Overnight Trains - London City Airport

[Deep Level]

I was at London City Airport Saturday morning at 3am (don't ask) and I noticed a train in the platforms. I decided to go up and investigate and sitting on the EB platform was a 2 car B09 stock train blinded 'C Airport' and in the WB platform was a 3 car train set of B09+B09+B90/B92/B2K blinded 'Not In Service'. I was going to grab some pics but then a PSA came out from inside the train and told me to leave the station. I was still around at 3:30 and both trains were still there.

Firstly, what were these trains doing here?
Secondly, why was there a PSA in the train at 3am?
Lastly, why was the 3 car train set out like this and do they ever run in service like this?

Thanks

[Deleted]

engineering works

when the line is shut between westferry and LCA such as this weekend, they have to stable to trains for the LCA to woolwich arsenal service and they obviously think that LCA is the safest place to put them overnight

[radbod]

Would YOU leave a train on its own in an openly accessible station?

[ianvisits]

I think the fact that he was told to go away by station staff suggests it wasn't left on its own.

[Deleted]

Would it not be more sensible to leave trains in the tunnel under the River Thames between King George V and Woolwich Arsenal stations?
It's certainly less accessible to vandals than in the platforms of the busiest station on the Woolwich Arsenal branch with the station left unlocked.
That way PSAs would not have to be paid to look after them.

Just a suggestion

[Chris M]

I expect trains are outstabled wherever is suitable, and LCA is obviously deemed one such place. While the tunnel might seem like a good place you have issues of accessibility for staff to consider, particularly if you are leaving them unattended. Woolwich Arsenal station would seem like a better stabling location to me. I don't know how many trains are required for the service that's running, but if it is 6 or less then I wouldn't expect to see any trains stabled other than in platforms.

As for staff, if it is like the Underground there will probably be night shift CSAs who do the last runs at night and then the first ones in the morning. If so then these staff will just be at a different location than normal.

[Deleted]

Are there armed Police at LCY? If so, the DLR station seems like a safe place to hold trains overnight even if they are unattended and checked every so often.

[Chris M]

May 22, 2011 9:03:20 GMT @martello736 said:

It's certainly less accessible to vandals than in the platforms of the busiest station on the Woolwich Arsenal branch with the station left unlocked.

While LCA might be the busiest station on the branch normally, it certainly isn't going to be on a Saturday night. There are no flights between 12:30 Saturday and 12:30 Sunday, as a noise relief measure for locals.

[edwardfox]

So what would happen to the PSA if he fell asleep, didn't wake up until daylight. Came out of the train to stretch his legs - and discovered the sides of the train covered in graffiti

[Bighat]

May 23, 2011 23:37:18 GMT @cjc said:

Are there armed Police at LCY? If so, the DLR station seems like a safe place to hold trains overnight even if they are unattended and checked every so often.

Yes, CO19 do provide uniformed and armed police officers in the terminal area of LCY.

Having said that, their remit is to ensure security of the person and as an aside, any infrastructure issues as a result of this, or even as a prelude to it.

Drawing them away to a remote location just is NOT going to happen, and their sphere of operation would only extend to ensuring that WHEN the train came back into use, it was SAFE to use.

They are NOT glorified (and armed) night watchmen!

[Deep Level]

I have seen the CO19 around on previous visits to LCY but only during the day, I don't think they're around at night. Although I did see security around on that night but only for about 5 minutes until they drove away.

I think the weirdest thing was that I came into the station from the Drew Road entrance and decided to walk up onto the platform as I heard train engines but heard the cleaners whilst halfway up the stairs and decided to go back down. I left through the main entrance past a room of security and about 10 minutes later after the cleaners had left that's when I decided to go back up past the room of security again...and they didn't find that suspicious

[Ben]

Maybe they did... perhaps grainy CCTV images are being poorly cropped and circulated even as we speak? ;D ;D

[Chris M]

Perhaps they were in radio contact with the staff member on the train who came out and told you to leave?

[Deep Level]

Ahh, that could have been the case ;D

May 22, 2011 2:31:33 GMT Deep Level said:

Lastly, why was the 3 car train set out like this and do they ever run in service like this?

Is anyone able to answer this question? (I know that sounds sarcastic but its not intended to be, I can't think of a way to ask without it sounding sarcastic

[Chris M]

Hadn't twigged the mixed formation - I've never seen it in service. Indeed I was under the impression that there was some (presumably software) incompatibility that meant they couldn't run in service together.

[Deep Level]

Thinking about it now, they may not have been coupled as I didn't get that close. It could have been a 2 car B09 and a 1 car B90/B92/B2K but I wouldn't know why this would be, perhaps staff transport?

[Chris M]

Depending on what the shutdown was for, a single unit might have been used for testing. There were works on the Beckton branch as well (including what looked like adding more ballast to the transition from cutting to viaduct between Cyprus and Gallions Reach) so it probably wouldn't have been able to make it back to the depot.