New entrance to Denmark Hill station

[KidKruger]

"Perhaps they could fashion one using the old door for 'rail-side' customers to use?"

any cafe operating like this may be non-viable. Without option of passers-by using the cafe facility a lot of potential trade will excluded.

[cle]

I meant in addition to being a cafe/shop in the space and serving passers-by - they could also have a hatch for people within the station.

[ianjm]

Maybe they'll just have a setup with two coffee bars, one pointing in to the ticketed area and one pointing to the outside world, creating the required physical separation. Seems like an odd arrangement though, and a huge space to be filled by just a coffee shop. The queues weren't short at the old place during rush hour, but I can't imagine there'd be enough trade to support a coffee shop the whole size of the old ticket hall!

[cle]

Have just thought of an example - a few years ago when I commuted there, there was an AMT at Hammersmith (the H&C line station) which had hatches/servers for both sides of the barrier. So this could work.

The real problem would be that Southeastern would no doubt lease to the highest bidder - so that rather than anything independent and interesting, we'd probably get a Costa.

[El Pibe]

Waterford airport used to have that arrangement ianjm.

Very useful for the whole liquids nonsense at airport security.

You simply handed your half finished coffee to the staff in the airport foyer side and they gave it back to you in the departure lounge.

In fact thinking about it old Southend airport used to do it too (if you asked very very nicely).

[ianjm]

Thank goodness we don't have to go through airport scanners at train stations... yet.