Station Manager Corner

[Speccylecci]

Hi, as you have been so helpful here in the past I

was wondering if you could tell me what times the

ticket counter is open at East Dulwich Station?

Thanks

[bonaome]

bonaome Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Barry - thank you so much for doing this. If you

> ever stand for mayor you'll have my vote.

>

> Any possibility of getting some more overhead

> cover on the London Bridge bound side platform to

> keep the rain off. I know there's a shelter there

> already but it's tiny and at the crowded end of

> the train.

>

> Thanks again for doing this.

Under a brolly there's only really room for one or two people - 3 if it's a golf brolly - under the kind of cover I had in mind the whole of ED could stand shoulder to shoulder as we cry with one voice, "Barry for Mayor!"

[Belle]

mike p - i totally agree re platforms, and when I was pregnant found this particularly annoying. on one occasion the platform was only confirmed 90 seconds before departure - for one of the furthest platforms, and the front four carriages only. Inevitably I didn't make it - perhaps if I hadn't been pregnant I might have squeezed on but there was no way I was doing battle at six months gone! I did complain to a member of staff who said that the passengers would have made way for me as I was pregnant. If only that were the case...

I did complain, though it took ages to find anyone who'd admit it was in their remit - think was Southern or South East (based on Tonbridge) who I got a letter from in the end. Was quite a good letter but they said that the train can't wait in such circumstances as drivers have targets to meet...

[captain_paxo]

Hi again Barry,

Thanks for actioning this - I'm sorry to say it doesn't seem to have made much of a difference. My suspicion is that some of the speakers further down the platform are not functioning. The one nearest the entrance (London Bridge bound platform) seems normal, but some of the other speakers seem quieter/not working at all....

Many thanks again for your continued help with our station. You're surely the most popular contributor to the ED forum!

Will

Hi

This has now been rectified, the volume is up. Any issues please let me know

Barry

captain_paxo Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Fantastic stuff, thanks Barry.

>

> I don't know if anyone else has mentioned it, but

> I think the PA system at E.Dulwich could be

> improved; if you're far down the platform you

> can't hear it which can lead to

> uncertainty/frustration in the case of

> delays/cancellation announcements. ...

[SMBJones]

Your welcome Tony, I just hope its resolved

Barry

Tonyw Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Hi Barry,

> Many thanks for all your efforts to sort this

> matter out. I haven't been around much in the last

> few days, but there is indeed a noticeable

> difference in the volume of the announcements. We

> will continue to monitor this, of course, and keep

> you informed if there is any increase (as has

> happened sometimes in the past).

> So, thanks once again.

> All the best,

> Tony

[SMBJones]

Hi

0600 to 1300 and 1500 to 1900 Monday to Friday

0800 to 1500 Saturdays

Regards

Barry

Speccylecci Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Hi, as you have been so helpful here in the past I

>

> was wondering if you could tell me what times the

>

> ticket counter is open at East Dulwich Station?

>

> Thanks

[SMBJones]

Hi

One has to hold his hands up here.... I was caught up in the Peckham announcements and asked them to turn down at the far end of East Dulwich as opposed to up, my error and engineers should resolve within the week

Very sorry

BArry

captain_paxo Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Hi again Barry,

>

> Thanks for actioning this - I'm sorry to say it

> doesn't seem to have made much of a difference. My

> suspicion is that some of the speakers further

> down the platform are not functioning. The one

> nearest the entrance (London Bridge bound

> platform) seems normal, but some of the other

> speakers seem quieter/not working at all....

>

> Many thanks again for your continued help with our

> station. You're surely the most popular

> contributor to the ED forum!

>

> Will

>

> Hi

>

> This has now been rectified, the volume is up. Any

> issues please let me know

>

> Barry

>

>

> captain_paxo Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > Fantastic stuff, thanks Barry.

> >

> > I don't know if anyone else has mentioned it,

> but

> > I think the PA system at E.Dulwich could be

> > improved; if you're far down the platform you

> > can't hear it which can lead to

> > uncertainty/frustration in the case of

> > delays/cancellation announcements. ...

