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Post by manorborn on Dec 9, 2011 21:07:05 GMT
Northbound services were having some problems with a stalled train at around 5pm. If it was the Watford at platform 4, then I was in it, unaware of a problem until the driver told us. So I crossed over, missed the Uxbridge on 2 which was the one I really wanted (only I thought the one on 4 was going to leave first), got the following fast Chesham and then had a long chilly wait at Harrow whilst 3 or 4 Watfords sailed merrily by.
My question is - why did I learn of this from the driver? Why no announcement from the control room? Why no help from any station assistants (noticeable by their absence? It's hard to understand why the passenger comms are so poor at the flagship station.
There was no announcement at HOTH either but I am well used to that. I think they are embarrassed at having to run services to Uxbridge.
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Post by greatcentral on Dec 9, 2011 21:17:39 GMT
I on the other hand was happy having come from Marylebone where the Aylesbury service was suspended due to a points failure at Neasden. Glad to see a fast Chesham which I caught - worried to be told by driver service to Wembley Park suspended due to a defective train. Then cheered by - its beside us off we go. There were announcements at Baker St, Finchley Road and Harrow telling passengers to take the first available train and change as appropriate. All sorted quite quickly as when I got off at Chalfont a Chiltern train was announced as being 9 minutes away. So quite well done I thought.
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Post by manorborn on Dec 9, 2011 21:23:10 GMT
I think that was the selfsame Chesham that I took - but I certainly heard no announcements at Baker.
I had the Tube Chaser app running on my phone and it was alternating between "Met - suspended" and "Met - good service".
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Post by Deleted on Dec 9, 2011 22:36:04 GMT
I learnt on work experience there that they cannot make PA annoucements on the Met platforms after a certain time in the evening due to people living the flats above complaining of noise.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 10, 2011 9:32:54 GMT
The culprit was an Uxbridge - Aldgate train that stopped between Finchley Road and Baker Street at around 16:45. At first we were told it was a signal failure, but after some time it became obvious that the train was defective. After several attempts to get us going again the train had to be completely switched off and rebooted, and the brake pressure charged up, before finally limping in to Baker Street 30 minutes later.
I know. I was on it.
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a60
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Post by a60 on Dec 10, 2011 9:38:11 GMT
Judging by the word, rebooted, it was an S Stock you were on?
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Post by manorborn on Dec 10, 2011 9:56:37 GMT
Judging by the word, rebooted, it was an S Stock you were on? And as the power returns and the train moves, does an animated character (a semaphore signal,say) pop up and say "You appear to be driving a train, need any help with that" or "You have executed an illegal instruction, cancel or abort?" |
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kabsonline
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Post by kabsonline on Dec 10, 2011 11:55:01 GMT
I got to Baker Street around 4pm yesterday (so before all this happened) and as I got there from the Circle Line there was a PA announcement telling me that the Chesham train had been cancelled. I went and looked at the departure boards (wanting to go to Chalfont and Latimer) and there were no northbound trains past Moor Park towards Amersham so I had to take a Watford train and change at Moor Park. Why was the Chesham cancelled and where was the Amersham train?
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Post by Deleted on Dec 10, 2011 14:19:59 GMT
Judging by the word, rebooted, it was an S Stock you were on? And as the power returns and the train moves, does an animated character (a semaphore signal,say) pop up and say "You appear to be driving a train, need any help with that" or "You have executed an illegal instruction, cancel or abort?" I recall a joke about a conversation between Bill Gates and the CEO of General Motors which went something like: Gates: "If cars were like computers, every three years they would be half the weight, half the price and twice as powerful." CEO: "And if cars were like computers, every time you got half way to your destination, all the lights would go out and you would have to go all the way home and start your journey all over again" Yes it was an S stock |
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Post by charleyfarley on Dec 10, 2011 16:26:42 GMT
I learnt on work experience there that they cannot make PA annoucements on the Met platforms after a certain time in the evening due to people living the flats above complaining of noise. Why on earth do people buy/rent property adjacent to a railway line and then complain about the noise? Another one is people complaining about the lack of a night bus service in their area, and then when they get one, they complain about passing buses at 3AM or 4AM waking them up. |
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Post by citysig on Dec 10, 2011 16:41:37 GMT
The problem the OP refers to was a southbound train on the approach to Baker Street suffered firstly a signalling problem, followed immediately by further problems which are still under investigation.
Any lack of information is regretted, but without knowing the positions of all staff during the incident, it is impossible to judge whether the problem lied in the fact they were all occupied elsewhere during the shutdown, or whether they simply didn't bother. My money is on the first.
At least, from what you say, one of our drivers informed you of what was going on - so to be honest you were given information, even if it wasn't via a huge, whole station announcement. Call it the personal touch.
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Post by citysig on Dec 10, 2011 16:44:02 GMT
I got to Baker Street around 4pm yesterday (so before all this happened) and as I got there from the Circle Line there was a PA announcement telling me that the Chesham train had been cancelled. I went and looked at the departure boards (wanting to go to Chalfont and Latimer) and there were no northbound trains past Moor Park towards Amersham so I had to take a Watford train and change at Moor Park. Why was the Chesham cancelled and where was the Amersham train? So you were advised via a PA that the Chesham was cancelled, and no doubt there was advice to make your way north on the first available train and change. It is standard advice, and worth following. The Amersham/Chesham service only operates every 10/20 minutes at that time of day (prior to the peak) so it is more than reasonable to suggest that at the time of the Chesham cancellation, the next Amersham was not due. The Chesham, as I understand it, re-entered service at Harrow on the northbound ex-Neasden depot. |
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kabsonline
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Post by kabsonline on Dec 10, 2011 17:26:47 GMT
Just out of curiosity what happened to the Chesham train in the first place?
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Post by norbitonflyer on Dec 10, 2011 18:05:34 GMT
I recall a joke about a conversation between Bill Gates and the CEO of General Motors which went something like: Gates: "If cars were like computers, every three years they would be half the weight, half the price and twice as powerful." CEO: "And if cars were like computers, every time you got half way to your destination, all the lights would go out and you would have to go all the way home and start your journey all over again" ....and before the airbag deploys, a message will come up saying "Are you Sure?" |
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Post by manorborn on Dec 11, 2011 11:13:21 GMT
At least, from what you say, one of our drivers informed you of what was going on - so to be honest you were given information, even if it wasn't via a huge, whole station announcement. Call it the personal touch. I am indeed very pleased that the driver took the trouble to keep his passengers informed. My point is that, had there been a general announcement as I arrived at the station from the Bakerloo, I would have known to take the Uxbridge on 2 straight away. With a stalled train blocking the line it should really not be left up to the drivers to tell passengers what to do. And there were plenty of others who got onto the Watford with me and who then debarked when they heard the driver's announcement (in other words. if there were any general announcements I was certainly not the only one who failed to hear them) As to the standard advice to take the first available train, this is fine except that when I arrived the indicator boards said that the Watford was the first train... Anyway, thanks for taking the time to explain a bit more. |
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Post by citysig on Dec 11, 2011 15:54:30 GMT
My point is that, had there been a general announcement as I arrived at the station from the Bakerloo, Could it also be the case that the last announcement was made just before you arrived from the Bakerloo? Whether or not we had the resources to staff the PA at that point, it is impossible to make continuous PAs concerning just 1 train. We have to hope we have reached the majority. Sometimes it works. Sometimes it doesn't. Passenger movements and human nature are in no way an exact science. |
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