So, what does a Station Manager do? Jim Reside of the Passengers' Panel went to Puntey station to meet Paul Heggie, below, and found out
Putney station. A misty Monday morning. It’s just after 07:00 and still dark. I’m due to meet Station Manager Paul Heggie as my train arrives, on time, at Platform 1. He is punctual too—and already supervising the mass exodus of local people heading for work in central London. Paul has to be on time. His day is as busy as his stations—he also keeps an eye on Wandsworth Town and Mortlake. South West Trains’ Station Managers can be responsible for up to seven stations, depending on their size. Two hundred trains stop at Putney each weekday, and Paul has responsibility for all the passengers using these services from his station. Most of them appear to be running down the stairs to Platform 1 as we try to ascend. Why are passengers always late for early-morning trains? Paul suggests, tongue in cheek, that a decent Sunday night might have something to do with it. Nonetheless, he is concerned about safety on his narrow staircases.
Upstairs, the seething mass of people seeking to buy tickets illustrates Paul’s first peak-hour difficulty. Putney station, or at least its concourse, is far too small for the volume of passenger traffic. The three ticket windows have a queue stretching into, and along, the High Street. The three ticket machines, which are located in the street, also have a queue. Two Revenue Protection Inspectors issue tickets at the barriers. There simply isn’t enough room.
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