Overcrowding Solutions?

[Clip]

From reading some comments on here I get the impression train companies are not keen on doing such things.

I hope that Stage Coach retain their franchise after the next round of bids. They actually seem keen on helping passengers and dealing with the crowded trains.

Well we have already mentioned about the maintenence issues surrounding trains bein gleft in the sidings but that doesnt seem to have appeased people so lets look at another thing - track access charges.

IIRC the TOC will get charged more for running more trains or even for strengthening some services say 8 car vice 4 car. Now, they are getting the same amount of revenue in for running the 4 car yet are paying out much higher charges so they are not making as much money - why would you want to do that?


And thats why with the 'specials' it is worth their while doing as the extra revenue will pay for those extra charges.

Its a business not a charity

 

[HSTEd]

The answer is clearly Shinkansen in all directions!

At least one in each Motorway corridor.

 

[Clip]

The answer is clearly Shinkansen in all directions!

At least one in each Motorway corridor.

or 65 coach trains everywhere every 10 minutes.

 

[Starmill]

Did they collect the revenue?

Chances are lots of it will have gone to TPE - and don't forget the companies who took people there and back.

That, and I bet loads of it did go uncollected. Free journeys galore from Halifax to Hebden, as a random example.

 

[AM9]

......Its a business not a service

I corrected your post for you.

 

[HSTEd]

or 65 coach trains everywhere every 10 minutes.

As BR found out, it would be clearly better to have 10 coach trains everywhere every 1/65th of an hour.

 

[Metrailway]

The answer is clearly Shinkansen in all directions!

At least one in each Motorway corridor.

It is pretty obvious what the answer is.

Close the railways.

No railways means no overcrowding on railways.

Problem solved.

 

[infobleep]

Talking overcrowding. I thought I'd share a photographic example of regular overcrowding. This is in the front coach of 5 of the 18.39 Waterloo to Poole service on a Monday. It was standing room only before it stopped at Clapham Junction at 18.46.

I didn't photograph any of the 4x10 or 12 coach trains that passed through with spare seats after the 18.33 had departed. I came off a train from Harrow and Wealdstone and this is the first connecting train I can get. I just miss the 18.33 unofficially by a few minutes. I'm actually trying to get to Guildford and have to change at Woking. The first fast train to Guildford isn't until 19.22 so I'm not waiting around for that.

I know there are plans to turn this service into 8 car train. It's a shame that in the mean time they can't take 4 cars off a preceeding service and make this 9 cars or stop a preceeding service at Clapham Junction instead of this.

That would cause other trains to be delayed but hey the 18.27 Clapham Junction to Exter service mostly delays other trains and leaves late itself, so it wouldn't be much different.

I understand it's not as easy as writing this.

I would have photographed the packed vestibule area but I'm too close to all the people and would get too many close ups of people's faces.

There must be other South West Trains services where people are squashed in for almost half an hour. Some of the services from Clapham Junction to Milton Keynes and visa versa are slightly worse to be fair but not that far ahead.

 

[CC 72100]

To be honest, you're on a train timed to leave a London termini during the evening peak at 18:39 - are you that surprised that it is busy and people are standing?

If every commuter was to get a seat on every train on every day, just imagine how much wasted stock we would have that works 1 train a day that everyone would end up paying for!

I'm sorry if I sound a little short here, but rush hour ex-London services being overcrowded for half an hour... who'd have thought it?! :roll:

 

[AM9]

To be honest, you're on a train timed to leave a London termini during the evening peak at 18:39 - are you that surprised that it is busy and people are standing?

If every commuter was to get a seat on every train on every day, just imagine how much wasted stock we would have that works 1 train a day that everyone would end up paying for!

I'm sorry if I sound a little short here, but rush hour ex-London services being overcrowded for half an hour... who'd have thought it?! :roll:

Or for that matter, rush-hour services anywhere in this country, (and others).

 

[Bald Rick]

Call that overcrowding? You're at least 15cm from the next bloke, and it's only single file down the aisle. Come and try the 0738, 0755 or 0802 from St Albans, or any GE Metro train in the morning peak, or (... insert your overcrowded train of choice here).

 

[tsr]

Call that overcrowding? You're at least 15cm from the next bloke, and it's only single file down the aisle. Come and try the 0738, 0755 or 0802 from St Albans, or any GE Metro train in the morning peak, or (... insert your overcrowded train of choice here).