[SMBJones]

Michael and Co

I have copied and pasted your comments to my friend and colleague who is the Station Manager at London Bridge, I am pretty certain the the "Control Point" is run by Network Rail however I have asked him to look into this and I will respond once he has had a chance to speak with his counterpart

Regards

Barry

Michael Palaeologus Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Not sure that you can influence this Barry, but it

> seems to to take an age for the platforms to be

> identified on the main signage at London Bridge.

> It seems to be "our" trains that are problematic,

> i.e to ED or Denmark Hill , other trains have

> their platforms identified a good 10 minutes in

> advance. All all to often we are given 2 minutes

> to leg it down to Platforms 14, 15 or 16 and often

> along the platform to get to the far end, where

> our train is.

>

> The information staff seem to know what platforms

> a given train is coming into, but this doesnt

> translate itself into timely signage

> announcements. Its a pain and for those who arent

> fleet of foot, unfair and not customer focussed.

[SMBJones]

Hi

Its taken a while to answer your point about more shelters at East Dulwich. I have requested from my facilities department that if any shelters that are removed from stations under refurbs to let me have one as a temporary fix, in the meantime I will be submitting a formal request via a business case to Southern Railway, this will take a while, however it is my intention to try and get this agreed and installed by the end of the summer in time for the Autumn. My other plan did not work hence taking this route!

Best I can do

Barry

bonaome Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> bonaome Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > Barry - thank you so much for doing this. If

> you

> > ever stand for mayor you'll have my vote.

> >

> > Any possibility of getting some more overhead

> > cover on the London Bridge bound side platform

> to

> > keep the rain off. I know there's a shelter

> there

> > already but it's tiny and at the crowded end of

> > the train.

> >

> > Thanks again for doing this.

>

>

> Under a brolly there's only really room for one or

> two people - 3 if it's a golf brolly - under the

> kind of cover I had in mind the whole of ED could

> stand shoulder to shoulder as we cry with one

> voice, "Barry for Mayor!"

[SMBJones]

Dear all, please see the response from colleague at London Bridge, as you can see he is aware of the issue and he will get back to me

Barry

Hi Barry

We are working on this the big problem is the train can only be advertised once the system has the head code. The other problem we have is the amount of split and attachments we have the staff know what platform as they have the workings but as before we can have more than one train on the platform. I will give the info to control to see if we can do anything.

Chris

SMBJones Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Michael and Co

>

> I have copied and pasted your comments to my

> friend and colleague who is the Station Manager at

> London Bridge, I am pretty certain the the

> "Control Point" is run by Network Rail however I

> have asked him to look into this and I will

> respond once he has had a chance to speak with his

> counterpart

>

> Regards

>

> Barry

>

>

> Michael Palaeologus Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > Not sure that you can influence this Barry, but

> it

> > seems to to take an age for the platforms to be

> > identified on the main signage at London

> Bridge.

> > It seems to be "our" trains that are

> problematic,

> > i.e to ED or Denmark Hill , other trains have

> > their platforms identified a good 10 minutes in

> > advance. All all to often we are given 2

> minutes

> > to leg it down to Platforms 14, 15 or 16 and

> often

> > along the platform to get to the far end, where

> > our train is.

> >

> > The information staff seem to know what

> platforms

> > a given train is coming into, but this doesnt

> > translate itself into timely signage

> > announcements. Its a pain and for those who

> arent

> > fleet of foot, unfair and not customer focussed.

[bob]

MP a very good point I to have at some time, taken on the role of an Olimpic sprinter to try to get to platform 16 with 2 minet's warning on the main board.

Bob S

[SingingWilks]

Hi Barry

What a star you are!

With regards to East Dulwich station speakers, is there a possibility to turn them up or add another without annoying the nearby residents? When standing on the London Bridge bound platform at the end where the front of the train is, it is impossible to hear the announcements properly and because you cannot see the departure board from there (unless you are really tall which I'm not!), you have no idea how long a train is delayed.

Thank you for all your hard work.

SW

[Moos]

MikeP and Belle - without detracting from the validity of your point, I suggest you could consider doing what I do and congregate around the screen at the bottom (ie station) end of Platforms 14 and 15. A much shorter distance to leg it once the correct platform has been announced.

[clux]

i see that yet again there are NO trains from queens road peckham for the entire bank holiday weekend. i can't remember when we last had a normal service at the weekend. very cross.

