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Post by jimini on Mar 3, 2009 9:16:29 GMT
They were using both platforms. On approach to Tower Gateway they announced that passengers should leave by the right hand side of the train. Of course, some people ignored that and left on the left hand side  Aye, that's exactly what happened when I passed through the station at about 1815. It didn't help that, even though making two announcements about alighting on the right hand side, the PSA opened both sets of doors at the same time, thus resulting in a bit of a scrum. It's a habitual thing I guess (for both PSAs and passengers), sure it'll bed down ok once folk get used to the new setup. One other point - the DVA at Tower Gateway now says "The train departing platform one and platform two is for Beckton". Hardly encouraging people to use the departure platform only! |
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Post by thirstquensher on Mar 3, 2009 12:18:52 GMT
I'm sorry, but if they're going to rely on asking people to leave via the right-hand doors, the whole enterprise will have been for nothing. Just who are they trying to kid?
Surely the idea was that RH doors are opened, passengers start leaving, then when most (but not necessarily all) alighting passengers have done so, the LH doors are opened to let the embarking passengers board. Just like the lifts at Covent Garden, Queensway, etc. etc.
OK, so a few in the drip-feed at the end will go the other way, but it's better than having the whole scrum come right at you because no intelligence to the door opening is being applied.
And anyway - when Bank is closed both platforms can't be used - there is still only one track! There will still only ever be one train. And you won't be able to pack people on from both sides to make things easier. It will make things worse, especially if both sides are fighting to get on against people having to fight to get off... on both sides.
What a total anticlimax. Common sense planned for, designed for, built for, but thrown in the bin when it matters - when in actual use.
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Post by 21146 on Mar 3, 2009 17:51:32 GMT
Why are the PSA's opening the doors anyway? Surely they set up automatically once the train 'docks'. The PSA only closes the doors either from the front console or from one of the panels next to a passenger door.
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Post by astock5000 on Mar 3, 2009 23:10:16 GMT
From my observations, this is how I believe Tower Gateway station will look: There would be no passing loop as such as Royal Mint Street junction will be changed so that instead of the TG spur being connected to the DLR network by a single track as above, they'll be a flat juction with both tracks connecting to the DLR network. The southern line (the bottom one in the diagram) is the one that serves the station. There is a crossover about 100-150m outside the station. From this crossover the northern track continues to the edge of the northern platform forming a siding. Now that Tower Gateway has repoened, does anyone know what the new track layout is? |
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Post by thirstquensher on Mar 4, 2009 13:21:33 GMT
The 'siding' simply seems to be the track into the old Platform 1 which has merely had the new platform built over it. From where I was standing at the far end of the new platforms, I couldn't see any arrestor standing at the end of it - so it looked as though if the points were set wrongly, the train could be directed to slam right into the end of the new Platform 1!
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rincew1nd
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Post by rincew1nd on Mar 4, 2009 17:41:18 GMT
From where I was standing at the far end of the new platforms, I couldn't see any arrestor standing at the end of it - so it looked as though if the points were set wrongly, the train could be directed to slam right into the end of the new Platform 1! Have just got back from there. There is a 'buffer-stop' at the end of the siding, but it's quite low down, I only noticed it when I was in the train departing. The member of platform staff there was instructing passengers to leave the train by the right-hand platform. One couple alighted to the left and we went up to them and instructed them to re-board the train and alight to the right. At the platform ends there are signs above saying "No Entry - Alighting Only" and " ^ Departures - Platform 2 " above the respective platforms. There's also the standard signage with penalties of death or worse for not touching in etc, but only at the 'departures' platform. I've taken a few pics, which I'll try and post in time. As for the views of Fenchurch St, still good, there's even a nice view out to the left of the little shop which means you're in the dry when you're gricing! |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 4, 2009 20:50:27 GMT
They will have to use both platforms when Bank is closed in December, so that trains can reverse quicker. What's happening at Bank in December? upgrade to Royal Mint Street junction |
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Post by astock5000 on Mar 4, 2009 21:52:19 GMT
What exactly will be changed at Royal Mint Street junction then?
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Post by Deleted on Mar 4, 2009 21:54:55 GMT
Probably the points and associated trackwork.
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Post by astock5000 on Mar 4, 2009 21:59:16 GMT
But woudn't that mean that trains wouldn't be able to run to Tower Gateway either?
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Post by Deleted on Mar 4, 2009 22:03:26 GMT
I thought that X-mas closure of Bank will be for platform works at Bank station? (to move station equipment and signalling to accomodate longer trains)
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Post by Deleted on Mar 5, 2009 10:59:50 GMT
Having tried out Tower Gateway in both directions now, I have to say it seems pretty chaotic at times. There were a lot of people leaving this morning's train on the wrong side.
The display on the arrival platform did carry a message pointing this out today. It remains to be seen how things go.
I would only consider doing a "wrong way" if I was intending to get a bus from the back of the station - if that is still possible.
