Post by metuser on Aug 10, 2010 11:41:34 GMT
Got to Harrow on the Hill this morning at around 9:15 and found two trains on south bound platforms. P6 was fast Baker Street and it wasn't clear what P5 was. Got in to the train on P5 and sat down anyway. Then comes the announcement that they are waiting for a driver to take over. Still ddin't know where the train was going. Wait for 5 minutes and then they announce that the train will terminate at Wembley Park. Meanwhile, a new train arrives on P6 with no clear announcement as to its destination. After a couple of minutes, there is an announcement on one of the trains saying train on P6 is going to Aldgate and so I got off and walked to the other side. I was stepping into the train on P6 when the announcement said that the destinations have now been switched. Train on P6 will terminate at Wembley Park and train on P5 is all stations to Aldgate. So, I go back to the train on P5 where my seat is already taken.
The waiting game begins again for a couple of minutes. And all of a sudden, the driver on P6 says that this is now a fast Aldgate, closes the dorrs without giving a chance for people to switch trains and rushes off. That is still fine because train on P5 is still supposedly all stations to Aldgate and I don't mind three extra stops. But no, at Northwick Park, we are helpfully informed that this train will indeed be terminating at Wembley Park.
I get a bit concerned as I am blind and I am not familiar with Wembley Park's station layout. But thinking logically, I concluded that the Aldgate trains are usually on the same platform and so, all I have to do is get off and wait on the same platform for another Aldgate train to come in.
No, it won't be as simple as that. Got off at Wembley Park and was helpfully informed that the next train to Aldgate was on Platform 6. Right, how on earth do I get to platform 6? And which platform am I on by the way? I start asking other passengers for help but of course everyone is running to where ever the platform 6 is and don't want to be delayed. Finally a kind soul offers to guide me to platform 6. But then the station staff announce that the train didn't stop at platform 6 and we should stay put. The passenger who offered to help decides to get into a Jubilee line train because he was going to catch it from Finchley Road anyway.
So, no help again and I was hoping the next Aldgate will be on the same platform. No such luck! The next one was indeed on platform 6 again. But I had a few seconds to think logically and came to the conclusion that the platform should be the last one and I needed to get to the foot bridge and I will be OK from there. Right, I begin to wonder how far along the platform the footbridge is. And it was at the back of my mind that by the time I get to platform 6, that train would have left anyway. I was hoping a member of staff would see me on the platform and offer to help but there seem to be no one. Luckily, a Jubilee line train offloaded passengers at the same time and I could hear a lot of foot steps going in a direction which I thought would be the footbridge. I was right and I found the steps to the bridge. A nice gentleman then offered to guide me to platform 6 as he was going there himself. I did manage to catch the train eventually and reach office half an hour later than I was expected.
It is not my intension to rant about this but I thought it is worth sharing the most difficult journey I have had so far on London underground. I travel on a daily basis and I am familiar with the layout of stations I use regularly. The station staff are extremely helpful most times but for my regular routes I tend not to ask for help from them. If only passengers could get the right information at the right time.
The waiting game begins again for a couple of minutes. And all of a sudden, the driver on P6 says that this is now a fast Aldgate, closes the dorrs without giving a chance for people to switch trains and rushes off. That is still fine because train on P5 is still supposedly all stations to Aldgate and I don't mind three extra stops. But no, at Northwick Park, we are helpfully informed that this train will indeed be terminating at Wembley Park.
I get a bit concerned as I am blind and I am not familiar with Wembley Park's station layout. But thinking logically, I concluded that the Aldgate trains are usually on the same platform and so, all I have to do is get off and wait on the same platform for another Aldgate train to come in.
No, it won't be as simple as that. Got off at Wembley Park and was helpfully informed that the next train to Aldgate was on Platform 6. Right, how on earth do I get to platform 6? And which platform am I on by the way? I start asking other passengers for help but of course everyone is running to where ever the platform 6 is and don't want to be delayed. Finally a kind soul offers to guide me to platform 6. But then the station staff announce that the train didn't stop at platform 6 and we should stay put. The passenger who offered to help decides to get into a Jubilee line train because he was going to catch it from Finchley Road anyway.
So, no help again and I was hoping the next Aldgate will be on the same platform. No such luck! The next one was indeed on platform 6 again. But I had a few seconds to think logically and came to the conclusion that the platform should be the last one and I needed to get to the foot bridge and I will be OK from there. Right, I begin to wonder how far along the platform the footbridge is. And it was at the back of my mind that by the time I get to platform 6, that train would have left anyway. I was hoping a member of staff would see me on the platform and offer to help but there seem to be no one. Luckily, a Jubilee line train offloaded passengers at the same time and I could hear a lot of foot steps going in a direction which I thought would be the footbridge. I was right and I found the steps to the bridge. A nice gentleman then offered to guide me to platform 6 as he was going there himself. I did manage to catch the train eventually and reach office half an hour later than I was expected.
It is not my intension to rant about this but I thought it is worth sharing the most difficult journey I have had so far on London underground. I travel on a daily basis and I am familiar with the layout of stations I use regularly. The station staff are extremely helpful most times but for my regular routes I tend not to ask for help from them. If only passengers could get the right information at the right time.