[Michael Palaeologus]

Moos:

There are no pasties, Krispi-Kremes or cookies at THAT end of the station

and

You have longer legs than me, dont rub it in.

[Moos]

1) buy a pasty, a Krispy-Kreme and 4 cookies for ?3.99

2) stroll to aforesaid screen and consume your well-earned scoff

3) wait for platform announcement

4) stroll in leisurely fashion, finishing your scoff en route

5a) had your whingeing gob OR

5b) say thank you kindly o long-legged Moos for your excellent advice

[Michael Palaeologus]

"'nk you"

*tactfully avoids spraying pastie, krispi-kreme and cookie crumbs over the gazelle like Moos*

[bob]

Improved service? 12.45 pm shows on board Train to East Dulwich leave's platform 16 12.48.

Bob S

[Belle]

It's true that the screens at the far end do help, and once i discovered these I found it a bit easier when pregnant - but getting to the front four carriages on say platform 14 even from there, with a minute or two's notice, was still near impossible in a crush. Easier if you're fleet of foot/not preggers/not old/not on crutches/not with a pushchair of course...

[clux]

the late platform announcement thing is a nightmare - i've got two kids, a one year old and a nearly four year old and trying to sprint to platform 16 whilst pushing a pram and hanging onto a child is not easy. and its totally unnecessary - they must know which platform the train is coming in to!

also, what is really annoying is when you're waiting at victoria for the london bridge train and they announce that its cancelled 1 minute before it should be leaving. which means you don't have enough time to catch the dartford train which goes through peckham rye and you're then stuck there for half an hour. that's happened to my husband twice in the last two weeks. again, they must know that the train is cancelled before then so why cant' they just pass on the information??

add that to having no trains from queens road almost every weekend and i'm not feeling particuarly fond of southern trains at the moment

[Jo]

re platform announcements at London Bridge - I recently discovered through the use of an iPhone that if you check the National Rail live departure boards website they have the platform available long before they appear on the screens at the station...

[Sqiggles]

I agree Jo. They also often show that a train is delayed or cancelled there long before any announcement is made on the boards at the station. So the information is in the system, it is just not being passed on.

The other bup bear is when they announce the platform for the first time just before departure as a "platform alteration" - which sort of implies that everyone but you knew what platform the train was meant to be going from.

I am afraid the information at London Bridge is terrible. You sit on a train that is going nowhere, not sure whether to stick with it or try and find the later train. Why can't they simply make an announcement that says "sorry to everyone waiting on the train on platform X, we will let you know what is going on as soon as we can but if you want to travel to A B or C you might want to get the train from platform Y instead".

[EDdownunder]

Hi Barry,

Thanks for this that is interesting to know and it will be a good service once it is introduced I think.

However, as it does not happen until 2012 do you know why the peckham rye to victoria trains are not running on saturday's?

Regards,

Mike

SMBJones Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Hi Mike

>

> The Southern operated service between Victoria and

> London Bridge via Denmark Hill will be withdrawn

> from May 2012. From that date London Overground

> Rail Operations Ltd (LOROL) will introduce a new

> service every 15 mins between Dalston Junction and

> Clapham Junction via the East London Line. There

> is a possibility that Southeastern trains may put

> in extra stops at Clapham High St, Denmark Hill

> and Peckham Rye to cover loss of trains from those

> stations to Victoria, but this hasn?t been

> confirmed.

>

> Hope this helps

>

> Barry

>

>

>

[SMBJones]

Good evening all, It has been just over a month since I started the Station Manager thread here on the East Dulwich Forum. I have managed to resolve quite a few issues, others are in the pipeline and some I have no control over which have been passed to other departments.

I am away from Saturday for a week, so will not be posting untill my return on the 8th, my last posting will be this Friday with a small update and publish the engineering works that are scheduled for the next few weeks which I agreed to do. I have certainly relished this challenge and will continue to listen and act upon ideas and suggestions

Once again thank you for the kind comments already received and I look forward to hearing from you

Best wishes

Barry Jones

Station Manager

Stretham Hill Area

[snorky]

SMB Jones, can you do anything about the loud w@nkers broadcasting the grim detials of their facile one dimensional lives via mobile telophony & loud voices to all & sundry on the LB=>ED train each evening ?