Trains not waiting.

[Deleted]

Sunday evening 26.04.09. .Coming from Kings Cross I take the first train final destination Harrow on the Hill as I want to get to Pinner and change at Baker St. if appropriate.There was no service on the Uxbridge branch that weekend,so hardly busy.
We pull in to Plat 2 at Baker St. and there is a train on Plat. 1.Time 20.03
By craning our necks or stepping on to the platform to see the indicators(lousy signage here and no announcements of course even though it's 8pm and not the residents disturbing 10pm watershed) we see it's a Watford train.
Of course you know what happens now...as soon as our doors open,the Watford train doors close and off it goes into the night.
I have read all about track pollution,train stacking and the like,but this was Sunday evening with only one branch running.I'm sure the Watford train could have waited 30 secs.
Why not?.
Seems like a conspiracy to me or am I being too suspicious.
Look forward to explanations.I'm intrigued.

[mrfs42]

Go on then, how long did you have to wait for the next train?

I'd also place an evens bet that the starter for plat. 1 (MB. 27) just happened to clear as your train rolled past MB. 260 - the creep signal in platform 2. (That is if I'm remembering the locking/flank protection at Baker St. correctly).

Not a conspiracy, just a combination of circumstances.

[North End]

May 2, 2009 13:18:22 GMT @landau1945 said:

Sunday evening 26.04.09. .Coming from Kings Cross I take the first train final destination Harrow on the Hill as I want to get to Pinner and change at Baker St. if appropriate.There was no service on the Uxbridge branch that weekend,so hardly busy.
We pull in to Plat 2 at Baker St. and there is a train on Plat. 1.Time 20.03
By craning our necks or stepping on to the platform to see the indicators(lousy signage here and no announcements of course even though it's 8pm and not the residents disturbing 10pm watershed) we see it's a Watford train.
Of course you know what happens now...as soon as our doors open,the Watford train doors close and off it goes into the night.
I have read all about track pollution,train stacking and the like,but this was Sunday evening with only one branch running.I'm sure the Watford train could have waited 30 secs.
Why not?.
Seems like a conspiracy to me or am I being too suspicious.
Look forward to explanations.I'm intrigued.

Maybe the Train Operator can't see if there's a train arriving in the adjacent platform?

Finchley Central is like that - from the driver's position, any driver in Platform 1 cannot see if there's a train in adjacent Platform 2. There is an illuminated "C" sign (wait for connexion) at this location, but this is the exception not the rule.

There is also the issue that waiting for connexions can incur quite a significant delay, especially if the train is already running late.

[citysig]

May 2, 2009 13:18:22 GMT @landau1945 said:

Sunday evening 26.04.09. .Coming from Kings Cross I take the first train final destination Harrow on the Hill as I want to get to Pinner and change at Baker St. if appropriate.There was no service on the Uxbridge branch that weekend,so hardly busy.
We pull in to Plat 2 at Baker St. and there is a train on Plat. 1.Time 20.03
By craning our necks or stepping on to the platform to see the indicators(lousy signage here and no announcements of course even though it's 8pm and not the residents disturbing 10pm watershed) we see it's a Watford train.
Of course you know what happens now...as soon as our doors open,the Watford train doors close and off it goes into the night.
I have read all about track pollution,train stacking and the like,but this was Sunday evening with only one branch running.I'm sure the Watford train could have waited 30 secs.
Why not?.
Seems like a conspiracy to me or am I being too suspicious.
Look forward to explanations.I'm intrigued.

Your ex-city service was due to depart Baker Street at 2008hrs. The Watford was due to depart at 2003hrs. Those wanting Baker Street would have simply arrived early on your train. A quick squint at the timetable would always have seen your journey being to arrive at Baker Street and catch the 2013 Watford.

On a different day, maybe the train would have arrived another 30 seconds early and you would have bagged a bonus. Or maybe it would have arrived on time and meant only a 5-minute wait. Either way, we don't hold right-time trains in the hope it will connect for an early arrival.

Absolutely no conspiracy. No other transport provider would have done any different.

[Deleted]

Thanks very much for all the explanations.My knowledge of the Met is being enhanced every day.
Fascinating stuff.

[metman]

Also, it must be remembered that the train operators position is on the left hand side and the opo monitor is also along with the start signal is on the left had side. Platform 1 snakes away from platform 2 so it is likely the driver did not see your train arrive. Platform one is also set forward from platfrom 2-3 by virtue of it being a bay. Therefore, I would conclude the driver could not see, or the train was running late and the driver had just opened up and couldn't wait any longer.

[Deleted]

Also just for information - only emergency PA's can be made after 8pm - not the 10pm watershed for Chiltern Court residents. Additionally the station control room assistant with 10 platforms to manage wouldn't routinely make PA's prior to 8pm anyway.

Also around 30% of the indicators are out of order. The indicators are life expired and the funding that was ear marked to replace the screens has been spent elsewhere. However at I'm guessing not a small cost, parts are being specially made to give the screens a new lease of life.

[citysig]

May 3, 2009 10:32:21 GMT metman said:

or the train was running late and the driver had just opened up and couldn't wait any longer.

It wasn't. I've checked ;D

[metman]

Then I guess they couldn't see....

[Deleted]

I also will point out, apart from the last trains to any given detsination there are no booked connections, even on the met where there is a published timetable.

Common sense is of course used by some in some situations, particually up north (due to fequenices), however in the city, there will always be another one along soon.

[Deleted]

May 4, 2009 22:45:15 GMT @metapprentice said:

Common sense is of course used by some in some situations, particually up north (due to fequenices), however in the city, there will always be another one along soon.

That's why passengers wait for trains, not the other way about!

[Deleted]

If a driver at Baker St. Platform 1 did sit on a green starter waiting for the arrival of a train on Platform 2, this would then inevitably delay the subsequent departure of the train on Platform 2 and the majority of the people on that train who didn't want to get off would be affected. As would the next Met line on the inner rail waiting at MB34 from GPS and any C Stock to get tangled up in it all.