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Post by jamesb on Sept 22, 2018 18:07:23 GMT
I have often noticed a board sticking out of wall, adjacent to the station entrance, near the bike shelter at Epping Station.
I noticed today that it lights up when a train is approaching the platform at Epping, with white letters (although it looked a bit faded) "train approaching".
What would the purpose of that board be??
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Post by jamesb on Sept 4, 2018 11:07:24 GMT
My instinct would be to pull a handle, even if it meant very cautiously hanging on to bars etc to get to it - because I would worry that other doors could be open in different cars and passengers may have fallen out - or be at risk of falling out - even if they weren't in the carriage that I was in. More likely, an inquisitive but idiotic person sticking their head out the door and getting it hit by a passing object
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Post by jamesb on Aug 29, 2018 20:51:38 GMT
I see that the rear cab clear plungers at Stratford have been replaced with shiny new ones and relocated so that the train operator doesn't have to fight through the crowd (quite as much...) Now on the railings immediately in front of the train
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Post by jamesb on Aug 22, 2018 5:09:45 GMT
There is definitely one station on the network that used to have a wooden owl as a deterrent, not sure how successful that was, but I'm sure it was discussed on these boards not so long ago. Are these the nets you are referring to?: www.geograph.org.uk/photo/2381958Yep, those are the nets. The area that is inhabited by a family of pigeons is under the bridge / near the male toilets on the eastbound platform.
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Post by jamesb on Aug 21, 2018 5:59:58 GMT
At Woodford, the netting to prevent birds inhabiting the station roof seems to have turned the roof into an aviary. I can't quite work out if the pigeons are trapped inside the netting, or if they have taken advantage of a 'safe' environment to live. Yesterday, I was lucky enough to have one excrete onto my head when I was sitting on a bench! The bird in question looked healthy enough...It must be quite hard to remove them, since I imagine they would fly about as soon as a hole was cut in the netting to release them.
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Post by jamesb on Aug 14, 2018 10:51:48 GMT
Roding Valley used to be Roding Valley Halt according to Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roding_Valley_tube_station). If a halt is unstaffed, based on my recent experiences maybe Roding Valley should be restored to its original name Being my local tube station, I've found that in almost all cases, there's always member of staff. They'll be in the office if their not making routine checks or standing on the outer circle platforms as trains arrive and depart. My understanding is that stations that were distinguished as halts were built with less permanent features and limited facilities. Roding Valley Halt was merely two platforms with a shelter on either side. It had far less to show for itself compared to neighbouring stations Woodford and Chigwell. Was this Roding Valley as it was when it was Roding Valley Halt? (https://picclick.co.uk/Roding-Valley-Railway-Station-Photo-Woodford-Chigwell-251570129267.html) (re: staffing at Roding Valley, there is a separate discussion in districtdavesforum.co.uk/thread/29894/unmanned-stations)
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Post by jamesb on Aug 13, 2018 20:59:09 GMT
Roding Valley used to be Roding Valley Halt according to Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roding_Valley_tube_station). If a halt is unstaffed, based on my recent experiences maybe Roding Valley should be restored to its original name
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Post by jamesb on Aug 13, 2018 20:46:42 GMT
According to the station logbook, the station was unstaffed from 1900-2300. Earlier in the day it was unstaffed from 1200-1230 so the supervisor could have their break. In terms of help points, the info button should be getting diverted to the line control centre, in this case, Wood Lane. Thanks for that - it would make sense, it was about 21:30 that I was at Roding Valley. Would the blue information button be diverted , or just the emergency button? Pressing the blue button caused the help point to ring and ring before an automatic voice told me "there is no reply, please try again" or something similar. Perhaps it was diverted, and wherever it was diverted to didn't pick up - but I didn't get the impression that it was being diverted.
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Post by jamesb on Aug 13, 2018 0:13:01 GMT
Yesterday, I found a pencil case left on a seat, containing a young lady's identity card, house keys, etc. I didn't want to leave it in the carriage (maybe I should have) and so took it off the train at Roding Valley. I knocked on the door of the station office... no reply. I pressed the help point which rang and rang... no reply. I called TfL, who in turn called the station office... no reply. The TfL person was very helpful. They were trying to find a contact number for the person, as I gave their details from the identity card. I was hanging on and on and eventually the train that I had alighted from was coming back having reversed at Woodford. I handed the item to the driver and informed the TfL person. I was at Roding Valley for over 20 minutes trying to sort it out. I wasn't going to take the item home with me and I didn't particularly want to get the tube to Woodford. I heard from the TfL person that somebody from Woodford was coming to collect it from me, by which point I had already given it to a driver. He was a bit disappointed I think, after all of his efforts to reunite it with its owner. You wouldn't want to need somebody in a hurry at an unmanned station... Someones ar*e wants a really good kicking if no one answers the help point!!!! If there is no staff member at the station, who would answer it? It wasn't an emergency, and so I didn't press the green button, just the blue one. It would be useful if the help point would connect to an adjacent station / TfL if nobody was there though.