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Post by thirstquensher on Mar 5, 2009 13:11:32 GMT
It's starting to look as though "Selective Door Activation" is controlled by something set in the tracks at and on the approach to each station, rather than controlled on-board the train.
It would seem (according to current operation) that on a DLR train you can't 'release' doors on one side and not release doors on the other, except if trackside equipment indicates there is no platform on one of the sides.
As Tower Gateway has platform on both sides of the vehicle, it would appear both sets of doors release together, as they would do at Canary Wharf, because there is platform available on either side.
My guess is in order to implement Tower Gateway the way it was intended, the vehicles would have to have an extra keyswitch to control the door-side selection on-board.
I'm happy to be corrected on this, but if I'm wrong, it beggars belief that selective door activation isn't being... er, activated.
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Post by astock5000 on Mar 5, 2009 22:40:17 GMT
I thought that X-mas closure of Bank will be for platform works at Bank station? (to move station equipment and signalling to accomodate longer trains) What 'station equipment' will have to be moved, and why does Bank need to be closed for several weeks, when other stations, that also had to be extended for 3-car trains, can have work done at weekends? |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 6, 2009 2:26:38 GMT
What 'station equipment' will have to be moved, and why does Bank need to be closed for several weeks, when other stations, that also had to be extended for 3-car trains, can have work done at weekends? Quoting DLR website: Also, as far as I understand they will have to change some of the passages between the platforms. For example people entering the departures platform from the south currently face the barrier along the edge of the platform. This barrier will be removed as the platform will be used for entire length - and this creates effingsafety issue (as the entrance will be from very short crowded tunnel directly to the platform). I have no idea where I read about this, but I believe that this passage is going to be closed completely and replacement be built closer to the centre of the space between two platforms. Plus they need to do smaller stuff, like move platform mirrors and monitors, etc. |
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Post by astock5000 on Mar 6, 2009 16:40:54 GMT
What 'track remodelling' needs to be done? Couldn't they just replace the barrier with a new one halfway between the pssage and the platform edge, so that passengers would have to walk down the platform a bit, and not run through the passage, across the platform and onto the track?
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Post by Deleted on Mar 6, 2009 19:55:32 GMT
What 'track remodelling' needs to be done? No idea! May be this is something related to the reversal siding in the tunnel? |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 6, 2009 21:40:33 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Mar 9, 2009 10:50:57 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Mar 9, 2009 11:30:26 GMT
Pffft! Do they fit lifts that go sideways now? ;D |
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Post by Chris M on Mar 9, 2009 12:52:10 GMT
Well if they're made by the Sirius Cybernetics Corporation...
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Post by mrfs42 on Mar 9, 2009 12:57:01 GMT
Well if they're made by the Sirius Cybernetics Corporation... Happy Vertical People Transporters. As designed by the Corporation, they are meant to be sentient (enough to argue with) and have "defocused temporal perception." The latter concept is meant to enable the lifts to see far enough into the future to arrive at a floor before a potential passenger realizes they wanted a lift, and thus remove any waiting as per old-fashioned lifts. Often they feel rebellious about the concept of only moving up and down, and sometimes experiment with moving sideways. Hitchhikers can earn money counseling neurotic Transporters. (one of the more useful wonkypedia finds) ;D ;D |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 9, 2009 13:11:06 GMT
Actually lifts changing directions might be a great thing for upgrading old Tube stations  |
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Post by maxtube on Mar 9, 2009 17:26:39 GMT
Actually lifts changing directions might be a great thing for upgrading old Tube stations Wonkavators! ;D |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 9, 2009 22:28:42 GMT
What I had in mind is a lift that would go down half-way, then go horizontally for a while, and then again down (or alternatively down all the way, then horizontally, then a bit up to the platform level).
Generally the problem with making many stations accessible (apart from cost) is that the platforms are too far away from the surface ticket hall to build straight lift shaft. The incredible wonky lift could fix that.
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Post by Chris M on Mar 10, 2009 9:21:22 GMT
Alternatively you could use a lift in the same angle shaft as an escalator, funicular railway style.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 10, 2009 11:15:52 GMT
IMHO it won't be accessible in this case |
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Post by Chris M on Mar 11, 2009 10:14:12 GMT
Why not? The shaft would probably need to be slightly larger than for an escalator, but accessibility shouldn't be a problem.  |
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Post by Dstock7080 on Mar 11, 2009 10:56:32 GMT
Why does that graphic get me thinking of Gerry Anderson's "Thunderbirds" and the launch of Thunderbird 1 !?!
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Post by amershamsi on Mar 11, 2009 11:10:08 GMT
Why not? The shaft would probably need to be slightly larger than for an escalator, but accessibility shouldn't be a problem. An excellent idea, tried and tested all over the world. It's strange that there are none of these on the tube. The ones in the Luxor hotel in Las Vegas are the ones I remember most, though I'm sure I've been on others. |
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