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Post by rheostar on Oct 24, 2014 11:11:28 GMT
I would expect a very long time. They may ask LU to do a cost-benefit analysis of measures to protect the platform-train interface, including PEDs (full and half height), and implement any that is found to be worthwhile. I doubt that retrofitting of PEDs of either height at every tunnel platform would be justified. Personally I think it more likely that some way for a staff member on a platform to send an emergency stop message to a departing train driver will be designed. ISTR there was discussion of this in the thread about the Notting Hill Gate incident (where PEDs would not have helped). From personal experience, I don't think having a staff member on a platform would make any difference. Years ago, on behalf of LU I attended coroner's court following an incident where someone fell between the side of a train and the platform (I won't give more detail than that). From the person falling and ending up under a train it only took two seconds. The coroner concluded that no matter what CCTV or other equipment was in place, the incident was unavoidable. However, looking back on the incident PEDs would have prevented this person being killed. In my time with LU, I've dealt with nearly a hundred 'one under' incidents. All but one would have been prevented by PEDs.
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Post by rheostar on Oct 24, 2014 8:05:17 GMT
I wonder how long it'll be before the ORR start telling LU to install half height PEDs in tunnel section stations.
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Post by rheostar on Sept 3, 2014 6:28:42 GMT
Putting the motors into reverse is certainly not taught to T/Ops on LU. Back in 1981 I did my motors on 38 stock and it was never mentioned.
I only know of one instance when a Piccadilly line T/Op tried it on '73 stock 'just to see what would happen' coming into Wood Green westbound . Apparently, there was an almighty bang and left the train with several damaged motors.
If there was going to be a collision, the natural reaction would be to drop the handle and probably leg it through the J door.
When the '73 stock first came out it was fitted with a form of ABS called 'slip slide'. It didn't work and was removed before all the stock had been delivered.
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Post by rheostar on Aug 2, 2014 12:11:43 GMT
You need the sound right up for the full effect.
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Post by rheostar on Aug 2, 2014 11:09:15 GMT
The Heritage Train on a test run passed through Earl's Court one night earlier this week.
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Post by rheostar on Jul 2, 2014 21:15:07 GMT
A little distorted but yes it does sound like him to me maybe rheostar culd confirm aswell Yep, that's NA. :-)
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Post by rheostar on Jul 1, 2014 7:36:49 GMT
It was indeed a driver at Arnos Grove i was talking to him only yesterday. Really? I find that a bit hard to believe! Why do you find that hard to believe? Both Rummer and I know who the driver is and we can assure you that it's his voice that was used on the old DVA.
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Post by rheostar on Jun 23, 2014 17:14:01 GMT
The voice was of a driver based at Arnos Grove depot.
Each recording was selected by a push button box in the driver's cab. Most drivers either didn't bother using it or did the announcement themselves, so that would explain why not many people heard the pre recorded announcements.
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Post by rheostar on Jun 21, 2014 6:52:07 GMT
So the handheld readers that revenue etc use will have to be linked over the air to the back-room. That's probably why LU's so keen on getting the Virgin wifi network running in all parts of our stations.
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Post by rheostar on Jun 20, 2014 8:32:41 GMT
Over the past few months, I've been taking part in LU's contactless card trial. Those of us taking part have been given company visa cards to use for our journeys in and around London.
I have to say that the trial's going very well. Every journey can be checked on the TFL website where it details what time I entered and left the system. As far as I can tell, it's working exactly like an Oyster Card. Obviously, I can't see what's happening on the bank statement part as TFL hold that.
The range on the touch pads seems quite limited - the card only works when it actually touches the pad, so the scenario that trt describes wouldn't work.
There's some clear advantages for customers though. Oyster cards won't need topping up, so there's no parting with large sums of money on a regular basis to pay for travel. Customers only pay for the journeys they actually make. It's more convenient too, one less bit of plastic to have in the wallet.
A customer's security's is improved. If they lose a debit/credit card one call to the bank will stop all further transactions.
I've also been using my own contactless card in M&S and various other places without any problems.
For me, it's just a more convenient way to pay for stuff and I've not found any disadvantages so far.
