Issue 3: Delays when trains divide


The following answer was published in Issue 3 (Mar/Apr 2004) of e-motion magazine.
Question Why is it necessary to keep passengers on the concourse at London Waterloo while a train is being divided and then announce the departure of the front four coaches, with the result that everyone has to walk the length of the platform to access their carriage? No wonder such services are normally late in leaving.
Answer

We try to keep splits and attachments to our rolling stock to a minimum and we have been successful in reducing these instances with the introduction of each new timetable. We do apologise when it happens, and are sorry for the inconvenience it causes. It's not that we keep the information secret but rather that there are often safety implications associated with these movements. We try to avoid passengers being on the trains when splits and attachments take place, and that is the reason that announcements are delayed.

Martin Grier, Group Station Manager, London Waterloo