Due to severe over-crowding on the Overground - the trains stupidly
restricted to mere 4-car units - Japanese pushers are soon to be
employed to push and squeeze commuters into these cattle trucks during
the rush-hour.

As witnessed everyday - but thank fully not experienced - at
Kensington Olympia (and numerous other stations on TfL's new
Overground routes) - at rush-hour - these trains largely devoid of
seating - are so grossly over-crowded as to be well beyond safe
capacity - thereby necessitating specially recruited Japanese platform
staff to push every last commuter through the doors into the grossly
over-crowded carriages.

They are due to begin work on Friday with the morning rush-hour.

The result of this over-crowding is a solid mass of humanity inside
the open plan carriages with commensurate momentum. Thus if a packed
train ever derailed or suddenly stopped, this tightly packed mass
would shoot forwards through the fully open interior to fatally squash
hundreds of hapless commuters at the leading end.

The fact that these conditions exist are due to the apparent callous
disregard that Transport for London has for its customers in not
putting into service 8-car units and extra trains during the rush-
hour.

It is not a matter of if but when there is a train crash / smash with
massive loss of life on these brand new cattle trains.

On Wed, 30 Mar 2011 04:26:22 -0700 (PDT)
CJB wrote:
The fact that these conditions exist are due to the apparent callous
disregard that Transport for London has for its customers in not
putting into service 8-car units and extra trains during the rush-
hour.

Or it might have something to do with the platforms not being long enough.
I don't know about the clapham line but the trains on the ELL were only 4 car
when LU ran it.

It is not a matter of if but when there is a train crash / smash with
massive loss of life on these brand new cattle trains.

You could say the same about any commuter train with open ended carraiges.
I haven't noticed "massive loss of life" on the packed DLR in the last 20
years. Loss of the will to live maybe...

B2003

"CJB" wrote in message

Due to severe over-crowding on the Overground - the trains stupidly
restricted to mere 4-car units - Japanese pushers are soon to be
employed to push and squeeze commuters into these cattle trucks during
the rush-hour.

As witnessed everyday - but thank fully not experienced - at
Kensington Olympia (and numerous other stations on TfL's new
Overground routes) - at rush-hour - these trains largely devoid of
seating - are so grossly over-crowded as to be well beyond safe
capacity - thereby necessitating specially recruited Japanese platform
staff to push every last commuter through the doors into the grossly
over-crowded carriages.

They are due to begin work on Friday with the morning rush-hour.

Yup, on 1 April.

"CJB" wrote in message
...
Due to severe over-crowding on the Overground - the trains stupidly
restricted to mere 4-car units - Japanese pushers are soon to be
employed to push and squeeze commuters into these cattle trucks during
the rush-hour.

As witnessed everyday - but thank fully not experienced - at
Kensington Olympia (and numerous other stations on TfL's new
Overground routes) - at rush-hour - these trains largely devoid of
seating - are so grossly over-crowded as to be well beyond safe
capacity - thereby necessitating specially recruited Japanese platform
staff to push every last commuter through the doors into the grossly
over-crowded carriages.

They are due to begin work on Friday with the morning rush-hour.

The result of this over-crowding is a solid mass of humanity inside
the open plan carriages with commensurate momentum. Thus if a packed
train ever derailed or suddenly stopped, this tightly packed mass
would shoot forwards through the fully open interior to fatally squash
hundreds of hapless commuters at the leading end.

The fact that these conditions exist are due to the apparent callous
disregard that Transport for London has for its customers in not
putting into service 8-car units and extra trains during the rush-
hour.

It is not a matter of if but when there is a train crash / smash with
massive loss of life on these brand new cattle trains.

I see that you posted this separately on uk.railway, where for some daft
reason I actually decided to respond to you - given that I stupidly made the
effort, I'll copy it in below:

-----

You really are the personification of Captain Miseryguts, CJB - always look
on the bleak side of life, eh?

As ever you've got several things wrong or skewed - that is, if the above
words are is even yours (some tell tale signs suggest it may have just been
copy & pasted). First off you haven't cited any source for this 'pushers'
story - a quick search didn't reveal anything obvious, but I may have missed
it - FWIW, I've just listened to the 1pm BBC London radio news bulletin
which had no mention of this at all.

Secondly, there *are* already extra peak time London Overground trains on
the West London Line. Also, from May onwards, the regular service is
increasing from half-hourly to every 15 mins.

Thirdly, the new class 378 trains are far far more suitable than the old
class 313 trains in terms of dealing with large passenger numbers.

Fourthly, the idea that these trains can just be run as 8-car units shows an
abject level of ignorance as to the operating conditions on the
WLL -extending the platforms at Willesden Junction to cater for 8-car trains
would be a massive and very expensive undertaking, involving building over
the West Coast main line tracks, and the rest of the North London Line
cannot cater for trains of such length either.

Fifthly, the improvements on this line and on the rest of the London
Overground network are basically more or less all down to TfL. It's hard to
see any of this happening under the custodianship of the former operator,
Silverlink Metro.

As ever, I don't expect a reply addressing any of these points.

"Recliner" wrote:

"CJB" wrote:

Due to severe over-crowding on the Overground - the trains stupidly
restricted to mere 4-car units - Japanese pushers are soon to be
employed to push and squeeze commuters into these cattle trucks during
the rush-hour.

