LUL All Grades Strike

[bramling]

It's how we here have been on the DLR for the last 35 years. No drivers on trains either. If you think that has safety issues, please describe.

It's okay until an operational procedure needs to be carried out for whatever reason. With no staff available on site, there may then be a considerable delay until suitable staff are able to reach site. This does then introduce the possibility of a Kentish Town or Lewisham scenario. There's also the problem of traction current, in particular if it needs to be confirmed discharged for any reason, and there is no one on site qualified to pass that confirmation to emergency services.

 

[rebmcr]

It's okay until an operational procedure needs to be carried out for whatever reason. With no staff available on site, there may then be a considerable delay until suitable staff are able to reach site. This does then introduce the possibility of a Kentish Town or Lewisham scenario. There's also the problem of traction current, in particular if it needs to be confirmed discharged for any reason, and there is no one on site qualified to pass that confirmation to emergency services.

DLR trains are staffed, and the conductor rail is shrouded from accidental contact. That environment isn't risk-free (moving trains and elevated sections spring to mind) but it ranks very low indeed against the risk of other transport environments.

 

[Tubeboy]

Nothing announced beyond Thursday.

As for the DLR, there have been several fatal accidents over the years. People falling onto the track and being killed.

 

[Failed Unit]

In addition as of today Great Northern have reduced the Moorgate to Welwyn Garden City and Moorgate to Hertford North to only 2 trains an hour at peak times.

It was 4 trains per hour for the last 2 weeks.

I really hate to think what the overcrowding will be like on those six car 717s tommorow and Thursday!

Actually 1tph from WGC, and it was very crowded (they cancelled the other one)

 

[Taunton]

It's apparent how poor TfL information is. Their statement in the media is that, while Underground lines in central London are closed, the DLR is "operating normally". Go to the detailed TfL website status page and they say DLR is suspended between Shadwell and its key central station, Bank, which is of course managed by the Underground. So which one is it ...

 

[Jimini]

It's apparent how poor TfL information is. Their statement in the media is that, while Underground lines in central London are closed, the DLR is "operating normally". Go to the detailed TfL website status page and they say DLR is suspended between Shadwell and its key central station, Bank, which is of course managed by the Underground. So which one is it ...

Going back a bit here, but they spent a fortune taking Tower Gateway down from two platforms to one a few years ago and added a passing loop on the approach, to enable a zone 1 terminus that could handle high-density three car services in the event of Bank being closed. Lo and behold, even now they still throw in the towel and terminate Lewisham services at Shadwell when Bank's closed.

 

[boiledbeans2]

Yes most surface stations are likely to be unmanned. Not great from a safety point of view, but it is what is it (and no different to how much of NR operates).

Meaning ticket barriers left open?

 

[Jimini]

Meaning ticket barriers left open?

Yep.

 

[Taunton]

Of course, nothing was running the morning after the strike either. Everything still closed on Wednesday morning. I'm sure there's some excuse.

 

[Dstock7080]

Of course, nothing was running the morning after the strike either. Everything still closed on Wednesday morning. I'm sure there's some excuse.

No engineering staff available until early turns book on 0700/0730, trains unable to leave depots until staff arrived.
District Line starting up 0735.

 

[Taunton]

No engineering staff available until early turns book on 0700/0730, trains unable to leave depots until staff arrived.
District Line starting up 0735.

Wouldn't it have been nice then for TfL to say there will be no peak hour service to get to work in London on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and (presumably) Friday. Nobody had any idea that this continued into the following morning.

 

[Nym]

The usual tactic of strongarming graduates into "doing their part" for unit prep hasn't worked then...

 

[theking]

Wouldn't it have been nice then for TfL to say there will be no peak hour service to get to work in London on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and (presumably) Friday. Nobody had any idea that this continued into the following morning.

They have been advertising it for the past week saying Wednesday and Fridays morning peak will be severely disrupted with no reliable service until mid morning at the earliest

 

[Falcon1200]

There's also the problem of traction current, in particular if it needs to be confirmed discharged for any reason, and there is no one on site qualified to pass that confirmation to emergency services.

Perhaps TfL/DLR are different, but on Network Rail (NR) traction current switch off can be, and most often is, managed between NR Control and the Emergency Service Control.

 

[Dstock7080]

Wouldn't it have been nice then for TfL to say there will be no peak hour service to get to work in London on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and (presumably) Friday. Nobody had any idea that this continued into the following morning.

The press release is quite clear on the morning disruption:

Londoners urged to plan for disrupted or cancelled services on the Tube

Londoners urged to plan for disrupted or cancelled services on the Tube

tfl.gov.uk

 

[Taunton]

The press release is quite clear on the morning disruption:

Sorry, the press release is not "quite clear". It is headlined

Severe disruption on the Tube network tomorrow and Thursday (1 and 3 March) with a high chance of no Underground services on those days

and that's it. Anything about the following mornings is buried down in the text. That is not "quite clear". And of course, being a press release, the idea is the media will take the relevant bits, the headline, and pass them on. Which was done. Not necessarily what was buried down in paragraph 7 of the sub-text.

