On Mar 22, 7:51*pm, "Light of Aria"
wrote:
Thanks for that Richard (I think you mean Balise(s), assuming that
they use the same spelling as the TVM 430 CTRL signalling system). It
will be interesting to see how quick the system is, as the difference
between a balise and GPS is that with GPS the train always knows where
it is, whereas with a balise, it only know where it is when it is near
the balise. It was obviously less hassle to install the trackside kit
than to reprogram and recertify the units, although the trains will
still have to have been loaded with the relevant SDO information for
all of the 'Thameslink' lines.

Victoria still had a ~15sec delay on door opening last weekend.

I do wonder whether there will be some locations on the Chatham main
line or the Maidstone route that will prove troublesome over the
coming week.

Richard



Were I to be delayed for more than one minute, I would construe this as a
danger to my safety and A. pull the emergency alarm with legitimate reason
for seeking emergency assistance, and possibly B. activate the emergency
door release were I not to be undetained after a further one minute.

I think it highly unreasonable and unlawful for railway operators to
unnecessarily delay and detain the public in this fashion.

How hard can it be for a lowly scum bag railway employee to press a door
open button, a function which the industry has done for more than 50 years,
without delay and techo-ineptitude?

There seems to be a very bizarre attitude to locking passengers in
without explanation.

One example happened at London Bridge where the train stopped
indefinitely and the doors did not open. No announcement was made.
Staff on the platform completely blanked the people inside who were
knocking on the windows. Eventually, a youth opened the emergency
release and I was one of the people who took the opportunity to
escape.

The same staff on the platform made no reaction to the fact that the
doors had been released and someone had got off. I don't know if and
when the train went anywhere or the rest of the doors were released.

The other example was on the second to last train in the Dartford
direction which was held at New Cross with everyone locked in.

The atmosphere got distinctly tense when the last train in the
Dartford direction (12 minutes later leaving Charing Cross) pulled
into the adjacent platform and there was still no opportunity to reach
it, despite the train we were in evidently having a problem. Long
after that train had gone, the doors were suddenly released and I
escaped to get a night bus. I don't know if the train ever went
anywhere.

No announcement at any time on either occasion and I think a rather
disgraceful way to treat people.