Problem at Chesham this evening

It is not put out as a suspension as it is a 'local' issue. That's what someone at the NOC once told me. Quite how people going to Chesham are meant to know that beats me. But it does make the service status look good.

As for Chesham station, it is possible that there is no one there due to staff shortage. Get used to that sadly.


Is that what the phone said? They should be padlocked, if it was a station to station phone.
Of course the normal auto phones often have a list of phone numbers scrawled on them which staff may find useful in contacting people to get information about such matters.

Maybe this is a local thing that isn't the one used for the Rule Book procedure.

If you have the phone number for Travel Information/Customer Services, they are quite often very helpful and contact the Service Control people to find out what is going on.
I'd definatly recommend a complaint. It's just not County Class, let alone World Class!

I would imagine this sort of situation would be of interest to those who have arranged a public meeting in Chesham about proposed changes. Details of meeting at www.amersham.org.uk/forum/ipb/index.php?showtopic=3268

The Chesham shuttle was suspended after 2215, with one through service operating as a last train around 0035.

The service was suspended as a result of crew shortage, and it was either suspend this, or cancel a couple of later through services from the city towards Amersham/Chesham.

Taxis were laid on (using our usual company) but Chiltern railways had a service suspension due to a fatality at Wembley. As a result, the taxis took their customers in favour of ours (a fare to High Wycombe is better than to Chesham).

Tfl information, the NOC etc. plus local stations were all made aware of the service suspension, and frequent information was broadcast from our room to drivers and stations.

The Chesham branch is rarely shown as suspended in the normal way. One reason is that customers using the rest of the Met line may avoid their normal route if they notice "Part Suspended" and don't read the detail. Therefore such suspensions are generally advised locally.

Just to compound things, at the same time as the service was suspended, a staff shortage meant that Chesham station was unmanned. Staff were sent to Chesham to advise anyone waiting, but there would naturally have been a delay in them reaching there.

Shame that the 'Disrupted' message can't be used for these instances, but I suppose you're running the same risk as 'Part Suspended'.

A shade long - why not just 'No Chesham' (it also helps that the letters have a distinctive shape - I just look at the pattern on the service update things)?

Excellent!! ;D

So, no trains, no replacement buses, no taxis, no staff and no information !!! As for information kept secret by some non-standard process it's about as justifiable as the "good service" on strike days. Am I the only person who thinks this episode is wholely unacceptable?

Next we'll justify a complete shutdown of the Circle Line shown as "good service" in case someone misreads it as "Central Line"!!!

I would have thought pulling the very odd one of the many Uxbridge or Watford trains to divert to Chesham would appear to have been reasonable in the interests of good customer service!

It can't be far to walk from Chalfont or Amersham to/from Chesham. The group could have a sing song as they go and they wouldn't notice the distance

Err... I think I can probably guess what the member of staff would be told if they suggested that... and I can't imagine it would be very pleasant.

Chalfont - Chesham: 4.1mi 1hr 21mins

Amersham - Chesham: 2mi 38 mins

Sure, when the last train to London leaves Amersham in 40 minutes and you need to get that train, walking more than 2 miles in the dark on country roads is a great idea!

I suspect harlesden is being rather playful here. The route he marched from Louth to Grimsby is quite gruelling and testemant to his staying power, even at 12 years old. It's not uncommion, even today, for similar journeys to be undertaken in Lincolnshire by people of all ages. However, the thought of a contingent of middle aged city brokers attempting Chalfont or Amersham to Chesham on foot should put the Bucks ambulance service (and reserves) on full alert.......

With a member of Station Staff bringing up the rear to finish off the stragglers?

The Chiltern problem was a fatality on the "other" side of their route, affecting the Birmingham service. The Aylesbury service ran more or less ok.

I'm not entirely sure why so many Chiltern customers ended up at Amersham, and not further north. But whatever the reason they poached the taxis.

Now just to clarify the options that were on the table:

Option 1. Cancel a train that would leave an un-fillable 1 hour southbound gap. The next service available to those at Amersham would also only go as far as Wembley Park (whereas the cancelled train went to Baker Street and connected with city services). The same cancelled train would then form the last northbound Uxbridge service - leaving those customers with an early finish of almost 25 minutes or alternatively us delaying the pen-ultimate service to cover the path of the last train - again delaying those people.

Option 2. Suspend the Chesham train service until the last booked trains (so around 2hrs 30 mins without a train) and lay on taxis supplied by a tried and trusted local taxi company (who normally turn up at the first whiff of extra money to be made - and almost seem to be on our internal pager system as they often arrive before being asked) between Amersham and Chesham. The shuttle could not run any later than it did as both train and driver needed to get back to Neasden depot.

Now I don't know what passenger numbers were on the evening. But at that time of the evening, when the service is winding down, you have to provide the best opportunities for everyone to get home, and not just a handful. In doing this, you must not delay the end of traffic (or you end up delaying engineering works, which could in turn delay the next day's start-up of traffic). You also don't have that many trains or drivers to play with.