Old Yard Dog
Established Member
- Joined
- 21 Aug 2011
- Messages
- 1,486
Network Rail seem to have little consideration for passengers with tight connections when allocating platforms. Travellers are often forced to run long distances on stations due to late incoming trains when a little bit of flexibility could have ameliorated the problem. I am an overweight 66 year old and have suffered twice in recent days.
On Thu 15th Feb, I was on the 2255 from Ruabon to Chester (due in at 2319) expecting an easy walk from platform 7a to 7b to connect with the 2330 to Hooton, my last train home. The train was 6 mins late leaving Ruabon and platform 7a was occupied. So my train, a Birmingham - Manchester working, was reallocated to the (usually) westbound platform 3 instead of eastbound platform 4, the normal platform for Manchester trains which was empty. We were then held for a few minutes at the signals outside Chester to allow a westbound freight to pass.
We arrived in platform 3 at 2328 some distance from the footbridge. With no time to wait for the lift, I had to run like the clappers down the platform, up the steps, over the bridge and down the steps to platform 7 arriving puffing, panting and sweating. It spoilt a nice evening. I only caught my train as the 2330 was also late.
Then on Sat 17th Feb, I was on the late running 1829 Newcastle to York (due at platform 5 at 1928) intending to catch the 1940 to Liverpool (from platform 4). I wasn't too concerned about the delay as, remembering P4 is on a curve from Scarborough at the far north of the station, I mistakenly thought P5 was the mainline platform next to it and the Liverpool train couldn't go till my train had left for Kings Cross. However the platforms at York are not numbered in a sensible order and my train from Newcastle not only stopped on a platform across the tracks from P4, it stopped as far south as imaginable down that platform leaving me with 3 or 4 minutes to run 200 yards with a footbridge crossing thrown in.
This time I was not the only passenger in this predicament. Some 30-40 people also made the mad dash, including many elderly people with luggage. With all Newcastle - Liverpool trains cancelled on Saturday (as seems usual), this was a more important connection than normal and I suspect many people had advanced tickets meaning they couldn't wait for the next train (if just going to Leeds or Manchester).
Again I arrived puffing, panting and sweating and caught my train with half a minute to spare. To his credit, the conductor did hold the train for a couple of minutes (but the alternative would have been slamming the door on a steady stream of pensioners).
Knowing an hour or so in advance that the Newcastle - London train would be late, why did the signalman at York not divert it to P3 (allowing an easy walk to P4)??
Obviously nobody waiting at a station wants platform changes at the last minute. And ironically the Liverpool train was delayed at Cross Gates and replatformed at short notice at Leeds causing mayhem. So there is a balance to be drawn. However I think NR need to be more passenger focussed and flexible. And TOCs need to hold connections and have announcements made that this is being done.
On Thu 15th Feb, I was on the 2255 from Ruabon to Chester (due in at 2319) expecting an easy walk from platform 7a to 7b to connect with the 2330 to Hooton, my last train home. The train was 6 mins late leaving Ruabon and platform 7a was occupied. So my train, a Birmingham - Manchester working, was reallocated to the (usually) westbound platform 3 instead of eastbound platform 4, the normal platform for Manchester trains which was empty. We were then held for a few minutes at the signals outside Chester to allow a westbound freight to pass.
We arrived in platform 3 at 2328 some distance from the footbridge. With no time to wait for the lift, I had to run like the clappers down the platform, up the steps, over the bridge and down the steps to platform 7 arriving puffing, panting and sweating. It spoilt a nice evening. I only caught my train as the 2330 was also late.
Then on Sat 17th Feb, I was on the late running 1829 Newcastle to York (due at platform 5 at 1928) intending to catch the 1940 to Liverpool (from platform 4). I wasn't too concerned about the delay as, remembering P4 is on a curve from Scarborough at the far north of the station, I mistakenly thought P5 was the mainline platform next to it and the Liverpool train couldn't go till my train had left for Kings Cross. However the platforms at York are not numbered in a sensible order and my train from Newcastle not only stopped on a platform across the tracks from P4, it stopped as far south as imaginable down that platform leaving me with 3 or 4 minutes to run 200 yards with a footbridge crossing thrown in.
This time I was not the only passenger in this predicament. Some 30-40 people also made the mad dash, including many elderly people with luggage. With all Newcastle - Liverpool trains cancelled on Saturday (as seems usual), this was a more important connection than normal and I suspect many people had advanced tickets meaning they couldn't wait for the next train (if just going to Leeds or Manchester).
Again I arrived puffing, panting and sweating and caught my train with half a minute to spare. To his credit, the conductor did hold the train for a couple of minutes (but the alternative would have been slamming the door on a steady stream of pensioners).
Knowing an hour or so in advance that the Newcastle - London train would be late, why did the signalman at York not divert it to P3 (allowing an easy walk to P4)??
Obviously nobody waiting at a station wants platform changes at the last minute. And ironically the Liverpool train was delayed at Cross Gates and replatformed at short notice at Leeds causing mayhem. So there is a balance to be drawn. However I think NR need to be more passenger focussed and flexible. And TOCs need to hold connections and have announcements made that this is being done.