Peckham Rye Station - meet the managers

[Eileen]

For all those who use Peckham Rye station, here is a new opportunity to meet the people who manage the station and the services. The first MEET THE MANAGER AT PECKHAM RYE STATION will take place on Thursday 29th January in the ticket hall, between 0830 and 1100. Southern Rail managers will be at Peckham Rye station to answer your questions and listen to your comments.

If you want to be on the Southwark Rail Users' Group (SRUG) mailing list please say.

[Ted Max]

Congrats on your award Eileen.

The workers at the Station are, as Father Ted would say, "a great bunch of lads" - I hope someone tells the manager that he has a good team working there and to value them.

I won't be able to meet the manager as I'll be at work, but if anyone does, can they ask him* for a solution to the stairs-only policy (ie a lift), to do something about the flooding at he bottom of the various staircases when it rains, and to occasionally turn on the permit to travel machine at peak times, when people are queuing out the hall.

*or her (on edit)

[OutOfFocus]

Eileen Wrote:

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> If you want to be on the Southwark Rail Users'

> Group (SRUG) mailing list please say.

Can you give more details of the list - is it just for announcements or is it for discussion.

[Eileen]

OutOfFocus Wrote:

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> Can you give more details of the list - is it just for announcements or is it for discussion.

Hi - It is more than annoucements. Southwark Rail Users Group is evolving. It aims:

To enable local rail users to get together

To keep track of planning for rail services

To get local rail users' perspectives into rail services planning

To lobby for improvements to services & stations.

The list is its way of communicating with all who have said they are interested. There are about 250 on the list now. There were nearly 70 at the November public meeting so there was quite a lot of discussion at that. The detailed minutes and material from the November meeting will be ready very soon and will be emailed to the list. Various actions may flow from that. Anyone who would like to become better informed about their rail services and take part when there is any discussion or other action will need to join the list to be sure they keep track...:))

[Eileen]

Ted Max Wrote:

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> Congrats on your award Eileen. Thanks :)

>>>

> I won't be able to meet the manager as I'll be at work, but if anyone does, can they ask him or her for a solution to the stairs-only >policy (ie a lift), to do something about the flooding at he bottom of the various staircases when it rains, and to occasionally turn on the >permit to travel machine at peak times, when people are queuing out the hall.

>>>

I emailed the main manager these Qs. Will post up any reply.

Did anyone reading this meet the Managers? if yes can you tell us the outcome?

[Eileen]

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> Ted Max Wrote:

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

> > I won't be able to meet the manager as I'll be

> at work, but if anyone does, can they ask him or

> her for a solution to the stairs-only >policy (ie

> a lift), to do something about the flooding at he

> bottom of the various staircases when it rains,

> and to occasionally turn on the >permit to travel

> machine at peak times, when people are queuing

> out the hall.

> >>>

>

This is the reply from Barry Jones station manager:

**In all we had about 20 passengers approached us, most of the issues raised were about accessibility and these have been forwarded to the relevant department within Southern.

The leaks are being rectified, the whole booking hall will be redecorated once completed.

The purpose of the "Permit to Travel" is only for when we have closures... the rules do state that passengers must have a valid ticket to travel, this is why we promote season tickets and have also introduced weekly etc on our ticket machines. Sorry, not a lot I can do on this one.**

[PeckhamRose]

Individual managers are not much use then when they can not help with problems people have which involve the bigger corporate issues, like buying tickets. I don't travel regularly on the trains so I don't need a season ticket, but if I want to buy one in advance and the ticket booth is shut, the ticket machines won't sell tickets for travel beyond that day.

[mikeb]

A station as busy as Peckham Rye should have more than one ticket machine.

The manager is being a bit blinkered when he says "the permit to travel machine is only for when we have closure" - from the perspective of a potential paying customer, I would expect the permit to travel machine could be turned on when there are severe delays e.g. when the machine isn't working. Most passengers are traveling to Victoria, London Bridge or Blackfriars where there are barriers anyway.

Alterantively, the newsagent on Bellenden Rd sells travelcards and rarely has a long queue.

[bigbadwolf]

Why is this meeting timed for when everyone who uses the station will be trying to get to or be at work. Not very helpful. I don't use the Dulwich stations but I use the Forest hill station and the two old gits that run it are useless. Especially the old white bloke.

[PeckhamRose]

Let's hope they accept Oyster soon!

[Eileen]

bigbadwolf Wrote:

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> Why is this meeting timed for when everyone who

> uses the station will be trying to get to or be at

> work. Not very helpful.

I thought that was deliberate - so that people could stop by on their way in or out of the station. It wasn't a 'meeting' - - more a drop in on your way in and out (I thought).

[Kingsbury David]

My memories go back to the late 80s when I collected the old type tickets stopped in 1988. Southern Region used to do the old two part returns to Dreamland Margate with one half used for entry, the other being handed back home. I got a few in Peckham Rye and elosewhere, and knew staff from Kent to Bucks who often worked there over 20 years and all knew me. If any staff are still there from that era and remember a little guy with black hair and glasses asking for used tickets, it was me I knew in particular the ones at Deptford (Dave), Greenwich (Charlie) and all three Dulwich stations which had some of the oldest tickets in use on the region but I didn't know the names of the staff there. I also remember clearing out most of the supplies at Penge just before they went over to the current rubbish they call tickets. Happy days!

[Applespider]

Eileen Wrote:

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> bigbadwolf Wrote:

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

> -----

> > Why is this meeting timed for when everyone who

> > uses the station will be trying to get to or be

> at

> > work. Not very helpful.

>

> I thought that was deliberate - so that people

> could stop by on their way in or out of the

> station. It wasn't a 'meeting' - - more a drop in

> on your way in and out (I thought).

In that case, having it from 7.30 to 10.30 in future might be more useful since it's unlikely many commuters could drop by at 8.30, ask a question, get it answered and still make it upstairs to catch a train to get into the office for 9 particularly if they were heading for Victoria.

Or do it in the evening from 5.30 to 7.30? Many people are rushing in the morning - they time their arrival at the station to catch their train so don't have the time to stop for a chat. Going home, they're more likely to be able to take a few minutes since buses come more frequently than trains and there's less pressure to be somewhere on time.

[Eileen]

> > > Why is this meeting timed for when everyone

> who > > > uses the station will be trying to get to or

> be > > at > > > work. Not very helpful.

> >

> > I thought that was deliberate - so that people

> > could stop by on their way in or out of the

> > station. It wasn't a 'meeting' - - more a drop

> in > > on your way in and out (I thought).

>

> In that case, having it from 7.30 to 10.30 in

> future might be more useful since it's unlikely

> many commuters could drop by at 8.30, ask a

> question, get it answered and still make it

> upstairs to catch a train to get into the office

> for 9 particularly if they were heading for

> Victoria.>

> Or do it in the evening from 5.30 to 7.30? Many

> people are rushing in the morning - they time

> their arrival at the station to catch their train

> so don't have the time to stop for a chat. Going

> home, they're more likely to be able to take a few

> minutes since buses come more frequently than

> trains and there's less pressure to be somewhere

> on time.

I have passed this on to the station manager.

[Eileen]

The station manager has explained the reasons for the timing of the meet the manager sessions:

** London Victoria and London Bridge stations hold meet the manager sessions so commuters could express concerns and raise issues.

The whole purpose of my meet the manager session at Peckham was so passengers travelling after peak who don't normally get into London would have a chance of meeting with us, for example mothers, the elderly etc

Normal commuters have the chance to air their views at two major locations hence having this one slightly later. **

This seems fair enough.