On Jun 28, 9:59*am, CJB wrote:

On Jun 28, 8:44*am, Neil Williams
wrote:
[snip]
Can I add my own moan, then? *I have no issues with the service
pattern, but having experienced it for a week, the situation at the
Paddington "H&C" platforms is both dangerous and inconvenient.

One day it took about 10 minutes to get off the platform. *That is not
acceptable.

(As an aside, why are fGW, who I assume operate the barrier lines in
this area, so obsessed with revenue? *It is LM policy, and very
sensible it is too, to open barriers in any situation where they are
causing substantial delays to passengers or dangerous overcrowding
levels. *fGW/LUL seem rather reluctant to do this).

The over crowding is also dangerous along platform 12. There are Cross-
Rail excavations half-way along that block of most of the width of 12
- causing a real pinch point. In the rush hour Reading trains usually
leave from 13/14. With the usual last minute announcements of platform
departures this means that invariably there is a crowded rush along 12
to get to 13/14. If a train arrives at 13/14 at the same time
disembarking pax tend to go along 12 to the FGW gateline. But then the
two opposing streams of pax meet at the pinch point on 12. This is
dangersously exacerbated if a CONnect comes in at 12 too, adding to
chaos passengers disembarking from the CON, to say nothing of those
wanting to board it.

Complaints to Westminster H&SE and FGW and National Rail and BAA
(CONnect) are all ignored. But soon someone is going to be pushed onto
the tracks, hopefully not in front of an arriving CONnect.

If you really do want to complain, then I suggest Network Rail first -
as they manage the station - or else the ORR (Office of Rail
Regulation), who are the safety regulator for the railways (and these
days incorporate the HMRI).

Westminster Council aren't going to take it up as it's simply not part
of their remit (note that Westminster's H&S people are quite distinct
from the standalone entity that is the H&SE/HSE - the Health & Safety
Executive - also note that, broadly speaking, the HSE don't deal with
the railways any more - that's the ORR's job.)

FGW should take some notice though, given they're the main operator at
Paddington (perhaps your complaints have been noted in their log
though).

Contact info...

Network Rail Paddington info (shows they manage the station):
http://www.networkrail.co.uk/aspx/935.aspx

Network Rail contact info:
http://www.networkrail.co.uk/aspx/1346.aspx

ORR contact info:
http://www.rail-reg.gov.uk/server/show/nav.27