Disruption 5/1/24 - Wimbledon Branch

[xtmw]

Status page showing: District Line: Severe delays between Earl's Court and Wimbledon due to planned engineering work. London Underground tickets will be accepted on South Western Railway, Thameslink, London Overground and local bus services. GOOD SERVICE on the rest of the line.

According to the TfL website, there is a planned closure for tomorrow and the 7th between Parsons Green and Wimbledon, which brings me back to my original question, how can planned engineering work lead to severe delays when it should be stopping the service? Unless it is engineering work in a siding (which should result in traction current being off?)

[Dstock7080]

Due to the impending RMT strike, it was thought wise, by someone, to bring the three engineering trains for the weekend work from Ruislip overnight Thursday and stable them in platforms 1-3 at Wimbledon!
This only leaves pfm.4 free for the 10min Edgware Road service.

[roman80]

Having been subject to this delay this morning, I can only say I am glad the decision maker in question is not an air traffic controller. Effectively this branch will have no good service for over seven days. Surely someone making this decision should have some knowledge of a railway's basic function to move it's customers.

[xtmw]

Now being advertised as emergency engineering work!

EDIT

The message 'due to planned engineering work' is rather misleading. I thought they had put severe delays in by accident, as the phrase 'due to planned engineering work' sends the message that the service isn't running at all!

Honesty is the best policy! They could have at least described the disruption as 'due to train cancellations' or 'due to the unavailability of platforms at Wimbledon' 

[goldenarrow]

Unfortunately, what is sometimes displayed on the Electronic Service Update Board is as much a political statement as it is customer information. Not just a London or UK issue for urban transit operators might I add!

[brigham]

The corporate world is full of weasel-speak. Caveat emptor.

[chilsie]

On a slightly related note, were services non-stopping West Brompton and Fulham Broadway after the Chelsea fixture yesterday because there was, I’m assuming, not enough room to turn around services to deal with the crowd size that would be entering Fulham Broadway all at once?

[goldenarrow]

Yes, they were along with Parsons Green being exit only for the same reasons. Crowds were directed towards Earl's Court instead

[gantshill]

Jan 5, 2024 17:43:09 GMT xtmw said:

Honesty is the best policy! They could have at least described the disruption as ........ 'due to the unavailability of platforms at Wimbledon' 

Happily and helpfully, at East Putney a handwritten notice informed passengers that there was only one out of four platforms available at Wimbledon, so there would only be trains every 10 minutes.