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Friday, August 08, 2008, 07:00
Norwood Junction's entrance on Clifford Road closes between 10am and 3pm.
Between those times anyone who wants to use the station is forced to use a "disgusting" tunnel or take a 10-minute detour to get to the station's other entrance off South Norwood High Street.
Patricia Pelican, 42, of Stanger Road, said: "It's just a ridiculous decision that law abiding citizens have to suffer for people who are not paying their fares.
"I've been mugged at knifepoint before and there's a fear of being trapped in that tunnel where there's no CCTV.
"If you see a gang of lads and you're a woman on your own you would not want to walk down there and once you're in there there's no escape."
Rachel Lawrence, 32, of Ingatestone Road regularly uses the station between 10am and 3pm to get to work.
She said: "I've only lived round here for two months and moved here because I thought it was an up and coming area with the East London line coming.
"Then they shut this gate and make you walk through a smelly and disgusting tunnel.
"I carry a laptop with me and it's not safe. Lots of women really, really don't like going down that tunnel."
Southern Rail started closing the gate five weeks ago after new ticket barriers were installed at the station's main entrance.
At first the gate was also closed for 50 minutes between 7.30pm and 8.20pm, but that was stopped after several commuters complained.
Janet Carlyle, 67, of Elborough Road, said: "I'm not as mobile as I normally would be and it takes me a good half an hour to walk from where I am to use the other entrance.
"If then I have to negotiate slopes or steps to get to the front of the station or use not a nice underpass it's very bad.
"It's unfair - they are treating everyone like criminals."
Woodside Labour councillor Paul Scott is trying to help the commuters' cause.
He said: "The railway should be run for the convenience of the passengers.
"It's totally unfair these people are not fare dodgers. Southern should have done something years ago if they wanted to stop fare dodgers.
"To do this is totally money led at the expense of local residents."
A spokesman for Southern revealed the problem is likely to remain for a few months.
He said: "The gate is closed between 10am and 3pm as it is off peak and cannot currently be staffed.
"As long as the feasibility study does not show up anything out of the ordinary, we would be planning to install ticket gates at the Woodside entrance over the next few months."
NO WAY THROUGH: (From left) Cllr Tony Newman, Jane Nicholl, Ian Bone, Janet Carlyle and Cllr Alison Butler behind the locked Woodside gate
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