|
|
 Up |
|
|
  |
Author: Paul SpellerPaul Speller Date: Jan 2, 2008 13:20
Last year we had a good view of the fireworks from the Embankment but
the impossibility of getting into Charing Cross put us off ever going
back (we caught two night buses home instead, taking three hours to get
to our home, in Zone 6).
This year, however, we were lured back into London after all, to a great
party at the Royal Festival Hall. We finally left there at 01.40, and
crossed the footbridge to go to Charing Cross.
As we were crossing, we saw a twelve-carriage train to Dartford via
Bexleyheath departing on the railway bridge next to us. It was pretty
much empty - by which I don't mean only half the seats were taken, I
mean it was literally almost empty. I think there were more people on
the 05.55 Crayford to Gravesend train I caught one Friday in November.
All the back entrances to Charing Cross, and the whole of Embankment
station, were closed so we were forced around near Trafalgar Square and
past a load of police, some on horseback, etc. in the Strand.
|
| Show full article (2.64Kb) |
|
| | 12 Comments |
|
|
Author: chunky munkychunky munky Date: Jan 2, 2008 13:27
Paul Speller wrote:
>
> Does anyone know what on earth was going on at Charing Cross? Why did
> they not let enough people in to fill the available trains? Is the crowd
> management always that atrocious?
>
> Paul
The Met Police were probably in charge!
|
| |
|
| | no comments |
|
|
Author: BVETubeTrainsBVETubeTrains Date: Jan 2, 2008 14:53
On Jan 2, 9:20 pm, Paul Speller paulspeller.co.uk> wrote:> Last year we had a good view of the fireworks from the Embankment but
> the impossibility of getting into Charing Cross put us off ever going
> back (we caught two night buses home instead, taking three hours to get
> to our home, in Zone 6).
>
> This year, however, we were lured back into London after all, to a great
> party at the Royal Festival Hall. We finally left there at 01.40, and
> crossed the footbridge to go to Charing Cross.
>
> As we were crossing, we saw a twelve-carriage train to Dartford via
> Bexleyheath departing on the railway bridge next to us. It was pretty
> much empty - by which I don't mean only half the seats were taken, I
> mean it was literally almost empty. I think there were more people on
> the 05.55 Crayford to Gravesend train I caught one Friday in November.
>
> All the back entrances to Charing Cross, and the whole of Embankment
> station, were closed so we were forced around near Trafalgar Square and
> past a load of police, some on horseback, etc. in the Strand.
> ...
|
| Show full article (2.98Kb) |
| 6 Comments |
|
|
Author: Mizter TMizter T Date: Jan 2, 2008 16:12
On 2 Jan, 22:53, BVETubeTrains tiscali.co.uk> wrote:> On Jan 2, 9:20 pm, Paul Speller paulspeller.co.uk> wrote:
>
>>> Last year we had a good view of the fireworks from the Embankment but
>> the impossibility of getting into Charing Cross put us off ever going
>> back (we caught two night buses home instead, taking three hours to get
>> to our home, in Zone 6).
>
>> This year, however, we were lured back into London after all, to a great
>> party at the Royal Festival Hall. We finally left there at 01.40, and
>> crossed the footbridge to go to Charing Cross.
>
>> As we were crossing, we saw a twelve-carriage train to Dartford via
>> Bexleyheath departing on the railway bridge next to us. It was pretty
>> much empty - by which I don't mean only half the seats were taken, I
>> mean it was literally almost empty. I think there were more people on
>> the 05.55 Crayford to Gravesend train I caught one Friday in November.
>
>> All the back entrances to Charing Cross, and the whole of Embankment ...
|
| Show full article (3.58Kb) |
| no comments |
|
|
Author: Colin RosenstielColin Rosenstiel Date: Jan 2, 2008 16:14
> As far as I know, Charing Cross wouldn't have been open at all for
> trains at twoish in the morning, as the last trains leave some time
> around midnight, and dont start till about five.
