Station Manager Corner

[ojm]

To add to the voices of a considerable number of others.... The ticket buying options at Peckham Rye really aren't good enough for a station of its size, and a little part of me dies every time I get stuck in a 10+ person queue at the ticket office and hurtle up the stairs only to hear my train pull away. Oyster PAYG will be good (nay, great), but it's not the full answer.

Barry -- you've done us proud thus far. Our station is considerably better as a result. But what I wouldn't give for at least one more ticket machine..

[SMBJones]

Blondie/Kaz

Apologies for the closure at East Dulwich yesterdat and lack of tickets, please be assured my Ticket Office Manager is investigating this today

sorry for inconvenience

Barry

kaz@263 Wrote:

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

> Hi Barry, I've just taken my parents to East

> Dulwich to get the train to London Bridge. Ticket

> office closed, ticket machine not working (showing

> error message "out of tickets"), permit to travel

> machine not working. Pretty bad when none of the

> three methods of buying a ticket are not

> operational. Hopefully they'll find an

> understanding person manning the ticket barriers

> at London Bridge so they don't get fined!

[SMBJones]

Hi

I have sent this through to a colleague of mine at HQ, bare with me and I will get a response

Kind regards

Barry

ralphation Wrote:

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

> On the topic of fares, penalty fares and stuff, I

> have a question.

>

> I recently incurred a penalty fare (incorrectly)

> and appealed it. The Indepnedent Penalty Fare

> Appeals Service , to whom I appealed, completely

> ignored my reasoning saying that because I had

> signed a bit of paper at the station "procedures

> had been followed" and that I was liable for the

> penalty fare. That is to say, paperwork had been

> done regardless of the actual events that took

> place. I then complained again about this to IPFAS

> but to no avail.

>

> They have decided their decision is final and have

> now added a ?20 "admin fee" to the initial penalty

> fare and passed it on to a debt collection agency.

> This does not seem the behaviour I would expect

> form a truly independent body (they would offer

> further ways to appeal, would not add arbitrary

> "admin fees" and would not pass debts on to

> agencies - not least because the debt is to the

> train company not to IPFAS) so I did some

> investigation.

>

> I found out that IPFAS has its offices in

> Southeastern Trains HQ and is staffed by

> Southeastern Trains staff. On the Dept. of

> Transport website, it says an indenpendent appeals

> service must be and be seen to be independent. If

> what I read about IPFAS is true then it doesn't

> seem that it is and makes me wonder whether or not

> I should bother paying any of the penalty fare

> beyond the single fare I had tried to pay in the

> first place when making my joutney.

>

> Barry, I don't want to have a go at you directly

> about my penalty fare problems - I realise that is

> not what this thread is for but is this true about

> IPFAS? That they are based in an SE Trains office

> and employ SE Trains staff?

[SMBJones]

Hi Jeremy

I appreciate your comments however for the record Revenue Protection/Penalty Fares are beyond my remit and have no control. You can see that I am taking this to a higher source at Southern

Kind regards

Barry

Jeremy Wrote:

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

> ralphation Wrote:

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

> -----

> > They have decided their decision is final and

> have

> > now added a ?20 "admin fee" to the initial

> penalty

> > fare and passed it on to a debt collection

> agency.

>

> This is disgusting. It's as bad as - maybe even

> worse than - parking fines.

>

> I hope you are going to stand your ground and

> refuse to pay the admin fee, as well as continuing

> to contest the original fine.

[SMBJones]

Hi

A formal request for an extra Ticket Vending Machine has been submitted to my line manager. The good news is that the stations being handed to LOROL will have their own put in place and I have asked for one of those being removed to be installed at Peckham

Kind regards

Barry

Wrote:

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

> To add to the voices of a considerable number of

> others.... The ticket buying options at Peckham

> Rye really aren't good enough for a station of its

> size, and a little part of me dies every time I

> get stuck in a 10+ person queue at the ticket

> office and hurtle up the stairs only to hear my

> train pull away. Oyster PAYG will be good (nay,

> great), but it's not the full answer.

>

> Barry -- you've done us proud thus far. Our

> station is considerably better as a result. But

> what I wouldn't give for at least one more ticket

> machine..

[ralphation]

Thanks, Barry. Look forward to hearing what you find out.

[prettyflowers]

...and about the paper recycling bins for the free newspapers...?

[Huggers]

Just want to say how clean the station is looking this afternoon- the forecourt all swept and the flower baskets making it all look rather smart.

