Ticket machine at ED station (always out of action)

[willma]

Hi

Does anyone on here often have difficulties trying to buy a train ticket from ED station? My partner regularly gets the train to work from there to Kentish Town (changing at Tulse Hill) and needs a purchase a day return. He doesn't use the train enough to justify buying a season ticket. He regularly discovers that the ticket machine is out of action (plus the permit to travel machine) and there is nobody at the ticket office, even at nine o'clock in the morning. So, how is one supposed to buy a ticket when there are no facilities to do so? The guards on the First Capital Connect service from Tulse Hill where he gets his connection to Kentish Town from aren't very sympathetic with him either and have threatened to issue him with a penalty fare once or twice. Luckily they haven't issued him with one yet, but you can imagine the consequences and the inconvenience of having to justify your reasons for not being able to buy at ticket if you were issued with a penalty fare. Perhaps Southern should consider installing another machine as a back up so that there is always one machine available? At least when they introduce the Oyster system on the overground network we will no longet have these problems!

[georgia]

Yes we've had problems buying tickets many times on a Saturday when the machine isn't working and the ticket office is shut, though it says it opens till 3pm. They need to sort it out.

[Nero]

I'd give them a bell, if not write to them, explaining you've put it up on this forum. It'll at least let them know. Nero

[James]

I've had this problem many times - including last Saturday. I had only 5 minutes to make a connection but was told if I didn't wait and queue at East Croydon I would get a penalty fare. Despite the fact that there was no means of buying a ticket at ED station. The machine actually said "Out of tickets" so it seems incompetence and not vandalism is the cause. Whatever the case, I had to miss my train and wait half an hour because Southern Trains are incapable of selling me a ticket. I know of no other country in the developed world where customers who want to pay are treated like this. It's a total disgrace. Anyone know who I can write to?

[Nero]

Val Shawcross is the GLA's woman on transport. Why not write to Tessa Jowell, including this link so she knows it's not a one-off. She's obliged to reply and, IMHO, has helped me over some issues. Otherwise, there is a phone number yhou can ring for customer services. It's posted up near the ticket office. It'll take a bit of time, but at least it is something you can do. Nero

[Rolo Tomasi]

This should help you out James:

Southern

Managing Director Chris Burchell

Company Website www.southernrailway.com

Head Office - Postal Address

Go Ahead House

26-28 Addiscombe Road

Croydon

CR9 5GA

Head Office - Primary Phone Number 08451 27 29 20

Head Office - Fax 08457 27 29 30

Head Office - Web Address www.southernrailway.com

[James]

Thank you everyone. I've emailed Southern and TfL (not their jurisdiction really but worth a try). Might try Jowell too.

[SeanMacGabhann]

Since I've been in ED that station has fallen under different companies - all of whom probably promised wonderful improvements in the tendering process I'm sure.

One of the reason I gave up on the train, invested in ear plugs and some books and took to the buses

I hope Nero's contacts help willma but it occured to me that rather than tackling on an individual basis could we mobilise the forum as a whole to help improve local issues, such as this one. I think it has been mooted before and I'm not volunteering to lead anything but there are some intelligent people on here which could provide lateral thinking on how to beat a wall of silence

Think of the pubicity for the forum if we succeeded

[Jah Lush]

Willma, notwithstanding the understandable inconvenience of the station ticket shop being closed or the machine being faulty you're husband could always buy a daily travelcard from any of the nearby newsagents in the area.

[Clazza]

The machine was down nearly all last week and ticket office called. They say at London Bridge & Charing Cross it happens regularly at ED. So have't been fined but a pain queueing to get a ticket. Will try newsagent next time!

[Amelie]

Try [email protected], I complained about the state of Forest Hill station and they replied fairly promptly. Whether any improvements will materialise is another question but they did reply.

[Vik]

Jah Lush Wrote:

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> Willma, notwithstanding the understandable

> inconvenience of the station ticket shop being

> closed or the machine being faulty you're husband

> could always buy a daily travelcard from any of

> the nearby newsagents in the area.

That's what I tend to do, as even when the machine is working or the office open, there is often a queue. There's shop less than a minute from the station!

[James]

Good tip, unless you're travelling to somewhere outside the zones. Or if you're only using the train and you don't need a travelcard.

[Loz]

I think we should stop call it a railway *station*. It's more like two leaky bike sheds.

For those looking for tickets, the newsagent on the other side of the road (Mark & Son) has the Oyster machine. I don't think the other one near the tyre place does it.

[James]

Privatisation has been a total disaster for British Rail - Southern is a prime example of this. Any money left after the shareholders have taken their cut seems to be spent on designing new logos and liveries. East Dulwich station is a shabby third-world shed with third-rate facilities and absentee staff, surrounded by a rat-infested embankment covered in piles of litter. Southern are clearly investing nothing in the infrastructure in case they lose their franchise. I wonder how many ticket machines they could have bought with the money they p*ssed up the wall on their atrocious tv commercials recently? I'm amazed they're allowed to do this. If there are minimum standards for the services they run, surely there should also be minimum standards for the stations? Like, for example, something so basic as being able to buy a ticket!

