ill on a train at Baker St

[commuter]

Two days ago the trains running south from Harrow were halted around 9:30 am because of "a person ill on a train at Baker st". Then one of them moved on but only to Wembley Park where the station announcer said that "due to technical difficulties I don't know when the next southbound Met will be".

I am not an LU employee and wonder if someone can enlighten me on
a) why do the trains have to be halted at all? There are three platforms at Baker from which trains can reverse. Is "ill" really LU speak for something more sinister that they don't want us to panic about?
b) What could the "technical difficulties" be? Isn't there a private phone network on the tube not to mention radios and things. Again, is this LU speak meaning "Nobody knows what is going on?"

Anway we all crowded onto a Jubilee and naturally, just as we came into Finchley Road, a southbound Met overtook us.

[metman]

The met among other lines isn't great with communication!!

[Tubeboy]

The passenger had severe back spasms, and was assisted off the train by station staff and the Ambulance service. The train behind was routed into platform 1, but the following trains were [as you say] routed S-N at Neasden depot.

S/B T432 was taken out of service at Harrow.

As to why the other platforms couldnt be used, as well as the poor communication....well! ;D

[c5]

What Wembley Park meant is that there is an information black hole between Harrow and Wembley, so they cant see the trains. So in essence they were telling the truth! The information probably hadnt made it from the Service Operator, to the station control room, to the platform just yet!

The trains are taken out of service at Harrow or Wembley then help ease out the congestion that is building up into the City. It also means that a train is available to run North to cover gaps with the late running.

Back to information, during a problem like this, general line information will be sent to stations from Service Control staff, this is then put onto a staff voicemail service too. Staff will then prioritise their information flows to places where there are stalled trains, then onto places where people are being detrained (like you) and will obviously know something is up.

Plus other problems will still be occuring on the Met line, Circle and Hammersmith, plus the Chiltern, (not like on the telly, like Spooks! when only one thing happens at a time!) and station staff and trains will be calling up.

[swedishblue]

I think the fact that the person making the announcement stating "technical difficulties" shows up a training issue here. If there is anything to wind up the customers, it is "information" such as this. If you don't know, try and find out!