[plimsoul]

has the paper recycling bin been removed from the pavement outside the exit? i know it's full sometimes but i can usually push mine in...

[ojm]

SMBJones Wrote:

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

> A formal request for an extra Ticket Vending

> Machine has been submitted to my line manager. The

> good news is that the stations being handed to

> LOROL will have their own put in place and I have

> asked for one of those being removed to be

> installed at Peckham

Great news, and many thanks. Fingers crossed..

[James]

Got caught in a queue at Peckham Rye this morning but the staff were fast, polite and efficient and cleared it quickly. I notice the station environment has improved dramatically too.

[OutOfFocus]

Barry

With your London Bridge hat on, could you reveiw the balance of in and out barriers. I was travelling into London at about 18:30 and had quite a queue to get out from the barriers near platfrom 11. But there were a lot of unused barriers for people coming into the station. I suspect at that time the rush-hour has reversed - more people travelling into London rather than out.

Do staff have an option of changing the number in each direction.

[sophiesofa]

Sorry me again Barry. I'm sure most people know, but I don't. If there is no means of buying a ticket i.e. no cashier, working machine or permit machine, what is the official stance? If I was travelling to charing cross would I have to go to the no ticket desk at london bridge or could I go to the no ticket desk at Charing Cross? Thanks in advance.

sophiesofa Wrote:

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

> I second what OutOfFocus has asked. My boyfriend

> had the same issue on sunday at East Dulwich.

> Because we weren't sure if Charing Cross would say

> we should have queued at London Bridge to get a

> ticket so in the end he went to the shop accross

> the road and got a travel card that he didn't

> really need. It is annoying when you leave early

> to make sure you have time to queue for a ticket

> and then there's no means of getting one and no

> clear instructions on what to do if you can't buy

> a ticket. Is there definitely no room anywhere to

> squeeze another ticket machine in? Thanks in

> advance Barry.

[SMBJones]

ralphation Wrote:

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

> Thanks, Barry. Look forward to hearing what you

> find out.

Hi

I am still chasing this, apologies for delay

Barrt

[SMBJones]

prettyflowers Wrote:

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

> ...and about the paper recycling bins for the free

> newspapers...?

Hi

I am now in the process of dealing with "Metro Newspapers" we are in discussions relating to recycling

I will update next week

Barry

[SMBJones]

Hi

My Duty Managers are now looking into this and we will have something sorted very soon. We are looking at peak directional travel and the gates being moved very shortly to coincide with building works that are due to take place this side of Christmas

Barry

OutOfFocus Wrote:

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

> Barry

> With your London Bridge hat on, could you reveiw

> the balance of in and out barriers. I was

> travelling into London at about 18:30 and had

> quite a queue to get out from the barriers near

> platfrom 11. But there were a lot of unused

> barriers for people coming into the station. I

> suspect at that time the rush-hour has reversed -

> more people travelling into London rather than

> out.

>

> Do staff have an option of changing the number in

> each direction.

[SMBJones]

Hi

Places like London Bridge would be fully aware if you were unable to purchase tickets, so for example Revenue staff would have a pager message stating that a machine was out of order or a ticket office closed.

My advice would be to purchase at LB, not sure about Charing X

Hope this helps

Barry

sophiesofa Wrote:

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

> Sorry me again Barry. I'm sure most people know,

> but I don't. If there is no means of buying a

> ticket i.e. no cashier, working machine or permit

> machine, what is the official stance? If I was

> travelling to charing cross would I have to go to

> the no ticket desk at london bridge or could I go

> to the no ticket desk at Charing Cross? Thanks in

> advance.

>

> sophiesofa Wrote:

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

> -----

> > I second what OutOfFocus has asked. My

> boyfriend

> > had the same issue on sunday at East Dulwich.

> > Because we weren't sure if Charing Cross would

> say

> > we should have queued at London Bridge to get a

> > ticket so in the end he went to the shop

> accross

> > the road and got a travel card that he didn't

> > really need. It is annoying when you leave

> early

> > to make sure you have time to queue for a

> ticket

> > and then there's no means of getting one and no

> > clear instructions on what to do if you can't

> buy

> > a ticket. Is there definitely no room anywhere

> to

> > squeeze another ticket machine in? Thanks in

> > advance Barry.

[Blondie]

Late on sunday afternoon the ticket machine was out of tickets again, this seems to be a regular occurence at the weekends

[GregI]

Hi Barry.

