Oyster Cards at Sydenham Station in 2008

nasaroc · Post by **nasaroc** » 29 Aug 2007 17:54

Good news!

A note from TFL to the Sydenham Society informs us that contractors will begin to install barriers for Oyster cards at Sydenham Station in March 2008.

This means that Oyster cards should be able to be used on the line from Spring 2008.

kster · Post by **kster** » 30 Aug 2007 08:44

That is good news.

Do you know if this is part of Oyster is being rolled out to all suburban stations? If so, how far out will it extend? Zone 6 or further?

nasaroc · Post by **nasaroc** » 30 Aug 2007 10:16

Kster - hope you are well. TFL has agreed to email me full details of the schedule for all lines in the region but all they will say at present is that in spring 2008 all stations from East Croydon to London Bridge will be added to the Oyster area.

As soon as I get news from TFL I will post it on the site.

Weeble · Post by **Weeble** » 31 Aug 2007 09:10

I'm not sure this means we'll be able to fully use Oyster - I mean, at the moment travelcards on Oyster are valid at Sydenham, there just aren't any readers.

Just because they fit readers doesn't mean they'll be selling tickets on Oyster or allowing us to use pre-pay. London Bridge has oyster readers on the gates but you can't buy tickets on Oyster or use pre-pay.

I may be wrong but in the short term I don't think this means anything other than we'll get ticket barriers (which is no bad thing in itself) and should pave the way to full Oyster use at some point in the future.

However I stand to be corrected.

kster · Post by **kster** » 31 Aug 2007 13:10

I agree it is a confusing picture; but I trust that you would be able to use pre-pay to travel into London Bridge, but what about if you are going west/north via Clapham Junction or south/east via East Croydon/Norwood Junction? If you could use pre-pay how much would you pay? Not only are the rail prices different to tube zone tickets, but how would it know if you been through zone 1 or not (obvious if you get onto the tube at London Bridge but not so obvious if you change at New Cross Gate). If it isn’t rolled out to all suburban stations, do you run the risk of getting to your destination and finding that it isn’t Oyster enabled and then getting fined for not having the right ticket? I’m sure it’ll all become clear next year.

I don’t see the connection between Oyster and getting ticket barriers. There are already tube stations that work perfectly well and accept Oyster without barriers – they just have several pads to touch in/out. Barriers work with paper tickets and if they were such a great idea for Sydenham they could have been installed any time in recent years. Still, at least the barriers will give us another opportunity to get to know our fellow passengers as we queue up to leave the station

Weeble · Post by **Weeble** » 4 Sep 2007 09:36

If we ARE able to use pre-pay from next spring, then I would be very pleased indeed

Ella · Post by **Ella** » 5 Sep 2007 07:47

Although it seems a good idea to be able to use Oyster cards at the station can anyone tell me where the machines are going to be placed? At the moment there is congestion in the morning and evening rush hours getting into and out of the station - having to go through machines which more often than not breakdown is certainly not going to help the situation.

goonerchamp · Post by **goonerchamp** » 6 Sep 2007 12:44

Would the introduction of Card readers mean the side gate on the London Bridge side of the tracks would be closed again?

nasaroc · Post by **nasaroc** » 6 Sep 2007 15:20

no - both sides of the station (platform one and two) will have barriers/readers.

Ella · Post by **Ella** » 7 Sep 2007 07:34

Again I ask the question where are these barriers going to be situated. At times, especially during the evening rush there is already a crowd trying to get into and out of the station. I can only see these barriers making it worse.

randomv · Post by **randomv** » 7 Sep 2007 08:38

Maybe there won't be barriers - just a touch in and touch out machine. If you are using Oyster pre-pay you have to touch in/out to get the best fare, and if you have a travelcard on your oyster, you can't get on the train at London Bridge or wherever without touching in.
I've seen this system used at other Underground stations.

nasaroc · Post by **nasaroc** » 7 Sep 2007 10:05

Ella - Yes barriers/readers may slow down passengers leaving the station after a train has arrived - although the exits at both sides will be greatly enlarged (both the entrance in the "wall" on Station Approach and the entrance onto Peak Hill Gardens through the upright metal fence).

I do not think that it will unduly slow down passengers entering the station. Even during rush hours, there simply isn't the flow into the station to make this a realistic expectation.

The advantage of the Oyster card system with barriers is that it makes passengers much more secure from potential robbers and intruders.
(Introduction of the cards will also mean every station along the line will be staffed whilst trains are running; currently there is no staffing in the evenings at Sydenham). Oyster also gives passengers more flexibility in terms of travel/fares. It also helps lower fares - approximately 12 % of passengers on our section of line travel without paying.

Oyster cards depend for their operation on being passed through readers with barriers. The majority of passsengers want Oyster Cards to be introduced on the line ASAP.

Do you have any alternative solutions?

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Oyster Cards at Sydenham Station in 2008

Oyster Cards at Sydenham Station in 2008