Cuts to Southern trains

[Weeble]

It's not the barriers it's the attitide of the person operating them. For some unknown reason sometimes my ticket won't work...even though it's valid.

I also have a season ticket which has given up working, but the staff are always fine with letting me through - the guy who is there in the mornings recognises me now and always opens the gate for me quickly, even when I've cut it really fine for the train and the doors are threatening to close.

I should get a replacement ticket but as I bought it at Waterloo it entails a special trip and a long queue to sort it out.

[bobmcbob]

What about at the side where the metal gate is? Can the wall there not be opened up and a shelter similar to the one on the up platform be installed to accomodate some extra oyster gates.

This would be the logical solution but I bet nothing will happen on this front as it will cost money which hasn't been budgeted for. As a temporary solution for those busy trains in the evening, they could open that gate and have one of the goons check tickets manually (whilst baring anyone coming in) but I suspect this is far to sensible for them to consider. And they'd complain about potntially losing revenue etc.

Are the barriers able to be set to bi-directional? Meaning people could exit through all the gates on first come first served basis - would speed up the flow

[nasaroc]

Bob - perhaps we'd find the rail authorities a little more amenable if we stopped referring to station staff in such derogatory terms. These are people not "goons".

[bensonby]

(whilst baring anyone coming in)

but what about those people that need to get on the train that the people are alighting from?

Stations need decent access and egress!

[alywin]

Getting back to the original subject, can anyone tell me how services to Anerley andPenge West will be affected, please? Those stations only have a half-hourly service as it is ...

[Ulysses]

Getting back to the original subject, can anyone tell me how services to Anerley andPenge West will be affected, please? Those stations only have a half-hourly service as it is ...

Sorry alywin, we got a little carried away there...

I hope this will answer your question. The 'fast' trains that only stop at Sydders and Forest Hill then go fast again to New Cross will become 'all stoppers'. In fact I think it won't even be the Caterham et al trains but ones that begin and end more locally. Anyway, this in theory should mean you will see an increase to your LB services in that they will double. Currently both Anerely and Penge West receive on average 3x Victoria, 2x LB. This will be improved to 2x Victoria, 4x LB and 4x ELL.

So, in theory you should see a marked increase. However, some of those 4x LB MAY skip Anerely & Penge West, I believe. You might want to attend the next meet the manager or any further public consultation meetings to find out for definite.

[nasaroc]

Not a bad guess Ulysses but almost entirely wrong! I know you won't mind me "straightening things out" before the inhabitants of Penge West and Anerley start breaking open the champagne to celebrate services you have promised them which they simply aren't going to get!

There are currently no direct services between PW, Anerley and Victoria. Nor will there be any direct services to Victoria under the new timetable. (the loop line running from LB to Victoria does not call at PW or Anerley; it goes between Sydenham and Crystal Palace missing out these two stations).

Currently PW and Anerley have a 2tph service to LB. At the end of May, they will have 6tph (4tph ELL and 2tph LB - rising to 4tph LB during the morning rush hours).

Connections to West Croydon will also be vastly improved (4tph ELL and 2tph mainline). This improvement applies to Sydenham also.

Connections to EC will also improve for Sydenham, Penge West and Anerley.

The idea is to develop NJ as an interchange station. Under the future timetable, for example, in the rush hours there will be 6/7 trains per hour between Sydenham and NJ and 8 trains per hour between NJ and EC. (Penge West and Anerley have slightly fewer connections to NJ but it will still be a pretty regular service.) Get off the train at NJ and get on the connecting train at the same platform. 4/5 minutes average waiting times at NJ. Plus, Sydenham will still keep its 2tph direct services to EC during the off peak. And in order to get better services to Gatwick, far more "fast" trains to the airport will stop at NJ in the future.

In summary (in my view) PW and Anereley will move in May, from a dire rail service to a pretty good one. Currently only about 300,000 people combined use the two stations each year. Passenger numbers should quickly double at least after May.

