London Buses - Why do I bother?
 

In article ,
Boltar wrote:
On Apr 11, 1:10 am, Railist wrote:
sense of urgency. The tube was then held at Victoria to regulate the
service, but more of that another time.

Ah yes , the famous regulate the service phrase that LU so love. Which
basically translates to "we can't run a decent service so to cover up
our incompetence we're going to delay you even more".

It occured to me the other day, while standing on the eastbound circle
platform at Baker Street, staring at the unchanging incidactor reading
simply, "Circle and Whitechapel Lines" for *quarter of an hour*, that
if I heard the phrase, "There is currently a good service on all
London Underground lines" one more time, that no jury would convict if
I went and did something unpleasant to the announcer with my Oyster
card.

London Buses - Why do I bother?
 

On Apr 11, 2:30 pm, Sarah Brown
wrote:
It occured to me the other day, while standing on the eastbound circle
platform at Baker Street, staring at the unchanging incidactor reading
simply, "Circle and Whitechapel Lines" for *quarter of an hour*, that
if I heard the phrase, "There is currently a good service on all
London Underground lines" one more time, that no jury would convict if

I think one train every 15 mins does count as good service on the
Circle Line :o)

B2003

London Buses - Why do I bother?
 

On 11 Apr, 14:30, Sarah Brown
wrote:

In article ,
Boltar wrote:

On Apr 11, 1:10 am, Railist wrote:
sense of urgency. The tube was then held at Victoria to regulate the
service, but more of that another time.

Ah yes , the famous regulate the service phrase that LU so love. Which
basically translates to "we can't run a decent service so to cover up
our incompetence we're going to delay you even more".

It occured to me the other day, while standing on the eastbound circle
platform at Baker Street, staring at the unchanging incidactor reading
simply, "Circle and Whitechapel Lines" for *quarter of an hour*, that
if I heard the phrase, "There is currently a good service on all
London Underground lines" one more time, that no jury would convict if
I went and did something unpleasant to the announcer with my Oyster
card.


I quite agree it is most annoying!

I take it that you weren't just waiting for a Circle line train -
there were no H&C trains either?

London Buses - Why do I bother?
 

On Apr 11, 3:00 pm, Boltar wrote:
On Apr 11, 2:30 pm, Sarah Brown

wrote:
It occured to me the other day, while standing on the eastbound circle
platform at Baker Street, staring at the unchanging incidactor reading
simply, "Circle and Whitechapel Lines" for *quarter of an hour*, that
if I heard the phrase, "There is currently a good service on all
London Underground lines" one more time, that no jury would convict if

I think one train every 15 mins does count as good service on the
Circle Line :o)

B2003

It's actually a 20 minute wait is Minor delays and a 30 min wait is
Severe delays. There have been many occasions where the line delivery
staff have contacted the network operations centre to advise them,
then they have refused. It's all political. Station staff then have to
deal with the ****ed off passengers who have lanned their journey in
accordance with the delays messages they have seen on route and have
now been delayed. Luckily the more old school station staff, rather
than the boil in the bag yes men and women actually use their common
sense and turn off the PA system, until some manager complains (or Tim
OToole gets accosted by passengers).

Sarah, the dot matrix there at Baker St can only display trains once
they leave Edgware Road, then the otherside of Edgware Road, nothing
at all can be seen!

London Buses - Why do I bother?
 

On Apr 11, 10:48 am, Boltar wrote:
On Apr 11, 1:10 am, Railist wrote:

sense of urgency. The tube was then held at Victoria to regulate the
service, but more of that another time.

Ah yes , the famous regulate the service phrase that LU so love. Which
basically translates to "we can't run a decent service so to cover up
our incompetence we're going to delay you even more".

B2003

Possibly true Boltar. There are a number of reasons why regulating the
service may be needed, such as; the train behind has had an incident
or is going to slowly, the train in question is going to fast or even
on the odd occasion is early!

Headways are also a Key Performance Indicator so regulating the
service is quite important, especially if the train being held isn't
very full, but the one behind is packed. Holding very full trains is a
bit of a hot potato, do you work to achieve the best customer service,
by getting people where they want in a packed train, or hold it for
longer to meet targets, when no more people can get on!

London Buses - Why do I bother?
 

In article ,
Mizter T wrote:

[Baker Street]

I take it that you weren't just waiting for a Circle line train -
there were no H&C trains either?

Indeed. Ity was an H&C I ended up catching. I'd come in on a
terminating Met train, and the next through one wasn't for aeons, so I
figured the circle platform would be a better bet. All I was trying to
do was to get from Finchley Road to Moorgate. Next time I think I'll
walk to Hampstead and take the Northern instead. At least they run
trains on it.