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Post by rheostar on Jun 17, 2014 8:07:34 GMT
Thanks both. So I presume that these days a shift may be of a varying number of hours, but over the course of a defined period they average at (say) 36 hours per week. I'd assume it was considered silly to pay somebody 8 hours if they were only driving during the peak and so finished after 4! Interesting about the same shift all week - tho presumably this was interrupted with rest days? Unsurprisingly, the Underground also thought it was silly paying us for eight hours even though we only actually worked four!! Yep, we'd have one rest day during the week plus a Sunday. After night shifts we had a week of rest day covers - from memory I think we only did Monday to Thursday. It wasn't compulsory to work Sundays so we'd tell the Station Master to give it over to someone else. There were no shortage of takers to work a buckshee Sunday. People say they were the 'good old days', but in reality we had to work six days a week to earn decent money. We had to work 40 hours a week, 5 x 8 hours, plus a Sunday so on average we did a 52 hour week. Despite union protests, in reality the Company Plan actually improved the lot of T/Ops with the majority of us getting a substantial pay rise.
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Post by rheostar on Jun 16, 2014 9:09:52 GMT
However, since flexible rostering the poor T/Ops do all sorts of different start times and finishes. That was the biggest upheaval in staff shift patterns in recent history, but I don't remember the station staff supporting T/Ops during the strikes over that issue. Interesting - prior to this, were T/Ops on a set of standard shifts (7-3, 3-11, 11-7 or whatever)? As I understand it now, each shift is different, so whilst somebody may have a week of earlies, they might start at (say) 04.30, 04.42, 06.18, 05.21, 05.07 or whatever? We used to have different start times same as now, but each duty length was eight hours. We'd also do the same shift for the entire week.
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Post by rheostar on Jun 5, 2014 6:07:20 GMT
From the LU Intranet -
Whole line has transferred to new signalling system
The Northern line signalling upgrade was completed this weekend, with the final section of the line having transferred to the new transmission based train control (TBTC) system.
Trains are now running in TBTC mode throughout the Northern line, from Edgware, High Barnet and Mill Hill East in the north, on both the Bank and Charing Cross branches, to Morden at the south end.
Following a successful first afternoon in revenue service in the Northern Migration Area Six (NMA6; Chalk Farm to Edgware), the decision to continue operating the TBTC system in this area was taken on Sunday afternoon.
Increased frequency and capacity With the system operating throughout the line, new timetables will be implemented between June and December this year to make use of the improved runtime offered by the new system.
Track replacement and other infrastructure works will take place between now and this autumn to ensure these assets are in optimal condition to accommodate the increased frequency of trains.
When the upgrade is complete, the line capacity will increase by 20 per cent. This means we will be able to carry the equivalent of an extra 11,000 passengers an hour. At the same time, journey times will be reduced by 18 per cent.
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Post by rheostar on Jun 3, 2014 7:17:58 GMT
There's a pedestrian bridge on the approach to Oakwood and I always give a wave and a whistle to any kids that are waiting. Sometimes however I can't tell if it's the kids who are more excited, or the parents I used to do that too! :-)
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Post by rheostar on May 7, 2014 7:43:46 GMT
It seems common in every strike we have had, a 20 min shuttle runs between Cockfosters and Arnos Grove and Southgate is closed for some reason Cockfosters to Arnos is all open section except for the short tunnel section containing Southgate. My best guess is that keeping the station closed reduces the potential for complications because staff are needed in a tube station underground. This. During strikes, Southgate will be missed out as it requires more trained staff to keep it open - it's in a tunnel section and has escalators. However, during service disruption (not during a strike) a Cockfosters - Arnos Grove shuttle service may be introduced for a short period of time, stopping normally at Southgate. It all depends on the circumstances.
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Post by rheostar on May 6, 2014 7:56:22 GMT
Apologies, I should have clarified what I was writing about regarding shifts.
Most LU staff in supervisory/manager positions, along with signal operators etc work the 07:00, 15:00 and 23:00 shift pattern, giving us 24 hour cover. There are of course local variations for remote booking on etc.
Other staff, such as CSAs work to local requirements of the station they're based at. With the introduction of 24 hour running I'd expect CSAs at certain locations to be working a similar shift pattern to supervisors.
However, since flexible rostering the poor T/Ops do all sorts of different start times and finishes. That was the biggest upheaval in staff shift patterns in recent history, but I don't remember the station staff supporting T/Ops during the strikes over that issue.
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Post by rheostar on May 5, 2014 16:09:59 GMT
It'll be interesting to see the shift patterns being proposed for this. A change of station staff at 3.30 am doesn't sound fun. The shift patterns won't change from what we have now - 07:00 to 15:00, 15:00 to 23:00, 23:00 to 07:00.
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Post by rheostar on May 4, 2014 18:36:28 GMT
How about Cockfosters to Arnos Grove with the only stop being Oakwood? It does happen Don't forget Southgate. ;-)
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Post by rheostar on May 4, 2014 9:03:14 GMT
Errr.... Gordon Brown hasn't been in office for a number of years. Probably a stupid question but I assume the electricity in the rails is switched off on the walk After the Great Tunnel Disaster of 2010 when 80 people were fried alive down there, then probably yes, they will turn the power off. Took weeks to wash the bodies off the walls last time. The disaster that we're not supposed to talk about did for Gordon Brown. One minute he was walking down the tunnel, the next.....zappppppp....haggis everywhere.
