Train companies should employ responsible managers at stations

[CanDoBetter]

I've never seen such chaos at several north western stations, particularly Manchester victoria train station. How is it the poor buggers working on the platform are not given any clear information about the many delayed or cancelled trains so they can inform travellers? Surely there should be a couple of people who actually know what's going on? I'm genuinely confused how it can be so badly organised!?

 

[Tazi Hupefi]

Essentially there's no real management at most stations, certainly not the managers you're probably envisaging. Most information provision is handled and disseminated centrally from a control room, which are generally well staffed, however if they have multiple incidents across large geographic areas unfortunately coinciding, they become overwhelmed and have to prioritise their workload, to the detriment of certain lines or stations.

 

[Dr Hoo]

I've never seen such chaos at several north western stations, particularly Manchester victoria train station. How is it the poor buggers working on the platform are not given any clear information about the many delayed or cancelled trains so they can inform travellers? Surely there should be a couple of people who actually know what's going on? I'm genuinely confused how it can be so badly organised!?

(Posting as a former Southern Region Station Manager.)
It can only be agreed that people at the workface, dealing with passengers, should have up-to-the-minute, consistent and accurate information as far as realistically possible. Ideally this should be tailored and filtered to local needs (and not just ‘carpet bombing’ with generic lists about services a little way away, etc.)
With modern IT, mobile devices and sophisticated screens for staff and public use and information and data handled through effectively instantaneous systems the ability of any local manager or supervisor to add further ‘information’ is not obvious to me. They will struggle to understand the bigger picture and likely developments as much as their staff, *compared to those in control offices*. The scope for (useful) local improvisation is very limited these days.

 

[Djgr]

I've never seen such chaos at several north western stations, particularly Manchester victoria train station. How is it the poor buggers working on the platform are not given any clear information about the many delayed or cancelled trains so they can inform travellers? Surely there should be a couple of people who actually know what's going on? I'm genuinely confused how it can be so badly organised!?

It was certainly noticeable how much Liverpool Lime Street improved when Network Rail appropriated it from "First" North Western.

 

[waveyswirley]

I had a guard at Oxford Road waving everyone onto a delayed Northern train to Blackpool North saying "Warrington! Anyone for Warrington get on this train" because that's what it said in the departure board

 

[Gloster]

I had a guard at Oxford Road waving everyone onto a delayed Northern train to Blackpool North saying "Warrington! Anyone for Warrington get on this train" because that's what it said in the departure board

Do you mean a guard, a member of traincrew who is actually on the train, or a member of platform staff? Guard has a specific railway meaning.

 

[AF91]

Speaking as an ex station manager of one of the category A stations, I'd say the main issue is that railway control teams are mostly focusing on getting the network as a whole back up and running when disruption hits which leads to information going out to station staff in fits and starts. In an ideal world, control rooms would have a general information controller dealing with the overall network, but also dedicated info controllers focusing on the larger stations to ensure a constant flow of info to the staff at those locations. As ever though, cost is the issue.

 

[WAB]

Speaking as an ex station manager of one of the category A stations, I'd say the main issue is that railway control teams are mostly focusing on getting the network as a whole back up and running when disruption hits which leads to information going out to station staff in fits and starts. In an ideal world, control rooms would have a general information controller dealing with the overall network, but also dedicated info controllers focusing on the larger stations to ensure a constant flow of info to the staff at those locations. As ever though, cost is the issue.

Some TOCs already have pretty substantial information teams, so perhaps there are also difficulties with the flow of information within the control offices themselves?

 

[Bungle965]

particularly Manchester victoria train station

I must admit that in disruption this station is an absolute car crash, and often doesn’t get the attention for it in comparison to Piccadilly for instance, possibly because Piccadilly has always been viewed as more flagship (certainly feels to have the appropriate level of on the day management to deal with it)

Talking from personal experience there is a safety risk at this station when large scale disruption happens the platforms are completely overwhelmed and there is often little information.
Certainly from the outside, this must be one of the busiest stations that Northern manages themselves and sadly I find passenger information shoddy, and to be absolutely clear this is not an attempt to blame the frontline staff who are simply trying to try their best based on the information that they have got.

 

[AF91]

Some TOCs already have pretty substantial information teams, so perhaps there are also difficulties with the flow of information within the control offices themselves?

It could well be the case yes. Its something that definitely could be improved. That's not to take anything away from the majority of staff at the moment who will do their best to help customers as best they can during disruption.