Station Manager Corner

[Nero]

Barry,

Could you tell me what our train company is doing to prevent people from littering trains and stations and resting their feet on seats? Some companies have put stickers inside train carriages. I think yours should do so too, and ask drivers to make announcements to the same effect.

The default position for lots of people, from schoolkids to Guardian-reading professionals, is to plonk themseleves down and immediately put their feet on the seat opposite. It's infuriating!

I do ask people to take them down myself, so I am not asking your company to do something I wouldn't do, even though I maintain it is its responsibility to do so.

I look forward to your reply.

N

[Eileen]

Dear Barry - hear hear! to this suggestion. If the company would run a well publicised campaign to stop people putting their feet on the seats, I am sure many rail users would support that, some of us enthusiastically and be emboldened to ask people to stop. I do ask sometimes when I get the courage but it is really hard to do it without any supportive campaign by the company. Is that something you could take up for us?

Nero Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Barry,

> Could you tell me what our train company is doing

> to prevent people from littering trains and

> stations and resting their feet on seats? Some

> companies have put stickers inside train

> carriages. I think yours should do so too, and ask

> drivers to make announcements to the same effect.

> The default position for lots of people, from

> schoolkids to Guardian-reading professionals, is

> to plonk themseleves down and immediately put

> their feet on the seat opposite. It's infuriating!

>

> I do ask people to take them down myself, so I am

> not asking your company to do something I wouldn't

> do, even though I maintain it is its

> responsibility to do so.

> I look forward to your reply.

> N

[david_carnell]

Barry

Well done for all your hard work - it is much appreciated.

Following on from Timster's post there are similar issues relating to the timeliness of the 8:32am service from Peckham Rye to Victoria.

It is always late. And I mean always. Sometimes by two minutes, often by five or more. But what is more annoying is that up until 8:32am the info screens say it is on time and then suddenly, for no apparent reason, it's late. If it is always going to be late, just be honest and change the time of this train so we know.

I know these few minutes may seem inconsequential but it proves more fustrating than you'd imagine.

[ruffers]

One of the lights is out again by the steps at East Dulwich.

[Bic Basher]

General question Barry.

I bought a off-peak return which was labeled "Web Off-peak return" today to London Terminals from Forest Hill (which I understand has been taken over by LOROL) which the route had Southern only printed on the ticket which I haven't seen before. I continued my journey to Charing Cross as per usual by Southeastern. Am I liable for a penalty fare between LB and CX?

[Alex K]

Mr Jones, I can't get over how helpful and informative you are.

The "human face" that you confer on our railway service goes a long, long way toward reconciling me -- and others, I'm sure -- to the momentary disruptions that are... well, just part of the game.

Thank you. I hope that as you advance in railway management your successor maintains this outreach / contact programme.

[SMBJones]

Nero/Eileen

I am liasing with our marketing department, I will come back in a few days regarding this issue

Regards

Barry

Nero Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Barry,

> Could you tell me what our train company is doing

> to prevent people from littering trains and

> stations and resting their feet on seats? Some

> companies have put stickers inside train

> carriages. I think yours should do so too, and ask

> drivers to make announcements to the same effect.

>

> The default position for lots of people, from

> schoolkids to Guardian-reading professionals, is

> to plonk themseleves down and immediately put

> their feet on the seat opposite. It's infuriating!

>

> I do ask people to take them down myself, so I am

> not asking your company to do something I wouldn't

> do, even though I maintain it is its

> responsibility to do so.

> I look forward to your reply.

> N

[SMBJones]

Hi David

This would be a similar reposnse to Timsters posting, I have added this to the agenda. I am currently collating all information regarding the Metro Area timings and regular services that do not meet our performance criteria

This will take a few weeks and I will respond accordingly

Many thanks

Barry

david_carnell Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Barry

>

> Well done for all your hard work - it is much

> appreciated.

>

> Following on from Timster's post there are similar

> issues relating to the timeliness of the 8:32am

> service from Peckham Rye to Victoria.

>

> It is always late. And I mean always. Sometimes by

> two minutes, often by five or more. But what is

> more annoying is that up until 8:32am the info

> screens say it is on time and then suddenly, for

> no apparent reason, it's late. If it is always

> going to be late, just be honest and change the

> time of this train so we know.

>

> I know these few minutes may seem inconsequential

> but it proves more fustrating than you'd imagine.

