Who decides if a train is too full?

[AlterEgo]

"Not enough carriages around ??". Rubbish, pull the other one.

So where are they then, sage?

 

[WelshBluebird]

Where from? That's a political decision.

It quite often depends on the time and route.
Some routes have a hugely reduced sunday service, so there must be spare carriages somewhere.
For example on the valley lines (at least Treherbert to Cardiff), the Sunday service is 1 train every 2 hours, as opposed to 2 trains per hour in the week. What happens to those extra trains on a Sunday?
Some of them will be used to strengthen other services, others will be in for maintenance, but certainly some will just be stuck at the depot doing nothing.

Of course, that situation is generally only true for small areas / routes (such as the valley lines) and certainly would not help packed intercity services (or indeed most other routes). And is of no use during days other than Sunday.

 

[O L Leigh]

The problem with going out and fetching additional units is often that the fetching takes so long.

Yes there are units sat spare until the next peak, but these are often stored out at locations away from a main terminus. On the WA the very fastest way to get a spare unit up is to send one from Chingford, but that would probably still take 35 minutes at least from phone call to arrival assuming that there was also a spare driver down there and he gets let out immediately. Otherwise it's going to be a wait of at least an hour while a driver has to go down to Ilford, Chingford or Orient Way and bring one back.

O L Leigh

 

[northwichcat]

No excuse for this, Northern knew weeks in advance of the huge numbers coming to Manchester. Example of a privatized company incapable or refusing to deal with it.

When it was the Liverpool Champions League homecoming parade in 2005 the operators then found extra capacity at under 24 hours notice. TPE had strengthened two of the services in to Liverpool and left a 3 car 158 and a 2 car 158 at Lime Street. Then when the crowds were ready to go home, they joined up the 3 car 158 that had just arrived from the previous service to the other two units that had been left there to give an 8 car formation.

 

[krisk]

FYI a 390 knows which coaches are overloaded and yes there is a desire to hog C/D/E without people looking at seats at A & B.

Maybe there is a desire to state oh this train is so busy, let me sit in first for free, that people don't look for seats?

Unless there is no other option, first clas should never be declassed and anyone occupying a seat with bags and belongings needs to shift them or be charged an anytime single fare.

 

[142094]

Sure many passengers do not know or realise that trains are designed to carry a crush load - although they will state 'health and safety' etc. However, if they were that fearful for their health, then they would get a later train. 99% don't.

In many cases if you can fit a few more on then all the better. On Northern services they seem less likely to do so on some units (mainly Pacers) as the conductor can't get the cab door open easily. I've also seen BTP at Carlisle after a football match refusing to allow people onto a 142 as in their eyes (rightly or wrongly), the service was full. IMO it wasn't, there was plenty of room left and the people who were left had an hour to wait.

 

[PhilipW]

So where are they then, sage?

Taken slighly out of context. My statement about there being plenty of carriages referred to off-peak times. Surely there is no need for overcrowding in the day or in the late evening.
The original item in this thread referred to a train at 11:00. "No extra carriages available then", I don't believe it.

 

[krisk]

Only happy when there is something to complain about??

 

[northwichcat]

I've also seen BTP at Carlisle after a football match refusing to allow people onto a 142 as in their eyes (rightly or wrongly), the service was full. IMO it wasn't, there was plenty of room left and the people who were left had an hour to wait.

Pacers really struggle with acceleration was crush loaded and then on top of that only having 3 doors each side means they are slow to load/unload meaning a crush loaded Pacer will almost certainly get delayed.

 

[krisk]

Why should football fans be allowed to hog a local train, should be down the list of priorities

 

[WelshBluebird]

Why should football fans be allowed to hog a local train, should be down the list of priorities

Why shouldn't football fans be allowed on a local train?
There is no "list of priorities".
Anyone can use a train.
It is first come first serve most of the time.

 

[michael769]

Why should football fans be allowed to hog a local train, should be down the list of priorities

Why do they get to pay less for their tickets?

 

[142094]

Why should football fans be allowed to hog a local train, should be down the list of priorities

The service I mentioned was doubled up to cater for the increased numbers expected, yet BTP deemed it unsafe to allow anyone else on board.

Football fans pay for a ticket and should be carried regardless. Unless they are wearing a shirt, would be pretty hard to differentiate between them and any other passenger?

 

[317666]

A few months back on a Saturday, the Cambridge - Kings Cross route was closed. So everybody would be piling onto the Liverpool Street services from Cambridge, as well as everyone from Audley End, Bishops Stortford and Harlow further down the line. NXEA doubled up all CBG - LST services that day, from the normal 4 cars to 8, and whilst trains were still fairly busy, it shows that TOCs are good at making trains longer where necessary. Sadly, there isn't always enough stock to do this.