Not on New Year's morning, though, surely?
--
Colin Rosenstiel
|
| |
| no comments |
|
|
Author: MaxBMaxB Date: Jan 3, 2008 01:03
On 3 Jan, 00:14, rosenst...@ cix.co.uk (Colin Rosenstiel) wrote: >> As far as I know, Charing Cross wouldn't have been open at all for
>> trains at twoish in the morning, as the last trains leave some time
>> around midnight, and dont start till about five.
>
> Not on New Year's morning, though, surely?
>
> --
> Colin Rosenstiel
|
| Show full article (1.19Kb) |
| no comments |
|
|
Author: OfframpOfframp Date: Jan 3, 2008 01:11
On Jan 3, 9:03 am, MaxB bigfoot.com> wrote:> On 3 Jan, 00:14, rosenst...@ cix.co.uk (Colin Rosenstiel) wrote:
> >
> The
> problem was that you couldn't get into the station because the two
> nomimal queues (over and underground) which started half way up the
> Strand were actually mostly Underground passengers ...
> Rubbish organisation - next time (if ever) I will just stay on the
> platform at CX, watch the fireworks, and hop on the train.
I don't see how it could be organized to have two separate queues into
CX, for overground & Underground, without punters trying to bypass the
Tube queue by using the shorter overground queue.
There is a usable walkway along Villiers Street, high above the
pavement - could you perhaps have used this?
|
| |
| no comments |
|
|
Author: MaxBMaxB Date: Jan 3, 2008 02:25
On 3 Jan, 09:11, Offramp gmail.com> wrote:> On Jan 3, 9:03 am, MaxB bigfoot.com> wrote:
>>> On 3 Jan, 00:14, rosenst...@ cix.co.uk (Colin Rosenstiel) wrote: >
>
>> The
>> problem was that you couldn't get into the station because the two
>> nomimal queues (over and underground) which started half way up the
>> Strand were actually mostly Underground passengers ...
>> Rubbish organisation - next time (if ever) I will just stay on the
>> platform at CX, watch the fireworks, and hop on the train.
>
> I don't see how it could be organized to have two separate queues into
> CX, for overground & Underground, without punters trying to bypass the
> Tube queue by using the shorter overground queue.
> There is a usable walkway along Villiers Street, high above the ...
|
| Show full article (1.86Kb) |
| no comments |
|
|
Author: Paul SpellerPaul Speller Date: Jan 3, 2008 10:00
On Thu, 3 Jan 2008 01:11:57 -0800 (PST), Offramp wrote:
> There is a usable walkway along Villiers Street, high above the
> pavement - could you perhaps have used this?
This is the walkway that comes from the footbridge over the Thames, and
had it been open I would have used it but sadly it, like all the other
non-main entrances, was sealed off.
Paul
|
| |
| no comments |
|
|
|
|
|
Author: Paul SpellerPaul Speller Date: Jan 3, 2008 10:17
On Thu, 3 Jan 2008 01:03:18 -0800 (PST), MaxB wrote:
> The
> problem was that you couldn't get into the station because the two
> nomimal queues (over and underground) which started half way up the
> Strand were actually mostly Underground passengers - when we finally
> struggled into CX after an hour queueing it was practically deserted.
> Outside, the queues were still several hundred yards long from
> Trafalgar Sq, up to nearly the Savoy and then back again.
Aha, thanks, that makes some sense of the baffling empty trains!
As has been said by others, this surely isn't that difficult to work
around, using completely separate queuing areas and entrances for Tube
and National Rail and blocking connecting passages between the two.
It also makes me wonder why they shut Embankment, Westminster and Temple
Underground stations. Why would you want to direct all the Tube and Rail
passengers to the same place? A recipe for the disaster that ensued.
|
| Show full article (1.86Kb) |
| no comments |
|
|
|
|