[SMBJones]

Hi

This seems to a regular occurence and have despatched our contractors to look at all lights and look further into this issue, ie maybe a problem with fuse box or something. This is on a four hour call out so should be rectified by this evening

Apologies for this

Barry

ruffers Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> One of the lights is out again by the steps at

> East Dulwich.

[SMBJones]

Hi

No is the answer BB

"Please advise the customer that an any permitted ticket would allow the change between train operators and London Terminals"

Regards

Barry

Bic Basher Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> General question Barry.

>

> I bought a off-peak return which was labeled "Web

> Off-peak return" today to London Terminals from

> Forest Hill (which I understand has been taken

> over by LOROL) which the route had Southern only

> printed on the ticket which I haven't seen before.

> I continued my journey to Charing Cross as per

> usual by Southeastern. Am I liable for a penalty

> fare between LB and CX?

[Nero]

From a media-interest point of view, I am pretty sure that any effort you make to stop people putting their feet on seats would get lots of attention. It's something that a lot of people think about, it ties in with the 'broke Britain' idea and it's a good topic for interactivity (ie people ranting on web pages and phone-ins).

I hope your marketing department are savvy enough to recognise this and pick up on it, but would like to add that it is not something that should be seen solely as an income/publicity generator! Your non-marketing managers should be thinking about such anti-social behaviour too.

[rbmartin]

Thanks for your help Barry.

I don't want to steal your thunder, but the London Connections blog and other websites are claiming Oyster PAYG will be operational from 2nd January 2010 on National Rail services with cheaper single journeys compared to buying a paper single.

[SMBJones]

Dear all

Next Monday 23rd November there will be a formal announcement made by the DFT/TFL, The announcements will be made by Lord Adonis, Boris Johnson to name a couple (I feel honoured that they have chosen to come to Balham to do this) in view that Pay As You Go will go live on the 2nd January 2010. Watch out for press releases and news bulletins on TV Monday evening!

I cant explain how I feel about this but ecstatic does come to mind and a long time we have waited!

Barry

rbmartin Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Thanks for your help Barry.

>

> I don't want to steal your thunder, but the London

> Connections blog and other websites are claiming

> Oyster PAYG will be operational from 2nd January

> 2010 on National Rail services with cheaper single

> journeys compared to buying a paper single.

[SMBJones]

Nero

I am not sure I understand the folowing 2 points raised "but would

> like to add that it is not something that should

> be seen solely as an income/publicity generator!" and

> "Your non-marketing managers should be thinking

> about such anti-social behaviour too"

Regards

Barry

Nero Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> From a media-interest point of view, I am pretty

> sure that any effort you make to stop people

> putting their feet on seats would get lots of

> attention. It's something that a lot of people

> think about, it ties in with the 'broke Britain'

> idea and it's a good topic for interactivity (ie

> people ranting on web pages and phone-ins).

> I hope your marketing department are savvy enough

> to recognise this and pick up on it, but would

> like to add that it is not something that should

> be seen solely as an income/publicity generator!

> Your non-marketing managers should be thinking

> about such anti-social behaviour too.

[sophiesofa]

Yey to pay-as-you-go - can't wait!

[northernmonkey]

Barry

The 6.39 train this morning was cancelled with no reason given. Whilst waiting for the 6:51, a train with 8 carriages (and people on it), looking suspiciously like the 6:39 train went straight though East Dulwich Station without stopping (at around 6:46). It looks like what happened was that the train was running late and someone decided to cancel further stops to get it to London Bridge on time. The only problem with this approach is that the 6:51 is a 2 carriage train with very little seating, and therefore it was very overcrowded. Not sure if you can raise with anyone that cancelling the 6;39 causes problems because of insufficient passenger accommodation on the 6:51. Additionally, given the growing popularity of the 6:51 service, do you know if there are any plans to add additional carriages to this service?

Thanks

[the-e-dealer]

The trouble is some fool - or fools set the performence targets for Railways to be based the prompt arrival at terminuses. What they should have done is set a target that nobody was left standing on a platform more than say 20 minutes or similar.

I remember the days when at Denmark hill if a train was cancelled another fast train would be stopped specially to get us to work, not in these days!

