Who's smarter, a looter/rioter or anyone who helped plan the work at Denmark Hill stn?

[tog_in_sox]

Just got home to the opening of the new platform access...

...what a bleeding joke! The access is narrower than the rickety stairs they replace and there's no over head signage so if you're in a crowd you can only follow the person in front. There're no Oyster touchpoints at the entrance you're expected to go to the ticket office to touch in and out before walking round the corner to access the platforms via an unattended entrance. According to the man in the ticket office there's no plan to improve this before the work is complete.

Oh, and you'll love the spring in the bridge as the crowd crosses, just waiting for it to fail straight onto the tracks. Best practice your silliest walk because stepping in harmony will not bring a good result.

I've not read any of the lit re the works so can anyone else provide a link to the details of how long this fiasco will run?

Not that I think the area is particularly unsafe but way to go siting the exit on a sheltered road rather than Denmark Hill.

[StraferJack]

Yeah I encountered this today too. But basically what options are genuinely open to them. The touch in touch out point is the worst bit tho... I'm sure some people will assume they no longer need to touch out and are going to get stung

[tog_in_sox]

Yup, just waiting to see how much extra takings they report over the next quarters. Particularly opportunist with all the commuters rushing to get trains and the tourists bunking at the Halls of Residence over the break with not a clue. "Welcome to Victoria, that'll be ?20 penalty please", "Forgot to touch in eh?", "Nowhere to touch in eh?", "You''ll have to write in and try to claim the excess back"

How these apes get a licence to operate... Oh wait, perhaps they're the successes out of the outreach programmes that will reform those delinquents who've been making mischief recently. [facepalm]

[edcam]

I expect they'll move the access point according to what work they're doing, and resiting the oyster touch-in pads is probably impractical. The bridge doesn't feel particularly solid though - I was late in this morning so it wasn't that busy so slightly dreading being on it when it's crowded!

Still not as stupid as the new position of the pedestrian crossing outside the station though.

[Borderlands]

Yes, last night was bonkers - no warning about the pending closing of the stairs, and everyone going up and down trying to work out their options. Didn't feel safe at all - very narrow and wobbly with so many of us.

Wonder why there is no display about what they are planning to do with the new build? Are they still going to demolish the main wall on Platform 4? That would be such a shame - it's such a great structure. Many years ago I took part in a massive public campaign to save the station from total demolition: it was saved and the new fencing was put up along Champion Park, then neglected for many years. Hope some refurbishment is planned of the station-proper and not simply a load of money thrown at flimsy new/fashionable new build.

[mockney piers]

http://rail-news.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/Denmark-Hill_Rail-News-copy.jpg

[tog_in_sox]

OOhh! Ta MP, does that mean we'll be seeing HSTs running through to whisk us to jobs in Paris?

So with all this "better" access will they sort out the doors into the station building and the size of access to the walkway on the back of it? Will there be lanes of access for ingress and egress? Putting a couple of Oyster readers on each platform would be smart.

[civilservant]

Get to station this morning with ample time to spare. Forewarned by forum postings, remember to touch in with Oyster, rush around the corner to wobbly bridge.

Discover that bridge only allows two lanes of traffic, with no possibility of overtaking if there are people coming the other way. So at peak times, each lane travels at the speed of the slowest unit in it e.g. people bemused by new arrangements, clueless tourists, patients heading for the hospital, people struggling with small children and pushchairs.

Miss train.

[tfwsoll]

I went via Denmark Hill this morning - luckily I hit a quiet time and had plenty of time to spare. I didn't fancy crossing the temporary bridge in the rush hour so came back via Herne Hill.

The new layout at Denmark Hill looks swish but I hope that they are going to do something to rotting reinforced concrete underneath the regular footbridge?

[nloyall]

Ah poo didn't know the stairs weren't working as I don't normally use the station as often as I used to so I touched in realised the stairs were shut had 3 mins to get to the platform with suitcase in one hand it is not fun racing round the corner got to the walkway and thought **** what platform is the train coming in at, totally forget to check the screen arghhhhhhhhhhhhhh took a gamble and thankfully it was the right one.