Oyster Card introduction shut station gates

[nasaroc]

Southern Rail and TFL will not budge on their intention to close the gate permanently on the up platform at Sydenham station. This will happen in June as a precursor to introducing Oyster cards within the next 18 months.

This was the result of a meeting with TFL and Southern on Thursday attended by Jim Dowd, GLA member Len Duvall, Lewisham deputy mayor Heidi Alexander, members of the Sydenham and FH Hill Societies and STF rep Lamb Chops.

We now aim to run a campaign against this decision by leafletting local stations, issuing a press release and asking GLA members and Mayoral candidates where they stand on this issue (all suburban stations will be affected in the same way).

Please PM me if you want to get involved in the campaign. We have only a few weeks before the gate is closed permanently.

Barry Milton

[poppy]

Hi Nasa, I am sure this has been pointed out to Southern but it just seems absolutely ridiculous in the 21st century to be making access to a train service worse rather than improving it.

I know the only legal route seems to be regarding access for the disabled (and the ideas mooted on earlier threads are pretty rubbish regarding that) but what about all those parents who rely on it to get about with their pushchairs?

Even if you can collapse your buggy and carry baby, it is pretty difficult with a toddler to watch out for and bags etc to carry too...

I am only an occasional user with kids in toe but there are lots who bring their kids with them on their way to work to drop off somewhere . Surely equality rights should stretch to us.

[lambchops]

I'm keen to do some letterbox drops, nasser.

It's all about revenue protection.

I completely understand their viewpoint about it, but I can't beleive that they are willing to piss a load of people off for the sake of this mythical "15%" of fare dodgers.

IF there is some way we can think about keeping it open as well as protecting teh revenue then I think that's the way forward.

If the gate was open from 6am until 9am (or whatever time) during the week with some staff there checking tickets then this would be an OK compromise. Well, at least I reckon. It doesn't solve the disabled/mum access problems, but at least it will help disabled people and mums with kids getting on in the week mornings.

[Muddy Waters]

And we all cheered the news about the East London Line coming to Sydenham in June 2010.

Then there was a battle when we realised that to fit in 8 tube trains per hour to Canary Wharf and beyond we were likely to suffer a major reduction of trains on the London Bridge line. Thanks to Nasaroc's early warning, hard work and the Sydenham Society's campaign (not forgetting the FH Society) we seem to have won that battle. Local residents rose to the occasion and demanded common sense be the order of the day.

Now we learn that half our station will become permanently inaccessible in June - just 6 weeks away! Looks to me as though the residents of Sydenham had better gird up their loins again and sally forth into battle demanding yet more common sense.

Up and at'em, Barry! The troops are behind you!

[dickp]

They are swines, aren't they? I'd happily help with some leafleting of commuters - you have my email.

Incidentally, there is a "meet the managers" session at London Bridge Station on Thursday 24 April between 7:30-9:30, if any of you want to give them a piece of your mind in person.

Alternatively, Southern's managing director can be contacted at:

Chris Burchell
managing director
Southern Railways
Go-Ahead House
26-28 Addiscombe Road
Croydon
Surrey CR9 5GA

Tel: 020 8929 8600
chris.burchell@southernrailway.com

[lambchops]

The fact is that their jobs primarily do not require them to operate to deliver a service.

They operate a service to deliver a profit.

[gillyjp]

Well sorry to disagree with you all but we welcome the closure of the gate to Platform 1. As residents of Peak Hill Gardens we are fed up with the inconsiderate parking of all the commuters. Consider others that are adversely affected by this gate being open 24/7. For starters it is like living next to a huge ashtray when all the smokers are gathered around the gate getting their last fix of nicotine before 15 minutes of a train journey without a fag.

Consider the cars up and down all day as people are dropped off at the gate. Not only are we having to put up with the digging up of the road for the upgrading of the water mains it is worse than Sydenham HIgh Street with all the vehicles going up and down constantly.

I, for one, will be inconvenienced with the closure too - since I cross over the bridge in the morning to get to platform 2. However I am happy to do so if it means we get the road back and all these unwanted invaders go to the main entrance and take the heat off of the road we live in.. How would you like it Nasaroc? How would you like people dropping litter outside your house - fast food as we had the other day - half a pizza just left for someone to tread on. All the dog ends -The closure of the gate to platform 1 can't come soon enough for the real victims of the decision to open the gate in the first place. I thought the Sydenham Society would be more democratic in their views on this - but as usual they have not.

