On Mar 2, 10:38*pm, (Neil Williams)
wrote:
On Sun, 02 Mar 2008 20:05:20 +0000, asdf
wrote:

They can't cope with someone carrying a large object though, because
they can't tell the difference between that and someone trying to
tailgate.

A bicycle won't really fit through the width of the gates. *Perhaps it
might be worth leaving your bicycle folded (as indeed I believe you're
meant to) and only unfolding on the other side?

But yes, as a regular user of Euston in the morning peak, the barriers
do slow down exit substantially, though when it gets silly the staff
often just open the lot. *The situation could perhaps be improved by
having one side of the barriers for in and one side for out, and being
careful in which platforms the trains are diagrammed into to avoid in
or out happening at both sides at once.


As far as I can tell they do. My common experience is to get off a
train in platform 10, with crowds heading for the train I've just
arrived on from the west side of the barriers, and I've got to fight
my way across to the east side of the barriers to get out. I bet
that's why so many people with barrierable tickets exit through the
luggage gate on the west.

However, if they reversed them, there would be the opposite problem if
I arrived at platform 9.

I think the best solution would be to have exit gates on both outsides
and entry gates in the middle. That way exiting people would never
have to cross the entering crowds right at the gates.

"Neil Williams" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 02 Mar 2008 20:05:20 +0000, asdf
wrote:

They can't cope with someone carrying a large object though, because
they can't tell the difference between that and someone trying to
tailgate.

A bicycle won't really fit through the width of the gates. Perhaps it
might be worth leaving your bicycle folded (as indeed I believe you're
meant to) and only unfolding on the other side?

But yes, as a regular user of Euston in the morning peak, the barriers
do slow down exit substantially, though when it gets silly the staff
often just open the lot. The situation could perhaps be improved by
having one side of the barriers for in and one side for out, and being
careful in which platforms the trains are diagrammed into to avoid in
or out happening at both sides at once.


How many barriers do you reckon there are on a 'per barriered platform'
basis then Neil? NR are putting 170 in at Waterloo, for comparison - for 20
platforms.

[Before anyone wonders, the barrier plan includes ex Eurostar platform 20,
accessed via 19]

Paul S

On 2 Mar, 22:40, (Neil Williams) wrote:
On Sun, 02 Mar 2008 22:28:10 GMT, wrote:
I've been through the gates with a large suitcase, and their hasn't been a
problem in many cases.

On the other hand, I have gone through with a small backpack and it snapped
closed on me.

In a quiet station (where I wouldn't hold anyone up by so doing), I've
been known to do coffee down, wallet out, ticket into barrier, ticket
out of barrier, back into wallet, wallet into pocket, coffee up,
through barrier. I don't know how long they'll stay open for, but
it's surprisingly long (10 seconds plus). Perhaps your rucksack was
too high up to activate the sensor?

Neil


Do they not stay open until they've detected someone (or something at
least) has passed through? I'm sure I've come across gates that are
still open for some reason, walked through them (coz I'm too lazy to
shove my ticket in the slot) and they've then closed behind me - I
hasten to add that I certainly wasn't inadvertently tailgating
someone! (Also, I obviously wouldn't do that if I needed the gates to
validate my Oyster card for PAYG purposes.)

On 2 Mar, 22:44, Neil Williams wrote:
On Feb 28, 1:55 pm, John B wrote:

There's not much difference between "board train at Bushey, get off it
at Euston, fight your way onto Northern Line, get to City" and "board
train at Bushey, get off it at Baker Street or Embankment, fight your
way onto Met/District Line, get to City", except that the Met and
District are less crowded than the Northern.

The Met is *vastly* less crowded. It is entirely possible, if you're
willing to let one or two trains go, to get on an Aldgate-bound Met
Line train at Euston Square in the height of the peak and get a seat;
I've done it regularly. If forced to stand, it's also nice not to
have to duck your head to fit in the loading gauge.

Neil


The Northern line City branch is genuinely best avoided during rush
hour if at all humanly possible. Going via the Met/Circle would
certainly be my recommendation as well. You'd be nuts to choose the
Northern over it!

In article ,
lid (asdf) wrote:

On Wed, 27 Feb 2008 01:54:35 -0800 (PST),
wrote:

I'd really like to have some way of having my oyster card (or ticket
if you're a season ticket holder) flagged to hold the barrier open
for
a few seconds more - five seconds would be all it would take. I know
this _could_ be abused but there's enough regular cyclists who are
using these barriers every day (I see the same 5 or six on my train
every morning) and we're recognised by at least some of the staff as
regular cyclists so it could be something like getting a form and then
getting one of the barrier guards to sign that you are a regular
cyclist and then getting some sort of flag put on your ticket (of
course, this all presupposes that the gates are even capable of having
an extended opening - I know they can stay open with the right ticket
but I don't know about a longer opening.)

