SDO - just a problem on the cotswold line or else where as well....

[whole diary]

[Mookiemoo]

First morning of travelling today and all I can say is - what a joke.

For most of the line to oxford, only the front 2-5 coaches can be platformed. 

A summary of the various issues follows:

1. First class was like working on a station platform - there was always people walking through

2. Many standard class passengers decided to just sit in first causing more work for the TM^‡(resolve). 

3. By Charlbury there were standard passengers blocking the aisle through first so much so that the trolley could not get through - apparently there were seats in A and B but because CD^▸ (Capital Delivery) and E were full passengers just stood in the buffet and aisles (as predicted).  The TM made several requests for people to move down.

4. Groups of school kids travellng to oxford lingerered in the lobbies causing noise and disturbance.

5. And all these dont take into account the chaos on the patforms that I merely observed

6. The change to SDO^▸ (Selective Door Opening) means the TM having to make repeated announcments.  Given how close together the stations are on the cots line - no sooner as they had finished welcoming passengers boarded at XYZ they had to start the 4-5 warning of where to get off - if the poor TM did nt have laryngtis at the end to match the headache of the passengers I'll be surprised

i am currently exhausted as i got no rest on the way down despite being in 1st quiet carriage.  Standing standard passengers would let their phones go off and when asked to turn them off, got stroppy complaining about standing whilst we're worried about mobile phones (yes I was as I'm now dog meat). 

If it does not get better....

[vacman]

It is a farce, the SDO^▸ (Selective Door Opening) panels do allow the TM^‡(resolve) to release the doors to the rear or the front so why cant they stop with the Std class on the platform at the rear and release the doors behind?

[Jim]

It is a farce, the SDO^▸ (Selective Door Opening) panels do allow the TM^‡(resolve) to release the doors to the rear or the front so why cant they stop with the Std class on the platform at the rear and release the doors behind?

Because bikes need the front P/C

[Conner]

It is a farce, the SDO^▸ (Selective Door Opening) panels do allow the TM^‡(resolve) to release the doors to the rear or the front so why cant they stop with the Std class on the platform at the rear and release the doors behind?

Because bikes need the front P/C

Thats only because they changed the policy, they could just platform coach A, problem solved.

[oooooo]

Ask users of Yatton if SDO^▸ (Selective Door Opening) is a problem :> Standby buses on hand for the rest of the week.....

[vacman]

It is a farce, the SDO^▸ (Selective Door Opening) panels do allow the TM^‡(resolve) to release the doors to the rear or the front so why cant they stop with the Std class on the platform at the rear and release the doors behind?

Because bikes need the front P/C

Thats only because they changed the policy, they could just platform coach A, problem solved.

That's what I meant but I didn't explain properly, sorry!!

[Btline]

First morning of travelling today and all I can say is - what a joke.

For most of the line to oxford, only the front 2-5 coaches can be platformed. 

A summary of the various issues follows:

1. First class was like working on a station platform - there was always people walking through

2. Many standard class passengers decided to just sit in first causing more work for the TM^‡(resolve). 

3. By Charlbury there were standard passengers blocking the aisle through first so much so that the trolley could not get through - apparently there were seats in A and B but because CD^▸ (Capital Delivery) and E were full passengers just stood in the buffet and aisles (as predicted).  The TM made several requests for people to move down.

4. Groups of school kids travellng to oxford lingerered in the lobbies causing noise and disturbance.

5. And all these dont take into account the chaos on the patforms that I merely observed

6. The change to SDO^▸ (Selective Door Opening) means the TM having to make repeated announcments.  Given how close together the stations are on the cots line - no sooner as they had finished welcoming passengers boarded at XYZ they had to start the 4-5 warning of where to get off - if the poor TM did nt have laryngtis at the end to match the headache of the passengers I'll be surprised

i am currently exhausted as i got no rest on the way down despite being in 1st quiet carriage.  Standing standard passengers would let their phones go off and when asked to turn them off, got stroppy complaining about standing whilst we're worried about mobile phones (yes I was as I'm now dog meat). 

If it does not get better....

Why not just lengthen the platforms yourselves. If Network Rail/FGW^▸ (First Great Western) are not willing, then get the CL User Group to do it!

