please empty your brain below
At busy times the trains from this platform can be extremely crowded. Customers (1) who have sufficient time may be able to contribute to more comfort for all, by moving down the platform and using a different coach.
(1) (Yes, we oldies would prefer them to use the word "passengers". But I suspect that this preference has been uttered so many times already, that it is now a lost cause).
What's wrong with personalising the message, so as to avoid the dreaded word 'C.stom.r' ?
The message could be so much nicer, saying "If YOU have sufficient time, YOU may have a more comfortable journey and contribute to more comfort for all. Walk along the platform and Avoid the rear two carriages at busy times"
Don't (most) people work this out for themselves? At a busy terminal station surely most passengers arriving with plenty of time will walk up the platform till they find part of the train that's less busy. Only latecomers will be compelled to get on the rear of the train.
Also works for non terminal stations too. Surely passengers who arrive with plenty of time will spread themselves along the platform, or at the front if that is habitually less busy. On frequent services like the Victoria line at peak times, if say travelling from Victoria to King's Cross one has the choice of being rammed on the front of the train or moving down. IIRC it was even discussed here recently.
The platform is probably designed for 12 carriage trains. The longest train is 8 carriages and often only 4. There are no entrances at the far end of the platform, so no reason to stop at that end -- yet that's where the train always stops.
Result -- a long walk from the entrance to the train, especially if you've come in from the furthest entrance.
My reckoning is that the problem could be solved or at least eased if the train stopped at the *sensible* end of the platform. Only those coming in via the first entrance would use the first two carriages. Those coming in via the second carriage would learn to turn right and use other carriages.
The present stop position is daft and surely those last few feet can't be saving a significant amount of power.
Predicting where a 4, 8 or 12 carriage train might stop on the platform is a bit of an art.
I also frequently drive a rush hour train from London Bridge to Dorking. People queue up on the platform at London Bridge to get in the rear two coaches, blocking the passage of those trying to get to the other coaches, including my own passage to the cab. Then at Wallington they all pour off the rear two coaches while the doors of six coaches stand open and unused. This generally creates a two minute delay because a) the train has to stand while the flow is concentrated on two coaches instead of being equally dispersed all along the train and b) the curve means I can't see the back of the train even when they're off because they then all bunch at the exit. All to save walking the colossal distance of maybe 160 metres.
In an ideal world the first punters would walk to the front leaving the rear coaches for the less able bodied and the latecomers. Walking the length of a train isn't a big deal folks, I do it a dozen times a day!
Rear coach (London end) - always wedged. And usually the carriage that has the longitudinal bench seats, in certain units.
2nd (or 3rd) carriage - this has the pantograph on top and all the electrical gear, so very industrially noisy and to be avoided.
3rd (or 2nd) carriage - this usually has the 1st class section. To be avoided in order to be nowhere near all the numptys and muppets from Enfield Lock and Brimsdown so desperate to pig out and slump in 'superior' seats.
Front carriage - generally the best option for above reasons.
Of course, with an un-refurbed unit you sometimes look for the least tatty option.
And travelling into Stratford, always the back carriage. For the opposite of all that's gone before - namely that front two are usually well wedged with desperate shoppers after Tottenham Hale.
In the early 70s I used to have to walk 'against the flow' of one of the walkways at East Croydon station. Commuters seeing their train pull in would rush down, knocking all and sundry out of their way. I got bumped/smashed into so many times that I would occasionally refuse to yield and started to stiff arm the runners and watch as they wiped out five yards further down.
Maybe I'm different. I commuted on the things for years before I drove them and I generally positioned myself away from the crowds. At the terminals this was easy, walk to the front, and if not enough time, jump on as far down as possible and walk through, saying "Excuse me" a lot as no one seems to want to walk through a gangwayed train.
Where the stopping point seems irrational, this would normally be for some reason such as monitors, mirrors and so forth, necessary for the driver or guard to safely close the doors. (But there may be exceptions, where the train has to stop there because it always did).
The solution to this is more double-ended stations.
The rear 2 carriages (out of Stratford) do load heavily for the reason DG cites - exit position at the next 2 stops. The service is becoming more and more popular since Lea Bridge opened and will continue to do so. I note all the remarks about "oh it's no hassle walking along a platform" but try doing that at T Hale in the peaks. It's a nightmare as the platforms are packed, they're too narrow and people are barging to get on and off trains and through the gates. As I always have to get a bus connection I like to have the shortest, most convenient exit route so I clutter up the rear carriage. Of course things are worse now at T Hale as the rebuilding project has now started in earnest and access to / from the NR platforms is longer / more restricted than before.
The arrival of the more frequent STAR service in late 2018 may help matters in that trains won't be standing for 22 minutes in the platform and trains may stand in a more convenient spot. The route should also get new trains which may permit an easier "walk through" from the back to the front. The downside is that it's likely that vastly more people will be travelling thus causing real pressures at Stratford as the main stairs to / from the platform are very narrow and won't cope with much higher passenger flows.
At least I think it's better than forcefully labelling some seats as for people in need first. That makes those seats often empty even when the train is crowded but no one in need is around.
Station stop markers are signed for trains. An upper case 'S' standing alone means all trains stop with the lead cab at that point. Other signs (which aren't the platform number) indicate the stopping point(s) for trains of a particular number of cars/carriages, and sometimes a special sign for trains significantly different to the normal service, eg Virgin Pendolino.
Drivers (and automated trains) stop where the signs indicate, not a matter of choice!
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