Stratford Jubilee Friday

If it was the evening of last Friday we encountered the same, Mr D had been in The City all day so we met up at a restaurant which had a view of the big entrance to Canary Wharf Jubilee Line, and we started to notice the big crowds coming out by around 1900, most strange, just like in the morning usually is, and they kept coming out and out, we wondered if there was some concert or thing like that. Half hour later we went to there, that was easiest way to Canning Town for our DLR train, electric notice over the entrance was just showing something trivial (at least not good service) but as we went down long escalator huge crowd of people and we could see nobody being let in, told all trains stopped both ways but only by attendant, no messages shown or PA messages. So everyone back up, through shops, to DLR, to Poplar and on from there.

By the way this is not the first time all the electric notices have been not working here on Jubilee Line, was exactly the same two weeks ago.

Poor DLR when this happens. At Canary Wharf everyone is so familiar with procedure now, from Jubilee station at these times if going to Bank you must go to the Heron Quays and squash into train there, because when it gets to Canary Wharf nobody can get in, and probably same at other stations along line. Hint, by the way, you get train from Canary Wharf we did to Poplar and change over there to get to Bank. Now we did also see that some DLRs from Canary Wharf were due going to the Gallions Reach station which is ones going back to depot after rush hour, did wonder why these could not have been sent to Bank first to be extra trains for everyone trying to get into London.

IF the station staff knew there was a 20 min gap and hadn't announced it - presuming there is no restrictions on making announcements due to location - then they deserve a good kicking *

However don't always presume the app was correct. The app will have limitations. If the platform indicators were not working then there is a good chance the signalling system has suffered a problem. Especially as it wasn't working at another location. Therefore the tool that helps stations the most Trackernet could not be working. Therefore it is highly likely that there was no information about the next train without using the phone and more likely not being answered. Therefore the app could well have been incorrect.

Personally I prefer to be honest and will make a PA saying I have not got a scooby when the next train will be here and you might want to take an alternate. But not everyone favours that approach.

Now of course the station staff may have known it is only an info problem and the next train was only a few mins away but couldn't be bothered to advise. But of course they may have been dealing with a person stuck in a lift or a heart attack patient so were busy. But likely given the other experiences it was a bigger problem than just information. There are many possibilities and lazy/ incompetent staff is only one.

As for staffing. Unions went on strike regarding staffing. It really shouldn't be a surprise to anyone that you won't see many staff around especially in off peak. Rightly or wrongly this is the truth of the modern Underground.

* a good kicking = kick up the behind from either the SS or DSM. I and many other SSs do not tolerate not passing on information during disruption.

Was at North Greenwich station about 7pm on Friday saw the sign saying severe delays, got to the station platform none of the signs were working on the platform, luckily within a few moments a train arrived much to my relief. With the bus strike as well ,luckily I avoided an expensive cab ride!

What about the saying, "if it´s broke, don´t fix it ..."

Or have I got that wrong? ;D ;D ;D