 

[dvboy]

I've had the following exchange with a fellow passenger on an XC at BHM who wouldn't move down the train, having already squeezed past people in the vestibule and knowing there were people coming up behind me too.

"There's no room"
"There's plenty of room down the aisle"
"You go stand there then"
"I will."

And so I, and about 5 others pushed past her to get there and I pushed past them when it got to the next stop at Wolverhampton we all pushed past her again.

I'm always looking for the emptiest coaches now, and avoid services I know will be busy. Annoyingly many people will crowd round the area nearest to the platform access and get on the coach nearest to them when the train arrives.

 

[Flamingo]

I've had the following exchange with a fellow passenger on an XC at BHM who wouldn't move down the train, having already squeezed past people in the vestibule and knowing there were people coming up behind me too.

"There's no room"
"There's plenty of room down the aisle"
"You go stand there then"
"I will."

And so I, and about 5 others pushed past her to get there and I pushed past them when it got to the next stop at Wolverhampton we all pushed past her again.

I'm always looking for the emptiest coaches now, and avoid services I know will be busy. Annoyingly many people will crowd round the area nearest to the platform access and get on the coach nearest to them when the train arrives.

I find a loud call of "Coming through folks, clear the way!", along with some techniques learned playing rugby (along with steel toe-caps) usually gets one past any obstructions!

 

[Minilad]

Does anyone else on this forum think it would be fun following Flamingo around all day !!

 

[scotsman]

Does anyone else on this forum think it would be fun following Flamingo around all day !!

Hell yes!

 

[Flamingo]

It's quite boring really.

 

[andypops]

Annoyingly many people will crowd round the area nearest to the platform access and get on the coach nearest to them when the train arrives.

I think this silly trait of most people is brilliant. I've been doing my commute long enough to know that whichever stock arrives, I know where the doors for a certain carriage will be; to the point where I can not only avoid the crowds, I can be seated before the carriage they're queueing for is even empty!

And as an added bonus, my carriage is furthest from the platform access, but closest to the exit at the destination! So quiet AND fastest boarding. Win-Win!

 

[Tomonthetrain]

I find a loud call of "Coming through folks, clear the way!", along with some techniques learned playing rugby (along with steel toe-caps) usually gets one past any obstructions!

When a passenger blocks a door I wish to go through and is being arsey, in Police Academy style "You'll move it NOW Mister!". Does help being a decent size for "moving" people when I so wish

 

[142094]

I've seen one guy magically create lots of room around him - when he let off a horiffically meaty fart one day (silent but deadly).

If you have every smelt a rotten leek - it was something like that.

 

[Markdvdman]

The passengers.

The problem is how to persuade a few of them to get off and wait for the next one while making room for those left onboard.

We get this from time to time. I make PA announcements about moving down inside the coaches and using the full length of the train, but I get ignored. What success do you imagine I would have standing at the front of the train trying to prevent more people from boarding? Frankly they do it to themselves.

*Takes shelter*

O L Leigh

This is not always true. I have been on RAMMED 2 carriage trains from Barry to Merthyr especially pacers, when the guard shouts move down the train to let others on and they cannot move as it is rammed!! It works both ways - and ultimately the operator is at fault!

 

[FGW_DID]

It always amazes me, watching passengers boarding our HST's, there'll be a queue of 10 people trying to get in one door when there is another door, right next to that one, completely unused (despite numerous PA announcements to use all available doors).

Another one is when they walk past the door you are holding open and open the closed one right next to you, I actually saw a bloke almost push the Train Manager out of the way of a door and open it even though the door closest to him was open!!

 

[Blindtraveler]

I've seen one guy magically create lots of room around him - when he let off a horiffically meaty fart one day (silent but deadly).

If you have every smelt a rotten leek - it was something like that.

my (not very ladylike) X GF was an expert at this I'm embarrased to say
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Does anyone else on this forum think it would be fun following Flamingo around all day !!

definately! An award surely for the most creative employee?
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

It's quite
boring really.

rubbish! Every thread where punters have done something anoying or in which ways of working are being debated, the input from yourself is amazing, not to mention entertaining!

 

[Flamingo]

rubbish! Every thread where punters have done something anoying or in which ways of working are being debated, the input from yourself is amazing, not to mention entertaining!

--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
I just have a talent for making the obvious sound like the incredible!

 

[Blindtraveler]

or to put it another way, some and that by no means reffers to anybody in particular
here have a tallent for doing the minimum and ignoring the rest? as a passenger and enthusiast the insites offered by drivers, guards, catering staff, signalers, station staff and the rest is facinating an everyone is acceptional in there own way because they share it rather than just moaning!

Back O/T, iv had some amazing overcrouding at times and it vairies greatly as to how wel or not its handled

 

[ANorthernGuard]

And to answer the very 1st Question (The title of the Thread)


Me

 

[Blindtraveler]

well said!

 

[ANorthernGuard]

well said!

Thannkyou BT