Great Western Coffee Shop

One of the main campaigners in our area sent me this report after reading of the chaos at Hayes & Harlington yesterday. My additions in [].

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"As it happens, yesterday I went to a meeting, on another matter, with the Transport Minister at the Department for Transport. I used Hayes and Harlington station at lunchtime.  It was no picnic but there was power.

"On the return [in the rush hour], I got off the tube at Ealing Broadway and headed up the stairs at the ticket barrier end to get to the train on platform 3 to Hayes and Harlington only to be told to go all the way back down the stairs and then walk along the length of the platform [4] to the [new] bridge at the other end of the platform (2 steep flights of stairs) and then walk all the way back to the ticket barrier end of the platform.

"There was a young man on the platform with a loud speaker telling people something about platforms but it was very hard to understand, hence we walked up the stairs. There were no visible signs, just lots of men in blue hi-viz blocking the walkway to platform 3. The lady with me had difficulty walking so they let us through (I didn’t mention the strapping on my own problem ankle). We missed a train, as did all those doing the mammoth walk.  It was only after a conversation with a rather shy young man in hi-viz on platform 3 that we discovered that this farce is standard procedure during rush hour every day. (It was just after 5pm.)

"While I understand that the intention was to prevent a surge of people coming onto the platform [3] at a point where the platform was narrowed by building works, there must be a better solution and certainly better signage and explanation. There also seemed to be no thought given to those passengers with mobility issues, such as the elderly.

"We [also] decided to travel beyond Hayes and Harlington and get the bus home from West Drayton.

"I am just grateful that I don’t have a daily commute.

"Regards [XXXX]"
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I use Ealing Broadway a fair bit and very much sympathise with the original poster.  I can't see that there is any alternative to what is happening in the evening peak - the main footbridge is so relatively small for the sheer numbers using the station and that works-restricted area on platform 3 is positively tiny. 

Looking at the Crossrail website, I see it'll be another eighteen months before the full works at Ealing Broadway are completed but, when they are, it'll be great.  It'll be very good to see step free access to the platforms - there's not even step free access to the booking hall and gateline at the moment, of course.

http://www.crossrail.co.uk/route/western-section/ealing-broadway-station