Remote Booking On / Off

[Deleted]

I have sent DD an e-mail asking about this, but I thought I'd put it on the forum too, others may find it interesting.

Are there any LUL depots now which do not use Remote booking? I've heard that ex Parsons Green crews now based at Earls Court have an agreement meaning they do not use remote booking, but I don't know how true this is. I was thinking the ELL might be a case of this, with the staff platform at New Cross and Surrey Quays only a short ride away, but I could be wrong.

Which is the worst case of remote booking on / off on th District, do you have, for example Acton duties which you book on at Upminster and stuff like that?

Also finally I know remote booking is a comparatively new arrangement on the Underground, does anyone know when it was introduced?

Thanks for reading, Alexh

[Colin]

For those who don't know - remote booking on & off is where you start or finish at a location other than your home depot.
To answer at least part of this question, Acton Town on the District is the last depot on the whole of LUL to do remote booking on & off. It's nothing too drastic like using Upminster! During the day we use Earls Court. At the moment this is the subject of industrial action and has been since January.
Other depot's do still do it, but, they have local agreements to pay travelling time - Upminster does this using Barking as a remote location.
Earls Court drivers always book on & off at Earls Court with transport provided to get to & from Parsons Green.
Barking doesn't do remote booking on & off at all.
I can only speak with knowledge regarding the District line, but other lines basically either have paid travel time or no remote booking on & off whatsoever.

[Deleted]

COLIN said:

For those who don't know - remote booking on & off is where you start or finish at a location other than your home depot.
To answer at least part of this question, Acton Town on the District is the last depot on the whole of LUL to do remote booking on & off..

Not quite!
Leytonstone and Hainault on the Central, Neasden and Rickmansworth on the Met and Arnos Grove on the Picc definatly have it, there may be a few others as well.

[Deleted]

Alexh said:

I have sent DD an e-mail asking about this, but I thought I'd put it on the forum too, others may find it interesting.

Are there any LUL depots now which do not use Remote booking?

We don't at Upminster, other than from the depot

[Colin]

I think i'll rent that JCB, so I can make that hole bigger! ;D ;D
Thanks for putting me right, I thought i'd look clever and knowledgeable - but i'm just gonna crawl away with my tail between my legs!! ;D

[solidbond]

Remote booking on/off was introduced as part of 'Company Plan' in December 1992. The original parameters stated that the remote location must be within 20 minutes travelling time of the home depot. Over the years, modifications to agreements allowed remote booking on and off to be removed from some locations. There was also an agreement that facilities at the remote location should be at least equal to those at the home depot. This has been the source of a number of disputes, not least the current one at Acton, caused by the definition of equal facilities The unions argue that, if there are parking spaces at the home depot, then there should be the same available at the remote location. Management state that there should be lockers available for any T/Op booking on/off remotely, but then only provided a number of 'remote' lockers, ie ones that could be used by any T/Op remotely booking on/off. The unions argued that every T/Op should have a personal locker at the remote location. There were other arguments as well, but ultimately, a number of locations which had remote booking on/off no longer do!