Mobility assistance failures at Clapham Junction

[relay_man]

I have become aware there have been at least two mobility assitance failures at Clampham Junction in the past fortnight.
https://twitter.com/HannahPopsy/status/1390564060480122881

Assistance fail at Clapham Junction - left on the train, lovely passengers trying to get me help. Turns out a year on, nothing changes. #PopsyTravels

and https://twitter.com/flowergirl_lon/status/1387499461983801346

Fab to see Minister for Transport @chhcalling mention on 27/4/21 the #AccessFail that disrupted my ‘first journey back’ (& brought all my anxiety about public transport back). It’s all interesting but do skip to 12:20-13:40 if you wish.
@SouthernRailUK should be ashamed 1/n

In one of these cases the woman involved sued the rail operator last year for £17K and won.

What has to be done for the industry to get this right?

 

[Mills444]

For the cost of bad publicity and lawsuits to exceed that of fixing the systems and improving their resilience.

 

[Wolfie]

I have become aware there have been at least two mobility assitance failures at Clampham Junction in the past fortnight. https://twitter.com/HannahPopsy/status/1390564060480122881 and https://twitter.com/flowergirl_lon/status/1387499461983801346 In one of these cases the woman involved sued the rail operator last year for £17K and won.

What has to be done for the industry to get this right?

Southern, if they reached an agreed settlement with conditions for the previous legal case, are on very dangerous ground. Failure to comply with the agreed conditions, which will form part of something agreed by the Court, might be deemed to be contempt. Perhaps a senior company officer or two banged up might concentrate their minds..... If this goes back to Court no judge is going to be amused....

 

[pinkmarie80]

Not just Clapham Junction. Happens extensively across the network as I’ve found out on more than one occasion. My worst experience was at York- booked assistance didn’t show and I fell as I struggled off the train and twisted my ankle. Somewhat unfortunately for them I was doing some passenger panel work for VTEC as it was then and when I told the lady in charge what had happened she wasn’t pleased.

We were in the station for the event and she stomped off to tell some people off, and when it was time to go home I was treated like a VIP- my assistance was brought to the door and she personally escorted me to the train, watching the young guy helping me like a hawk- he looked terrified as she was quite senior. I was lucky that time but it happens way too much.

 

[trentside]

The system fails at basic levels.

Onboard staff not being given access to passenger assistance systems so they aren’t aware of booked assistance on their trains - especially at unstaffed stations.

Station staff failing to tell onboard staff they’ve put passengers requiring assistance onboard and if the onboard staff get caught up with another issue not making it to the person in time.

These are just the major issues I experience on a semi-regular basis at ‘normal’ times. It goes much further and we can and must do better.

 

[relay_man]

The system fails at basic levels.

Onboard staff not being given access to passenger assistance systems so they aren’t aware of booked assistance on their trains - especially at unstaffed stations.

Station staff failing to tell onboard staff they’ve put passengers requiring assistance onboard and if the onboard staff get caught up with another issue not making it to the person in time.

These are just the major issues I experience on a semi-regular basis at ‘normal’ times. It goes much further and we can and must do better.

I would suggest joining twitter and every time it happens let @Tanni_GT and @grantshapps know.

 

[trentside]

I would suggest joining twitter and every time it happens let @Tanni_GT and @grantshapps know.

I’m writing as a member of staff. While I’d love to call it out on Twitter it wouldn’t do well for my future in the industry I don’t think.

 

[PHILIPE]

I would suggest joining twitter and every time it happens let @Tanni_GT and @grantshapps know.

Tanni got failed herself once about 8 years ago when she arrived at Kings Cross after midnight on a Saturday night from the north and the booked assistance was not there. By the time she was on her own with everybody else off the train gone she was left in the obvious situation but struggled to try and manoeuvre her wheel chair and to try and bounce it out of the train but fell lucky as a cleaner happened to come along the platform and aw her plight and was able to save the situation.

 

[LowLevel]

The system fails at basic levels.

Onboard staff not being given access to passenger assistance systems so they aren’t aware of booked assistance on their trains - especially at unstaffed stations.

Station staff failing to tell onboard staff they’ve put passengers requiring assistance onboard and if the onboard staff get caught up with another issue not making it to the person in time.

These are just the major issues I experience on a semi-regular basis at ‘normal’ times. It goes much further and we can and must do better.

There is currently a trial of a new Passenger Assistance app that will give traincrews and station staff direct access to bookings, allow station staff to be assigned to them so people know who is meant to be helping and also, I believe though it isn't working yet, allow people to book "turn up and go" assistance at short notice as well as allowing guards picking up people at unmanned stations for example to quickly create an assistance job for destinations or interchanges.

I'm not sure of how it all works yet as it's still in a trial phase but if it does work as sold then it should be a huge improvement to the current shuffling of paper and emails.

 

[infobleep]

There is currently a trial of a new Passenger Assistance app that will give traincrews and station staff direct access to bookings, allow station staff to be assigned to them so people know who is meant to be helping and also, I believe though it isn't working yet, allow people to book "turn up and go" assistance at short notice as well as allowing guards picking up people at unmanned stations for example to quickly create an assistance job for destinations or interchanges.

I'm not sure of how it all works yet as it's still in a trial phase but if it does work as sold then it should be a huge improvement to the current shuffling of paper and emails.

That will be really good if it is designed well enough.

Time will tell I guess but I do hope it is. Apps for the public sector can be hit and miss at times.

 

[2192]

A friend booked assistance to get off at Sheffield. But there were two disabled people in her carriage at opposite ends, and the other one had not booked help. The staff member on the platform assumed this was the one who had booked help, and gave it them leaving my friend stranded in the train and was overcarried to Meadowhall. The staff member should have checked the name.

 

[TUC]

Too much of the assistance system process in terms of communication between platform and train staff seems to work on the assumption that the passenger uses a wheelchair and so a ramp will be a visual indication that staff are in the middle of supporting them to get on/off the train. On multiple occasions my wife, who is visually impaired, has experienced staff who basically show her to where her seat is and then run off the train as quickly as possible so that it doesn't depart with them on board. It suggests that neither the on train staff, nor those on platform responsible for despatching, have any indication that a member of platform staff is still onboard.

 

[plymothian]

That will be really good if it is designed well enough.

Time will tell I guess but I do hope it is. Apps for the public sector can be hit and miss at times.

It's better than the first incarnation in the information it gives, but has a poor UI. The user as always has to deliberately seek out any information pertinant to them which easily forgotten about as it's yet again another app to consult and so the system falls down immediately as not every staff member will be in the loop.

 

[relay_man]

Too much of the assistance system process in terms of communication between platform and train staff seems to work on the assumption that the passenger uses a wheelchair and so a ramp will be a visual indication that staff are in the middle of supporting them to get on/off the train. On multiple occasions my wife, who is visually impaired, has experienced staff who basically show her to where her seat is and then run off the train as quickly as possible so that it doesn't depart with them on board. It suggests that neither the on train staff, nor those on platform responsible for despatching, have any indication that a member of platform staff is still onboard.

Sounds like a need for a not to be moved pendant like when the cleaners are on board...

 

[infobleep]

It's better than the first incarnation in the information it gives, but has a poor UI. The user as always has to deliberately seek out any information pertinant to them which easily forgotten about as it's yet again another app to consult and so the system falls down immediately as not every staff member will be in the loop.

What a shame.