Victoria LU ticket windows & machines closed weekend just gone
 

I'm curious as to why the LU ticket windows and ticket machines at
Victoria (in their temporary home on the forecourt of the station)
were closed this past weekend? Passing through the tube station I
heard a PA announcement about how pax could buy tickets at the far end
of their journey, and then later saw the closure flagged on the
results of a journey planner query.

As far as I could see from a quick glance there wasn't any obvious
physical reason for them to be closed (e.g. obstruction etc), so my
guess would be that the power supply (and/or comms) was cut off for
some reason as a result of the works going on at the station - but I'd
be interested to know the actual explanation for it.

Victoria LU ticket windows & machines closed weekend just gone
 

On Nov 1, 8:55*pm, Paul Corfield wrote:

On Mon, 1 Nov 2010 12:26:01 -0700 (PDT), Mizter T
wrote:

I'm curious as to why the LU ticket windows and ticket machines at
Victoria (in their temporary home on the forecourt of the station)
were closed this past weekend? Passing through the tube station I
heard a PA announcement about how pax could buy tickets at the far end
of their journey, and then later saw the closure flagged on the
results of a journey planner query.

As far as I could see from a quick glance there wasn't any obvious
physical reason for them to be closed (e.g. obstruction etc), so my
guess would be that the power supply (and/or comms) was cut off for
some reason as a result of the works going on at the station - but I'd
be interested to know the actual explanation for it.

I thought it was to allow a move of all of the machines to the
reconstructed ticket office downstairs. I haven't been through Victoria
today so can't confirm if there is a new office in place or not. It was
a planned closure not some emergency problem.

Oh OK, that would make sense - I just passed straight through the tube
ticket hall where such work may have been evident (though it may not
have been). I can't remember but suspect the shutters were down in
front of the ticket machines, or at least the holes that they had been
inhabiting. The text on journey planner made clear it was a planned
closure for the whole weekend, it was just a little unusual that's all.

Victoria LU ticket windows & machines closed weekend just gone
 

On 1 Nov, 20:55, Paul Corfield wrote:
On Mon, 1 Nov 2010 12:26:01 -0700 (PDT), Mizter T
wrote:

I'm curious as to why the LU ticket windows and ticket machines at
Victoria (in their temporary home on the forecourt of the station)
were closed this past weekend? Passing through the tube station I
heard a PA announcement about how pax could buy tickets at the far end
of their journey, and then later saw the closure flagged on the
results of a journey planner query.

As far as I could see from a quick glance there wasn't any obvious
physical reason for them to be closed (e.g. obstruction etc), so my
guess would be that the power supply (and/or comms) was cut off for
some reason as a result of the works going on at the station - but I'd
be interested to know the actual explanation for it.

I thought it was to allow a move of all of the machines to the
reconstructed ticket office downstairs. I haven't been through Victoria
today so can't confirm if there is a new office in place or not. It was
a planned closure not some emergency problem.
--
Paul C

Any idea what happened at the D&C end of the station? Also, there are
three ticket machines downstairs at the bottom of the Wicked Exit.

Victoria LU ticket windows & machines closed weekend just gone
 

On Nov 2, 5:58*pm, Paul Corfield wrote:

On Tue, 2 Nov 2010 06:15:19 -0700 (PDT), Offramp
wrote:

[victoria]

Any idea what happened at the D&C end of the station? Also, there are
three ticket machines downstairs at the bottom of the Wicked Exit.

Don't know - I shall try to remember to take a look later this week.
It'll be Thursday at the earliest as I'm doing my "customer info
assistant" role tomorrow.

Curious as to what that entails - is it part of a regular 'frontline
experience' programme (or whatever it might be called)?

Victoria LU ticket windows & machines closed weekend just gone
 

"Mizter T" wrote in message
...

On Nov 2, 5:58 pm, Paul Corfield wrote:

On Tue, 2 Nov 2010 06:15:19 -0700 (PDT), Offramp

wrote:

[victoria]

Any idea what happened at the D&C end of the station? Also, there
are
three ticket machines downstairs at the bottom of the Wicked Exit.

Don't know - I shall try to remember to take a look later this week.
It'll be Thursday at the earliest as I'm doing my "customer info
assistant" role tomorrow.

Curious as to what that entails - is it part of a regular 'frontline
experience' programme (or whatever it might be called)?

I suspect it is more to do with the tube strike and getting every
available body to stand outside stations advising on alternative routes.

Peter Smyth

Victoria LU ticket windows & machines closed weekend just gone
 

On Nov 2, 7:36*pm, Paul Corfield wrote:

On Tue, 2 Nov 2010 11:39:02 -0700 (PDT), Mizter T
wrote:

Curious as to what that entails - is it part of a regular 'frontline
experience' programme (or whatever it might be called)?

No - it is called providing help when there is a strike. Some people
have had some operational training and they can do a bit more to help
out. I do the customer information role - complete with blue hi-vi - and
help customers get to their destinations either by tube if the station
is open and trains are running or else by other routes. *In my case it
is a chance for me to show off for hours on end given my knowledge of
the transport network ;-) *

Seriously it can be a challenge given that people travel all over
Greater London and obviously want "instant answers" on how to get to
their destination. *Mostly it is a change from working in an office and
gives you the chance to meet the people who pay our wages.

When I have worked with other LU colleagues on other strike days they've
been a bit shocked at my ability to act like a human "journey planner".
Bus staff have been equally amazed that a LU non operational person
happens to understand where the buses run !

I'm having a bit of a day of failing to put 2 and 2 together - still,
as I can't even get the dates right for the strike then you can't
expect me to remember when it's happening!

I remember a past comment of yours about the abundance of weird and
wonderful journeys that people do, made IIRC as a result of helping
out during some previous strike.

Victoria LU ticket windows & machines closed weekend just gone
 

On Nov 2, 7:40*pm, Paul Corfield wrote:

On Tue, 2 Nov 2010 06:15:19 -0700 (PDT), Offramp
wrote:

Any idea what happened at the D&C end of the station? Also, there are
three ticket machines downstairs at the bottom of the Wicked Exit.

It seems the press office have answered for me.

http://www.tfl.gov.uk/corporate/medi...tre/17254.aspx

An aide - Kulveer Ranger seems to get name-checked quite often in TfL
press releases - I don't recall something similar happening under Ken,
but perhaps there was a bit more of 'Ken said x,y and z' when actually
said words were penned by someone on behalf of the then Mayor.