nearly always open before....

Was it? Short memory . . .

Anyway, hopefully this can be sorted out to everyone's satisfaction. I was running late and went from Sydenham this morning and there some sort of shouting match going on between the inspector on the gate and a woman whose said her season ticket didn't work. He was insisting that she try it on the barriers, she insisted that she had done so every morning for a week and it was pointless. I didn't see how it turned out since I was getting on the train that she missed.

[Gaz]

In the meantime, I got off at Sydenham yesterday at around 6.30pm... I didn't see whether or not the platform 1 gate was open, but clearly they realize that there's a problem at peak times. Is this standard practice now?

I got back at 1945 and the Platform 1 gate was chained open. Naturally, due to my aversion of footbridges I exited via the open Platform 2 sidegate.

I thought the station was being manned until 8pm now? Perhaps the staff have all been redeployed to Forest Hill who have just had their mobility curtailed this week...

[bensonby]

I've brought a camera with me today - I'll try and get a film of the crowds...

[T Boy]

I am glad there are barriers there now as it stops the free loaders who used to travel for free taking advantage. Walking around to the station is no bother - I do it - why cant people accept we live in a society where we need to be draconian to protect the law obiding masses. I wait for less than a minute to get through the gates when I come home - it is new - get a life and accept that you are not subsidising those who used to travel for free at your expense.

[goonerchamp]

I take your point as vaild regarding faire evaders bit at the same time find it very very annoying that they just open the disabled gate at sydenham when it gets busy an there are lots of people - letting lots of people through without swiping their cards - correct me if im wrong but (whats the fuc**ing point !!!??)

[goonerchamp]

Also the money they are making back on people not avaiding their fares must be being spent on "secutity staff" - to manage/open the gates during busy periods- WASTE WASTE WASTE - next Friday should be interesting !!!

[bensonby]

I am glad there are barriers there now as it stops the free loaders who used to travel for free taking advantage. Walking around to the station is no bother - I do it - why cant people accept we live in a society where we need to be draconian to protect the law obiding masses. I wait for less than a minute to get through the gates when I come home - it is new - get a life and accept that you are not subsidising those who used to travel for free at your expense.

rubbish. draconian laws only help to anlienate people and inconvenience people and therefore lead to more disobedience.

The station is not suited to barriers. If they want to catch fare evaders then it would be better to have roaming ticket inspectors that get on trains / guard stations at random. Making it a real possibility that you would get inspected. They have to employ staff to man the barriers anyway - if you just employed these same people to roam the network inspecting tickets then the same effect would happen.

Don't forget - inconveniencing passenger (what southern railway is doing) is against the law. Have a read of your railway byelaws.

Stricktly speaking a police officer could arrest and/or expel any of those guards manning the barriers at sydenham. (although that would be a little unfair as "they are aonly doing their job")

[marymck]

I use the train infrequently and when I do so I buy a Travelcard from a shop the night before (so that I can use it on the bus on my way to the station). I usually come back late at night to either Sydenham or (more usually Forest Hill). Invariably my ticket has got creased during the day and won't go through automatic barriers. Will the stations be manned (or personned LOL) as late as trains are running? Or will there be another means for me to exit?

I'll try to get to the station on the 18th, but this is work permitting.

[bensonby]

the barriers, when in operation, are always manned. They have to be.

After the ticket office (and the barriers) closes they open the side gate on platform 2.....where there aren't barriers.