London Bridge this morning was a nightmare! Going from Platform 6 to Jubilee Line had to leave the station walk down to the bottom of the bridge and double back down Tooley Street. And that my friends is more info than they gave anyone prior to today regarding changes.
Does anyone get the feeling that if they left the transport system alone during the Olympics and changed nothing then everything would just run smoothly.
A lot of it is about minimising numbers going onto the Jubilee line. Incoming Southeastern/Southern passengers destined for the Olympic Park will be directed over London Bridge to the District line at Monument.
Try what i do, get on the back of the train, go up the platform cross over thing halfway along the platform and over and come down platform 9 or any other platform over that side and then through to the concourse, down the escalators through the vaults. So much quicker than the slope option where there is carnage at the bottom, especially now if you're being directed out the building.
Tourists or those not know where to go are going to get confused whilst listening to booming Boris voice makes them jump and then they fall over a bucket collecting water from the leaking roof in the vaults and entrance to Jubilee line!
Cant wait to work over at stratford during the olympics! I travel from mottingham so instead of getting a train to london bridge then hopping on a tube, I will probably have to endure the 161 for a full hour to north greenwich and get the tube there, or even go to woolwich and get the dlr over instead, adding about 45 minutes to my journey!
And there you have it. Was waiting for one of you to find it. We work very closely with TFL and Network rail at work on crowd simulation, this is more about safe working limits underground where on some lines the capacity is almost at it very upper limit in Rush hour already. Overground can get very busy when problems arise but on the whole only take around 60 - 90 seconds to clear under normal rush hour than it would take you when the route is clear.
Lucky for most of us (SE London and Kent lines) we have, not so bad exit routes at LB CS WE V and CX with the worst being WE in rush hour with counter flow from Waterloo. Warterloo is by far the worst station to exit in rush hour if you want the underground with average time of 390seconds to exit platform to underground gate line. This would take <50 seconds when not busy.
Anyway all that aside yes it is not going to be nice on some days getting to work and home again when everything is in full swing we will have to just lump it or work from home. ;-)
if LB is exit only does that mean I can't get a train home from LB during the Olympics? If not why do the timetables show the times the trains stop at LB. Confused.
if LB is exit only does that mean I can't get a train home from LB during the Olympics? If not why do the timetables show the times the trains stop at LB. Confused.
you just have to go a random way through to get on a train which is a mission if you're coming off the jubilee line to get a train from platform 1 - you've basically got to go out walk up the road, come back in via the bus garage bit.
What time is considered 'Peak' at London Bridge? I'm changing working hours.
Try what i do, get on the back of the train, go up the platform cross over thing halfway along the platform and over and come down platform 9 or any other platform over that side and then through to the concourse, down the escalators through the vaults. So much quicker than the slope option where there is carnage at the bottom, especially now if you're being directed out the building.
yep me too Suzi. Starting at 7am (have to get the 5.30am train) and finishing at 2pm. Had to go from Platform 3 to Jubilee Line this morning and did not think it was too bad. Was in work only ten minutes later than usual.
It really shows how journalists work... that last line was completely fed... Him : "Did you think there were there enough sign posts?" Me : "er.. no, not really.."
I travel regularly with a friend who's disabled. She booked Assisted Travel for today as she changes onto a bus at London Bridge (she can't walk long distances).
Reports so far are that staff at Gravesend have no idea Assisted Travel even exists, staff at London Bridge think Assisted Travel means she's deaf and just shouted at her.
Assisted Travel doesn't mean she can get onto a bus at London Bridge without doing an extra 10 mins of walking, not good when you're disabled, on crutches and arm splints and stuck in a crowd of people.
She was also told by staff that it doesn't mean she can "jump the queue" (shouted at her by staff member at London Bridge) or that she's allowed to claim any kind of priority seating so is expected to stand along with everyone else.
She's now extremely worried and stressed about how she's going to be able to get to or from work during the Olympics. I'm having to meet her from work tonight just to ensure she has some assistance going home.