I don't think that's how it works. It's not done with a timer; there
are sensors at various points which detect when you've passed through,
and close the gates after you. If you put your ticket through but
don't walk through, they just stay open for ages until you do.

They can't cope with someone carrying a large object though, because
they can't tell the difference between that and someone trying to
tailgate.

The new wide automatic barriers at King's Cross Suburban are hopeless
with bikes. It is impossible not to tailgate another cyclist if one
follows another at all directly.

--
Colin Rosenstiel

On Thu, 28 Feb 2008, Mr Thant wrote:

On 28 Feb, 13:12, Tom Anderson wrote:

and the Bakerloo only helps you if you're right at the Oxford Circus
end of town (which many people are, of course - but still a minority, i
think).

The Bakerloo serves points that the tubes from Euston don't,

Anywhere south of Oxford Circus is a cross-platform change away from
Euston. Between OC and Paddington, all the Bakerloo stations are a stone's
throw from a Circle station (with the possible exception of Marylebone?),
which can be reached with a short walk from Euston. I don't believe
Bakerloo stations north of Paddington are significant destinations.

and the the change at Queen's Park should be a lot easier, so I think
it'd be fairly attractive for a decent proportion of commuters. It
doesn't matter that you're not serving everywhere, because trains still
continue to Euston.

True. I'm not arguing against a suburban stop for fast trains - i'm all in
favour of that, probably at WJ, for the interchange with orbital lines -
just saying that you shouldn't expect it to relieve Euston much. If such
relief is your goal, you need to address the largest onward flows from
Euston, which are into the City and the central west end.

tom

--
All we need now is Jesus the Lord, fine corn liquor and the courage to
think the unthinkable.

On Sun, 2 Mar 2008 15:39:07 -0800 (PST), Mizter T
wrote:

Do they not stay open until they've detected someone (or something at
least) has passed through?

Not sure, I've not tried it for long enough. I suspect there might
also be a timeout.

Neil

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

On Mar 2, 10:38 pm, (Neil Williams)
wrote:
On Sun, 02 Mar 2008 20:05:20 +0000, asdf
wrote:

They can't cope with someone carrying a large object though, because
they can't tell the difference between that and someone trying to
tailgate.

A bicycle won't really fit through the width of the gates.

It will fit though without too much difficulty. The problem is that
you have to put it in front of you and dash through - if the
handlebars swing round or someone steps in front then it all creates a
bit of a mess.


Perhaps it
might be worth leaving your bicycle folded (as indeed I believe you're
meant to) and only unfolding on the other side?

It would be even harder to get through the barriers with it folded.

Unfolding the bicycle on the other side of the barrier would get in
everybody's way. Far better is to unfold (as I do) at the Northern end
of the platform at Euston and then walk down so that you're roughly at
the rear of the people.

And for every journey I make non-folding bicycles are allowed on the
same platform. In the morning at Watford Junction for people
travelling North from platform 8 (same island as platform 9 that I
take south). Arrival at Euston people travelling North on my train.
And on my return I'm usually travelling after 7pm.


But yes, as a regular user of Euston in the morning peak, the barriers
do slow down exit substantially, though when it gets silly the staff
often just open the lot. The situation could perhaps be improved by
having one side of the barriers for in and one side for out, and being
careful in which platforms the trains are diagrammed into to avoid in
or out happening at both sides at once.

Baring the need to get across to the manual gates, I'd think things
would work better if the trains did come in on opposite sides. There
isn't really enough space to allow people from one side to fan out to
all the gates and use them to capacity.

(And on Sunday there was only one exit barrier (plus the manual gate)
working at Watford Junction which was causing problems.

Tim.

"Neil Williams" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 02 Mar 2008 22:28:10 GMT, wrote:


In a quiet station (where I wouldn't hold anyone up by so doing), I've
been known to do coffee down, wallet out, ticket into barrier, ticket
out of barrier, back into wallet, wallet into pocket, coffee up,
through barrier. I don't know how long they'll stay open for, but
it's surprisingly long (10 seconds plus). Perhaps your rucksack was
too high up to activate the sensor?

Perhaps.

"Mizter T" wrote in message
...

Do they not stay open until they've detected someone (or something at
least) has passed through? I'm sure I've come across gates that are
still open for some reason, walked through them (coz I'm too lazy to
shove my ticket in the slot) and they've then closed behind me - I
hasten to add that I certainly wasn't inadvertently tailgating
someone! (Also, I obviously wouldn't do that if I needed the gates to
validate my Oyster card for PAYG purposes.)

Kind of OT, but I noticed that they are keeping one gate open for the tube
lines at KXSP, for Oyster use only. It's much nicer to have an open gate and
just breeze buy while touching in, rather than have to wait that full second
for the gate to open.