Ever not been able to get off when you want to (overcrowding)

[Howardh]

Regular travellers will know when a train gets busy and either be well prepared to leave the train or try to stand/sit as close to the exit as possible.

But there must have been occasion when passengers on an unfamiliar route have boarded a train and it fills up to packed along the way, and when they have tried to get off at one of the smaller stops (ie not one where most offload) and have simply not been able to get to the door before they close and the train pulls away?

Any examples??

 

[abbo1234]

I only just managed to get on the 10:41 Liverpool -Blackpool North the first weekend of the illuminations at Euxton Balshaw Lane.Two carriages absolutely rammed.On arrival at Preston was a joke,I WOULD SAY OVER 200 TRYING TO GET ON AND AT LEAST 100 TRYING TO GET OFF.When the train set off again,quite a few old dears hadnt made it to the doors,unfortunately the next stop is Blackpool North only.This was caused by overcrowding and ignorant people pushing their way on while people trying to get off.

 

[EM2]

Even on familiar routes!
Twice I've not been able to get off at Forest Gate and had to come back from Manor Park.

 

[12CSVT]

I only just managed to get on the 10:41 Liverpool -Blackpool North the first weekend of the illuminations at Euxton Balshaw Lane.Two carriages absolutely rammed.On arrival at Preston was a joke,I WOULD SAY OVER 200 TRYING TO GET ON AND AT LEAST 100 TRYING TO GET OFF.When the train set off again,quite a few old dears hadnt made it to the doors,unfortunately the next stop is Blackpool North only.This was caused by overcrowding and ignorant people pushing their way on while people trying to get off.

The numpties who were forcing their way on when others were trying to get off were committing an offence under the railway byelaws.

 

[johnnychips]

If you've been on a tram or crowded commuter train in Italy, you learn pretty quickly what 'PERMESSO!' means

 

[VisualAcid]

Happens regularly in Cardiff to me when I try to get off a packed train at Cathays, people always seem to just walk on without letting anyone off..

 

[WatcherZero]

No excuse not to stay near the doors if you dont know when you will be getting off, even if you do you should move near the doors as your stop approachs rather than attempt to when the trains stopped!

Ive never ever failed to get off a train, though several times at Salford Crescent ive been unable to board trains.

 

[Monty]

The numpties who were forcing their way on when others were trying to get off were committing an offence under the railway byelaws.

Most guilty parties could care less unfortunately, even after being instructed by staff to allow passengers to alight before boarding I see it on almost a daily basis. The problem is it's very difficult to actually prosecute anyone for doing this when the culprits number in the hundreds. Besides the Daily Mail lobby and some out of touch court magistrate would only label the prosecuting TOC draconian and accuse them of wasting the court's time.

However the problem is partially remedied by alighting passengers themselves, normally with an elbow or two and a briefcase!

 

[Antman]

Most guilty parties could care less unfortunately, even after being instructed by staff to allow passengers to alight before boarding I see it on almost a daily basis. The problem is it's very difficult to actually prosecute anyone for doing this when the culprits number in the hundreds. Besides the Daily Mail lobby and some out of touch court magistrate would only label the prosecuting TOC draconian and accuse them of wasting the court's time.

However the problem is partially remedied by alighting passengers themselves, normally with an elbow or two and a briefcase!

Nothing to to with the daily mail just the fact that boarding passengers may not be aware that others are still trying to get off and the (not so!) out of touch magistrates would have to take things like that into account..............let's be honest it would be a waste of time attempting to prosecute anybody.

Have you ever thought about becoming a magistrate? It might be an eye opener

 

[trainophile]

Would a guard shut and lock the doors if he can see that people are still trying to board or detrain? Isn't that dangerous?

 

[SPADTrap]

No excuse not to stay near the doors if you dont know when you will be getting off, even if you do you should move near the doors as your stop approachs rather than attempt to when the trains stopped!

Do you think its possible for 100 people to 'stay near the doors'?

I'm sure that if you came across a vestibule full of people who weren't moving down thus preventing you from boarding you'd be unhappy to hear "I don't know where to get off so I'm not moving, sorry mate, next one yeh?" Maybe that's why you've been unable to board??

