please empty your brain below
Don't apologise for spending another day on this, it's a useful public service!

SELondoner | 11.02.10 - 7:18 a.m. | #

I still don't understand why it takes so long to replace an escalator anyway. Surely with some forward planning and round-the-clock working it should be possible to put a Meccano kit together quicker than that!

Tim | 11.02.10 - 7:30 a.m. | #

Three car upgrade pretty much finished. True it is almost finsihed. But not quite yet. There is yet another blockade on the DLR route into the City this weekend and more of those hideous replacement buses.
Bored with replacement buses. Very bored with replacement buses.

Robert Speirs | 11.02.10 - 8:29 a.m. | #

I gave up on peak time underground years ago. 'Busses are slower but much more reliable. I now use the underground if there is no convenient 'bus, long distance (1-6) off peak or if I have visitors who seem to find it novel. Avoid Bank - just avoid the lot.

Richard | Homepage | 11.02.10 - 8:47 a.m. | #

So, just why, exactly, do you think that TfL are instructing people in the way they are? Do you think, perhaps, that they really want to be ripped apart by bloggers and journalists for giving people pointless and time wasting instructions? Do you think, perhaps, that some manager in a remote office who has never ever even been to the station just makes this stuff up for the fun of it? Would it be wrong of me to believe that they might actually have asked the staff who operate the station to suggest alternative operating plans? Maybe even offered them high street vouchers for the best solution? You know, asked the poor grunts who are going to be bombarded with complaints as soon as the hoarding go up just how to manage the flow of people?

I can see that you think they don't know how to do their job, but I'm going to have to disagree there. And one of my mottos? If you think you can do someone else's job better than them, apply for the position; otherwise shut up.

Audrey | 11.02.10 - 10:55 a.m. | #

Audrey I think you're wrong. The author of this piece has clearly undertaken a careful analysis of customer numbers and pedestrian flows at Bank. so he's up to date with the risk assessments and evacuation plan agreed with the fire authorities.

His appreciation of the the impact of the new 3-car DLR service in terms of the numbers of extra passengers it will bring is second to none. After all, he's been party to the planning for months.

More than that, as he's personally responsible for the safe operation of the station he's fully qualified to proclaim the advice to avoid Bank as rubbish.

He could also do the work quicker becuase he's an expert at dismantling old escalators and bringing in the new parts for their replacement to stations three or four storeys underground. He's done it loads of times before and is used to keeping the stations around his work site open for customers to use each day and all the train services running.

Diamond Geezer's knowledge is total. He rocks.

Craig | 11.02.10 - 11:12 a.m. | #

I am sorry Audrey but TfL has a history of giving out entirely rubbish press releases and as far as I am concerned they are fair game and only have themselves to blame.

Once they even announced Vauxhall Bus Station had opened for business when in fact it was still a building site. Until they can get their facts correct they will be treated with contempt and people like me won't trust them. DG is well aware of why their advice may be sensible as part of the bigger picture even if not in the interests of some individual passengers and he covered this with his detailed look at alternative routes during Waterloo and City line closure a few years ago.

Pedantic of Purley | 11.02.10 - 11:34 a.m. | #

Of course, as I've said before on one of these posts, it is entirely possible to get from the Central Line to the DLR without using any escalators and without leaving Bank station.

Not that I want people to do that as they would just get in my way when I'm trying to get to and from the Northern Line every day. ;-)

Dave | 11.02.10 - 12:08 p.m. | #

Of course this is a double punch in the face for anyone using the DLR at Bank, as the same DLR-Central escalators were restricted for much of 2008 & 2009 to do the maintenance work on them to allow them to limp on for another few months before they're being replaced properly now.

Hopefully there won't be the same crowd control disaster they had back in March 2008 when the Central-Northern passageway was shut at the same time as the escalators, presumably an attempt to discourage people from changing at all at Bank, but it actually just forced everyone to change via the booking halls, a policy that lasted two days before enough people complained about the ridiculous crush and someone at TfL saw sense.

Presumably the same will happen as last time - one escalator will be closed at at a time; people wishing to enter the DLR will go via the Northern Line platforms and the stairwell, while those wishing to exit will use the one remaining operational escalator to do so. Only this time the DLR trains will be busier, having three carriages.

Of course this all could have been avoided if they had put in three rather than two escalators when the DLR extension was built in the first place. The platforms were built extra-long with three-carriage trains in mind, but the capacity of the exits was never built to match it.

Chris Applegate | Homepage | 11.02.10 - 12:35 p.m. | #

Some days I wonder whether TfL staff are commenting on my blog under cover of anonymity, but pretending to be called Audrey. Or Craig.

Other days I'm fairly convinced.

diamond geezer | Homepage | 11.02.10 - 6:00 p.m. | #

Audrey...
• If you're a member of staff at Bank station then no, I don't think I can do your job better than you.
• If you're in charge of the logistics behind the refurbishment of Bank's escalators then no, I don't think I can do your job better than you.
• But if you write TfL's press releases then yes, I do think I can do your job better than you. Let me know when the position's available.

diamond geezer | Homepage | 11.02.10 - 6:15 p.m. | #

https://careers.tfl.gov.uk/fe/tpl_tfl01SSL.asp?newms=se

Craig | 12.02.10 - 9:27 p.m. | #

If you think you can do someone else's job better than them, apply for the position; otherwise shut up.

I hate it when people use this as an argument. It makes it conveniently impossible to criticize anything. Audrey - If you think you're better informed than diamond geezer, start a blog of your own; otherwise shut up.

K | 14.02.10 - 10:30 p.m. | #











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