Stations
Your questions about Southern stations answered here…
Our staffed stations have posters showing the opening hours of the ticket office and other useful information. You can also check the opening times online or via our OnTrack app.
Check our station ticket office opening times
Get our useful On Track app
Our aim is that you shouldn't have to wait for more than three minutes before being served and no more than five minutes at peak times.
However, at peak times, and particularly at the start of the week, queues can be longer. We'll publish the peak times on a poster at each of our staffed stations.
If you have a more complicated reason to visit than simply buying a ticket, we suggest you try to avoid the busy morning and evening rush hours.
Ticket vending machines are available at many of our stations and offer a quick and easy way of buying a wide range of tickets with cards or cash.
Avoid the queues and buy your ticket online.
Many of our stations have car parks managed by APCOA. Visit their website for more information.
Website: https://www.apcoa.co.uk/southern/
Most of our stations have bike racks and/or lockers.
Check what facilities are available for cyclists at your station
Find out more about restrictions on taking bikes on our trains
We display timetable posters at every station and pocket versions are available from the ticket office. We also put up large notices warning you in advance of any engineering work that is coming up and how it will affect journeys to and from the station.
Most of our stations also have customer information screens on the platforms or concourses that give live train time updates. Some smaller stations have a help-line telephone where you can speak to an operator.
If you need assistance, for example you have a visual impairment and require information, please ask a member of staff to help.
We also expect our station staff to make announcements when they're needed, such as when there is disruption to services.
We offer an assisted travel service if you need help at our stations.
No, unfortunately not all of our stations have step-free access to platforms.
We’re working with Network Rail to improve station facilities across our network – including providing step-free access to those stations that don’t currently have it.
Check which stations have step-free access on our route map.
See what facilities are available where you get on and get off or transfer in our station information.
Many of our stations have toilets that are open to the public while they are manned. They are normally locked after staff leave for the day to prevent vandalism.
Unfortunately some smaller stations do not have public toilets.
We try to make sure that our stations are regularly cleaned to give you a pleasant travelling environment. Our larger stations are cleaned daily and our smaller ones every few days. We aim to remove graffiti within 48 hours of it being reported.
We have health and safety responsibilities to passengers and staff and a duty to keep stations clean. Pigeon fouling is a major cause of complaint, so we do our best to minimise it.
We try to stop pigeons from roosting by installing pigeon netting or spikes on supporting beams.
No. We have a no smoking policy regardless of the type of device.
We don’t allow e-cigarettes (electronic cigarettes) on our stations or on our trains because they can make other passengers feel uncomfortable and can lead people to think that smoking cigarettes, cigars or pipes is allowed.
Yes. You're welcome to take photos of our trains and at the stations that we manage. If any of our employees will be in your pictures, please ask their permission first.
Please only enter areas that are open to the general public and don't cause an obstruction to passengers or staff. If you’re planning to take more than just a few snapshots, please check with a member of station staff first to make sure you won’t inconvenience other passengers.
You must not use a flash, because this can distract our train drivers. If your camera has an automatic flash please turn it off before taking pictures.
Our staff may occasionally ask photographers not to take pictures, to move to another part of the station or to leave the station. They will always explain why this is necessary, but please bear in mind that our staff have many things to consider – primarily the safety and security of our passengers.
Photos for publication and rail enthusiasts
Please ask for permission if any photographs taken of our trains and property are for publication. Enthusiast photographers can take photographs at stations for private purposes, provided they are not sold except to enthusiast magazines.
We ask you follow the Guidelines for Rail Enthusiasts. We support these guidelines which are designed to help remind enthusiasts of their responsibilities when visiting stations.
Commercial filming and photography
For more information about commercial organisations and new broadcasters getting permission to film at any of our stations or on our trains please contact us.
If you’re interested in buying advertising space at our stations, please contact:
JC Decaux
Paddington Office
Summit House
27 Sale Place
London
W2 1YR
Call: 020 7298 8000
Visit: www.jcdecaux.co.uk
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