Kings Cross - security with tape closing platform

[43066]

Surely at any terminal station with platform entry control it is good practice for the despatch team on platform and/or train to look back and confirm that the platform is closed to late runners before concentrating on making sure that those already on the platform have safely boarded and then initiating door closing.

The last thing you need is the fittest member of a group of staggering inebriates to make a late dash and hold a door open for their ‘mates’.

Indeed. And this is precisely why closure of platforms at some locations prior to dispatch is a sensible and practical step that will be continuing.

 

[jon0844]

As LNER changes ticketing to get rid of more flexible tickets, it can probably predict passenger numbers more effectively and know not only how many people are arriving into King's Cross but also how many are likely travelling on the train out.

This data could be used to decide when it's acceptable to have both mixing on the platform.

 

[AF91]

They'd trialled it a little while back with the 12:00 Aberdeen with the intention of making it more common with the Dec 14th ECML timetable, it's announcing the platform and boarding before the train has even arrived in the station, so the passengers meet it on the platform. I think it's almost a necessity with some of the turnaround times they're timetabling, but I really don't know how they're gonna make it work practically.

Chiltern used to do something similar at Marylebone back when I was working there with the Boarding Area A/B set up. It encouraged customers through the barriers and positioned them in the right area of the station to then move quickly to the right platform once the train was ready.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Chiltern used to do something similar at Marylebone back when I was working there with the Boarding Area A/B set up. It encouraged customers through the barriers and positioned them in the right area of the station to then move quickly to the right platform once the train was ready.

They have got rid of that, but nothing in practice stops anyone going onto the platform early as it's a general gateline for the whole station, and some people do using predicted platforms from Realtime Trains or Trainline etc.

 

[duffield]

I think we've been through this before but there is a case to be made for the public timetable departure time at Kings Cross to be two minutes before the WTT time, and for the gates to be closed exactly at the public timetable time. I can't remember what the objections are, apart from some minor passenger moaning about "why are we leaving 2 minutes late" which is really not worth worrying about.

Not involving gates of course, but some of the HST services through Birmingham New Street just a few years back used to have something like xx17 departure in GBTT and xx20 in WTT, particularly to allow for slam door closing. You could often board at xx18 or xx19 but if the doors were locked you had no valid reason to complain, and it seemed to work very well when I was around.

 

[43066]

I think we've been through this before but there is a case to be made for the public timetable departure time at Kings Cross to be two minutes before the WTT time, and for the gates to be closed exactly at the public timetable time. I can't remember what the objections are, apart from some minor passenger moaning about "why are we leaving 2 minutes late" which is really not worth worrying about.

I disagree. It seems to me that the current arrangements work perfectly well; treat people like grownups, tell them the departure time, and advise them to arrive beforehand (whether 30 second or two minutes). It works fine for 99% of people who use the railway. I’d argue those who can’t cope with the present system are the ones who aren’t worth worrying about.

 

[800001]

I think we've been through this before but there is a case to be made for the public timetable departure time at Kings Cross to be two minutes before the WTT time, and for the gates to be closed exactly at the public timetable time. I can't remember what the objections are, apart from some minor passenger moaning about "why are we leaving 2 minutes late" which is really not worth worrying about.

Not involving gates of course, but some of the HST services through Birmingham New Street just a few years back used to have something like xx17 departure in GBTT and xx20 in WTT, particularly to allow for slam door closing. You could often board at xx18 or xx19 but if the doors were locked you had no valid reason to complain, and it seemed to work very well when I was around.

Whole heartedly agree.

Time on timetable for public should be the last time you can board, end of, no arguments.

Stop this silly doors close 30s, 40s, 1min, 2 min depending which operator or station the customer is at.

 

[Brubulus]

Whole heartedly agree.

Time on timetable for public should be the last time you can board, end of, no arguments.

Stop this silly doors close 30s, 40s, 1min, 2 min depending which operator or station the customer is at.

Yes, but I don't understand a 2 minute rule. 1 minute is entirely reasonable at termini.

 

[43066]

Whole heartedly agree.

Time on timetable for public should be the last time you can board, end of, no arguments.

Stop this silly doors close 30s, 40s, 1min, 2 min depending which operator or station the customer is at.

So then people will expect to board up to the time stated, trains will be delayed by late runners (thereby delaying everyone who was on board a sensible time before departure), and we will still get moaning on here. It really, really isn’t that hard to arrive in time to board a train a few minutes before departure. I’ve been doing it for decades.

 

[Mag_seven]

The whole topic of door close time vs departure time has been done to death on other threads and as the OPs question about security tape has been answered we will leave it there.

thanks all