[nasaroc]

I'm looking for volunteers to help leaflet the station on Tuesday morning (from 7.30am to 9.30am).

Please PM me if you are able to help.

Barry Milton

[Tasha]

I fully support gillyjp on this one. Everything she mentions about having to live next to an ashtray, people parking so that residents can't park outside their own property and all the rubbish etc. is bad enough , but having people still using the street and also the alley in Peak Hill Gardens as a public convenience is the worst part of all . The closure of this gate will make it a much nicer environment to live in. I for one will welcome the closure, although inconvenient for myself as a commuter into London Bridge, I am prepared to suffer the inconvenience. I know the vast majority of residents in Peak Hill Gardens feel the same way.

[nasaroc]

The good news about the campaign to keep the Gate on Platform One open is the support we are getting from not just from the local public but from local politicians, including Lewisham council, Jim Dowd and Len Duvall, our local GLA member.

We are also writing to Mayoral candidates asking for their views on the issue.

Here is a reply just received from LD candidate Brian Paddick's team:


Thank you for your e-mail.

I agree. Although I do think that it should be a condition of any new franchise awarded to overground rail operators, the train companies must not use this as a reason for blocking off access to stations.

If you don't receive a satisfactory response, please will you keep me and my Liberal Democrat Assembly colleagues at City Hall in touch with your campaign?

Yours Sincerely,
Brian Paddick
Liberal Democrat Candidate for Mayor of London

[castiron73]

I agree, GillyJP and Tasha

And you also forgot the terrible noise pollution from the trains disturbing the peace in local streets every 10-15mins at all hours of the day, with tannoy announcements and train drivers inconsiderately sounding their horns. The sooner they move train stations from residential areas the better.

[Jules]

I agree with castiron73 and i'd like to add that as soon as they remove bus stops, schools and shops from residential areas the better too !!
what a stupid statement.

[Muddy Waters]

Ah, c'mon gillyjp

Not only are we having to put up with the digging up of the road for the upgrading of the water mains it is worse than Sydenham HIgh Street with all the vehicles going up and down constantly

Everyone in Sydenham is currently subject to this inconvenience - dont queer your pitch. Your argument should be about all day commuter parking and you and your neighbours should be talking to your local councillors about possible solutions.

Without this parking problem "cars up and down all day as people are dropped off at the gate", is a huge exaggeration and should not be the reason for argument about inconvenience as you want to indicate.

[castiron73]

Sarcasm is the lowest form of wit so it seems my joke went below Jules's radar. Of course noise from stations isn't a problem, I was just taking issue with the Nimbys' complaints using the old reductio ad absurdum.

And it is bare-faced nimbyism. They're saying bugger the freedom of the disabled if it means they get to park a few metres nearer to the house.

Parking, litter, fag butts and streams of urine are problems in all roads near any high street. They might as well put a Gents sign at the back of House of Curtains. Does that mean we should put gates around the Thorpes?

[nork1]

reductio ad absurdum

Just out of interest, do you actually speak in italics too? Do you casually throw this into everyday conversation? Why not just say 'reduction to absurdity' and save us lesser, uneducated mortals who haven't wasted our time learning a dead language the hassle of looking it up?

[user100]

There was me thinking it was a Harry Potter thing

[nork1]

Note to self: Stop posting when drunk and tetchy

[castiron73]

Italics was better than looking like a spelling mistake, but the term is correct. Do you insist that people say 'bottom of the bag' rather than 'cul de sac'?

[nork1]

I don't insist on anything, you can stick Swahili in there as far as I care. In my drunken haze I read the post, the Latin bit struck me as pompous and it bugged me. I'm sober now and I apologise.

[castiron73]

You're right it was pompous. Watching too much QI.

Sorry, nasaroc, this is a serious topic. Well done on the letters to MPs and mayoral candidates. Probably on to it already but are London Tonight and BBC London news aware? We could ask some wheelchair users and buggy-pushing parents to voice concern on camera