As witnessed everyday - but thank fully not experienced - at
Kensington Olympia (and numerous other stations on TfL's new
Overground routes) - at rush-hour - these trains largely devoid of
seating - are so grossly over-crowded as to be well beyond safe
capacity - thereby necessitating specially recruited Japanese platform
staff to push every last commuter through the doors into the grossly
over-crowded carriages.

They are due to begin work on Friday with the morning rush-hour.

Yup, on 1 April.

Ha, yes, I should have spotted this - but it's rather early. Well, enjoy
your chuckles CJB - perhaps you're not such a total Miseryguts after all.

In article , d ()
wrote:

On Wed, 30 Mar 2011 04:26:22 -0700 (PDT)
CJB wrote:
The fact that these conditions exist are due to the apparent callous
disregard that Transport for London has for its customers in not
putting into service 8-car units and extra trains during the rush-hour.

Or it might have something to do with the platforms not being long
enough. I don't know about the clapham line but the trains on the ELL
were only 4 car when LU ran it.

Actually, they ran some 5-car CO/CP trains on the ELL in the 1970s. That
was before the elfin safety brigade, mind.

It is not a matter of if but when there is a train crash / smash with
massive loss of life on these brand new cattle trains.

You could say the same about any commuter train with open ended
carraiges. I haven't noticed "massive loss of life" on the packed DLR in
the last 20 years. Loss of the will to live maybe...

I agree that the four car limit may have proved a false economy. Isn't the
increased frequency supposed to sort this out for now, though?

--
Colin Rosenstiel

wrote in message

In article , d
() wrote:

On Wed, 30 Mar 2011 04:26:22 -0700 (PDT)
CJB wrote:
The fact that these conditions exist are due to the apparent callous
disregard that Transport for London has for its customers in not
putting into service 8-car units and extra trains during the
rush-hour.

Or it might have something to do with the platforms not being long
enough. I don't know about the clapham line but the trains on the ELL
were only 4 car when LU ran it.

Actually, they ran some 5-car CO/CP trains on the ELL in the 1970s.
That was before the elfin safety brigade, mind.

And also before Canada Water station opened. I think that's the main
constraint on the ELL, and the short platforms would be hard to lengthen
(as with Cutty Sark on the DLR).

"Mizter T" wrote in message
...

"Recliner" wrote:

"CJB" wrote:

Due to severe over-crowding on the Overground - the trains stupidly
restricted to mere 4-car units - Japanese pushers are soon to be
employed to push and squeeze commuters into these cattle trucks during
the rush-hour.

As witnessed everyday - but thank fully not experienced - at
Kensington Olympia (and numerous other stations on TfL's new
Overground routes) - at rush-hour - these trains largely devoid of
seating - are so grossly over-crowded as to be well beyond safe
capacity - thereby necessitating specially recruited Japanese platform
staff to push every last commuter through the doors into the grossly
over-crowded carriages.

They are due to begin work on Friday with the morning rush-hour.

Yup, on 1 April.

Ha, yes, I should have spotted this - but it's rather early. Well, enjoy
your chuckles CJB - perhaps you're not such a total Miseryguts after all.

TfL's simultaneous announcement that the District Olympia service is
unnecessary was already a pretty certain sign that CJB's post is complete
********?

Paul S

"Paul Scott" wrote:

TfL's simultaneous announcement that the District Olympia service is
unnecessary was already a pretty certain sign that CJB's post is complete
********?

Well, I haven't been there that recently during the rush hour, but I know
the WLL can get very busy at Olympia. It's a few years ago but I do recall
failing to get on a southbound evening peak service along with quite a few
other punters because the train (then class 313) was simply totally packed
out, and I think that might not have been that uncommon an occurrence. I'm
not sure how the peak extras on offer back then compared to what is provided
now, and of course there are longer 4-car trains now too, trains designed to
carry lots of pax. (On that occasion there was a southbound Southern WLL
service shortly thereafter so holding back for that was no great problem,
though that didn't quell the urgency of many - connecting trains at CJ to
catch I suppose, that and the general urgency of 'home time' which is
perhaps particularly evident on a sunny summer's day.)

Whether there might be any serious peak-time capacity issues on the WLL once
the District line trains are withdrawn, and the WLL trains are expected to
handle that flow, I can't say. If I'm in the area or passing through at an
appropriate time I'll endeavour to go and have a look.

In article ,
(Recliner) wrote:

wrote in message

In article , d
() wrote:

On Wed, 30 Mar 2011 04:26:22 -0700 (PDT)
CJB wrote:
The fact that these conditions exist are due to the apparent callous
disregard that Transport for London has for its customers in not
putting into service 8-car units and extra trains during the
rush-hour.

Or it might have something to do with the platforms not being long
enough. I don't know about the clapham line but the trains on the ELL
were only 4 car when LU ran it.

Actually, they ran some 5-car CO/CP trains on the ELL in the 1970s.
That was before the elfin safety brigade, mind.

And also before Canada Water station opened. I think that's the
main constraint on the ELL, and the short platforms would be hard
to lengthen (as with Cutty Sark on the DLR).

I thought one of the stations by the tunnel (Rotherhithe?) was the long
standing constraint on the length of trains. It was the height of
short-sightedness to build Canada Water so constrained too, though.

--
Colin Rosenstiel