Intentionally Slow Station Clocks

[devon_belle]

I've noticed at South Kensington the digital clocks on platform displays are usually 3 or so minute behind real time. I can only presume this is to prevent people from rushing, is that correct?

Interestingly, the clocks are not always slow. I usually notice it around rush hour – but not every rush hour, and sometimes much later too!

Do any other stations do this?

 

[Mawkie]

What makes you think this is a deliberate and conscious decision?

 

[devon_belle]

What makes you think this is a deliberate and conscious decision?

Because the clocks don't always run slow. It could be a coincidence, sure, but I could see a benefit of running the clocks slower in rush hour to stop people rushing for Victoria / Royal Albert Hall / etc (it's worked on me – I missed my train once). Hence my query.

 

[hexagon789]

I'm aware of some being deliberately set fast - the North British Hotel overlooking Waverley Station in Edinburgh is the most famous example I can think of, but not any set deliberately slow - that seems to be asking for all manner of issues/trouble.

 

[Mojo]

l can’t see who would benefit from this being a deliberate decision, unlike the National Rail network, the majority of customers of LU are not following a timetable.

 

[Recessio]

There is a long standing problem with station clocks being wrong as not all of them are synced to a remote time source. They should get corrected manually eventually. See a previous thread https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/lu-platform-clocks.257257/

 

[devon_belle]

Thanks for the replies.

 

[Silent]

l can’t see who would benefit from this being a deliberate decision, unlike the National Rail network, the majority of customers of LU are not following a timetable.

But they are rushing to get to work

 

[ccityplanner12]

To do such a thing would endanger the railway's credibility as an institution. Credibility relies on not lying.