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[adamedwardsteather]

Having been involved in the chaos that was Finsbury Park on Tuesday - 20 mins to get off train and to the tube in dangerously overcrowded conditions, I wonder if anyone else was caught up in the mess and what you think?

Interesting to see the BBC report when the First staff member put his hand on the lens to stop filming.  Clealry a company not keen on being seen doing badly, which they were.

There is clearly a need for a massive rebuild of that station to make it safe for us on those days Kings Cross is closed.  One for Grant to take up with the Dept for Transport as his constituents lives are being put at risk.

Adam

 

[blondie64]

All rail companies have Press Liaison Officers - indeed most public companies do - whose job is to explain to the press including the BBC the situation leaving the staff at the sharp end to get on with their job of getting people to where they need to get to, i.e. home or work before they consider how they themselves are getting home.
I'm sure if someone was sticking a mike and camera in your face while you were working under extreme pressure you wouldn't be the most helpful either while you thinking how you are going to get home after your shift is over!

[jonny]

It is very strange isn't it...when the july 7th attrocities happened, the staff at finsbury park were praised very highly for their patience and organisation skills when the station became overcrowded and people were flocking there from all over London.

Why was this emergency any less tolerable to the commuter???   If action was taken, all that would happen is they would hold trains outside of the station until crowds had cleared. 

I hardly think a major rebuild of the station is necessary for the very out of course workings that hardly ever occur.

And another point...nobody forces you onto those trains, or off them for that matter..if you feel that your life is in danger, why not take some responsibility for yourself and stay put until the platform has cleared a bit.

[Goldencuffs]

Having been involved in the chaos that was Finsbury Park on Tuesday - 20 mins to get off train and to the tube in dangerously overcrowded conditions, I wonder if anyone else was caught up in the mess and what you think?

Interesting to see the BBC report when the First staff member put his hand on the lens to stop filming.  Clealry a company not keen on being seen doing badly, which they were.

There is clearly a need for a massive rebuild of that station to make it safe for us on those days Kings Cross is closed.  One for Grant to take up with the Dept for Transport as his constituents lives are being put at risk.

Adam

 

On Tuesday it was the day after the incident had taken place (which on this occassion was of no fault to the railway I believe - they were instructed to close their signal box by the fire brigade) if you travelled should have known it was going to be busy as it was on the news, radio etc that Kings Cross and Moorgate were closed and trains were going to stop at Finsbury Park.

I travelled and knew it was going to be hell from monday nights experience so was prepared.

I spoke to a member of staff who explained the reason the trains are running to an emergency timetable was because the signal box they had to close controls all trains between London to Peterborough and Cambridge, therefore trains were moving using a manual overide system. This meant that they lost communication contols.
As regards to the filming most companies nowadays have a media lisaon and general staff get told to tell press to contact them, plus if it was overcrowded and a camerman and reporter are taken up space fair play to tell them to leave.

The quote about July 7th well that was an emergency at the time, Tuesday however wasnt and passengers should have known what to expect at least there were trains better than a bus.

As for getting Grant to get Finsbury Park rebuilt well lets start with stations in our area first !

[blondie64]

If anyone has actually been outside Finsbury Park station other than head straight for the spiral staircase, they would have noticed some major building work going on by the landlords? who I believe are TfL. They are plans to open up the disused platform next to Platform1 but thats all it is at present and that has been put forward by GNER, but this would mean upgrading the goods line to accomodate passenger trains and their premise is so FCC trains will get out of their way quicker! you would still be sticking a quart into pint pot if something like this week happens again!
but all companies concerned had a meeting this week to see what went right and what didn't and this will ensure a better response next time! 

[digitaria]

I spoke to a member of staff who explained the reason the trains are running to an emergency timetable was because the signal box they had to close controls all trains between London to Peterborough and Cambridge, therefore trains were moving using a manual overide system. This meant that they lost communication contols.

It's amazing that people are prepared to make excuses for the transport services like this.  I work for a bank which is constantly making and reviewing preparations for a disaster which destroys or otherwise makes inaccessible its office facilities.  Preparations include redundant mirror sites in other parts of London.

Yet, when a simple and predictable problem like a fire renders inaccessible a central resource like a main signal box facility, Network Rail shrugs its collective shoulders, closes one of the busiest stations in the country, closes the Northern City Line to Moorgate and degrades services all over the place.  And this is all perfectly acceptable, despite the fact that it causes mayhem for so many more people than a problem at the bank. 

No - it's not good enough and it reflects the entrenched and obsolete attitudes of the people who run these services.

[jonny]

Would you be happier if taxpayers money was being spent building and maintaining empty railway stations just in case something like this should happen again?

And I certainly wouldn't compare banking to the railway, I'm sure that in Banking if a mistake is made it is rarely fatal.

I would rather the journey be slow and safe than wreckless and risky!!

[digitaria]

Would you be happier if taxpayers money was being spent building and maintaining empty railway stations just in case something like this should happen again?

And I certainly wouldn't compare banking to the railway, I'm sure that in Banking if a mistake is made it is rarely fatal.

I would rather the journey be slow and safe than wreckless and risky!!

Precisely - the stations are much more important - when they fail, banks and every other sort of business fall victim because their staff can't get to work.  Every time there's a major transport failure it costs millions - a little thought, preparation and yes - expenditure - could address this.  Just in case something should happen?  Something "happens" to our illustrious railway system almost every week and almost every week they are virtually helpless to deal with it.  I too would rather travel slowly and safely than be subjected to unacceptable risk.  But then those who lost their lives or were injured at Hatfield or Potters Bar - that's "our" line folks - didn't have a safe experience of the railways.  They're not succeeding at that either.

[adamedwardsteather]

The over crowding at FP could have been avoided with a mere extra set of points north of the station.  This would have allowed soem trains to gain access to platforms 4-6. By allowing the trains to be spread round the station (as normal) there would have been much easier crowd control and some commuters could have still used the stairs to the tube as normal, rather than everyone being forced via the booking hall and the bus station.

A set of points probably costs a few hundred thousand.  Not much when you compare that with the cost of all those people late for work.

Perhaps Barclays could loan the money to Network Rail?!

Thanks

Adam

[jonny]

It sounds good in theory but it really isn't that simple..   Not only would points have to be put in but then there would also have to be new signals too.  And in all honesty, they would have to close the line for more than 2 days to do all this and then you are back to square one..   
Yes it would put the possibility of alleviating overcrowding should trains ever have to turn round at Finsbury Park, but also it would mean routinely closing the line for maintenance.

And I think the problem this particular weekend was that the signallers were evacuated from Kings Cross and every train was signalled manually, so an extra set of points would only have meant more delay.

[blondie64]

Perhaps Barclays could loan the money to Network Rail?!

Thanks

Adam

oohh! what else could Barclays suggest oh! yes? lets close a few stations and turn them into wine bars

no seriously Jonny has stated the railways answer to your suggestion very well and just to add the safest piece of track is a straight piece without extra bits of kit and nuts&bolts to go missing!
there is a way to trains from the up lines to the down lines but that would have put more trains in the area/station and guess what more passengers too and that tunnel under the platforms is only so big as you found out, so I've got idea you do your job and leave Railwaymen to do theirs!
what is your job? A banker?