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Post by rheostar on May 2, 2014 17:57:41 GMT
I wonder if it was caught in a pincer movement?
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Post by rheostar on Apr 14, 2014 10:20:55 GMT
After the Great Tunnel Disaster of 2010... You're not supposed to mention that!!
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Post by rheostar on Apr 12, 2014 10:20:24 GMT
Is there any link for this event? Not that I've seen. The information's only just been posted on the LU Intranet, so I'm sure it'll be advertised to the public fairly soon.
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Post by rheostar on Apr 12, 2014 6:10:08 GMT
Thought some members might be interested in this coming event -
Over the three days of the Spring Bank Holiday weekend from Saturday 24 to Monday 26 May, the East London Line will be closed for London Overground Capacity Improvement Programme (LOCIP) and Crossrail works on the line. We are therefore planning to open the Thames Tunnel to members of the public so they can walk through it. They will be charged to do this and the proceeds will be shared between the Railway Children’s charity and the Brunel Museum at Rotherhithe.
The Tunnel walks will be between 10:30 to 19:30 on the Saturday and 09:30 to 18:30 on the Sunday and Monday.
I've no idea of the cost of tickets although I'm sure they won't be too expensive.
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Post by rheostar on Feb 11, 2014 22:52:26 GMT
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Post by rheostar on Feb 5, 2014 9:23:12 GMT
Tubeboy, the terms and conditions of the pension fund aren't changing. It's unfortunate that you're one of the group that's going to lose money.
This is where the unions have it all wrong. From personal experience, LU will get what they want. Unfortunately, I'm old enough to remember the unions saying there's never going to be OPO, and we all know what happened there. Flexible rostering...never going to happen. We were out on strike for a week over that one. Company Plan...never going to happen. Fit for London....
The jobs will go, technology marches on and we can't do much about it. What the unions should be saying is, "Ok, if this is what you want, this is how much it's going to cost you" and protect our salaries.
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Post by rheostar on Feb 5, 2014 8:30:50 GMT
If I've understood your post correctly, more than 450 people want to take the redundancy packages. Can't blame them given the threat to their pensions. As I'm of a certain age, I'm very interested in our pension scheme and from what I've seen and read there's no threat to our pensions. The 450 that want to go is only from the station grades. If VS were opened up to all grades there'd be double that number, if not more. We've all been playing with the Voluntary Severance calculator that's on our intranet and we've been pleasantly surprised at the figures.
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Post by rheostar on Feb 4, 2014 22:12:24 GMT
Guardian Article"Around 450 staff members to date have expressed an interest in applying for voluntary redundancy. A total of 953 jobs will go, although 200 people could be redeployed to working on the planned 24-hour weekend tube services." If the article is believed to be factual rather than biased, then it would seem that RMT are striking over circa 300 jobs and a change in conditions. Seems like a belligerent Power Play in political terms by Mr Crow. There's been around 1000 people ask for VS quotes with 450 officially putting in a request. The biggest fear amongst the 450 is that there won't be enough allowed to go.
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Post by rheostar on Jan 31, 2014 9:54:50 GMT
Thought you might be interest to see what's on the LU intranet site -
Trains will stop once the line has been upgraded
Following feedback from more than 14,000 customers and stakeholders, Piccadilly line trains will stop at Turnham Green once the line has been upgraded.
Piccadilly line trains will stop at Turnham Green all day once the line is modernised, a new larger fleet of trains is in place and improved signalling systems are installed.
Nigel Holness, Operations Director for JNP, said: "We wanted to hear views on the Piccadilly line's service and we've been reviewing these in some detail - it's one of the largest responses we've ever had that told us a lot about customers' priorities. The Piccadilly line will stop throughout the night at Turnham Green when the Night Tube network starts in 2015."
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Post by rheostar on Jan 29, 2014 7:19:10 GMT
From the RMT website "In action short of a strike, station grades not to carry out revenue duties on 7th, 10th and 14th February 2014 between 09.30 and 11.30 hours and 18.30 and 20.30 hours" That's probably a bit of an own goal and it'll just prove that booking offices aren't needed. Nearly all commuters have Oyster tickets so any loss of revenue would be minimal. Most people are honest so they'd buy a ticket regardless if someone's checking them or not.
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Post by rheostar on Jan 25, 2014 11:28:47 GMT
They managed to get out of a sticky situation. :-)
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