[templeton]

I complained to Southern about the rubbish around the station. They replied saying that the land was owned by National Rail and he would forward my complaint to them.

I think the train service from ED is actaully pretty good, but you are right the station is an absolute disgrace.

[willma]

Thanks Jah Lush for your suggestion of buying a travel card from the newsagents. However, this doesn't solve the problem if you just want to buy a day return. I think the more people write and complain to Southern and our MP then maybe something will be done to improve the general station environment and service that Southern provides when it comes to buying a ticket.

Just to add to others previous comments about the station in general. It amazes me how popular ED station is, judging by numbers of people using it especially in rush hour and yet the ramps up to the platmorms are far too narrow to cope with the shear volume of passengers in peak periods. Not only that, what's the point with the three or four steps on the ticket office side? Surely they could have planned it better to enable a wheel chair to get up to the platform. If the steps weren't there it would be a disabled friendly station.

[ClareC]

Yep its heavily used at rush hour! I can vouch for that, I am still squashed from this morning's commute. Did anyone notice the chap this morning in carriage one of the 07.51 - He didnt get on at ED, was already on the train, he had a huge rucksuck on his back and a child in a large pushchair - single handedly took up half the standing space in the busiest carriage! The journey got scarier each time we stopped! So glad that was the fast train ;-)

I can also vouch that the ticket machine and permit to travel machine have both not been working every time I have had friends visiting and wanting a single ticket to LB, I have a season ticket Oyster so it doesnt really affect me but roll on getting a touch out machine!

[Asset]

Goodness what an inconsiderate man. What was he supposed to do? Wait until rushour finished? Perhaps he needed to get somewhere with his rucksack and child. It's not his fault the train is rammed. Honestly comments like that really annoy me. Is the train only for single people to get to work on? Imagine if there had been someone in a wheelchair as well? Would you have complained about that?

[ClareC]

Asset Wrote:

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> Goodness what an inconsiderate man. What was he

> supposed to do? Wait until rushour finished?

> Perhaps he needed to get somewhere with his

> rucksack and child. It's not his fault the train

> is rammed. Honestly comments like that really

> annoy me. Is the train only for single people to

> get to work on? Imagine if there had been someone

> in a wheelchair as well? Would you have

> complained about that?

I totally agree with you, if you need to travel at a certain time regardless of luggage etc you need to travel at that time! The issue is chosing to wear the rucksack rather than place it on the floor/under the seats where there is far more room (on account of people's feet / legs taking less space than their bodies) when the train is busy! Pushchair or no pushchair he should have removed his rucksack. Its a matter of being considerate to fellow rail users. Personally if I needed to travel with a push chair at rush hour it would make me more aware of the need for consideration.

Bit of an assumption that I am single, im not, not that it is of any relevance. I am also considerate to other rail users, if there was a wheelchair needing to get on the train I would issist if they required help same as I help lone people with push chairs with the steps. There sometimes seem's to be an awful lot of assumptions and defensiveness on this forum!

[SeanMacGabhann]

which to be fair clarec could be an accusation levelled at your last post - but to the point at hand I tend to agree with you. It does tend to be the rucksacked of this world who are most oblivious to others around them in my experience (darned useful tho they are)

[*Bob*]

Why is the world full of quietly fuming people who are simply unable to open their mouth and make their feelings known?

Ask him politely if he would mind taking his rucksack off. Maybe he'll even *remember* your helpful words and take it off next time he gets on a train..

..and BINGO everybody on the train lived happily ever after.

[Asset]

when I said single I meant travelling alone - not your marital status.

Your post came across as sounding rather indignant that the man was travelling on a train with luggage and a child.

I would think wearing a rucksack and standing with one's back to a wall would be preferable to trying to get it on and off and lift it up and down in a busy train, but I could be wrong.

[ClareC]

SeanMacGabhann Wrote:

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

> >

> which to be fair clarec could be an accusation

> levelled at your last post - but to the point at

> hand I tend to agree with you. It does tend to be

> the rucksacked of this world who are most

> oblivious to others around them in my experience

> (darned useful tho they are)

Fair comment :-$

[ClareC]

Asset Wrote:

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

> when I said single I meant travelling alone - not

> your marital status.

> Your post came across as sounding rather indignant

> that the man was travelling on a train with

> luggage and a child.

> I would think wearing a rucksack and standing with

> one's back to a wall would be preferable to trying

> to get it on and off and lift it up and down in a

> busy train, but I could be wrong.

The danger of the written word :-S can easily be misconstrued! I was surprised at his lack of thought, wasnt meant to come across as indignant :-)

Its all a matter of space, I carry a small rucksack when necessary, yes its a pain taking it off and putting it back on again but when the train is crowded, removing it rather than leaning on it does actually make a difference to the space issue. On a positive note, the London Bridge trains are never as crowded as the Northern Line :-)