Wembley park issue - 25/9/17

[A60stock]

Seems like trains were only able to use platform 1 northbound at Wembley park due to an issue with platform 2. This was at around 1645 today. Anyone know what the issue is?

[goldenarrow]

A60stock , Signal failure on the Northbound Local line in the Wembley Park area, all Northbound services are being routed down the fast line not calling at Preston Road and Northwick Park in the process, Southbound service is operating as normal.

Note: Modified service continued till the close of service.

[A60stock]

So why is there service being advertised as a good service when there is actually a part suspension?

[Chris M]

Massaging of statistics I suspect, the website was showing the issue as just station closures rather than line issues. At least it has details of what the issues are - Blackhorse Road and Crouch Hill are also shown in red but with no explanation for why.

[rincew1nd]

Sept 25, 2017 19:22:32 GMT A60stock said:

So why is there service being advertised as a good service when there is actually a part suspension?

Politics

[Deleted]

Whilst I understand and share the cynicism which is doubtless justified in many cases (perhaps including this one), it is probably best considered as a station issue. If you advertise this as a part suspension it would surely imply trains were not running between Wembley Park and Harrow-on-the-Hill (HOTH). In other words, if I'm trying to get home to Uxbridge from Baker Street and I see the line advertised as suspended between Wembley Park and HOTH I'm gonna think I'm affected when, of course, I'm not. The only people affected are those specifically interested in travelling to/from Preston Road and Northwick Park. This incident does quite literally amount to non-stopping two consecutive stations which is not normally announced as a service suspension. For example, during the big ticket office strikes Central line trains ran through Wanstead and Redbridge. This was not advertised as a part suspension between Leytonstone and Gants Hill and nor would it have made sense for it to have been. If the service had been advertised in that way I would have expected to have to get off at Leytonstone and find some other way to pick up the service at Gants Hill (or, in my case, go via Woodford, but imagine I was trying to get to, say, Fairlop (although of course I'd just go all the way to Fairlop by said other means in all likelihood, but I'm getting distracted ...))

[alpinejohn]

Its not just politics.

Inherently the current service status information is inevitably subjective when it comes to minor issues (a faulty escalator - an individual closed station access etc - if trains are however running where do you say things are or are not good?)

I seem to recall something similar happened with old A stock trains when during severe winter rail frost once Northbound trains stopped at Preston Road they just could not re-start towards Harrow on the Hill (note the name!) - Thankfully the message got to the signallers and after a couple of trains stalled on the Northbound tracks all northbound services went up the fast track to Harrow on the Hill. Passengers wanting Preston Road and Northwick Park were then told to switch to Southbound services which were able to call. Inherently services were still running and even for the skipped stations passengers were still able to get to their destinations just with some inconvenience. Personal experience on the line indicates the moment you move down from "Good" you start to divert passenger flows to other routes (so Jubillee gets hammered) which given how crowded most routes are at 16:45 is not something you want to do lightly. Especially if the affected line was still getting its passengers to their destinations.

[Tubeboy]

Sept 25, 2017 16:46:09 GMT A60stock said:

Seems like trains were only able to use platform 1 northbound at Wembley park due to an issue with platform 2. This was at around 1645 today. Anyone know what the issue is?

Defective points motor. Replaced overnight.

[vato]

tut - Whilst what you say seems reasonable (and this is definitely not a personal attack) , there have been several times when the chesham branch was suspended for significant periods, but it was still showing good service "because we didn't want to stop people using the rest of the met", whereas with the information available i could (and would) have adapted differently and avoided unnecessary hassle. I've seen similar first hand in other locations too. I'm sure it doesn't have anything at all with KPIs and bonuses... No never...

[londoner]

It would help of course, if the current station issues were not hidden in an obscure place, taking several clicks and if they were given equal importance alongside the line information. I wonder how many people know about the station issues status and also how many people assume the line delay information includes information about the station issues...

[Chris M]

It would also help if the station status issues weren't flooded with "this station is busiest between" messages.

[cso]

Very much this, Chris M - It's not relevant to the "Status" of a station!

[alpinejohn]

But in our caring and inclusive world - knowing when a station is relatively quiet or crazy busy is actually of real value to people afflicted with Agoraphobia or versions of Asperger syndrome. Not all handicaps are physical. Having once witnessed a friend have a total panic attack due to serious crowding trying to access Wembley stadium, I can see the value.

I agree it seems OTT for the station status to major on this, but I think it should still merit a sub page somewhere on the general TFL Tube information. My gut feeling is that for most stations once the critical data has been captured it will remain fairly consistent for typical weekdays/weekends so hopefully will not pose an immense maintenance burden.

[Chris M]

Canary Wharf is very busy in the morning and evening peaks, but one (I forget which) is very slightly busier than the other but only one of the two peaks is mentioned. It is not therefore a useful guide to when the station is busy or quiet, only when it is busiest.

There are other problems too. For example:

CANADA WATER STATION: Would customers please note that due to a short platform the rear doors of the last coach will not open. Would customers please note that you can only alight from the front four coaches as this station has a short platform. Please ensure you are travelling in the correct part of the train.

This taken verbatim from the audio announcements on London Overground, it is poorly phrased for someone not travelling on a train and it is completely incorrect for the Jubilee line where all doors on all seven cars open.

EUSTON STATION: Please take extra care and hold the handrail especially when travelling with luggage, buggies or during rush hour.

Which handrail? Why is this only relevant at Euston?

CANONBURY STATION: A ramp is provided at this station providing step-free access onto London Overground trains from platforms 3 & 4 only. Please ask staff in the ticket hall at the start of your journey to ensure the ramp will be available when you arrive at your destination.

Which trains arrive and depart from platforms 3 and 4? What if there are no staff in the ticket hall? Will staff on the platforms be able to help me? What if my train arrives on platforms 1 or 2 instead of 3 or 4?

Identical comments about ramps are provided for many stations - this is a normal condition and shouldn't be in a status update. It hides useful information like there being no step-free access at Bermondsey.

[edb]

Sept 26, 2017 21:31:15 GMT vato said:

tut - Whilst what you say seems reasonable (and this is definitely not a personal attack) , there have been several times when the chesham branch was suspended for significant periods, but it was still showing good service "because we didn't want to stop people using the rest of the met", whereas with the information available i could (and would) have adapted differently and avoided unnecessary hassle. I've seen similar first hand in other locations too. I'm sure it doesn't have anything at all with KPIs and bonuses... No never...

This is far too often the case. Even worse, as happened during the afternoon/evening in question, is when the Chesham train is then turned into an Amersham train with no subsequent Amersham train turning into a Chesham train.