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In fact, trains to Waterloo depart Putney from two platforms, accessed by separate staircases. At 08:10, the train at Platform 2 is delayed by a passenger who pulls the alarm. The resultant chaos is just one more of those things that Paul has to manage. Those in the know rush back up the stairs, across the bridge and down again because another train is due on Platform 1. Among them is a young, pregnant woman who, some might think, should be more careful. Her headlong rush down the stairs alarms the Station Manager but, to his relief, she makes it in one piece. At the delayed train, Platform Dispatcher Lincoln—one of 24 station employees managed by Paul—assists the guard to track down the coach where the alarm has been triggered (by mistake) and, after several minutes at a standstill, the packed, eight-car service is on its way. Some of the Waterloo-bound trains are only four cars long, says Paul, making life frustratingly difficult for those seeking to board at the next station, Wandsworth Town, which is also his responsibility.
After the rush hour, Paul heads for Richmond station for a meeting with his immediate boss, Mike Phelan. Then they travel together to Feltham to discuss staffing and security issues, and a new initiative to increase routine maintenance work, such as vegetation clearance and painting.
Next stop for Paul is Mortlake for a PGI—a Planned General Inspection—a regular procedure to make safety checks and plan cosmetic work, such as graffiti removal. During the platform inspection, we discover an example of the bizarre things that passengers leave behind. It takes two of us to carry the item to the ticket office. Any weightlifter reading this should contact the ever-helpful Daniel at Mortlake station who has the two 10kg weights stowed beside his kettle!
We take the train to Wandsworth Town, where Paul carries out another routine PGI. On the way, a passenger across the aisle puts his feet up on the seat opposite and talks incessantly into his mobile. Paul eventually attracts his attention and politely asks him to remove them. He reluctantly complies but barely draws breath in his one-man mission to give passengers a bad name.
Wandsworth Town is another station where the new timetable means that trains for London have switched platforms. Paul points out that the ticket office here should ideally be moved back to its original location on the Waterloo-bound platform, but the investment funds required are sadly at the bottom of a very long list of priorities.
It’s now 14:00 and we’ve had just a brief coffee break since we met up this morning. So much for the theory that station managers sit in their offices, drinking tea and playing computer games all day. Paul says his job is more satisfying than his previous occupation in retail and, after three years with South West Trains, he’s still enjoying the daily challenge. As he heads back to Putney to his least-favourite activity—emails and report writing—I say goodbye, looking forward to a late lunch and a rest. Phew!
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