A couple of things greeted me on my return after a week off, the first being the news that STR is now the No. 1 station on the Central Line for Platform Train Interface incidents, or as one might say in the real world, people having accidents getting on and off trains.  We’ve been reminded that we must make PAs to warn the passengers when we are closing the doors both WB and EB which I find a bit odd as I’m pretty damn sure that the instructions we were given when Plat. 3B opened only specified that PAs were to be made on the WB, I don’t recall any instructions ever being given before about the EB so how can we be reminded to do so.

Regardless, from now on I’ll be doing PAs in both directions at STR although I do wonder if most of the PTI incidents are caused when people use the train as a short cut between Plat.3 and 5 via Plat. 3B to the main concourse.

The other issue is “Prompt Dispatch”, the news that in future we will be monitored to ensure that we are leaving on time and not lingering beyond our timetabled departure.  Apparently if we dawdle for more than 30 seconds at WER, EAB, WHC, LOU, EPP or HAI a computer program will record our tardiness and we will be dragged up before a DTSM to explain the delay.  If we are recorded dallying twice in six months it will be addressed as a “performance issue”.

I’ll be honest and admit that there are some TOps who turn up late for pickups or some who like to chat when they hand over a train but equally there are those who seem to like to shut the doors and disappear the moment the signal clears in an attempt to squeeze a few seconds onto their meal break or off the end of their shift.  I wait until the countdown clock tells me it's time to go, if I get delayed after that then it's usually down to the passengers.