Roaming staff at Whitechapel

[Mattplans]

I’ve noticed this at Whitechapel specifically moreso than the other underground stations I use.

Staff will stand at the bottom of the Elizabeth Line escalators mostly just talking to each other (LU not XR staff) and also by the corridor leading to the Overground and Elizabeth Line.

Is there something specific about this station that makes it necessary to have LU standing about (pointlessly)?

Note this isn’t standard at other stations on the Elizabeth Line. Although it’s not uncommon to see staff on the platforms of any Underground or Elizabeth Line station, it’s certainly strange at Whitechapel specifically they make a point of standing at the end of the escalators.

Hopefully someone can shed some light on why this is necessary here and not elsewhere on the line.

I note there was an incident at this station a few months back between an IDF “soldier” and a group of customers, but if my memory serves me correctly, this was a thing they did at this station even before that incident.

Incident in question https://x.com/dillyhussain88/status/1794291215166509341?s=46

 

[flythetube]

I’m sure I’ve seen them doing this at Victoria.

 

[edwin_m]

Could they be intended to direct anyone with heavy luggage to use the lifts?

 

[lb001]

Could they be intended to direct anyone with heavy luggage to use the lifts?

partly this, but also partly crowd control.

most of the escalators at stations in the core (with some exceptions) are managed by LU staff with LU escalator licenses and competency management processes.

staff are generally positioned (at the stations i have worked at anyway) to deal with any incidents with the escalators during the peaks (or off peak at some stations), and deal with crowd control, i.e. reversing escalators, etc., as directed by the supervisors.

this also happens at LU stations, see green park, and as also mentioned victoria, where at some stations there are even ‘GLAPs’ (Gate Line Assistant Points) which are places of safety for staff in case of incidents, at the top or bottom of escalators.

 

[Mawkie]

this also happens at LU stations, see green park, and as also mentioned victoria,

Also Kings Cross - they usually left Special Requirements Team (SRT) colleagues down at the bottom of escalators for hours on end.

 

[lb001]

Also Kings Cross - they usually left Special Requirements Team (SRT) colleagues down at the bottom of escalators for hours on end.

having being deployed for marathon and carnival station assist shifts already this year, i’m sure my NYE shift will be similar

 

[Mawkie]

i’m sure my NYE shift will be similar

Surely that's what Ambassadors are for these days...

 

[lb001]

Surely that's what Ambassadors are for these days...

why shaft an ambassador when you can shaft revenue

 

[MaidaVale]

As mentioned, either crowd control reasons or potentially some sort of fire regulations.

Paddington had CSAs positioned permanently in the link tunnel between the Bakerloo and the Elizabeth line for a long time due to faulty fire doors. Essentially to manually close the doors at a moments notice should there be a fire panel activation. Believe this has been rectified now so staff are no longer positioned there routinely, although I wouldn't be overly surprised if there's similar regulations at other core stations.