Kev wrote:
John B wrote:


It's one of those interesting reminders that, much as certain rags and
whiners like to relentlessly slate TfL, people worldwide whose job is
to actually understand these things realise that London's transport
system features a great many practices worth emulating (alongside the
areas where it could do better and could learn from other cities,
naturally).


I got on my first tube train in months this morning and we made it from
Euston to Kings X where the train came to an abrupt stop short of the
end of the platform. The then followed several minutes of staff running
up and down the platform with the doors shut. We are told we would have
to detrain and that there was a train right behind. A few more minutes
of nothing much happening then the doors shut then more nothing then
the train shunts back then stops then shunts back again. It then
proceeds forward but instead of going straight on stops and the doors
open. The entire platform full of people stare in amazement until one
brave person decides well the doors are open I'm getting on followed by
everybody else.
We then proceeded with the journey apart from the obligitory reopening
of the doors.
And after January I will have to pay £4 to experience this. Wonderful.

Kevin

The only thing at which L.T. (or T.F.L. as it is now called) excels
seems to be providing llimp excuses for the joke that passes for
"service" nowadays.

This morning's painfully slow journey between Fulham Broadway and Earl'
Court at about 7.45a.m. must surely have broken the record.

Delays of several minutes at Fulham Broadway, repeated on the approach
to West Brompton. Then further minutes' delays on leaving West Brompton
and then on the approach to Earl's Court.

Here's a list of the excsues provided by the driver (in the order in
which they were announced):-

1. Engineering works at Earl's Court which meant a delaysed engineering
possession this morning.

2. Signalling problems at Earl's Court meant that trains were "passing
through Earl's Court, but very slowly".

3. A train ahead of us at Earl's Court had to be "reformed" (whatever
that means - the thought of shunting maneouvres at Earl's Court
intrigues me!).

4. The train ahead of us was in the platform at Earl's Court and was
awating a driver.

Do readers think this info (or misinfo) was being provided to the
driver by the Department for Lame Excuses or was he told "make it up as
you go along"?

Marc.