2032 Moorgate to Hertford and CIS

[wyvfe1]

Seems over the last few weeks platform dispatchers have had real problems with passengers related to the CIS.

The 2037 WGC train arrives onto the platform at about 2020 which the CIS displays as the 2032 Hertford North.

Passengers board this train thinking it's the Hertford North service.

Then the real 2032 to Herford arrives on the adjacent platform, the dispatchers make an announcement that the 2032 to Hertford is on platform 10
However if your on the wrong train you don't hear that as a 'platform alteration' and don't get off the train as you don't really know what platform your on.

Yesterday the dispatcher received real verbal abuse from about 50 passengers.
Just as the driver of the WGC train announced "this is the 2037 all stations to WGC" (he made this announcement at 2032 just as the dispatcher blew the whistle for the 2032 to leave)

All the passengers on the WGC train who wanted the Hertford branch leapt up from their seats and ran over to platform 10 to watch the train disappear down the tunnel.

The dispatcher said he made an announcement that the Hertford train was on platform 10, to which most of the passengers said he was telling lies. (he made one announcement and didn't mention the platform alteration)

The driver of the WGC train knew the CIS was wrong but didn't make an on board announcement till 2032, I know he knew as I saw him look up at the CIS and point to it.

This has been happening since the timetable change, and some WGC drivers will announce that the CIS is wrong and the first train to leave will be from the other platform.

 

[jon0844]

The new system is not fit for purpose and all staff must be aware of how bad it is compared to before, especially the ones who have worked the same station for years.

I can't understand how the FCC system can show later trains before earlier ones at Finsbury Park either, given the second train is due before the first has left King's Cross.

Like your example, the bug seems to affect certain services regularly and you would think it would be fixed after the staff complain, which I believe they do.

Sent from my MB525 using Tapatalk

 

[Aictos]

The new system is not fit for purpose and all staff must be aware of how bad it is compared to before, especially the ones who have worked the same station for years.

I can't understand how the FCC system can show later trains before earlier ones at Finsbury Park either, given the second train is due before the first has left King's Cross.

Like your example, the bug seems to affect certain services regularly and you would think it would be fixed after the staff complain, which I believe they do.

Sent from my MB525 using Tapatalk

I think part of the problem is the system for example, I know I can ask for help from the GN Service Delivery Centre for any issues relating to the screens but there's not a lot anyone can do when there's a problem out of hours as the that desk isn't a 24/7 job compared with the other desks.

There's only so much staff can do, ideally what FCC ought to do is get ATOS to second someone to FCC to work on these issues at a local level, it's annoying enough for passengers as well as staff.

 

[jon0844]

Maybe they are and FCC are working on fixing it, but can't figure out what is wrong? I have painted a picture in my head of ATOS being totally clueless and amateurish, having no idea on how to provide a system but being happy to have bid below everyone else to get the contract and won.

I say that they're clueless because they'd supposedly fixed the 'does not stop here. does not stop here' thing at FPK and now it's doing it again, all the time. They also seemed to have stopped announcements for other platforms and now it's back to announcing everything and therefore warning people on platform 6 that the train on platform 1 does not stop here, does not stop here, platform 1. And vice versa.

With it going off continuously almost, including the totally awful standard announcements about smoking or taking care to board a train that isn't there, it no doubt means that staff and passengers alike are going to eventually switch off as 99% of the stuff said is irrelevant, or wrong, and so you'll miss anything genuine. Only manual announcements are probably listened to, while passengers breathe a sigh of relief that they might actually get told something useful. Oh, and every screen, monitor and station clock at Finsbury Park seems to show a totally different time!

I'm amazed the screen on platform 1 at Hatfield has lost the data connection and been like that (saying wagn.co.uk) for about two months now. There's no sign or poster to apologise, and nothing to say when it will be working again. Gateline staff don't know (nor would I expect them to) but they're obviously aware of it.

The new system is still not giving details of why things are delayed/cancelled, or differing reasons (such as a train with no staff being reported as an 'operating incident', yet if you look online it says 'no staff available'. How can it get a different reason 'code' or is that what FCC wants the new system to say instead of no staff available?)

 

[causton]

I feel like sending FCC an email getting them to fix at least some of the easy issues (the screen at Hatfield for example) but I'm sure their own staff (gateline staff at the stations) are shouting at the management to fix it but aren't getting through... so why should I even bother? :P

 

[jon0844]

I know the staff at Hatfield are complaining to their bosses and they're extremely frustrated - and who wouldn't be when your job is to man the gates, deal with other requests for information (like general advice on getting around in London, or how to get to somewhere that involves changes) and of course revenue duties (PFs) etc.

They don't need to be providing regular, accurate, train running info. It's not helped by the tiny summary of departures screen that's hard to read 'airside' and may show incorrect information anyway. Mind you, you can't get everyone that might stand waiting for an 8-car train to stand in the main building!!

If and when FCC has another online forum, I'd like to see what they say about this. I suspect they'll just say it's part of the £10m investment they made last year to improve information, which seems like money well spent. To show how clueless FCC has become in recent months, I got a letter TODAY saying my season ticket was up for renewal! Erm, it was a week ago - and surely you remind people a bit earlier than a few days AFTER the ticket expired (and the new rates have kicked in). More amazing is that they direct you to their new mobile site, with the URL www.firstcapitalconnect.co.uk/m (anyone else would have done m.firstcapitalconnect.co.uk, or even registered m.fcc.co.uk if available [check, no fcc.com seems to have been registered by a cybersquatter]) and on this new site it tells you how you can get the latest information on their Twitter feed - which despite all the complaints to FCC before Christmas has still not had a single update since December 2nd!

Did someone just pocket the £10m and slide out the fire exit late last year?

 

[Aictos]

Well the next 4 Meet the Managers sessions are:

Tulse Hill 25 January 2011 1700 -1930
King's Cross 15 February 2011 1600 - 1900
Royston 8 March 2011 1700 - 1930
Blackfriars 29 March 2011 1600 - 1900

So feel free to raise issues at them.