Yes the fare is still the same £1.90 and yes the routing is as you describe it although it does now stop (on both AM & PM) at Imperial Wharf and West Brompton, where the doors aren't activated for long ;):D.

Hilarious :D

Great report, I had no idea such train services existed. I'm not sure I'll be doing the trip, but it was nice to get an insight into it.

Hmm, interesting. It would be my birthday. Quite a unique birthday trip.

I'll see if I can get the afternoon off work.

Haven't been using it for 20 years, no. Only been in the UK for 4...

I did get a response from TFL:

"TfL have, however, listened to the concerns of the local community who want the shortcut from Russell Road to Olympia Way to remain and will be introducing a 'Station Permit' arrangement. This scheme will meet resident requirements at the same time protect revenue needed to fund and continue improvements of the London Overground. The permits would be provided as paper tickets, coded to only work the gates at Kensington Olympia. TfL will write to the eligible residents to explain the permit system and invite them to collect their pass once ready. Installation of the gatelines is planned shortly after the Paralympics Games."

For as long as I can remember explorers have joked, discussed and cried themselves to sleep over the possibility the Post Office Railway could be explored. Those keen to attempt entry desperately clawed at every scrap of information like a starving hobo snacking on bread crumbs. Just the idea of access, let alone the task of traversing the line seemed fraught with impossible obstacles and doubt.

With all the abandoned postal depots now converted or with a foot thick dump of concrete covering what would have been access below, all potential avenues of access pointed solely to the infiltration of live postal depots. In other words, somehow getting into a site and its central building, working your way down an unknown route through a series of passages, locked doors, workers and alarms until you somehow found your way into the basement and with it the depots Mail Rail station. In other words, impossible.



http://www.silentuk.com/?p=2792

No offence, but I don't really see the link between the old Mail Rail under London and this thread. That said, I am quite an avid reader of urbex blogs, so thanks for pointing me to one I didn't know of before.

Yeah except by doing that as I understand it (and that is a standard response) they've admitted that it is a right of way - Oops. The pass system also won't work if you live outside the narrow geographic areas that they would cover with passes. They could easily allow gates to be installed and allow unticketed access to the footbridge but they don't want to do that it seems, and from their attitude they'd rather annoy residents & the councils instead. I've still yet to hear back from LOROL about the closing of the refurbished ticket office and the building of a new one on the platform, after the initial we'll get back to you within 7 days reply. Southern have been similarily silent about my questions regarding the fact Jenbel nearly got left on the platform.

Time to follow them up I think.

I think this maybe a mistaken cross post with a thread on the UK & Ireland board.

You don't see the link to "typically British"?

Think again.

Oh okay!

?

I've only just found this. Absolutely brilliant - thanks for sharing!

Uniquely British (surely?) and, as the thread title says, utterly nonsensical. :D

Thanks, I keep wanting to do the afternoon service but events keep me from doing so on my day off. I'll post a few more pictures in a trip report if I do manage to do the PM one.

I've had a response from Southern regarding the train and they said they were concerned about the doors going out of service, then working again. I have forwarded details of the service we were on and they are going to talk to the engineers. However they said they weren't responsible for the platform display as this isn't their station and to contact London Overground. I'm going to do that shortly, although given the length of time that they have taken to answer my other question I won't hold my breath.

Well regarding the waste of money spent on refurnishing the now mothballed ticket office at the station, London Overground Rail Operations Limited (LOROL) did eventually get back to me. Although they've actually passed the buck on to Transport For London (TFL) for comment which doesn't fill me with confidence. I've sent one regarding the platform display but they haven't got back to me on that one yet.