Really appreciate your efforts with this thread, Barry. I was wondering why ticket office staff are not provided with the basic ticket terms and conditions (either electronic or paper format)?

I recently required the following information which I later found on the National rail website:

Anytime Day Single tickets are valid for travel on any train on the date shown on your ticket. Break of journey for an overnight stay is allowed. Where a journey continues into the next day, travel must resume before 1200 and no further break of journey is allowed except to change trains.

Whilst the gentleman at East Dulwich ticket office did all he could to find out the above statement (telephoning other stations etc.)- surely he could have been helped by having this information to hand in the first place?

Kind regards

Greg

[ralphation]

Hi Barry,

Thanks for your update of Sep 24th - haven't been around to reply until now. Appreciate the efforts.

[evans1971]

Ticket Gates at Peckham Rye

Barry

Well done on the ticket gates and new info boards at Peckham Rye station - station is starting to look really good - and importantly for you I bet you are getting more people paying and earning more money (always welcome in a recession!)

Are there any other plans for improvements at Peckham Rye? Some bits could do with a good clean!!

However, All starting to make the place feel a little more loved and little more welcoming and safe.

Re the gates - is it possible for the staffing hours of these gates to be altered and made a bit more random It is now becoming pretty well known when the gates are usually operational ( I have worked them out and sure as hell those not paying have). So is it possible to have them staffed later in the evening some days, perhaps saturdays and sundays too.....

And another ticket machine ........?

Oh and one final thing why does it still have the Connex sign outside the station on the main road under the BR sign .....always wondered why that was never removed!!

Cheers

[SMBJones]

Good afternoon

Just to let you know that my management team and I will be out and about this week. We will be at the following locations this week and then we will pencil in some more stations for next month, it would be good to meet you and discuss your stations further.

Tuesday 1630-1900 East Dulwich

Wednesday 0730-0930 Tulse Hill

Thursday 0730-0930 Wandsworth Common

Friday 0730-0930 West Norwood

Can I also apologise to those who have not received reponses from the messages posted, I am still waiting for answers before repsonding. I am also waiting for some funding to continue with your improvements, so bare with me and I will update accordingly. I also have in my possession the Xmas and New Year train services and I am just waiting for the final confirmation along with the engineering works for this period.

Kind regards

Barry

[sophiesofa]

Will you be signing autographs? ;-)

[Amelie]

Dear Barry

I know that Forest Hill is no longer one of your stations but could you have a word with whoever is now in charge there? I was supposed to travel to Haywards Heath today, having been on staycation I was unaware of the works taking place at Forest Hill station and had not realised that the footbridge at the station has been closed. There are no signs outside the station informing people of this; no signs inside the station and there has been no local advertising. I put my ticket through the barrier and when it didn't work only then did one of the station staff tell me I would have to walk around to the subway. The staffmember who sold me my ticket hadn't mentioned it.

My ticket wouldn't work at the barrier for platform 2 either, presumably because it had already been processed by the platform 1 barrier, and I had to ask to be allowed through.

To make matters worse I ended up having to ask for a refund as signal problems at London Bridge meant that I couldn't make my trip anyway.

It would have been helpful to know in advance about the footbridge and Forest Hill's station manager should have had the foresight to publicise it.

[mammab]

Dear Barry,

Firstly, thanks for starting this thread up and for all of your efforts so far. I havent had the chance to read through all of the postings, so apologies if you my points have been repeated already several times, but I am writing on behalf of my partner who isnt registered on the forum, and she had a bit of a rant about her journey to work yesterday morning, so thought I should pass them on....her main points of rage were:

"Not enough ticket machines at East Dulwich, plus more often than not only accepting cash rather than cards ? means people miss trains merely by not being able to get a ticket in time... grrr.

No trains between 7.19 and 7.52... not good to have this long a wait at rush hour... it only exacerpates the squeeze on the trains plus the queues at the ticket machine"

I would like to reiterate her "grrr" point about the ticket machine, as I went to get on the ED - London Bridge train this afternoon at 12.14 - and the machine was being pretty tempremental to say the least - with 5 of us queuing trying to decide what to do, as the permit to travel machine wasnt working and there was no one in the office - eventually the machine started to work again, but would only accept cards and not cash....in the meantime, the train has come and gone.

please can you let us know if there are any plans to have more than one, slightly dodgy, ticket machine at ED station - also, is there any update as to when the oyster pay as you go will be accepted at ED?

Thanks again for your help in all this.