Station Manager Corner

[peckhamboy]

Pearl1 - I don't think the intention is to have a room (there wouldn't be space for an enclosed area anyway) but to provide extended shelter on the platform, which would be helpful in the rain, not least because it would mean fewer golf umbrellas so more chance of actually getting past people who are waiting and not getting a spoke in the eye...

[ruffers]

Waiting area and not room? Ah, all good then.

[Nero]

A waiting room is not needed. A few extra bags of grit, a shovel and the necessary manpower might make more use of the money. Councillor, stop wasting money on naff nonsense like this and really, really THINK like a non-politician before you go dispensing our cash. I am on your side - I don't despise politicians in a knee-jerk fashion that is a common default setting in a large minority of people - but I do get annoyed when councillors don't have the wherewithal to see what is really value for money.

[SMBJones]

Hi All

There seems to be some confusion her, this does not refer to a Waiting Room but in fact an additional platform shelter which is needed on the London bound platform. If you look back through older posts there have been many requests for this. In addition there is an order waiting to be processed for the handrails for both pathways

Hope this clarifies

Barry

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

I want a waiting room with an old bat serving tea and a handsome doctor ready to take a mote from my eye.

[James Barber]

I have met Southern and Network Rail at East Dulwich station in the past to ask about the steps. To remove the steps extending the ramp, the whole ramp I was told would need to become DDA (Disabilities Discrimination Act) compliant. That means 1 in 20 slope with flat areas every 20m. In reality this means a doubling in slope length. That would mean buying land from the building centre or creating switch backs.

If we wanted to put steps directly upto the platforms. Again a DDA option would have to be created. Lifts have been costed at around ?100,000 IF a new retaining wall on the south side was built. This retaining wall has been calculated at around ?1M. Buidling anything next to the working railway is horrendously expensive.

BUT when I asked Barry what could Southwark Council help with to support all his good efforts he immediately told me an extra waiting area.

so waiting area is what I have applied for funding for.

I suspect next years recommended addition will be an additional covered waiting area on platform 2.

[bellenden]

Dear Barry,

Query regarding child oyster cards on London Overground services

I use London Overground services a lot between Peckham Rye/East Dulwich and central London. I'm so excited about being able to finally use my Oyster card to do this, rather than queuing for tickets in Peckham Rye.

My question is about whether or not I need to get my 6 year old his own Oyster card. My assumption was yes, since I have been needing to pay for him to travel on the London Overground train since he was 5. So I went to the Post Office to get an application form for his Oyster card and saw on the notes that it said: "Up to 4 children aged 5 to 10 can travel free on Tube, DLR, London Overground and some National Rail services if accompanied by an adult and do not need a 5-10 Oyster photocard". The Oyster website says the same thing - see http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tickets/faresandtickets/1063.aspx#section-3.

I'm confused now about whether or not I need to pay for my son on the overground and whether I need to get him an Oyster. I have always paid before the Oyster system but the official documentation now seems to say I don't need to.

I have called the Oyster help line. They were pretty useless and said that I DO need to pay for my son on Overground services but could not explain why the application form and the OYster website says the opposite.

Please could you advise.

Kind regards.

[Jeremy]

You might be getting the terminology confused. The ED to London Bridge train is "National Rail"... "London Overground" is a different thing altogether.

[Nero]

Barry,

Can you look into squiggles's concern (see below). If this is happening across your network, and across London, thousands of pounds are being taken by mistake from Oyster cards. Please let us know what the people in charge are doing to make sure the time is set at the correct time.

Thanks.

Watch the off peak fares as well. I just missed the 18.58 the other night, bot I remembered not to swipe through the gates at London Bridge until after 1900, so as to get the off peak fare. In fact I waited until the big clock at LB said 19.01, and then got the 1908. But I have just checked my Oyster journey record and it said I went through at 1859 so charged me the peak fare. Only 40p I know, but very annoying given that I was so pleased myself for remembering to wait!!

