I have posted in the past about my experiences at Fratton on matchdays with management of crowds, which has at times appear to prioritise revenue protection at the expense of safety and convenience.
www.railforums.co.uk
Today, got off the train at Platform 2 and turned towards the bridge over to platform 1 for the ticket inspections, resigned to the fact I would probably still be queueing to get out of the station 10 minutes later. Instead we were directed up to the footbridge that leads straight out of the station by multiple SWR staff - no ticket inspections, no queues, no pushing, no shoving. Trainload after trainload cleared of the station within a couple of minutes.
And then coming back afterwards, arrived at the station after the match to find two queues in the car park - one for Havant and one for Fareham. SWR staff would then marshall the people from the appropriate queue onto the platform in time for the next train as appropriate. All well planned as they had staff with boards, barriers and the like. And lots of people on the various forums saying how well it all worked and how quickly they got away. Much better than simply filling up platform 1 with people locked outside unable to get the train as it arrives.
So well done SWR - management and staff.
Of course, people will soon abuse the system to queue jump their way onto the platform by joining the "other" queue that is being directed onto the platform, so the whole system will collapse due to selfishness. It also remains to be seen what happens when it is raining and people will be looking to get under cover on the platform.
Dangerous overcrowding at Fratton on Portsmouth FC matchdays
My experience at Fratton Station last Saturday. Pompey match against Stoke - 1230 kick of, so therefore people who use the train tend to turn up in a smaller time window than if it was a 3pm kick off. We had 5 trains turn up in a 10 minute window: 11:45 on Platform 3 from...
www.railforums.co.uk
Today, got off the train at Platform 2 and turned towards the bridge over to platform 1 for the ticket inspections, resigned to the fact I would probably still be queueing to get out of the station 10 minutes later. Instead we were directed up to the footbridge that leads straight out of the station by multiple SWR staff - no ticket inspections, no queues, no pushing, no shoving. Trainload after trainload cleared of the station within a couple of minutes.
And then coming back afterwards, arrived at the station after the match to find two queues in the car park - one for Havant and one for Fareham. SWR staff would then marshall the people from the appropriate queue onto the platform in time for the next train as appropriate. All well planned as they had staff with boards, barriers and the like. And lots of people on the various forums saying how well it all worked and how quickly they got away. Much better than simply filling up platform 1 with people locked outside unable to get the train as it arrives.
So well done SWR - management and staff.
Of course, people will soon abuse the system to queue jump their way onto the platform by joining the "other" queue that is being directed onto the platform, so the whole system will collapse due to selfishness. It also remains to be seen what happens when it is raining and people will be looking to get under cover on the platform.