 

[TUC]

I only just managed to get on the 10:41 Liverpool -Blackpool North the first weekend of the illuminations at Euxton Balshaw Lane.Two carriages absolutely rammed.On arrival at Preston was a joke,I WOULD SAY OVER 200 TRYING TO GET ON AND AT LEAST 100 TRYING TO GET OFF.When the train set off again,quite a few old dears hadnt made it to the doors,unfortunately the next stop is Blackpool North only.This was caused by overcrowding and ignorant people pushing their way on while people trying to get off.

The numpties who were forcing their way on when others were trying to get off were committing an offence under the railway byelaws.

Although there is something unfortunate about railway culture that seems too often to want to immediately reach for a bylaws breach when actually its just a matter of good manners and courtesy. (Why would most members of the the public have any knowledge of, or interest in, railway bylaws?)

 

[bunnahabhain]

When I know the train is full and standing I announce stations twice, once five minutes before arrival advising people to get themselves ready, a second announcement closer to the station. I then stand at the doorway and prevent people from boarding until everybody I can see attempting to get off has done so.

 

[Moonshot]

A possible solution ( platform and train length allowing ) would be to somehow segregate exits and entrys , or maybe have a train stop at an end of a platform to allow exits,then move the train up the paltform. How practical that is I dont honestly know...

 

[tsr]

When I know the train is full and standing I announce stations twice, once five minutes before arrival advising people to get themselves ready, a second announcement closer to the station. I then stand at the doorway and prevent people from boarding until everybody I can see attempting to get off has done so.

The trouble is, whilst that is a noble effort by yourself and you are obviously very aware of this issue, it is probably quite hard to prevent people boarding whilst others are alighting when you have 24 sets of doors to deal with... so unless there are to be staff at every door, you have to rely on the passengers, unfortunately.

 

[DownSouth]

A possible solution ( platform and train length allowing ) would be to somehow segregate exits and entrys , or maybe have a train stop at an end of a platform to allow exits,then move the train up the paltform. How practical that is I dont honestly know...

Better station design at locations expected to have high numbers of entrances and exits on the same trains can help.

The station built at Olympic Park for the Sydney 2000 games has two tracks, each having access to the central island platform and a side platform on each side. On a regular day only the island platform is in use, but during events at the island platform is exit only for passengers arriving at the complex and the side platforms are entrance only for passengers departing. The doors are opened first to just the central island platform for passengers to exit, and then once the majority are off the doors to the side platform are opened.

The new sub-surface stations on Thameslink and Crossrail should have used this kind of layout to reduce dwell times.

 

[LWB]

Most guilty parties could care less

FYI: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=om7O0MFkmpw

 

[Monty]

FYI: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=om7O0MFkmpw

FYI: I couldn't care less. :roll:

 

[NickBucks]

Well " allow passengers to exit before boarding" appears to work okay on the London Underground on a daily basis and LUL never resort to bye-laws or whatever to the best of my knowledge to resolve this issue.

 

[DXMachina]

^ yes, most of the time, but....

Getting off the southbound Met Line at Harrow-on-The-Hill can be fun (where fun is defined as stressful with a touch of violence). I make a point of starting to work my way down to the doors as we come alongside the Uxbridge route underpass so as to be ready to get out either side depending on what platform the train stops at.

I occasionally need to use the brute force method to get onto the platform though - Harrow oTH is a station where many more get on than off and some dont seem aware of the priority of exiting passengers.

On several occasions I have had to forcibly shove entering passengers backwards out of my way as would otherwise have been unable to exit the train. Always guys, fortunately, and always ones who apparently dont understand the phrase "excuse me please, I'm getting off"

Faced with a blockade of non-listening women entering i'd probably be stuck there until the next stop - which if i was on a semi-fast, is quite a diversion.

 

[Sheepy1209]

Sounds typical of the Blackpool trains at Preston - Platform 1 isn't very wide, so people spread out - then when a train arrives there's a scrum.

Also - the front of the train is at the bottom of the stairs from the footbridge, so loads of people just pile on the front door (for some reason hardly anyone uses the subway at Preston).

Combine that with the unevenly-spaced service and it makes for an unpleasant interchange.

(I've never failed to get off a train though - but did once experience three of my four kids being left on the pavement with me still on board after getting off a bus in London, as the driver shut the doors and sped off. He got a serious amount of earache from lots of passengers).

 

[sparks2000]

No excuse not to stay near the doors if you dont know when you will be getting off, even if you do you should move near the doors as your stop approachs rather than attempt to when the trains stopped!