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Post by jamesb on Aug 12, 2018 20:39:39 GMT
Yesterday, I found a pencil case left on a seat, containing a young lady's identity card, house keys, etc. I didn't want to leave it in the carriage (maybe I should have) and so took it off the train at Roding Valley.
I knocked on the door of the station office... no reply. I pressed the help point which rang and rang... no reply. I called TfL, who in turn called the station office... no reply. The TfL person was very helpful. They were trying to find a contact number for the person, as I gave their details from the identity card. I was hanging on and on and eventually the train that I had alighted from was coming back having reversed at Woodford. I handed the item to the driver and informed the TfL person.
I was at Roding Valley for over 20 minutes trying to sort it out. I wasn't going to take the item home with me and I didn't particularly want to get the tube to Woodford. I heard from the TfL person that somebody from Woodford was coming to collect it from me, by which point I had already given it to a driver. He was a bit disappointed I think, after all of his efforts to reunite it with its owner.
You wouldn't want to need somebody in a hurry at an unmanned station...
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Post by jamesb on Aug 6, 2018 15:51:58 GMT
For me (analysing my own thoughts - never a good idea...!) it is more about the perception of risk rather than the actual risk.
Seeing a "J" door that I know I could open within a few seconds somehow makes me feel safer because it gives me a perception of control... I would feel a bit claustrophobic to be in a train in a tunnel knowing that the doors at both ends are locked.
There probably are extreme circumstances where it might be necessary for a passenger to get access to the cab - even if it means potentially stepping onto a live rail. In an extreme & immediately life-threatening situation, I'd personally rather have that choice. Although there is probably more chance of me winning the lottery than ending up in that situation.
Thinking about it, I mainly refer to the unmanned trailing end cab. But whether that is about my own anxieties, or there is a genuine issue, is another matter. Perception of risk and actual risk are two different things but neither should be dismissed... Lots of things do more to manage the perception of risk rather than actual risk. I always find lifejackets on airplanes quite amusing, especially the light and the whistle to attract attention. Bobbing around in the Atlantic Ocean, a plastic whistle is unlikely to make much difference, but knowing that the life jacket is under my seat somehow makes me feel safer...
Allowing the driver to lock the door while they are in the cab seems reasonable, provided the cab at the other end could be opened by passengers (or a driver who had lost her/his key) in an emergency...
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Post by jamesb on Aug 6, 2018 10:08:52 GMT
What they need is a member of staff to be stationed in, say, the fourth carriage, who would have a key that would enable her to get into the drivers cab if the need arose to de-train the passengers. Since they would have a better view from the mid point, this member of staff could also take on the responsibilities of checking that the doors were clear, closing them, and signalling the driver when it was safe to start. If the had a separately operable door, they could then also check no one was being dragged down the platform. It would big a big improvement to passenger, and possible staff, safety. You could call this person, oh, I don't know, perhaps the train 'sentry', or, maybe, 'guard' Agreed! Bring back the guards...
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Post by jamesb on Aug 5, 2018 16:11:40 GMT
A simple and cost effective solution which doesn't require anything too complicated would be a magnetic lock linked to sufficiently protected break glass call point (or something similar) which activates a 90 second timer when operated. During those 90 seconds, the driver would have an opportunity to over-ride the lock.
Step 1 - break glass and press button Step 2 - wait for response from driver Step 3 - if no response, door lock will be released after 90 seconds
If the driver did respond, they would be able to speak to the passenger via the intercom and the door wouldn't be unlocked
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Post by jamesb on Jul 31, 2018 15:50:37 GMT
This morning was another disaster. I got to South Woodford ; everything went from 100% fine to totally suspended Liverpool St --> Leytonstone/Newbury Park. The driver sounded a bit exasperated ' "i'm very sorry, ladies and gentleman. we have lost all control of the signalling in the Leytonstone area. I know its not what you want to hear on your way to work on a Monday. I know the central line has been a bit dodgy lately...". What made it very annoying for me was that I know that the 179 bus goes from South Woodford to Ilford (to pick up TfL rail) but didn't know where the bus stop was. The station assistant denied all knowledge that the 179 called at South Woodford. I eventually found the right bus stop, hidden around the corner, but it wasn't great - a big double-decker bus that was half empty and linked to a TfL rail station in about 20 minutes, which station staff seemed unaware existed. Not sure what your final destination was / if this'll help, but when the central line goes down we tend to walk up George Lane to the north circ., get the 123 from there to Blackhorse Road and down the victoria line into town. The 179 is quiet at the mo because it's the school holidays; can be rather busy in term time. Also, if you prefer the route from Ilford into Liverpool Street then the 123 bus is more direct to Ilford from South Woodford (on the north circ again but in the opposite direction). Thank you - that is extremely helpful. I have written all of that down! Hopefully I won't need to use it
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Post by jamesb on Jul 30, 2018 15:06:28 GMT
This morning was another disaster. I got to South Woodford ; everything went from 100% fine to totally suspended Liverpool St --> Leytonstone/Newbury Park. The driver sounded a bit exasperated ' "i'm very sorry, ladies and gentleman. we have lost all control of the signalling in the Leytonstone area. I know its not what you want to hear on your way to work on a Monday. I know the central line has been a bit dodgy lately...".
