Platform 13/15 Bristol Temple Meads

[whole diary]

[clevedonian]

for the third day running. the 18.21 Taunton train has been moved from 15 to another platform, one of the platform staff said their was a problem somewhere and has been for a few days, anybody know what the problem is??

and if they know there is a problem why put it on the screen at platform15 and then move it at the last minute - so annoying!

I have applied for a customer service role at Bristol Temple Meads, so hopefully all being well I will be able to find this information out first hand!!

PS - hope the teenagers who got on at Bristol who wanted to go to Swindon got back to Bristol OK?? I guess it is easier to do, the London train was on the same platform about 5mins later and both were HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train)!

[John R]

Ah yes, I saw those as well. And they weren't the only ones either to get caught out from what I saw. I expect the 1832 Nailsea to Bristol was quite busy with rather unhappy passengers.

Suggest the station staff at Temple Meads need to bit sharper in advising passengers if it continues to be replatformed.

[Chris from Nailsea]

Not just the 18:21 - the 20:18 last night was similarly moved, to platform 10, at apparently the last minute. 

[Oxman]

Its the signaller that makes the call on replatforming for short term operational reasons. If the signaller decides to replatform, he/she will usually notify the station by radio. Most big stations can then alter the CIS^▸ (Customer Information System) locally to show the change of platform, otherwise, they have to call Swindon to have the central CIS operators make the change. If it is done at very short notice, the CIS will pick up the change of platform, as the train enters the platform, and automatically show the change and make announcements.

Signallers, contrary to public perception, try to avoid making short notice platform alterations. They know that if they make a late decision, the service will probably incur delays (which they will pick up), whilst passengers cross to the new platform. The time it takes to do this can negate any gain over waiting for the scheduled platform to become free.

Some signallers consult platform staff before making a change: how many passengers need to move? how much luggage? any wheelchair users? If the platform staff advise that it should not be a problem, the change will be made. Otherwise, the train waits for the platform to become free unless, of course, the problem is unlikely to be cleared in a reasonable time.

If a change has to be made, the signaller tries to replatform onto an adjacent platform, to minimise the inconvenience.

[Chris from Nailsea]

Thanks very much for your helpful explanation, Oxman. 

The funny thing was, last night, there was no train on platform 15 at BRI^» (Bristol Temple Meads - next trains), for many minutes before the arrival of the 20:18 to WSM.  Indeed, our departure from BRI was delayed by a few minutes, and I still couldn't see any indication that any other train was due to arrive at platform 15.

I agree with clevedonian: there seems to be some problem with platform 15 at BRI at the moment? 

[smithy]

not sure what or if a problem but it was in use earlier today,one of them big blue pointy things from padd arrived on it.

[John R]

It happened again tonight. As the TM^‡(resolve) was despatching the train he told the outgoing TM on the platform "I think I've got some passengers for London on here". (I overheard this, because I was in the end seat, not because I'm in the habit of overhearing conversations between two members of staff.  )

So I immediately jumped up, as people at the end of the coach were already standing up in concern, and tried to interrupt him. But he told me to wait, the train started moving, and as a result around 20 unhappy customers found themselves deposited at Nailsea again.

Half of them got the 1832 back to Bristol, but those with bikes, cases, or weren't quick enough off the mark (because they were still wondering what was going on) didn't. There was a french girl who spoke no English, someone who needed to pick up her 3 year old, and none of them knew what to do. So I helped as best I could, and reassured them that they would still pick up the 1930 from Temple Meads. Many were on advance tickets so were very worried that they would have to buy a new one.

It was a shocking example of Customer Service. The TM knew what was happening, ignored someone trying to get his attention as he was despatching, (a couple of presses of a button and he could have avoided the problem) and as a result there are some very unhappy and concerned travellers tonight. 

[dog box]

So i presume reading the last paragraph of your post john you expected the T/M to give the driver 1 stop the train and let these passengers off...sorry mate once the first tip is given an accepted the dispatch process is underway and the T/M is concentrating hard to ensure the train leaves the station safely for the benefit of ALL passengers on board. once the train has left passenger queries of boarding the wrong train can be dealt with by a simple ticket endorsment....train dispatch is a SAFETY CRITICAL operation for the dispatcher and T/M ...and thus safety critical duties take priority over everything else

[inspector_blakey]

Absolutely correct that dispatching a train is safety critical (no need for shouting please ), and for what it's worth I would consider that the guard acted properly by not allowing him/herself to be distracted.

However, it sounds like that's about the only point at which they acted properly during this little farce. The guard should have dealt with the situation in a professional manner before they got anywhere near dispatching the train. John R is right: if the situation is as described then it's an appalling example of customer service bordering on negligence.

The passengers were screwed over by a last-minute platform alteration. If the guard really did take the train out knowing full well there were people on board who had been misled by this and were on the wrong train, then that's absolutely pathetic. No excuses, no justifications.

At the very least I think you'd agree that a PA^▸ (Public Address) announcement would have been in order to make clear to everyone on board that the train was not going to Paddington but heading west. After all, it's not unheard of during disruption for trains to arrive from the east, be turned round very rapidly and sent back to London.

I have very little sympathy for passengers who get on the wrong train thanks to their own stupidity, but under the circumstances described it sounds like the staff really should have made more effort to assist. I'm sure the guard concerned would have been delighted to delay the train at Nailsea and Backwell whilst making the necessary endorsements on the tickets of everyone who had been carried there in error.

[John R]

OK. I take the point about not allowing himself to be interrupted, and I agree that 99 times out of 100 a passenger trying to get the attention of the TM^‡(resolve) is nothing to do with safety.

But this TM seemed hell bent on taking the train out knowing there were lots of passengers on board who didn't want to be, and as the train had not started moving, can someone explain what safety isssue would there have been with stopping the train before it had started? He certainly didn't have time to do more than do the usual safety announcements and then advice passengers to get off at Nailsea. Only a couple had their tickets endorsed.   

By the way, today it came in on 12, and there was no repeat. Platform 15 was awaiting a Portsmouth Harbour service, which suddenly seem to be using 13 and 15 on a regular basis. 

[Chris from Nailsea]

And it happened again, this afternoon: the 16:18 from BRI^» (Bristol Temple Meads - next trains) to WSM (an HST^▸ (High Speed Train) from PAD^» (Paddington (London) - next trains)) was shown as a platform change, from 15 to 10, while a Portsmouth service used platform 15.

Musical chairs, anyone?? 

[JayMac]

Is there maybe some issue with the pointwork or track circuits that is preventing 15 from being used as a through platform? However, nearly a week has passed since this topic started, so maybe not.

Perhaps someone has pee'd off the bobbies in the Bristol PSB^▸ (Power Signal Box)*?


*Power Signal Box. One for the Acronyms/Abbreviations page, Mods?

[devon_metro]

I too was thinking the same!

[John R]

The Portsmouth Hrb services seem to be using 13/15 regularly for some reason.

[Chris from Nailsea]

Interestingly, the 1725 BRI^» (Bristol Temple Meads - next trains) to WSM and the 1730 XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) service to Leeds were swapped over between platforms 5 and 8, in yet another platform alteration this afternoon.