they did it for the jublie an all. the main entry was closed. just seemed pointless and unnecessary, but I'm sure they know better. actually thinking about i do know why they did it, its so the tourists know which way to go so they don't fath about trying to find the exit and it helps when you got f all staff on to cope so they close the main station.
Just got in. Changed at London Bridge for a Cannon Street train. That was fine. At Cannon Street most of the station seemed closed and they were funnelling you towards the stairs out. Was OK at that time in the morning but I reckon it'll take a few minutes to get out when rush hour really kicks in.
London Bridge was fine, if a bit inconvenient having to exit via the subway rather than turning left into the bus station area. Not sure what it might be like with a couple of thousand extras.
They do it all he time at Charing Cross, for the Jubilee and NYE most recently, they put fencing all along the front and funnel you all the way along Strand down to Adam Street and back up again to Villiers Street, but then they force you back up to the main entrance and close off all the side entrances and subways
So, London Bridge this morning was one bloke with a loud hailer, but this time backed up by a couple of others wearing hi-viz and a few coppers standing around watching! Took a few minutes extra to get out the station but then I got an earlier train just to avoid the major crowds. Think it will be the same this evening going home so I'll probably take the excuse to get away early.
It has made me more certain that there is no way I'm coming in during the Olympics. Very claustrophobic when you're stuck in the tunnels/subways with hundreds of people around you EEK!!!
I was interviewed by the sub-Standard coming out of London Bridge this morning - they were asking views on the rehearsals.. They took my name, age, occupation & a photo, so might be in tonight's issue..
London Bridge's approach seems to be to close off 2 of the exits (the main one that leads out to the concourse, and the one to the bridge over Tooley Street) and funnel everyone thru the 1 exit that heads towards london bridge itself. While this does stop people weaving around each other at the bottom of the ramps, and creates a single flow, but I'd question how this will scale up when there's supposed to be 1000s more passengers...
It was absolutely fine this morning at 9am too. No problems at all. will see what its like later.
The one to avoid will be London Bridge during the Olympics. Always get a seat on my line at Cannon Street.
Well, the question is what will they do with Canon Street if they're making London Bridge exit only and running all the Platform 8-16 trains out of Canon St/Charing X. It'll not be good.
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. <br /> 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.
Comments
Tuesday 10 July Olympics rehearsal
Changes affecting Cannon Street station:
Access controls at entry/exit points
A queueing system will be in place
Please allow extra time for your journey.
"On Tuesday 10th July 2012, we are rehearsing plans for the Olympic Games.
Please allow additional time to complete your journey."
AND THAT'S IT! Some helpful/useful information might have been good, but seeing as it's Southeastern, that was obviously beyond their capabilities :-)
London Bridge is no exit into bus station area, only towards Hays Galleria/Tooley Street.
Changes affecting Cannon Street station:
Access controls at entry/exit points
A queueing system will be in place
Please allow extra time for your journey.
actually thinking about i do know why they did it, its so the tourists know which way to go so they don't fath about trying to find the exit and it helps when you got f all staff on to cope so they close the main station.
It has made me more certain that there is no way I'm coming in during the Olympics. Very claustrophobic when you're stuck in the tunnels/subways with hundreds of people around you EEK!!!
Only one train in when i got there, I can see it being very crushed with more than one coming in at a time which there often is
;)
London Bridge's approach seems to be to close off 2 of the exits (the main one that leads out to the concourse, and the one to the bridge over Tooley Street) and funnel everyone thru the 1 exit that heads towards london bridge itself. While this does stop people weaving around each other at the bottom of the ramps, and creates a single flow, but I'd question how this will scale up when there's supposed to be 1000s more passengers...
The one to avoid will be London Bridge during the Olympics. Always get a seat on my line at Cannon Street.
:)
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. <br />
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.