I travel regularly with a friend who's disabled. She booked Assisted Travel for today as she changes onto a bus at London Bridge (she can't walk long distances).
Reports so far are that staff at Gravesend have no idea Assisted Travel even exists, staff at London Bridge think Assisted Travel means she's deaf and just shouted at her.
Assisted Travel doesn't mean she can get onto a bus at London Bridge without doing an extra 10 mins of walking, not good when you're disabled, on crutches and arm splints and stuck in a crowd of people.
She was also told by staff that it doesn't mean she can "jump the queue" (shouted at her by staff member at London Bridge) or that she's allowed to claim any kind of priority seating so is expected to stand along with everyone else.
She's now extremely worried and stressed about how she's going to be able to get to or from work during the Olympics. I'm having to meet her from work tonight just to ensure she has some assistance going home.
Wilma. Call customer services team at 0845 000 2222 and inform them of what has happened and at what time (around about) you will be returning this evening. They can have a member of staff meet you at the best gate line for you and get you both to your train.
Any problems please report back and we can get in contact with Network rail.
yep me too Suzi. Starting at 7am (have to get the 5.30am train) and finishing at 2pm.
Had to go from Platform 3 to Jubilee Line this morning and did not think it was too bad. Was in work only ten minutes later than usual.
Blimey!! I do 7.45 till 6ish on a Monday (8.30 till 6.30 normally). I am trying to get confirmed new hours from 7.30 till 4.30! and seeing if I can get away without the travel hoo hah!
I travel regularly with a friend who's disabled. She booked Assisted Travel for today as she changes onto a bus at London Bridge (she can't walk long distances).
Reports so far are that staff at Gravesend have no idea Assisted Travel even exists, staff at London Bridge think Assisted Travel means she's deaf and just shouted at her.
Assisted Travel doesn't mean she can get onto a bus at London Bridge without doing an extra 10 mins of walking, not good when you're disabled, on crutches and arm splints and stuck in a crowd of people.
She was also told by staff that it doesn't mean she can "jump the queue" (shouted at her by staff member at London Bridge) or that she's allowed to claim any kind of priority seating so is expected to stand along with everyone else.
She's now extremely worried and stressed about how she's going to be able to get to or from work during the Olympics. I'm having to meet her from work tonight just to ensure she has some assistance going home.
Wilma. Call customer services team at 0845 000 2222 and inform them of what has happened and at what time (around about) you will be returning this evening. They can have a member of staff meet you at the best gate line for you and get you both to your train.
Any problems please report back and we can get in contact with Network rail.
Non of them have any excuses for this at all.
Thank you, have passed on the information. This is the first time she's used Assisted Travel and she wasn't too impressed!
Wilma I have spoken with Network rail. I am sorry to report that the service has changed for the games. However it has not stopped. You need to book 24 hours before travel if at all possible. However its not to late to sort it out for tonight and get it sorted out for all her coming journeys. She will need to call 01732 77 00 99 (southeastern) after a week or two all the normal station staff will get to know her and should offer help without needing to be asked.
Just a side thought, if she is having problems with public transport perhaps a wheelchair (if only for the games period) might make her life much better?
Wilma I have spoken with Network rail. I am sorry to report that the service has changed for the games. However it has not stopped. You need to book 24 hours before travel if at all possible. However its not to late to sort it out for tonight and get it sorted out for all her coming journeys. She will need to call 01732 77 00 99 (southeastern) after a week or two all the normal station staff will get to know her and should offer help without needing to be asked.
Just a side thought, if she is having problems with public transport perhaps a wheelchair (if only for the games period) might make her life much better?
Thanks, she has phoned and this was her response to me:
"Got a right ******** on the phone - bottom line they are not interested & I will basically be treated the same as everyone else regardless of whether i have assisted travel or not!"