Oh sorry, I forgot "heath and safety." How stupid of me, how would that idea work......

[crwydryn]

Why not just lengthen the platforms yourselves. If Network Rail/FGW^▸ (First Great Western) are not willing, then get the CL User Group to do it!

Oh sorry, I forgot "heath and safety." How stupid of me, how would that idea work......
[/quote]

Interesting - in most countries the issue of platform lengthening would have been considered seriously and planned for over time, but given the lack of vision about public transport in the UK^▸ (United Kingdom).....

[Jim]

Interesting - in most countries the issue of platform lengthening would have been considered seriously and planned for over time, but given the lack of vision about public transport in the UK^▸ (United Kingdom).....

Wales on the other hand!

[Btline]

Wales on the other hand!

Precisely! The same applies in Scotland.

As well as this: Why do we need SDO^▸ (Selective Door Opening)? If somebody is stupid enough to get off a train without a platform adjacent, then it is their fault if they slip and injure themselves. Britain has managed years of short platforms and longer trains in the past! Let the guard/automatic announcement tell people where to be in the train and then unlock all of the doors!

Result: (1) Less waiting around for the guard to walk up and down the train turning this switch on and that lever off! (2) People who forget to move to the right carriage can still get out using the HST^▸ (High Speed Train) steps, and not miss their stop! [i.e. like what people could do freely from mid 1800s to the 1960s!]

Oh damn, I forgot "health & safety" again didn't I? Yes, H&S^▸ (Health and Safety), the people who don't realise that "He gave us brains so we could think to make decisions on our own" (just like "He gave us eyes so we could see the beauty of the world" -deliberate line invention from an appropriate hymn, no religious significance intended).

Gosh, one day H&S will have us all sitting down on our sofas with seat-belts on in case someone crashes a car into our houses. Eating everything except dried locusts will have been banned to prevent cancer.

As for getting the train: huh!- "How dare you suggest such a risky adventure! What about the risk assessment? We shall have to stand over 10m from the platform edge........

[/rant]

[Mookiemoo]

Wales on the other hand!

Precisely! The same applies in Scotland.

As well as this: Why do we need SDO^▸ (Selective Door Opening)? If somebody is stupid enough to get off a train without a platform adjacent, then it is their fault if they slip and injure themselves. Britain has managed years of short platforms and longer trains in the past! Let the guard/automatic announcement tell people where to be in the train and then unlock all of the doors!

Result: (1) Less waiting around for the guard to walk up and down the train turning this switch on and that lever off! (2) People who forget to move to the right carriage can still get out using the HST^▸ (High Speed Train) steps, and not miss their stop! [i.e. like what people could do freely from mid 1800s to the 1960s!]

Oh damn, I forgot "health & safety" again didn't I? Yes, H&S^▸ (Health and Safety), the people who don't realise that "He gave us brains so we could think to make decisions on our own" (just like "He gave us eyes so we could see the beauty of the world" -deliberate line invention from an appropriate hymn, no religious significance intended).

Gosh, one day H&S will have us all sitting down on our sofas with seat-belts on in case someone crashes a car into our houses. Eating everything except dried locusts will have been banned to prevent cancer.

As for getting the train: huh!- "How dare you suggest such a risky adventure! What about the risk assessment? We shall have to stand over 10m from the platform edge........

[/rant]

A post that could have been penned by me!

lthough I do go one further and suggest that those that do come to an untimely end because of this should be awarded the Darwin award

[willc]

FGW^▸ (First Great Western) seem to have surrendered on SDO^▸ (Selective Door Opening)!

Today both the Hereford-London trains stopped with standard class on the platforms at Cotswold Line stations. According to postings on the charlbury.info website's commuter blog, a train manager said on the PA^▸ (Public Address) that this was a "trial" for the next few days. FGW's top brass finally seem to have noticed their SDO can open the doors behind the panel being used as well as in front!

Has anything similar happened elsewhere today? Eg the West Country.

[John R]

Yes that seemed to happen this morning at Nailsea. And coincidentally the trains were running much closer to time too.

[devon_metro]

An excellent compromise, seems the cycle policy may need altering again!

[vacman]

Lets hope so!!!!!!!