www.southwesttrains.co.uk latest news on 16/9/02.
"Our first priority is always to get our customers to their
destinations safely. Then we need to ensure that they arrive on time.
In order to first achieve and then maintain higher standards of
punctuality, South West Trains has recently launched an initiative
known as "Time minus 30 seconds" or T - 30.
The aim is simple. To ensure that all trains depart from stations on
time (at 00 seconds), platform staff will advise passengers, through
whistle blowing, that the train is ready to depart and discourage any
more from joining the train 30 seconds before the timetabled departure
time. The signal will then be given to the guard telling him that the
train is ready to leave the station.
This may sound trivial, but imagine that a single train is delayed at
each station by just 10 seconds. Some trains may be calling at as many
as 20 stations on one journey, resulting in an overall delay of 3-4
minutes for that train alone. The reactionary delays then caused to
the other trains around it, coupled with traincrew and rolling stock
displacement can have a devastating affect on performance throughout
the network. Please support us in our initiative by boarding trains as
quickly as possible."
Ignoring the fact that some departures are timed at 1/2 minute past
(at 30 secs) this is plain daft. Generally staff on SWT do a good
impression of being invisible, but then again most stations don't have
any platform staff. 20 station journeys = London suburban where
platform staff are few and far between, so unless SWT are going to
recruit lots of new staff - no chance, or insist that conductors take
some interest in what's going on instead of waiting a while before
glancing out and giving ding, ding - fat chance, this is pure empty
whaffle.
Just confirms my view that senior SWT managers don't have a clue how
to run a railway, coming up with meaningless gee-whiz brainwaves from
the comfort of their offices. Has there been any training for front
line staff, I'll bet this is a purely proclaim and forget exercise.
If 3-4 minute delays cause the train plan to fall apart then it's
drawn too tight, stock and crew turnrounds should be able to absorb
minor delays. Haven't these bus bandits grasped that rail operation is
fundamentally different yet?
If SWT really want to do something they might copy South Central, peak
departures from Victoria & Clapham Jct are all advertised a minute
earlier than their working times. Quite effective so long as staff
don't look at the WTT.