On 10 Nov, 20:05, "Zen83237" wrote:
Due to Friday's now regular ASLEF strike I have been using the Southern
train from Watford to West Brompton but on Friday decided to try Bakerloo to
Wembley then the Southern train. Why is Wembley Central such a **** hole.
Firstly you have to exit the Bakerloo/Metro platforms through the barriers
then take the public route to other platforms which are locked out of use
until a few minutes before the train arrives. A couple of regulars thought I
was a pratt try the locked doos until they realised that I haven't used this
station before then the bloody Watford train came into the southbound
platform. Just as well the guy had come to unlock the southbound platforms.
Being a strike day I would have been mega ****ed if I couldn't have caught
the train as would have been the people who got off onto a locked platform.
I also didn't notice any oyster validators. What happens when oyster is
introduced on trains to Watford and will the ex from the Bakerloo and
re-entry to catch the southern train count as two journies.

Kevin

I've copy-and-pasted the text below from a response I've just given to
Zen83237 in another thread ('London Overground from 11 Nov 2007')
because I think it addresses his central question (partially at
least)...

I don't think Wembley Central was ever really designed to be used as
it is now. The DC line platforms have always had a very regular
service (both Watford- Euston and Bakerloo) and hence at some point in
the fairly recent past were gated. I'm not sure whether the other
platforms were ever in regular use before the current Southern service
(which started back in Connex South Central days and originally
extended up to Rugby). I'm also unsure of how many of these services
called at Wembley Central at the beginning - this service certainly
calls there more often nowadays than it did.

Lastly unless there were radical changes then platforms 3-6 could not
easily be brought within the gateline at Wembley Central - the
passageway the platforms are accessed from (through doors that are
otherwise locked out of use) is a public passageway that provides
access to offices and shops that (I think) would otherwise not have
access. I guess one way of facilitating this would be to divide the
passageway up, but apart from any other issues given the pretty
infrequent service these extra platforms receive I suspect it just
wouldn't be worth it.