King's Cross and Finsbury Park, 27th December 2014

[Fat Controller]

Lynne has asked me to see what I can find in terms of official, or quasi-official, reports that deal with the events of 27/12/2014 at Finsbury Park station. The planned possession at King's Cross over-ran, and GNER/Network Rail started and terminated services at Finsbury Park. Given the date, not only were there lots of passengers, but most were encumbered with large amounts of luggage. Apparently, the situation soon degenerated into chaos.

It's part of her research into how the railway deals (or not) with passengers requiring assistance when service disruption occurs.

Thanks in advance

Brian

[The Stationmaster]

Lynne has asked me to see what I can find in terms of official, or quasi-official, reports that deal with the events of 27/12/2014 at Finsbury Park station. The planned possession at King's Cross over-ran, and GNER/Network Rail started and terminated services at Finsbury Park. Given the date, not only were there lots of passengers, but most were encumbered with large amounts of luggage. Apparently, the situation soon degenerated into chaos.

It's part of her research into how the railway deals (or not) with passengers requiring assistance when service disruption occurs.

Thanks in advance

Brian

 

Having seen what happens at Finsbury Park when it is a planned terminating/starting point for KX trains things seemed to wrk fairly well.  The difference was obviously partly down to service planning (although no real reason why that shouldn't always be the case, even  at short notice) but noticeable too that the station was staffed to deal with what it was supposed to be handling so it might be worth looking into what was done staffing wise and queue organisation (or otherwise) in that particular short notice situation in December 2014.

 

Incidentally if the tv coverage wasn't over-sensationalised it was certainly chaotic with what was clearly a total lack of queue control and organisation and an atrocious (it was claimed by those interviewed) lack of information about train services.

[The Johnster]

Mike's point about information is a pertinent one.  If there is something going on that is outside your direct control and you can tell the passengers, sorry, customers, what it is and why you can't do anything more than you already are about it, by and large they will still not be happy about the situation, but they will be a lot more sympathetic and tolerant of it.  There was, in my day, a ponderously worded enamel notice in passenger brake vans to the effect that 'in the event of any substantial delay, the guard must endeavour to ascertain the cause and ensure that passengers are suitably informed'.  By and large we ignored in favour of finding out was was wrong and telling 'm about it.  'Suitably' informed meant that you didn't run through the train shouting 'there's been a terrible pile-up, blood and entrails all over the shop, must be hundreds dead, we'll be here all night, oh, waily waily woe is me' causing a panic, but you might say there'd been a derailment blocking the line and you didn't know how long you'd be delayed, or what arrangements had been made to rescue you yet, but you'd keep them informed as soon as you did.

 

This could get you too much sympathy; I was once guard on a Sunday up Cardiff-Padd of mk2 stock with intercom, pulled up for a dragging brake for C & W's attention at Severn Tunnel Junction.  Explaining the delay and the reason for it, and that there was no cause for concern, I got down on to the ballast to confer with C & W and a bloke leaned out of a window to say he was a garage fitter and had his socket set with him and did we need any help?

 

Bless.

 

Information shortfalls in an age of instant and total communication are unforgivable and the punters at Finsbury Park were right to be annoyed, though wrong in directing their anger at the poor sods trying to sort it out on the ground.  Problem is the blame culture; nobody wants to admit they've f**ked up in case it ups and bites them, and keeps passing the problem, and any unpleasantness that it might generate in terms of claims and inquiry, along the line, so when all you want to know is what the situation is, nobody well tell you in clear terms.

[unravelled]

Not official, but is the London Reconnections article of any use?

 

https://www.londonreconnections.com/2015/know-run-story-behind-xmas-kings-cross-problems/

 

hth

 

Dave

[Fat Controller]

all useful, thanks. I've now found the NR and ORR reports, but all of this is of inerest, many thanks, Lynne

[Joseph_Pestell]

As Mike says, TV reports at the time were very critical. In part, that could be due to the Xmas period usually being "slow" for real news. Even if something important does happen elsewhere in the world, the UK media have fewer people available to cover it. So a story close to home with plenty of bored people only too keen to give a vox pop is always going to get a lot of airtime.

[iands]

IIRC, there were some "short falls" with regard to the planning of the engineers trains - e.g. not all arrived "topped and tailed" as they should have been. This led to obvious delays on site that should/could have been avoided. However, as pointed out on other threads, engineering staff are usually very resourceful in this respect and adapt to any given situation. They may not always be able to claw back a lot of the delays, but they do get the job done. One thing to look at in the official NR report (if it hasn't been changed since the original report came out) is the map used on page 14 showing the "Extent of possession", it is perhaps not surprising that some of the planning was somewhat less than perfect if NR relied on this map to base their planning on - it still shows the branch to Alexandra Palace and the Palace Gates branch (to Seven Sisters) still in use!!!