[bellenden]

Oh that would certainly explain it. Looks like I need to go back to the basic pages on the tfl pages. thanks for that

[EDdownunder]

Anyone know if the 0612 train has been running on time. Website says it's subject to delays. I need that train to get my eurostar so if it was late today I think I would give up and cab it to kings cross

[mikese22]

They are actually the same - London Overground is a National Rail service - ie one that generally uses the infrastructure owned by Network Rail

[GregI]

The way I understand it is that London Overground are a Train Operating Company- TOC (in the same way as Southern). However, they operate on behalf of TfL whereas all the other TOCs operate on behalf of Network Rail.

As such London Overground zonal fares are the same as those on the tube.

[Eileen]

Greg's distinction is right. Another difference is that London Overground Rail Operations Ltd (LOROL) is a private company set up by two other rail companies solely to operate London Overground on behalf of TfL, whereas the other TOCs are wider private companies and compete for franchises awarded by Dept for Transport. London Overground was created to operate the orbital train services in north London taken over by TfL from the national rail companies. To this has been added the East London Line extension (ELL) running north south between Croydon and Dalston, to be opened in a few months time. The new ELLX2 from 2012 between Surrey Quays & Clapham Junction via Peckham Rye & Denmark Hill will therefore also be London Overground. Because TfL don't run the other Overground rail services in our area, even though they are crucial for our local transport network, they don't mention them at all in the Mayor's draft transport strategy! SRUG has just submitted comments in the consultation on the draft urging better joined up planning and operating between TfL, London Overground and the other train companies and agencies for all overground rail in inner south London (our area). You can see the comments on the SRUG website here http://www.bellenden.net/srug/news/inner-south-london-overground-rail-missing-mayors-transport-strategy

GregI Wrote:

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

> The way I understand it is that London Overground

> are a Train Operating Company- TOC (in the same

> way as Southern). However, they operate on behalf

> of TfL whereas all the other TOCs operate on

> behalf of Network Rail.

>

> As such London Overground zonal fares are the same

a> as those on the tube.

[Administrator]

Please can we keep this on topic as as "Station Manager Corner", transport companies and strategies can be discussed elsewhere.

[Moos]

Morning Barry and everyone

any insight into how the trains are running so far today to London Bridge?

[AllyCat]

..... and to Victoria from Peckham Rye please.....

[peckhamboy]

Trains were running ok at 7.30, but with about 15 minute delay on most.

[Blondie]

I got to the 0714 to London Bridge and it was about 3 minutes late, busy but fine. They announced the 0719 was 12 minutes late.

[Bumpkin]

Hi Barry, not sure if this is totally on topic and if you can help, but am very frustrated with myself as just bought an annual season ticket at London Bridge and accidentally bought at rail ticket office rather than underground as meant to get Oyster card update. So I only have a paper ticket which I have now had to get replaced 4 times in 2 weeks as the magnetic strip stops working almost immediately. I've spoken to about 5 different people at TFL / South Eastern etc about getting this transferred to an Oyster card and they all say it should be done but London Bridge can't and if I apply for a refund I lose the 2 months free... not sure where to go next, but wondered if you had any bright ideas! Thanks

[SMBJones]

Are you at london bridge in the morning?

Barry

[hayesgrover]

I have had to replace my paper ticket twice in the last week as the turnstiles stopped accepting them. Is there some fault in the tickets being issued or is this a gentle way to promote oyster cards?

[SMBJones]

Hi

I am at london bridge first thing tomorrow morning, I will look into this as my first task of the day

Barry

[Sqiggles]

The magnetic strips are a pain, but I managed to keep my last paper season ticket going for nearly the full year but keeping it in a separate wallet from my work security pass. It seemed that the porblem was if you kept it in the same palce as a card with another strip, that is what damages it. Just a thought....

Am I right in thinking that I cannot move over to tha oyster season ticket unless I get a zone travel card? It seems to me to be much cheaper to buy the train season ticket to London Bridge (which I thikn hasd to be paper) and then use oyster pay as you go for other journeys, unless you use the tube every day, but do others agree?

[the-e-dealer]

Yes Seasons save me about 50% ! Travelcards are a rip off unless you use tube not trains.