[stuart]

In summary (in my view) PW and Anereley will move in May, from a dire rail service to a pretty good one. Currently only about 300,000 people combined use the two stations each year. Passenger numbers should quickly double at least after May.

Really good news - if local residents know about it. Cllr Getwood did remark that while most people in Sydenham & Forest Hill appear to be aware of the coming of ELLX/Overground/Tube (yep few get the name right) whereas few people across the Bromley border are aware.

Do we know if TfL/Southern have planned a leaflet drop or something next May or should you being dropping hints?

Stuart

[alywin]

Currently PW and Anerley have a 2tph service to LB. At the end of May, they will have 6tph (4tph ELL and 2tph LB - rising to 4tph LB during the morning rush hours).

[snip]

In summary (in my view) PW and Anereley will move in May, from a dire rail service to a pretty good one. Currently only about 300,000 people combined use the two stations each year. Passenger numbers should quickly double at least after May.

Yessssssssss!!! That is good news - and might even draw me away from Elmers End/Clock House, my third-nearest stations, but the ones I've always had to use because of the rubbish services on Southern. Next you'll be telling me they'll run a halfway decent service off Birkbeck, too (okay, now that is probably just a pipe dream).

Thanks. Shame they've dumped the services through to Charing Cross, though - I presume Thameslink "2000" has something to do with that.

[Likelife]

Yessssssssss!!! That is good news - and might even draw me away from Elmers End/Clock House, my third-nearest stations, but the ones I've always had to use because of the rubbish services on Southern. Next you'll be telling me they'll run a halfway decent service off Birkbeck, too (okay, now that is probably just a pipe dream).

Thanks. Shame they've dumped the services through to Charing Cross, though - I presume Thameslink "2000" has something to do with that.

Most people use Penge East and the Thameslink Programme has nothing to do with the cut to Charing Cross.
Southern's reasons for cutting services are poor, I'd rather have services going into Cannon Street than cutting our 6 trains per hour service and I just don't get how they can cut the evening, its already hell on a Southern train from London Bridge in the evening, people already can't get on and 10 carriage train from 2013 is just not good enough, make it 12 and quick!
TFL are being stuipd over this they will not need 8 trains per hour to Dalson Junction, I mean who will go Dalson from here regular, I won't!!!
Yes Penge and Anerley should be happy for a better service but it still won't go into Central London apart from Shorditch High St which is the closest station, but won't have a interchange for the tube even though the Central Line goes right under it!

[Likelife]

I was on the Network Rail webiste and I came across this:
http://www.networkrail.co.uk/browse%20d ... %20rus.pdf
It shows how South London Lines are and how to improve them. Pages 27-31 make me laugh it shows how the 'Sydenham Line' is the most important, just look at the peak time usage on page 31 the Sydenham Line is at the top! Yet we are facing cuts, unbelievable. Page 36 shows current overcrowding levels. Pages 71 and 77 says about peak time improvements Page 87 say about 12 car trains on the 'Sydenham Line' and Page 105 (last bullet point) fequencey is even worse. Page 110 mentions Thameslink services stopping at Sydenham calling the option 'highly desirable' which naturally I can only priase. Page 111 shows having 6 trains per hour via Sydenham in the after the Thameslink Programme is finnished. Page 114 shows South Central Metro Peak service (Sydenham Line is Purple not Green as stated). Page 118 is helpful, Page 120 shows peak time overcrowding in 2016, it's better than now. Also look at Page 140/2/5.

I like how they call the Southern Line the 'Sydenham Line'

[alywin]

Most people use Penge East and the Thameslink Programme has nothing to do with the cut to Charing Cross.

No? Some years ago they were talking about having to curtail through services to Charing Cross because they needed more space around platforms 5, 6, "7" and 8 for the Thameslink programme, so I was assuming that was what this was all about. I agree about the Southern services from LB being hell - I remember having to wait half-an-hour for the next Anerley train after I was foolish to get to LB only 10 minutes before my train was due to leave and was totally unable to get on it!