London Buses - Why do I bother?
 

On 11 Apr, 16:25, Sarah Brown
wrote:

In article ,
Mizter T wrote:

[Baker Street]

I take it that you weren't just waiting for a Circle line train -
there were no H&C trains either?

Indeed. It was an H&C I ended up catching. I'd come in on a
terminating Met train, and the next through one wasn't for aeons, so I
figured the circle platform would be a better bet. All I was trying to
do was to get from Finchley Road to Moorgate. Next time I think I'll
walk to Hampstead and take the Northern instead. At least they run
trains on it.


The reason I asked about the Circle line is because I think choosing
any other route is normally a better idea!

But given that you were just waiting for any eastbound train then that
is pretty poor. The Circle line is always the first service to yield
in the event of disruption on the sub-surface lines, but given that
the Circle and H&C are operated together then this can then end up
hitting the H&C service too.

An alternative route from Finchley Rd to Moorgate could be Jubilee -
change at Oxford Circus to the Central - Bank - short walk. However
the obvious route via the Met/Circle/H&C would normally be the best
way to go, unless one knew in advance of disruption ahead. And as you
make quite clear you weren't being told of any such thing!

London Buses - Why do I bother?
 

On Fri, 11 Apr 2008 13:30:21 GMT, Sarah Brown
wrote:

In article ,
Boltar wrote:
On Apr 11, 1:10 am, Railist wrote:
sense of urgency. The tube was then held at Victoria to regulate the
service, but more of that another time.

Ah yes , the famous regulate the service phrase that LU so love. Which
basically translates to "we can't run a decent service so to cover up
our incompetence we're going to delay you even more".

It occured to me the other day, while standing on the eastbound circle
platform at Baker Street, staring at the unchanging incidactor reading
simply, "Circle and Whitechapel Lines" for *quarter of an hour*, that
if I heard the phrase, "There is currently a good service on all
London Underground lines" one more time, that no jury would convict if
I went and did something unpleasant to the announcer with my Oyster
card.

I suffered something similar on Monday having been carried through High
St Ken to NHG due a fire alert arising as our train approached the
platform. I bussed it back to High St Ken but there was no info at NHG
for passengers as to what to do. On my return at HSK I waited 22 mins
for a Circle Line and heard "good service" more times than I care to
remember. If only they'd said "go via Earls Ct and change" it would
have at least given people an option.

The Line General Manager got an E Mail with some feedback later than
afternoon!
--
Paul C


Admits to working for London Underground!

London Buses - Why do I bother?
 

On Apr 11, 4:01*pm, chunky munky
wrote:
On Apr 11, 10:48 am, Boltar wrote:

On Apr 11, 1:10 am, Railist wrote:

sense of urgency. The tube was then held at Victoria to regulate the
service, but more of that another time.

Ah yes , the famous regulate the service phrase that LU so love. Which
basically translates to "we can't run a decent service so to cover up
our incompetence we're going to delay you even more".

B2003

Possibly true Boltar. There are a number of reasons why regulating the
service may be needed, such as; the train behind has had an incident
or is going to slowly, the train in question is going to fast or even
on the odd occasion is early!

Headways are also a Key Performance Indicator so regulating the
service is quite important, especially if the train being held isn't
very full, but the one behind is packed. Holding very full trains is a
bit of a hot potato, do you work to achieve the best customer service,
by getting people where they want in a packed train, or hold it for
longer to meet targets, when no more people can get on!

TfL will go for targets based on arrival of vehicles every time,
regardless of arrival of people, that is absolutely clear.

London Buses - Why do I bother?
 

On Fri, 11 Apr 2008, Sarah Brown wrote:

In article ,
Boltar wrote:
On Apr 11, 1:10 am, Railist wrote:
sense of urgency. The tube was then held at Victoria to regulate the
service, but more of that another time.

Ah yes , the famous regulate the service phrase that LU so love. Which
basically translates to "we can't run a decent service so to cover up
our incompetence we're going to delay you even more".

It occured to me the other day, while standing on the eastbound circle
platform at Baker Street, staring at the unchanging incidactor reading
simply, "Circle and Whitechapel Lines" for *quarter of an hour*, that if
I heard the phrase, "There is currently a good service on all London
Underground lines" one more time, that no jury would convict if I went
and did something unpleasant to the announcer with my Oyster card.

Which is probably why those announcements are generally made by machine!

tom

--
Ed editor textorum probatissimus est -- Cicero, De officiis IV.7