Northern line

Round The Loop

It seems that Northern Line management have started to issue drivers with warnings for detraining before going round the Kennington loop.

The official procedure is to make 3 PAs, then close the doors and drive into the loop. And the official reason why you don't have to detrain is that the loop is...

Suspended Due To Static

Yesterday evening, management's failure to fix the Northern line train radio led to the Edgware branch being suspended.

For years, there has been an intermittent problem with the radio on the Edgware branch, where static become such a problem that it is hard or even impossible to hear messages...

The Milk Of Human Kindness

You know that medical advice that you are not supposed to move someone who has a serious injury or health problem? It apparently might not apply if managers are keen to get the service running again.

When an unfortunate passenger had a heart attack on a Northern line train at Goodge Street last...

Refurb Separates Staff

Following the Euston refurb, there is a new control room, where the Control Room Assistant sits on their own with the monitors and service information, and a new, separate Supervisors' office, where the Supervisors sit.

This prevents teamwork between them, with the Control Room Assistant...

Ladies and Gents

Female staff at Euston have been kicked out of their female toilets to make way for the men while the male toilets are refurbished.

The lack of logic here shows the lack of consideration to female staff that has gone into this plan. There is now a sign on the female toilet door, saying ‘Stop! The...

Look Back In Anger

Remember dynamic risk assessments? That's where management - in the person of a Rostered Duty Officer - can make an on-the-spot decision to assess that a particular procedure is 'safe' even if it's against the rules.

You think that's bad enough? Well, management have now adopted the notion of...

Watch Out For The WAGs

Wide Aisle Gates (WAGs) were recently been installed at Euston. It's better for CSAs not to be tethered to the manual gate and to be able to leave it for a second to help someone who's stuck. But it needs to be said that, while WAGs have made some things easier, working the gateline is just as...

Drivers Need Station Staff!

In a recent one-under at West Finchley, the driver was understandably too traumatised to do anything. On his own, the station supervisor evacuated the train and the station, got the current switched off, checked the site, dealt with the emergency services, put SCDs down.

He was on his own for half...

Candid Camera

When CCTV cameras fail - as recently at Euston - the procedure seems to be that staff are positioned in all areas of the station regardless.

But doesn't this inherently put staff at risk, asking us to be on our own in areas where there are no cameras? There are not enough staff for us to be...

One Under or Not One Under?

It seems that on the Northern line, TOMs are using their power to decide what is a one-under and what is a near miss.

Drivers are having to fight for the support they need from management and in some cases their pay has been withdrawn.

It is an insult to the trauma a driver experiences. The unions...

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