What made it very annoying for me was that I know that the 179 bus goes from South Woodford to Ilford (to pick up TfL rail) but didn't know where the bus stop was. The station assistant denied all knowledge that the 179 called at South Woodford. I eventually found the right bus stop, hidden around the corner, but it wasn't great - a big double-decker bus that was half empty and linked to a TfL rail station in about 20 minutes, which station staff seemed unaware existed.
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Post by jamesb on Jul 28, 2018 20:54:41 GMT
Although there were no delays announced, things seemed quite proactive and service recovery orientated this evening...! There appeared to be a train terminating at Woodford in the siding-platform (? platform 1) every 20 minutes, and the one I saw turned around remarkably quickly. My Hainault train departed from platform 2. It distinctly felt like somebody was making an effort to keep the service running on time!
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Post by jamesb on Jul 22, 2018 20:57:11 GMT
Hainault this afternoon, around 4.30pm, having got on at Roding Valley:
The outgoing driver left, got some water, returned as a passenger. No replacement driver turned up. Few minutes passed. Outgoing driver went back to leading end of platform, made a call from his mobile, (very kindly) got back into the cab and made a PA to apologise for the delay. Few minutes later a driver arrived and we set off.
I wouldn't blame the driver if it was an isolated incident of running late (happens to all of us), but it is the second time I have experienced this type of delay at Hainault.
There didn't seem to be anyone there to sort it out - only by the goodwill of the outgoing driver passengers were kept informed and a mobile phone call was made. It must be pretty frustrating for an outgoing driver who wants to go home if he can't leave the train - I'm sure he wouldn't be expected to wait there indefinitely?
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Post by jamesb on Jul 20, 2018 5:51:36 GMT
Were the public screaming out for more trains during the off peak and weekends? If anything the public seem to want a reliable service with more trains during the peaks but instead the timetable has delivered an unreliable service with trains cancelled during the peaks because the trains aren't getting enough maintenance and there aren't enough drivers. There seems to be an increasing difference between whats on paper and what the service is like in reality. On paper, the service is getting 'better and better' but in reality, the service is getting worse and worse. My perception is that there are less trains then ever. Woodford yesterday on my way home from work: 1. Hainault 1 min 2. Special 13 mins 3. Epping 14 mins. Going home from Stratford after work, it is highly variable how often the trains come. Sometimes, they are one after the other, but sometimes there is a gap of 5 minutes. 5 minutes is quite a long time on the eastbound at Stratford in the rush hour. Compounding matters, train after train jerks during departure as people are squashed up against the doors, occasionally causing the train to crawl along at walking pace until the driver applies the brakes and restarts the train so that it departures normally.
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Post by jamesb on Jul 14, 2018 21:34:17 GMT
My experience of today's recovery: Got a westbound train from Buckhurst Hill terminating at Woodford. It then turned into a Hainault train and reversed from the platform. I stayed on it, figuring it would be more comfortable to sit on an empty train around the loop instead of wait 10+ minutes for a crowded train heading westbound from Woodford.
At Hainault, the driver announced "I have done my bit, I am leaving the train now, but we are currently looking for a driver". He walked off. No station announcements. We all sat patiently. 5 minutes... 10 minutes...
Then a train terminated on Platform 3, as people were beginning to wonder if our train would ever leave. Without any station announcements, the train on platform 3 departed Westbound, while a train full of passengers had been sitting on platform 1 for over 15 minutes with no driver. Thankfully, a driver turned up a few minutes later and we departed.
There were trains queuing from at least Stratford to get into Leytonstone eastbound...
I can't understand why the service is regulated so frequently when there are plenty of trains, but after a failure, all the trains seem to stack up, and we are rarely held to 'regulate the service'.
I get the impression that staffing issues are a major factor in recovering from delays... A lack of drivers, or a lack of redundancy in rotas to allow for unexpected service disruptions?