I will send on your further information to her. She's trying to get something sorted at work so she can work different hours if possible, or at home. She said if Southeastern at least had seats marked as Priority for disabled it would help, as she feels she can't ask someone to give up a seat for her. Personally, I think she shouldn't have to ask but sadly you can't rely on people nowadays to 'do the right thing'.
Tonight should be okay because I will be with her and I will make sure she gets a seat - even if I have to poke someone with her crutches to make them get up!!!
Seemed fine tonight at Canon st, I wonder if they've thrown some resources and overtime in today to make sure the networks running smoothly - i get the distinct impression they have. Any issues and I can see it being chaos.
Comments
Does anyone get the feeling that if they left the transport system alone during the Olympics and changed nothing then everything would just run smoothly.
Tourists or those not know where to go are going to get confused whilst listening to booming Boris voice makes them jump and then they fall over a bucket collecting water from the leaking roof in the vaults and entrance to Jubilee line!
Was waiting for one of you to find it. We work very closely with TFL and Network rail at work on crowd simulation, this is more about safe working limits underground where on some lines the capacity is almost at it very upper limit in Rush hour already. Overground can get very busy when problems arise but on the whole only take around 60 - 90 seconds to clear under normal rush hour than it would take you when the route is clear.
Lucky for most of us (SE London and Kent lines) we have, not so bad exit routes at LB CS WE V and CX with the worst being WE in rush hour with counter flow from Waterloo. Warterloo is by far the worst station to exit in rush hour if you want the underground with average time of 390seconds to exit platform to underground gate line. This would take <50 seconds when not busy.
Anyway all that aside yes it is not going to be nice on some days getting to work and home again when everything is in full swing we will have to just lump it or work from home. ;-)
What time is considered 'Peak' at London Bridge? I'm changing working hours.
Had to go from Platform 3 to Jubilee Line this morning and did not think it was too bad. Was in work only ten minutes later than usual.
I told them they'd closed 2/3 exits from the trains, not the tube.. and the guy had clearly never heard of Maze Hill before!
Reports so far are that staff at Gravesend have no idea Assisted Travel even exists, staff at London Bridge think Assisted Travel means she's deaf and just shouted at her.
Assisted Travel doesn't mean she can get onto a bus at London Bridge without doing an extra 10 mins of walking, not good when you're disabled, on crutches and arm splints and stuck in a crowd of people.
She was also told by staff that it doesn't mean she can "jump the queue" (shouted at her by staff member at London Bridge) or that she's allowed to claim any kind of priority seating so is expected to stand along with everyone else.
She's now extremely worried and stressed about how she's going to be able to get to or from work during the Olympics. I'm having to meet her from work tonight just to ensure she has some assistance going home.
Any problems please report back and we can get in contact with Network rail.
Non of them have any excuses for this at all.
I have spoken with Network rail. I am sorry to report that the service has changed for the games. However it has not stopped. You need to book 24 hours before travel if at all possible.
However its not to late to sort it out for tonight and get it sorted out for all her coming journeys. She will need to call 01732 77 00 99 (southeastern) after a week or two all the normal station staff will get to know her and should offer help without needing to be asked.
Just a side thought, if she is having problems with public transport perhaps a wheelchair (if only for the games period) might make her life much better?
"Got a right ******** on the phone - bottom line they are not interested & I will basically be treated the same as everyone else regardless of whether i have assisted travel or not!"
I will send on your further information to her. She's trying to get something sorted at work so she can work different hours if possible, or at home. She said if Southeastern at least had seats marked as Priority for disabled it would help, as she feels she can't ask someone to give up a seat for her. Personally, I think she shouldn't have to ask but sadly you can't rely on people nowadays to 'do the right thing'.
Tonight should be okay because I will be with her and I will make sure she gets a seat - even if I have to poke someone with her crutches to make them get up!!!
A hi-visibility vest. Magenta. XXL. Might as well say "punch me" on it
The olympics is going to be awful.