Gating fast line platforms to reduce suicides at stations including New Southgate

[Tetchytyke]

I'm surprised that they are locked. The gates on the up and down main on the WCML are not locked, but they are heavy with a bright red handle designed to look like an emergency-only handle.
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The very word implies about thinking only for oneself. In this case he was doing it to release his family from the burden of coping with him. Hardly selfish.

The tw*ts who were 90 minutes late to work that took to Twitter and threatened his family are the selfish w*nkers. How could any human being worth spending oxygen on attack the family of someone who had just taken his own life?

That's one of the tragedies of suicide, that the person doing it thinks they're doing everyone a favour. Depression is inherently selfish in that one only thinks about oneself, but that's not the same sort of "selfish" as the halfwits on Twitter take it to mean.

 

[jopsuk]

The fences are being installed at Brookmans Park at the moment.
National Rail site shows the station is staffed at these times:



Who will be around to unlock the gates if necessary at other times?
I know that very few trains use the fast line platforms here - but they are mainly short notice alterations due to a line blockage/signal failure etc.

They'll either have to leave them open, negating the point, or staff the station. I'd have thought getting the driver to do it would be a very laborious process, even with just a three carriage train.

 

[jon0844]

There's NO way a driver would EVER do it. If a driver was ever asked to do it as part of his or her job, I expect the union might just step in and put a stop to the practice VERY quickly!

If this becomes the norm at many stations, I wonder if the simple solution will be to consider the station 'closed' if a train has to use that platform when not scheduled to and when the station isn't staffed. It will then have to run through, with passengers made to get off at the next stop and travel back (or even for buses to be laid on) assuming the same won't happen in reverse.

You might initially have the driver told to not call at that station as the gates are locked, until such time that Network Rail can get out to open them (I presume they'd be able to do this just as much as any TOC) so it could potentially only be a problem for a short while.

 

[34D]

In that case, these will be another reason to make the railways appear a laughing stock.

I personally think that the driver having a key is a good idea for these emergency situations where a train needs to call at the wrong platform.

And how is the driver supposed to know whether the gate is locked or just closed?

 

[jon0844]

I'm sure for, say, an emergency evacuation then a driver having a key would be a good idea. Or indeed all rail staff.

I simply think that if a train has to be made to stop on a fast line and it's fenced off, then it will be up to Network Rail to get out and open the gates.

And presumably for emergencies, the gates would have a fire exit style means of opening the gates from at least that side to allow people to exit the station and not be stuck on the platform?

 

[34D]

Maybe the lock will be a standard BR1 or 2-2-1 key, which staff will already have?

 

[wildcard]

All credit to NR and the Samaritans for the work they are doing to make the WCML less attractive to suicides . The platform barriers are only part of the solution - there are Samaritan posters on most platforms. I believe they also appear on some footbridges and by the line side. There used to be a favourite spot in the Watford/Hemel area. The recent fatality at Kings Langley caused a 2 hour delay .
It is also cost effective - without meaning to be callous , the subsequent delays and Post Traumatic Stress affects on the staff could easily outweigh the outlay.
A friend of mine with money troubles committed suicide 6 months ago . Rather than selfish , his note used the phrase "avoiding the consequences" . I can only think how unhappy he must have been .

 

[jon0844]

The Samaritans signs are all over FCC GN stations and I saw them along the West Anglia Main line too so they must be getting put up at all stations.

Well done to whoever is funding the production of the signs and actually putting them up.

It's a standard number though, so for the Samaritans to actually be able to warn the railway, I guess they'll have to actually ask what station the caller is at.

 

[jimney]

Re: Brookmans Park, I asked one of the engineers about this yesterday. He said that the gates would have thumb style locks which would allow access to/from the fast platforms when required - I took if from this that passengers would be able to open/close them without any assistance from the driver or other railway workers.

Before reading this thread, I had been wondering what on earth the point of the gates was then - if they can be unlocked at will by anyone, but reading comments from other people above about the mere fact there is a barrier now may make the difference, it is making more sense. I am hoping the same logic still applies if the gates are left open however, as I can't really see travellers bothering to the close them behind them....

 

[hassaanhc]

The Samaritans signs are all over FCC GN stations and I saw them along the West Anglia Main line too so they must be getting put up at all stations.

Well done to whoever is funding the production of the signs and actually putting them up.

It's a standard number though, so for the Samaritans to actually be able to warn the railway, I guess they'll have to actually ask what station the caller is at.

Yeah I've seen those at South West Trains stations too.

Unfortunately, today the were two separate incidents of person hit by train on the Southern network, at Norwood Junction and Emsworth Really sad to hear this, condolences to staff, family and any witnesses.

 

[ushawk]

Fortunately, the person hit at Norwood Junction is still alive and was taken to Hospital.

Unfortunately, at Emsworth - that isnt the case and the driver of the train which struck the person was unaware they hit someone and the body was discovered on the tracks by the driver of a following service.

Thoughts with those involved. On topic - barriers couldnt have prevented either of these incidents as Emsworth is a 2 track station and at Norwood the incident occurred on P1 which is for stopping services.

 

[Antman]

Fortunately, the person hit at Norwood Junction is still alive and was taken to Hospital.

Unfortunately, at Emsworth - that isnt the case and the driver of the train which struck the person was unaware they hit someone and the body was discovered on the tracks by the driver of a following service.

Thoughts with those involved. On topic - barriers couldnt have prevented either of these incidents as Emsworth is a 2 track station and at Norwood the incident occurred on P1 which is for stopping services.

I arrived at Norwood Junction just after this happened and a member of staff told me what had happened and he looked quite shaken by it. I don't know whether it was an attempted suicide or just an accident but best wishes to the injured person. I got a bus to Penge East and a train to Victoria from there.

I don't know if it's been mentioned but the s/b fast line platform at Earlsfield is being fenced off, there is no n/b fast line platform.

 

[sarahj]

They have blue lighting at Baker Street on one platform (suggesting it's a trial of some sort). Not sure that's what they are there for - although it's not on one of the platforms that has a particularly large gap.

I guess blue is one of the only colours they could use, as has been suggested, so as not to confuse a driver.
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I had another thought about the benefit of this fencing. If the fast lines are effectively closed off for a lot of the time, even if there will be gaps to allow people to cross over, it will help staff spot someone that is now on the wrong side - and perhaps keep an eye on them.

If people can spread all over the platform, they might not be so easily noticed.

I haven't thought about it much before, but when I used to commute, I nearly always walked all the way down platform 1 at Hatfield to board on the first set of doors and usually I was all alone. Likewise, at Finsbury Park and Potters Bar, I often walked down the length of the 6 or 8 car train coming, well away from others.

I guess any member of staff could have wondered why I'd gone off. I guess they figured I was safe, perhaps recognised me as a regular passenger, or a train spotter!

I once spotted someone attempting at Brighton. One of the security staff said 'its a train spotter'. I said, 'no, they dont stand at the end of the platform and stare down at the track, and just look down, never looking up'.
Turned out he was trying and was even being looked for as they were known to be trying to self harm. Also spotted one at Lewes. She was heading to the end of the platform, bare foot. Something in the way she walked, made me think, 'not a passenger'.

All very sad. If someone if going to try and is determined, gates wont stop them, but most are not, and the gates do help. A lot are a cry for help, thinking that no one cares. I've known over the year two people that have done it, and even 10 years on, it still affects those left behind.

RIP Mr C Thyne. We still remember you.

SJ

 

[jon0844]

Here's the fencing going up at Brookmans Park.