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Post by jamesb on Jul 10, 2018 23:43:01 GMT
I have noticed that a "good service" often isn't that good, especially east of Leytonstone on the Epping branch. There can be unusually long gaps even in the rush hours.
Also, when something goes wrong, it seems to take hours to recover - longer than it feels like it used to. If there is a signal failure in the central London section, it seems to cause meltdown lasting until the end of service.Probably not helped by trains being out of service due to defects/maintenance...
How much is working through a signal failure/recovering from one related to staffing issues? I guess tube drivers have a shift, and needs breaks, and that must complicate matters?
My guess is that a combination of factors contribute to unreliability - not running at full capacity due to trains out of service, unreliable trains, increased intensity of use (night tube), ? more passenger related incidents... ultimately, trying to do more for less with predictable consequences... starting from the moment the 92ts were procured.
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Post by jamesb on Jul 7, 2018 9:47:04 GMT
I used to remember that the Jubilee line was relatively tolerable during times of hot weather.
Recently, I have been on a number of trains where the 'blowers' behind the seats aren't blowing out anything at all, e.g. yesterday evening.
I wondered if the driver has any control over them - or do they operate automatically?
Also, I observed a new sign on the train about helping fellow passengers off at the next station if they feel unwell.
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Post by jamesb on Jul 2, 2018 3:39:06 GMT
Central line trains also seem to 'pssssssssst' when they are ready to leave, with a brief release of air. I always wondered if this happens automatically, or if the driver does it?
If the S stock are to have a white flashing light on every carriage when the trains are ready to leave (with the new signalling), that will make it pretty obvious to passengers that the train is ready to go, the LEDs are very bright.
Maybe the best compromise is the current DLR system, whereby doors have to be opened by pressing a button but remain open.
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Post by jamesb on Jun 26, 2018 14:09:01 GMT
The Northern Line was once the misery line. With very old signals and very old trains. It's not perfect, but its better than it was (in terms of frequency and reliability) than 20 years ago.
Could any of the reliability issues be due to the budget on which it was installed? Negotiating the cheapest contract possible. For example, I am guessing that the option for bidirectional running would have been more expensive, so wasn't procured, but may have been useful to recover from a problem?
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Post by jamesb on May 21, 2018 19:20:38 GMT
If the train stopped, depending on how long before it pulled away again, could it also have been for the retrieval of something from the track?
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Post by jamesb on May 21, 2018 19:10:59 GMT
Coming into Stratford this evening from a passengers perspective (about 17:30) all seemed smooth - there was a brief stop outside, but nothing major.
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Post by jamesb on May 20, 2018 21:49:14 GMT
So now it is in use? All seemed smooth at Stratford today, except for the fast turnaround time - barely the passengers had left before the train was ready to depart again.
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Post by jamesb on May 15, 2018 21:26:12 GMT
There are examples of dot matrix boards getting obscured by other signage across the network over time, depending on your position on the platform.
I wonder why the dot matrix indicators can't be over the track, i.e. attached to the other wall, so that (when the train isn't in the platform) they are never obscured by anything. I can't quite visualise in my mind if they would be visible when a train was sitting underneath them though...
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Post by jamesb on May 12, 2018 10:53:06 GMT
I am pleased to announce that I just successfully navigated the ramp at Roding Valley and survived the experience uninjured, physically anyway. There weren't any trains of course, nor people, nor signs of any staff. So you could argue that I was psychologically injured by the experience! Incidentally, on a more serious note, there is one danger at Roding Valley that I have recently perceived. The Hainault bound platform, towards its rear, appears to be subsiding quite substantially. Either it is sinking, or being pushed up. In the affected areas, a push chair could very easily roll. A few months ago it started getting monitored, with yellow stickers everywhere.
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Post by jamesb on May 12, 2018 8:45:25 GMT
Poor Roding Valley (which I have lived opposite for 20+ years). Slanderous! More information is required to interpret it - or to reduce the 'dangerousness'.
What about the severity of the injuries? Does a paper cut obtained from a tube map, requiring a plaster from the first aid box count as an injury?
What about the demographics of the people who were injured? It may have been a certain type of passenger who was injured (e.g. frail elderly person falling on the stairs). Multiplying up the numbers assumes that there would be more frail elderly people - but maybe there would be more commuters or school children?
Do violent injuries count in this? E.g. stabbings etc. I would be more interested in knowing the crime rates at different stations.
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Post by jamesb on May 9, 2018 5:37:43 GMT
It is interesting that the Central line, the most modern of the old legacy signalling, is the one that has the highest estimated final cost, £5 million more than the Piccadilly line, whose technology dates back to the 1960s.
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