Utilisation of Kings Cross PA system during disruption

[TUC]

Multiple services were cancelled or delayed at Kings Cross today due to a points failure. The gateline staff were doing their best to keep passengers regularly informed as the position developed, but they were equipped with a handheld megaphone which was barely audible amidst the large crowd waiting. On several occasions when they were speaking they were drowned out by the (much less frequent) announcements on the station PA system regarding changes to services. Worse, on a number of times they were drowned out by the automated announcements regarding watching out for bag thieves etc.

Despite the gateline staff doing their best, there seemed to be no co-ordination between their announcements and those on the PA system, even though their announcements were by far the more informative.

Is there no protocol over access to the main PA system in such circumstances?

 

[Dr Hoo]

This seems very strange. Obviously many anxious passengers will have been waiting for information all over the concourse and balcony - displayed on the main screens. If there was information available (earlier) to barrier staff why wasn’t it being displayed (and announced as appropriate) generally?

 

[Sakuradori]

Gateline staff at KX can have access to a "roving mic" that broadcasts across the tannoy in the gateline area, but it's dependent on Network Rail (who manage the station) granting access to it, and it doesn't actually broadcast very far outside of the gateline area, so I wonder how useful it would be to inform a crowd in the concourse. It would be nice to have the facility to make proper announcments though.

I did 12 hours on that gateline today, and I was getting quite bored of waiting for the auto-announcements to finish. Quite a lot of pleasant and understanding customers today though, which certainly helped it go quicker.

This seems very strange. Obviously many anxious passengers will have been waiting for information all over the concourse and balcony - displayed on the main screens. If there was information available (earlier) to barrier staff why wasn’t it being displayed (and announced as appropriate) generally?

Because it wouldn't have been helpful. Kings Cross is a terminus, so trains, no matter how late, have to be restocked and crew changed, and vulnerable people and passenger assists brought to the train before 650+ people descend to the platform. Today, services were being swapped between sets literally as they were in the platform, so while it might have made someone feel a little less anxious if they were told a platform before the train was ready, it wouldn't actually help anyone get to where they're going. The train shed would become congested, more so than it already does, by people with no idea where they're going, which would make emptying and preparing the incoming trains take even longer.

 

[Dr Hoo]

Having been a Station Manager (not at King’s Cross) I am well aware that you don’t want to provide detailed information until the situation for a particular train is ‘firm’.

The Original Post has seemed to me to suggest that barrier staff were making ‘firm’ information available (sourced from where?) to those who happened to be standing nearby but that the main system wasn’t being updated until after an un-necessary delay and that despite disruption the ‘Disruption Mode’, including suppression of inessential general messages was not being used.

And then people wonder why service recovery on the GN/ECML seems to take for ever.

Some serious questions about station management here. (In no way is this intended as criticism of barrier staff.)

 

[YorksLad12]

I had the same issue in February. LNER staff had information on ticket acceptance and alternative travel options; Network Rail controlled the screens (sometimes all blank) and told people not to travel. Very much not a joined-up railway, as many passengers found.

 

[TUC]

Having been a Station Manager (not at King’s Cross) I am well aware that you don’t want to provide detailed information until the situation for a particular train is ‘firm’.

The Original Post has seemed to me to suggest that barrier staff were making ‘firm’ information available (sourced from where?) to those who happened to be standing nearby but that the main system wasn’t being updated until after an un-necessary delay and that despite disruption the ‘Disruption Mode’, including suppression of inessential general messages was not being used.

And then people wonder why service recovery on the GN/ECML seems to take for ever.

Some serious questions about station management here. (In no way is this intended as criticism of barrier staff.)

The information was along the lines (around 1305) of advising that a train was being prepared for 1330 for certain intermediate stations, but that those wanting to get travel to Leeds would be better to go to St Pancras, catch a service to Sheffield and change. Following this, a number of us went to St Pancras. That seems positively helpful.

 

[800001]

I had the same issue in February. LNER staff had information on ticket acceptance and alternative travel options; Network Rail controlled the screens (sometimes all blank) and told people not to travel. Very much not a joined-up railway, as many passengers found.

