I'm on a Circle line train going anti-clockwise from Tower Hill to
King's Cross. The train pulls into Aldgate and proceeds to sit there
for several minutes. A Metropolitan line train sits in the adjacent
platform, with people sitting on it waiting to depart.

Sometimes the Circle line departs first, but quite often the
Metropolitan line train leaves first instead, which is annoying when
I'm rushing for a connection at KX.

Is there any way to tell which train is going to depart first? What
happens at the moment is that people hang around half way between the
two, hoping to run to whichever train sounds its "doors closing" beeps
first. And often not getting there in time.

I suppose my best bet is to watch the signals and see which one goes
green first, but you can't see both sets at the same time except when
standing at the very front. And I get the impression that the driver
starts closing the doors before the signals change. Are there any
other lights or clues I could be watching out for?

PaulO

On 23 Jan, 20:54, Paul Oter wrote:

I suppose my best bet is to watch the signals and see which one goes
green first, but you can't see both sets at the same time except when
standing at the very front. And I get the impression that the driver
starts closing the doors before the signals change. Are there any
other lights or clues I could be watching out for?

It's actually better to be towards the rear of the train, although
there is a gap between the platforms and trains due to a curve. There
is still a platform repeater on platform 3, which shows a yellow light
when the signal is red. The staff normally make announcements during
the evening peak regarding the first train to depart, but this is done
to the overbridge area, where customers who have entered the station
usually wait for the train information display. There is an upgrade
planned to the present train indicator board due at some point.
Drivers don't normally start to close the doors before the signal
changes, as it's far too easy to then start moving the train and end
up passing a signal at danger, not a situation anyone wants at that
complex junction!

wrote:

It's actually better to be towards the rear of the train, although
there is a gap between the platforms and trains due to a curve. There
is still a platform repeater on platform 3, which shows a yellow light
when the signal is red. The staff normally make announcements during
the evening peak regarding the first train to depart, but this is done
to the overbridge area, where customers who have entered the station
usually wait for the train information display.

I fully endorse what Robin says. I commute into and out of Aldgate and,
although I only travel to Baker Street (en route to Marylebone) I *always*
use the Met main line in preference to the Circle, for comfort (unless I'm
travelling very off-peak!). I always head for the back of the train in
question, to be convenient for the stairs at Baker Street, and (as the
platforms are curved) the mid-platform repeater is very useful for checking
when heading back along a train that is shown on the overbridge display as
being the first to depart - to make sure that it hasn't got the road.

I can absolutely guarantee that Met drivers do not close the doors
before the signal has changed, the fact is that apart from looking at
the screen on the top landing at Aldgate which should show the first
train to Baker Street that drivers have absolutely no idea which train
is going to get the green light first, the only thing that we can do is
make a PA.


And I get the impression that the driver
starts closing the doors before the signals change. Are there any
other lights or clues I could be watching out for?

PaulO

www.waspies.net wrote:
the fact is that apart from looking at
the screen on the top landing at Aldgate which should show the first
train to Baker Street

Which often doesn't - e.g. tonight, first train to Baker Street shown as
platform 3; we all trooped down and got on and in came a Circle on 4 - and
left in front of us! Very irritating when the service is already cocked up
and is making you tight on time for an onward National Rail service.

On Thu, 24 Jan 2008 21:50:33 GMT, "www.waspies.net"
wrote:

I can absolutely guarantee that Met drivers do not close the doors
before the signal has changed, the fact is that apart from looking at
the screen on the top landing at Aldgate which should show the first
train to Baker Street that drivers have absolutely no idea which train
is going to get the green light first, the only thing that we can do is
make a PA.

Aldgate would be made a lot less stressful if the board could display
a timetabled departure time for each of them, preferably repeated at
platform level (where there is no destination indication at all).

Neil

--
Neil Williams
Put my first name before the at to reply.

On Thu, 24 Jan 2008 22:15:23 GMT, "Jack Taylor"
wrote:

Which often doesn't - e.g. tonight, first train to Baker Street shown as
platform 3; we all trooped down and got on and in came a Circle on 4 - and
left in front of us! Very irritating when the service is already cocked up
and is making you tight on time for an onward National Rail service.

I think it often only shows which signal is off, by which time it's
often too late.

Neil

--
Neil Williams
Put my first name before the at to reply.

On 24 Jan, 22:46, (Neil Williams)
wrote:
On Thu, 24 Jan 2008 22:15:23 GMT, "Jack Taylor"
wrote:

Which often doesn't - e.g. tonight, first train to Baker Street shown as
platform 3; *we all trooped down and got on and in came a Circle on 4 - and
left in front of us! Very irritating when the service is already cocked up
and is making you tight on time for an onward National Rail service.

I think it often only shows which signal is off, by which time it's
often too late.

The board is controlled from the signal computer at Baker Street. The
computer decides it's "moves" in advance, then updates the information
board. It then recalcuates the best moves and if it decides it's first
choice was wrong, changes them, but doesn't always update the board.
There is a project to upgrade both the board itself and the amount of
updates provided by the computer, but I haven't heard any news
recently as to when this will happen. From what I recall, the new
board will display the scheduled departure time of the the trains,
which should make life a little easier for regular customers to plan
which train to head for.

wrote:

The board is controlled from the signal computer at Baker Street. The
computer decides it's "moves" in advance, then updates the information
board. It then recalcuates the best moves and if it decides it's first
choice was wrong, changes them, but doesn't always update the board.
There is a project to upgrade both the board itself and the amount of
updates provided by the computer, but I haven't heard any news
recently as to when this will happen. From what I recall, the new
board will display the scheduled departure time of the the trains,
which should make life a little easier for regular customers to plan
which train to head for.

That sounds a vast improvement (as, indeed, the existing board was in the
mid 90s, when it first went in!). The only other thing that I can think of
is that, in addition to the *scheduled* departure time of services, it would
be useful to have an indication if they are running late, so that a
judgement call can be made whether it's better to wait or to take a Circle
in either direction (sometimes I find it quicker to take an outer Circle to
Embankment and then up the Bakerloo).

On Fri, 25 Jan 2008 18:59:45 -0800 (PST), "
wrote:

From what I recall, the new
board will display the scheduled departure time of the the trains,
which should make life a little easier for regular customers to plan
which train to head for.

Agreed - as a regular user of the station that would be a massive
improvement, as it would save a run (which can be dangerous on those
steep stairs in the wet) if the train wasn't due out for several
minutes, or if you knew another would be going within 2.

Neil

--
Neil Williams
Put my first name before the at to reply.