Ive never ever failed to get off a train, though several times at Salford Crescent ive been unable to board trains.

Absolutely right - not excuses.
Sometimes you have to accept that there is no room to get on and back off and let people off the train - the should always be a safe way to get off.


Try bikes and pushchairs that can't be squeezed by as they block the aisle.
Try luggage in the aisles
Try people that have let 2 or 3 trains go by already desperate to get on trying their hardest to get home.
Try walking with a stick.
Try being a little older and not able to tackle a rugby scrum
Try not to get pushed down the carriage when people get on.
Try hawkers with bags full of tat blocking the aisles.
Try drunks (even happy ones) that are trying to crowd on so you can't get off (gangs of people in the same party joining from adjoining doors).

Plenty of reasons - no excuses.

 

[Beveridges]

I was on a typically crush capacity TPE service and nearly got stuck on the train with the great unwashed while trying to get off at a major station as Salford Crescent!!

I had to shout and shove my way through the train. The despatcher was blowing his whistle while I was still stuck onboard. Then the hussle alarm sounded and the doors begin to shut. On a mad moment of desperation I pushed forwards and just about got my hand in the door. The bumper sensors on the door reacted and caused it to remain partially open, allowing me to squeeze my way off this terrible train.

 

[Hellfire]

I was on a typically crush capacity TPE service and nearly got stuck on the train with the great unwashed while trying to get off at a major station as Salford Crescent!!

Trying to board a two car NR service to Clitheroe in the rush hour at Salford Crescent is a nightmare. Of course the reason for this is the failure of the powers that be to provide trains with sufficient carriages to meet demand. And that will spark a whole new argument.

 

[badassunicorn]

I end up having to just barge my way out.
And also what someone said about doors on both sides, its the same technique used at Canary Wharf DLR station

 

[Wyvern]

My daughter usually travels by bus and the rule now is that you stop in your seat till the bus stops. The first she came to see me on the local train there were a number getting off so she had time to reach the door, but she realised things are done differently on the railway.

However one Sunday afternoon, she, with another woman, found the way blocked by a push chair in the vestibule and by the time got it sorted the doors closed. They found the guard who naturally said he couldn't do anything but take them on to Ambergate, but he gave them a tenner to call a taxi.

 

[Beveridges]

Trying to board a two car NR service to Clitheroe in the rush hour at Salford Crescent is a nightmare. Of course the reason for this is the failure of the powers that be to provide trains with sufficient carriages to meet demand. And that will spark a whole new argument.

I don't mind NR too much as I'm staff I can typically travel in the rear cab with the Guard or use one of the centre cabs if its 2x Units. But TPE can be a challenge.

It's not so much the standing itself that bothers me the most. Its the squeezing in with other passengers that I detest.

 

[alwaystouchout]

This has happened to me twice on the Metrolink..people boarding before others have finished alighting

 

[CaptainHaddock]

It wasn't exactly due to overcrowding but I remember a few years back when I was unable to get my bike off at Kettering due to the HST set stopping in such a way that the last coach and rear power car were not adjacent to the platform. With the train manager nowhere in sight and the platform staff several carriages away, I had a stark choice of getting off and leaving the bike behind or staying on and getting off at the next stop. As I was quite fond of my bike I chose the latter option!

Unfortunately I'd assumed that the next stop would be Wellingborough, but this train went straight through, with me eventually getting off at Bedford. As my intention had been to cycle to Rushden & Diamonds to see my football team, you can imagine what an inconvenience this was!

 

[Dunc108]

Sounds typical of the Blackpool trains at Preston - Platform 1 isn't very wide, so people spread out - then when a train arrives there's a scrum.

Also - the front of the train is at the bottom of the stairs from the footbridge, so loads of people just pile on the front door (for some reason hardly anyone uses the subway at Preston).

Combine that with the unevenly-spaced service and it makes for an unpleasant interchange.

(I've never failed to get off a train though - but did once experience three of my four kids being left on the pavement with me still on board after getting off a bus in London, as the driver shut the doors and sped off. He got a serious amount of earache from lots of passengers).

I've seen quite a number of full & standing Blackpool & Colne trains at Preston in the past year, ironically many were 142 operated! I think its not uncommon to find 142s on some Liverpool - Blackpool diagrams and even Manchester - Blackpool ...