And yet LNER Information controllers and Network Rail staff both share the same office at Kings Cross specifically to ensure the flow of information is shared as smoothly as possible.

 

[bramling]

Multiple services were cancelled or delayed at Kings Cross today due to a points failure. The gateline staff were doing their best to keep passengers regularly informed as the position developed, but they were equipped with a handheld megaphone which was barely audible amidst the large crowd waiting. On a several occasions when they were speaking they were drowned out by the (much less frequent) announcements on the station PA system regarding changes to services. Worse, on a number of times they were drowned out by the automated announcements regarding watching out for bag thieves etc.

Despite the gateline staff doing their best, there seemed to be no co-ordination between their announcements and those on the PA system, even though their announcements were by far the more informative.

Is there no protocol over access to the main PA system in such circumstances?

You did well to get *any* announcements at King’s Cross during disruption. In my experience, for some years now any kind of major disruption is met by complete silence, apart from the usual messages about pickpockets and be careful on the escalators.

 

[800001]

You did well to get *any* announcements at King’s Cross during disruption. In my experience, for some years now any kind of major disruption is met by complete silence, apart from the usual messages about pickpockets and be careful on the escalators.

That differs completely from my experience over the last few years.
During disruption I often hear manual announcements including offering alternative travel eg via St Pancras.

 

[YorksLad12]

That differs completely from my experience over the last few years.
During disruption I often hear manual announcements including offering alternative travel eg via St Pancras.

Perhaps it depends on when the disruption occurs. Mine was a Saturday evening, 6pm to 10pm; after 9pm only the LNER lady was still heroically dealing with the queues at the information desk. The manual announcements stopped after a while too. The automated ones were just saying “please listen for further announcements.”

Couldn’t even have a drink, as the toilets were closed off just as I arrived (probably not connected, but again, no information on alternatives).

 

[TUC]

Because it wouldn't have been helpful. Kings Cross is a terminus, so trains, no matter how late, have to be restocked and crew changed, and vulnerable people and passenger assists brought to the train before 650+ people descend to the platform. Today, services were being swapped between sets literally as they were in the platform, so while it might have made someone feel a little less anxious if they were told a platform before the train was ready, it wouldn't actually help anyone get to where they're going. The train shed would become congested, more so than it already does, by people with no idea where they're going, which would make emptying and preparing the incoming trains take even longer.

There is a psychological element to this. Passengers being given regular updates, even if it is just to report that there is nothing new to update, gives a sense that staff are aware of their situation and that actions are being taken to resolve it. That in itself is reassuring.

 

[Sakuradori]

There is a psychological element to this. Passengers being given regular update, even if it is just to report that there is nothing new to update, gives a sense that staff are aware of their situation and that actions are being taken to resolve it. That in itself is reassuring.

Yeah, fair enough. To that end, there were announcements when a train had arrived and was being prepared telling people to hold tight for a little while longer, but not much beside that.

 

[YorksLad12]

And yet LNER Information controllers and Network Rail staff both share the same office at Kings Cross specifically to ensure the flow of information is shared as smoothly as possible.

This is what annoyed me as a professional communicator. The tools, staff and information were all there, they just weren't being used effectively.

My first trip to the LNER desk coincided with someone else asking the same question: if were being advised not to travel today and to travel tomorrow instead (by the voice on the PA), would LNER reimburse our hotel cost? The "do not travel" advice should have been coming from the operators - and they hadn't issued that advice, that I could see (and we weren't told so by the desk either). It's great when it works as it should, but when it doesn't... blimey.

 

[TUC]

This is what annoyed me as a professional communicator. The tools, staff and information were all there, they just weren't being used effectively.

My first trip to the LNER desk coincided with someone else asking the same question: if were being advised not to travel today and to travel tomorrow instead (by the voice on the PA), would LNER reimburse our hotel cost? The "do not travel" advice should have been coming from the operators - and they hadn't issued that advice, that I could see (and we weren't told so by the desk either). It's great when it works as it should, but when it doesn't... blimey.

If I remember correctly, the LNER site said that tickets may be used the next day, which is not quite the same as advising to travel then instead.