[fuzzyboots]

Barry you are a man after my own heart. It's so refreshing and encouraging to encounter someone who personally gives a damn about doing an effective job and delivering a good, personal, responsive service. Good for you and keep it up. I imagine you derive a great deal of personal satisfaction from going the extra mile and being personally accountable for your work.

A breath of fresh air :)

[Nero]

Barry,

I meant that the issue, I would have thought, has less to do with marketing and more to do with safety and security, or some such department. Why shoudl the marketing department have more ideas about how to make train journeys more pleasant than, say, the operations department?

N

[SMBJones]

Hi Apologies for this

I will take this up t the next performance meeting. There are quite a few to raise and I will update accordingly

Regards

Barry

northernmonkey Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Barry

>

> The 6.39 train this morning was cancelled with no

> reason given. Whilst waiting for the 6:51, a

> train with 8 carriages (and people on it), looking

> suspiciously like the 6:39 train went straight

> though East Dulwich Station without stopping (at

> around 6:46). It looks like what happened was

> that the train was running late and someone

> decided to cancel further stops to get it to

> London Bridge on time. The only problem with this

> approach is that the 6:51 is a 2 carriage train

> with very little seating, and therefore it was

> very overcrowded. Not sure if you can raise with

> anyone that cancelling the 6;39 causes problems

> because of insufficient passenger accommodation on

> the 6:51. Additionally, given the growing

> popularity of the 6:51 service, do you know if

> there are any plans to add additional carriages to

> this service?

>

> Thanks

[SMBJones]

Hi

The depot operations manager is back next Monday, I will be taking this up with him. I have expressed my grave concerns in the metro area when there are cancellations and passengers "left stranded"

Regards

Barry

the-e-dealer Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> The trouble is some fool - or fools set the

> performence targets for Railways to be based the

> prompt arrival at terminuses. What they should

> have done is set a target that nobody was left

> standing on a platform more than say 20 minutes or

> similar.

> I remember the days when at Denmark hill if a

> train was cancelled another fast train would be

> stopped specially to get us to work, not in these

> days!

[Medley]

Barry,

This echoes many posts on here, but it bears repeating. Well done. It's saddening that someone throwing their all into their job, taking customers seriously, putting themselves in their place, doing all they can to help is all so unusual that it gets such admiration, but it is that unusual and it does deserve that admiration. As a train lover and south Londoner, I salute your attitude, which I would love to think might become more widespread.

In my work I often analyse levels of customer service and how well the consumer is or is not looked after. Finding your attitude and aptitude is very rare indeed.

Keep it up!

[sophiesofa]

Hello Barry. The no feet on seats thing has made me think if it's possible to make some announcements when a train pulls in to a packed platform for an announcement to be made requesting people wait until everyone gets off. I got the 6.07pm from LB and was at the front waiting for the last man (who wasn't too stable) to get off when people started stampeding around me to get on while he was still on the train. I did feebly say that someone was still getting off but they mainly ignored me. I think it's sad that I'm even having to request this because it just shouldn't happen but sadly it's a common occurrence and it's really really rude and unnecessary. Thank you

[SMBJones]

Dear all,sophies Eureka moment! I think thats the answer.... It sounds simple but have to run this past my colleague at HQ who compiles the platform announcements.whether its feasible or not remains to be seen. For example and my idea is this. "the next train to arrive at platform 2 is the 0730 to london bridge, calling at blah blah" and then finishing the announcement with "we kindly ask passengers not to place feet on seats etc etc" this can be implemented at all stations including the terminus stations.

Its a start and a simple idea

I will keep you posted

Barry

sophiesofa Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Hello Barry. The no feet on seats thing has made

> me think if it's possible to make some

> announcements when a train pulls in to a packed

> platform for an announcement to be made requesting

> people wait until everyone gets off. I got the

> 6.07pm from LB and was at the front waiting for

> the last man (who wasn't too stable) to get off

> when people started stampeding around me to get on

> while he was still on the train. I did feebly say

> that someone was still getting off but they mainly

> ignored me. I think it's sad that I'm even having

> to request this because it just shouldn't happen

> but sadly it's a common occurrence and it's really

> really rude and unnecessary. Thank you

[Nero]

It is a start - thanks. If it were repeated by teh driver, even better. Indeed, the very sound of a driver - only heard when there is a problem, it seems - would do something to alert people to the fact that there is someone 'in charge' and might prevent anti-social behaviour to an extent.