There was also nothing apparent on the TfL service web page yesterday about things continuing.

To plagiarise Roger Ford's 10th Law, ‘If something has to be claimed as "quite clear", it almost certainly wasn’t’.

 

[43066]

Nobody had any idea that this continued into the following morning.

Sorry but that’s utter nonsense, and I say that as someone who needed to plan an alternative journey to get to work due to the tube strike this morning.

Anyone with any sense can read a poster or check a website.

 

[Taunton]

Sorry but that’s utter nonsense, and I say that as someone who needed to plan an alternative journey to get to work due to the tube strike this morning.

Anyone with any sense can read a poster or check a website.

Presumably we wish, therefore, to tell the thousands who turned up at the London termini this morning (Liverpool Street and Kings Cross I saw) who had no idea of the continuing strike, that they had no sense.

 

[Goldfish62]

I think what was clearly illustrated yesterday was that the notion that everyone now works from home is complete nonsense.

 

[172101]

All GN & TL services are stopping at West Hampstead & Finsbury Park (includng the Kings Lynns) today, to help with connections, which is a good idea.

 

[Taunton]

I think what was clearly illustrated yesterday was that the notion that everyone now works from home is complete nonsense.

A lot of offices have now come back for a couple of days a week, getting people back into it. Ours is Monday and Tuesday, but it was determined last week that this would be altered to Monday and Wednesday to avoid the strike.

 

[Goldfish62]

A lot of offices have now come back for a couple of days a week, getting people back into it. Ours is Monday and Tuesday, but it was determined last week that this would be altered to Monday and Wednesday to avoid the strike.

Clearly that wasn't the case for a lot of people though.

 

[Lewlew]

The usual tactic of strongarming graduates into "doing their part" for unit prep hasn't worked then...

Prep was extended to 48 hours.

No one in the tower/shunter cabins.

 

[westv]

A lot of offices have now come back for a couple of days a week, getting people back into it. Ours is Monday and Tuesday, but it was determined last week that this would be altered to Monday and Wednesday to avoid the strike.

Our office is 3 days a week but luckily they offered me a temp wfh contract early Dec last year.

 

[Mojo]

Perhaps TfL/DLR are different, but on Network Rail (NR) traction current switch off can be, and most often is, managed between NR Control and the Emergency Service Control.

I’m not sure how TfL work, but London Underground do not give confirmation that it is safe to access the track over the telephone. This can only be confirmed face-to-face with staff on site.

 

[Dave W]

Presumably we wish, therefore, to tell the thousands who turned up at the London termini this morning (Liverpool Street and Kings Cross I saw) who had no idea of the continuing strike, that they had no sense.

Two rather polarised arguments within this post and the one it's replying to. It was still a lot quieter than it would have been, no?

TfL made it quite clear that there'd be disruption in the morning peak following the strike days - they've been recommending people travel after the peak today and Friday for several days in all comms - website, emails, posters on stations, announcements (even by drivers on trains).

I am personally of the view that they did quite enough in that regard, but individuals thinking individually are a law unto themselves aren't they? "No one else will go in so it should be okay" will have been the mindset for a lot yesterday and this morning. Perhaps more could have been done in terms of communications addressing that line of thinking.

 

[bramling]

I’m not sure how TfL work, but London Underground do not give confirmation that it is safe to access the track over the telephone. This can only be confirmed face-to-face with staff on site.

I believe there is a fairly new procedure where, in extreme emergency, it can be done remotely via the LUCC. No doubt developed due to the increasing trend for unmanned stations. Not ideal by any means, for a number of reasons.

 

[Tube driver]

Prep was extended to 48 hours.

No one in the tower/shunter cabins.

Makes a mockery of comments and headlines made in the media and social media that it’s drivers causing all the misery. My depot was full of drivers yesterday but the depot and control room were out never mind station staff and that meant not a single train was running.

But hey, drivers on £100k+ are the problem

 

[Mojo]

I believe there is a fairly new procedure where, in extreme emergency, it can be done remotely via the LUCC. No doubt developed due to the increasing trend for unmanned stations. Not ideal by any means, for a number of reasons.

The LUCC does not and can not confirm traction current arrangements, except over Christmas. The process you’re probably thinking of is whereby there are no staff on site, the LUCC will transfer the call from the appropriate emergency services control through to the LU Service Controller. This was set up a few weeks into the Covid restrictions whereby increasing numbers of stations were being left unstaffed.

 

[dk1]

Wouldn't it have been nice then for TfL to say there will be no peak hour service to get to work in London on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and (presumably) Friday. Nobody had any idea that this continued into the following morning.

I thought it would be quite obvious to most Londoners that the day inbetween would be seriously disrupted. That's how it usually works & why the unions do it.