There will be a Meet the Manager session at Sydenham Station between 16.30 and 19.00 on Wednesday 7th October.
Now is your chance to talk to the new TfL management about issues to do with the station, Oystercards and the East London Line.
(Please note - TfL are in charge of our stations and the ELL. They will try their best but will not be able to answer questions about trains to and from London Bridge/Charing Cross, Victoria and West and East Croydon. These services are run by Southern Railways).
Meet the Manager - Sydenham Station Wednesday 7th October
Nasaroc,
I was pleased when it was announced our station would be fully manned. My experience of the practice does worry me. I use the station at quiet times. The staff are usually skulking away near the ticket office either talking to each other or looking very bored with life (which I can understand). It must be costing us around £200,000 a year which is a lot. There is no job satisfaction that I can see - just wasted man hours.
Now I don't want them abolished. I am willing to believe their presence will make out-of-hours travelling by vulnerable people less threatening. But can we do something to make the staff's time more interesting and be a benefit for all travellers?
In the old days spare moments were devoted to creating horticultural wonders transforming their stations into a minor theme park. There must be lots of other things that also might need doing to improve the station experience. And give the staff some pride in their place of work. Is this something you could raise?
Does anyone have any good ideas?
Stuart
I was pleased when it was announced our station would be fully manned. My experience of the practice does worry me. I use the station at quiet times. The staff are usually skulking away near the ticket office either talking to each other or looking very bored with life (which I can understand). It must be costing us around £200,000 a year which is a lot. There is no job satisfaction that I can see - just wasted man hours.
Now I don't want them abolished. I am willing to believe their presence will make out-of-hours travelling by vulnerable people less threatening. But can we do something to make the staff's time more interesting and be a benefit for all travellers?
In the old days spare moments were devoted to creating horticultural wonders transforming their stations into a minor theme park. There must be lots of other things that also might need doing to improve the station experience. And give the staff some pride in their place of work. Is this something you could raise?
Does anyone have any good ideas?
Stuart
-
Trawlerman
- Posts: 318
- Joined: 17 Sep 2009 13:56
- Location: Sydenham
Horticultural wonders...sounds good...attractive, comfortable stations would be nice...Who will pay?
Make life a bit more interesting...Laudable.
....
It was certainly interesting for the lady who works at the station a few months ago when a 'customer' [that's the word these days...not passenger]
threatened her with violence and promised to 'see' her family...]
Let's broaden this discussion to include security for staff and 'customers',
as well as job satisfaction, service, pretty stations ...etc...
Any suggestions?
Make life a bit more interesting...Laudable.
....
It was certainly interesting for the lady who works at the station a few months ago when a 'customer' [that's the word these days...not passenger]
threatened her with violence and promised to 'see' her family...]
Let's broaden this discussion to include security for staff and 'customers',
as well as job satisfaction, service, pretty stations ...etc...
Any suggestions?
At the Meet the Manager meeting I raised three points:
1. Can the door from Ststion Approach into the booking office be widened?
Answer: TfL are working with LBL on this issue and it is hoped that this will be part of the Sydenham Approach improvements.
2. Will indicator boards be improved?
Answer: All of the indicator boards are due to be renewed before the ELL arrives and there will be at least two new indicator boards on the up platform so that they can be seen by all passengers.
3. Can we have more shelters on the up platform?
Answer: This will be looked at with the contractors and extra shelters erected.
Stuart - I did not raise the question as to why our station staff should not be employed planting flowers around the station in their spare time - sheer cowardice, I'm afraid!
On Wednesday the first train ran (on a test) on the ELL.
http://londonreconnections.blogspot.com ... w-ell.html
This link is a testament to the geeks who lurk around our railway tracks!
1. Can the door from Ststion Approach into the booking office be widened?
Answer: TfL are working with LBL on this issue and it is hoped that this will be part of the Sydenham Approach improvements.
2. Will indicator boards be improved?
Answer: All of the indicator boards are due to be renewed before the ELL arrives and there will be at least two new indicator boards on the up platform so that they can be seen by all passengers.
3. Can we have more shelters on the up platform?
Answer: This will be looked at with the contractors and extra shelters erected.
Stuart - I did not raise the question as to why our station staff should not be employed planting flowers around the station in their spare time - sheer cowardice, I'm afraid!
On Wednesday the first train ran (on a test) on the ELL.
http://londonreconnections.blogspot.com ... w-ell.html
This link is a testament to the geeks who lurk around our railway tracks!
-
Pat Trembath
- Posts: 613
- Joined: 2 Oct 2004 10:54