The fact that a camera (or, probably, a phone) could be extracted from a pocket, lifted more than 2 centimetres, and used without taking a macro photo of someone's nostril or suit button is testament that this is not the dearly loved* 0748 Tattenham Corner/0801 Caterham to London Victoria. Though I am pleased to note from the image that SWT commuters have the joy of a range of rolling stock with the ambience of an empty discarded tin, rather than just the 455s which (on other services) they share in common with Southern's esteemed clients.

*Emotion solely derived from perceived service popularity

 

[Clip]

.

For a mnute there I thought we were talking about overcrowding!!

 

[infobleep]

If it isn't a problem, why are South West Trains bringing in more rolling stock, including eventually making this service 8 carriages long? Clearly they think there is a problem.

I've not been to Tattenham Corner so not experienced that train. However if it starts from Tattenham Corner, you'd get a seat there. It would be best experienced further up the line, which no doubt is where people on here board it. I was recently on a train from East Croydon that was fairly cramped. I can't be certain where it came from but it wasn't Brighton; or any of the West or East coast services.

Services seem to get busy from Surbiton in the morning but I get off there.

Back to tonight's service, bear in mind I was at the front. I wouldn't be surprised if some people got left behind. They certainly did on the Southern service from Milton Keynes by the time we reached Imperial Warf. There was an Overground service 5 minutes behind but I don't know how packed that would be once it reached Imperial Warf.

It would be interesting to see other people's photos of overcrowding on trains. Who has the most packed train?

On another thread here people talked about trains being crowded between Paddington and Reading. Be interesting to see what the front carriage of those services are like.

 

[Tibbs]

With the exception of getting on a Central Line Train at Oxford Circus in the morning peak, the worst train I've been on is the Southern 7:38 from Watford to Croydon. It's full and standing by the time you get to Watford and I've seen it leave people behind at Harrow & Wealdstone.

I got off that service at Shepherds Bush along with a lot of other people, but even more get on!

It's a shame they can't put 8 coaches on and figure out a way for the stops at the shorter platforms to work.

 

[Tio Terry]

With the exception of getting on a Central Line Train at Oxford Circus in the morning peak, the worst train I've been on is the Southern 7:38 from Watford to Croydon. It's full and standing by the time you get to Watford and I've seen it leave people behind at Harrow & Wealdstone.

I got off that service at Shepherds Bush along with a lot of other people, but even more get on!

It's a shame they can't put 8 coaches on and figure out a way for the stops at the shorter platforms to work.

There is a programme of platform lengthening combined with Selective Door Opening (SDO) for the West London Line. The idea is to run 8 car trains to Milton Keynes.

 

[Tibbs]

There is a programme of platform lengthening combined with Selective Door Opening (SDO) for the West London Line. The idea is to run 8 car trains to Milton Keynes.

That will be a huge help and very welcome for the regular commuters I'm sure.

It is a bit better now that a train runs about 10 minutes before. I guess the next challenge is making sure people get on the correct door, as I doubt people will get through the coaches even with 8 carriages!

 

[Tio Terry]

That will be a huge help and very welcome for the regular commuters I'm sure.

It is a bit better now that a train runs about 10 minutes before. I guess the next challenge is making sure people get on the correct door, as I doubt people will get through the coaches even with 8 carriages!

One of the biggest problems is getting an 8 car train in to platform 17 at Clapham Junction. SDO will not work there, to many people would want to get through the train, but it's not easy to lengthen the platform and the current gaps between train and platform are well out of what's considered reasonable. There's also the problem of getting people off the platform and to other parts of the station and outside world.

 

[swt_passenger]

One of the biggest problems is getting an 8 car train in to platform 17 at Clapham Junction. SDO will not work there, to many people would want to get through the train, but it's not easy to lengthen the platform and the current gaps between train and platform are well out of what's considered reasonable. There's also the problem of getting people off the platform and to other parts of the station and outside world.

There is a known plan for Platform 17 lengthening to 8 car. It is being cantilevered out over the pavement outside. Check out this article from last year:

http://cjag.org/2013/12/06/platform-17-will-be-extended-and-barrier-entrance-enlarged/

Planning approval was given in December.

 

[infobleep]

The work on enlarging the barriers is on going. The stairs to the footbridge from platform 17 have been moved. Doesn't make it that much easier to leave the platform. Shame there isn't space to build another staircase.

I doubt there is much they can do about the platform curve. The train frequency isn't enough to cause timetabling issues, unlike platform 7 and 8, which also have large gaps.