James Street at street level with the lifts and the gate line so close to the lifts do not make it very easy to manage any excessive amount of people .
On Sunday Water Street was used and this acted as a pressure release valve on the lifts to the main booking hall area.
I think the reasoning for asking Northern Line passengers to use Moorfields on the way back from the event is that Moorfields can cope better than Liverpool Central on the Northern Line , the Northern Line platforms at Liverpool Central even though they have been decluttered in the last refurbishment really wouldn't have coped with the excessive crowds at that Giants event .
(27/07/2014 21:30)WAITING FOR THE 437 Wrote: [ -> ]Fair comment IS1911.
I was unaware of those incidents that you raise. It just seems mad not to use the closest station. Surely using a one way system such as the Water Street exit out except for disabled people and prams etc and the lifts on the way In.
Also to stop trains arriving at Central full on the loop, dont allow boarding at James. Street platform 1.
You could also have alternative trains stopping at every other station on the loop to allow space.
However I think with the vast amount of people, what ever you did wouldn't work for all..
Your last sentence answers it all!!
I've seen a few people saying "you've just shifted the problem from James St to the other stations" which is true but Central and Moorfields are much better equipped to deal with the problem. James St has only 3 useable lifts, all of which are ageing and not exactly reliable. The concourse is tiny and the platform levels are full of narrow passageways completely unsuitable for dealing with large crowds. Given that the other stations would still be open for Wirral line services there is a good chance trains would be arriving full anyway, leading to longer wait times for those using James St. It's also a nightmare to evacuate given that if the fire alarm activates the main lifts immediately return to the surface and de-activate.
I have to say over the weekend Merseyrail did everything they possibly could to provide for the extra crowds, but at the end of the day its very simple: If the number of people attempting to travel is greater than the maximum capacity of the system then delays to journeys are inevitable. This is something many of the complainers (particularly on twitter) either fail to understand or are just too ignorant to consider.
So if we want to increase the capacity we need more trains, bigger stations (including larger concourses/ waiting areas, larger lifts, more platforms), and even possibly resignalling schemes to allow more trains to run.
To be honest if you really want to fit trains into the Liverpool loop more frequently you may have to go down the line that Thameslink are doing to there Central Core and that is ATO (Automatic Train Operation) to be able to get a reasonable headway , one stumbling block to that at the moment , we don't have enough trains to do it with and we need new trains to fit it to as well.
At the moment we do not know what is going on with regards the trains as the 507/508 are nearing the end of there lease .
All Northern Line trains currently suspended and have been for an hour due to a trespasser on the line in Bootle.
507001 is on the Ormskirk line this morning its had its graffiti cleaned off but looks a complete mess you can clearly see where the graffiti was 001 needs to be one of the next recipients of the new livery.
Something needs to be done to stop the repeated attacks on the units .
I know I have said this a few times now , but running units with graffiti on them only says to the Graffiti artist look my tag is going around Merseyside , where possible the unit should be sidelined till it can be cleaned off the unit.
In the last couple of weeks 507001, 507010, 507017, 508114, 508123, 508125 and 508126 have all been attacked, at least five of these during overnight stabling at Rock Ferry. With the high utilisation of units during the Giant Spectacular, it will have been difficult to avoid using graffitied units, although 507010 has had it for something approaching a month now.
A few of the above have had it removed now, although it is clear below the yellow vinyl where 508126 was hit. 507010 has had a tiny area of its spraypaint removed, but it appears to have damaged the livery.
(05/08/2014 21:20)507009 Wrote: [ -> ]In the last couple of weeks 507001, 507010, 507017, 508114, 508123, 508125 and 508126 have all been attacked, at least five of these during overnight stabling at Rock Ferry. With the high utilisation of units during the Giant Spectacular, it will have been difficult to avoid using graffitied units, although 507010 has had it for something approaching a month now.
A few of the above have had it removed now, although it is clear below the yellow vinyl where 508126 was hit. 507010 has had a tiny area of its spraypaint removed, but it appears to have damaged the livery.
The easy solution would be to reopen the depot at Birkenhead Central thus meaning stock wouldn't have to be stored at high risk outstations. Sadly the willingness isn't there...