Dangerous overcrowding

[danielcanning]

Over the past few months I’ve seen more and more incidents of severe and oftentimes, dangerous overcrowding on the Underground. This is mainly due to long gaps in services, just when is this issue going to be sorted? It’s only a matter of time before someone is pushed onto the tracks due to the sheer number of people on the platform…

 

[Mojo]

On what basis are you deeming the overcrowding “dangerous?” The overwhelming majority of stations are staffed and all under ground stations are staffed when open to the public. Staff will be monitoring to take action when the platforms are too busy to safely take any more customers.

 

[Tube driver]

Platforms are constantly monitored especially when crowding occurs and action will be taken should it approach being too overcrowded. Station control will be enacted where no further passengers are allowed through the gates and onto the platforms, one way systems put in place to slow down those entering the station and sometimes connecting lines will be told to non-stop to also stop feeding the overcrowding on platforms.

Half the time overcrowding is due to people not using the full length of the platform so while it may seem very busy when you enter the platform, it can be more manageable away from platform entrances and exits where people tend to congregate.

Staff are well versed in dealing with crowds especially in stations that traditionally are very busy anyway. Staff will generally also know that a large gap is coming up and can preemptively put plans in place so whilst you may feel it’s a bit too busy, staff are generally on top of it already.

 

[bramling]

Platforms are constantly monitored especially when crowding occurs and action will be taken should it approach being too overcrowded. Station control will be enacted where no further passengers are allowed through the gates and onto the platforms, one way systems put in place to slow down those entering the station and sometimes connecting lines will be told to non-stop to also stop feeding the overcrowding on platforms.

Half the time overcrowding is due to people not using the full length of the platform so while it may seem very busy when you enter the platform, it can be more manageable away from platform entrances and exits where people tend to congregate.

Staff are well versed in dealing with crowds especially in stations that traditionally are very busy anyway. Staff will generally also know that a large gap is coming up and can preemptively put plans in place so whilst you may feel it’s a bit too busy, staff are generally on top of it already.

I do feel LU have slipped a bit on this in the last couple of years. Not sure if this is due to the turnover of station staff being rather higher or other factors. There was a day a few months ago where the service was patchy (can’t remember if it was a strike day or something else, but it was a weekend day and they were running with gaps of 10+ minutes through the central area on most lines), that was most certainly dangerous - Euston station was completely gridlocked with people, to the point where queues for platforms stretched back up stairwells and was causing the escalators to be stopped.

 

[leytongabriel]

Platforms are constantly monitored especially when crowding occurs and action will be taken should it approach being too overcrowded. Station control will be enacted where no further passengers are allowed through the gates and onto the platforms, one way systems put in place to slow down those entering the station and sometimes connecting lines will be told to non-stop to also stop feeding the overcrowding on platforms.

Half the time overcrowding is due to people not using the full length of the platform so while it may seem very busy when you enter the platform, it can be more manageable away from platform entrances and exits where people tend to congregate.

Staff are well versed in dealing with crowds especially in stations that traditionally are very busy anyway. Staff will generally also know that a large gap is coming up and can preemptively put plans in place so whilst you may feel it’s a bit too busy, staff are generally on top of it already.

Ah waiting for somebody to say it's all the b....... passengers' fault. 'Action' too often means completely incomphrensible screeching at passengers through loudhailers by platform staff as the crowd builds up. Try it from the other side .

 

[Route115?]

I think that the problem is mostly at the weekend. Trains can be fuller than weekday peaks as there is as much demand and often more cancellations. Lines being closed for maintenance doesn't help. Also weekend passengers may be less used to using the tube. Maybe LUL will need to shift more resources to the weekend.

Twenty years ago I used to joke that on National Railways weekends was a management free zone, with them only worrying about the peak. Fortunately things moved on, bit perhaps have further to go.

 

[Taunton]

Ah waiting for somebody to say it's all the b....... passengers' fault. 'Action' too often means completely incomphrensible screeching at passengers through loudhailers by platform staff as the crowd builds up. Try it from the other side .

Indeed. A classic happens sometimes at Canning Town DLR, with shouted messages in condescending tone to use the full length of the platform - then the train comes in and it's one of the periodic two-cars instead of three-cars, stops right at the end, meaning those who have politely spread along the platform are now well behind the train. Big crush at the back door, can't even get past to another door, further shouts to stand back because the DLR punctuality is reported to TfL to 30-second accuracy (as the automated system can do it) and that's more important to operator Keolis than getting people to their paid-for destination.

Regarding spreading along the train, on the Elizabeth Line that is stated to be easy because of the wide inter-car connections. Unfortunately those who propose this policy forgot that the main stations have been built with two entrances, at the far ends, and also forgot that the space to walk through the train is the same space that many passengers are standing in, preventing one from doing so.

 

[43066]

Ah waiting for somebody to say it's all the b....... passengers' fault. 'Action' too often means completely incomphrensible screeching at passengers through loudhailers by platform staff as the crowd builds up. Try it from the other side .

As a regular tube and DLR passenger for many years I can confirm passengers bunching up and all waiting to enter one door is a regular cause of delays, just as it is on the big railway.

with shouted messages in condescending tone to use the full length of the platform

You mean staff trying to hurry passengers along to minimise delays for everyones’ benefit? Only on here could that be considered “condescending”.

I must ask, are you also offended by door hustle alarms and mind the gap announcements?

 

[stuu]

Indeed. A classic happens sometimes at Canning Town DLR, with shouted messages in condescending tone to use the full length of the platform - then the train comes in and it's one of the periodic two-cars instead of three-cars, stops right at the end, meaning those who have politely spread along the platform are now well behind the train. .

You would think that the DLR systems would be capable of knowing the train length and including that on the displays

 

[Taunton]

You mean staff trying to hurry passengers along to minimise delays for everyones’ benefit? Only on here could that be considered “condescending”.

Did you not read to the end of the sentence to find what happened next ...

 

[43066]

Did you not read to the end of the sentence to find what happened next ...

I did but, on the assumption you’d still have found the announcement condescending even if the train hadn’t proved to be short formed, I’m unsure as to the relevance?