Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
Anyone know what the safety reasons are for having locked the door at the end of the waiting room on P8 at Watford Jn? Just inquisitive.
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Door out of use for safety reasons, Watford Jn
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Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
It’s permanently locked (using bits of angle iron), by the way. I did wonder if it related to Pendolino slipstream slamming it back and forth.
highspeed990
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God knows, probably just the health and safety mob at it again for an unimportant reason.
Probably to protect passengers and staff from some hazard that isn't undesrstood by posters here and just to annoy people like you who don't understand why negligence on safety issues that destroy peoples lives is something that is thankfully addressed in the 21st century.
highspeed990
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Can't they enforce their safety rules without causing a disruption? The rest can be solved with warning signs and passengers using common sense.
highspeed990
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What do you mean?
I've used this stretch of line, though not visited Watford regularly. The problem is people will ignore things which try to keep them safe. A classic example is the yellow line. I regularly see people stand beyond the yellow line on platforms which have fast trains. So putting signage on the building and expecting people to first, read the signs and second, to obey them, is unfortunately a stretch of the imagination.
Unless youre a H&S professional and have seen the risk assessment that would've help make the decision to close it, then I would say that that's a rather silly statement.
If this is to prevent accidents from the door slamming shut on people then they have made a correct decision for a very important reason.
I have no inside knowledge but suspect there is a genuine safety issue here. The door is singleleaf - when it was in use during the peaks there could be quite a crush of people trying to leave the waiting room to board the front coaches whilst another hoard were coming the other way as alternative route to the staircase . It also has the benefit of keeping some of the warmth inside - the heating is particuarly useless in all Watford waiting rooms.
To add - I seem to remember the (glass) door being smashed a couple of times when it was it use. Not sure how that happened.
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Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
Possibly banging back and forth due to Pendolino air turbulence or something?
Interesting about the passenger flow issues in those waiting rooms. I've always thought it quite a good station design as you don't have to go outside until your train is due unless you want to.
It could be worthwhile asking the TOC responsible for the station who probably made the decision?
matt_world2004
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Does the door open outward in an area of restircted clearance.
Tetchytyke
Veteran Member
Nope.
It's a strange one, as the door that opens on to the narrow part of platform 7 isn't locked, and that's more dangerous for passengers with Pendolinii rushing past.
I'm guessing it's probably because it bangs like the privy door during the plague.
As Mr Causton doesn’t seem to have picked up on this I shall!
Aye, that’s exactly why. The mechanism which slows it down when it’s closing is broken so if it shuts on your face it’ll break your nose, and it’s quite a heavy door.
The turbulence of passing Pendolinos was causing it to blow open and slam shut with serious force every couple of minutes.
Aye, that’s exactly why. The mechanism which slows it down when it’s closing is broken so if it shuts on your face it’ll break your nose, and it’s quite a heavy door.
The turbulence of passing Pendolinos was causing it to blow open and slam shut with serious force every couple of minutes.
Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
causton
Established Member
I'm glad you knew, as I didn't, I asked when I started working there and nobody knew a definite reason then!
First I've seen of this thread, despite being tagged in it, I haven't been notified in any way...
Great stuff, this forum always turns up trumps -eventually.
Clarence Yard
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There was also the problem of people standing in the area behind the door, especially in wet weather. As people got off a train on 8, the north end punters rushed for the door (which has tinted glass) and you can guess the rest.
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