Rail bosses have been accused of patronising passengers by hiding trains’ departure information minutes before they are due to leave in an attempt to tackle last-moment platform dashes.
Under the scheme, which is being trialled at King’s Cross in London, the final call for long-distance trains will be made four minutes before departure. Train details will be deleted from departure boards three minutes before they leave.
Network Rail said the scheme was designed to stop passengers dashing for trains. A poster for the scheme said: “This is so everyone can board safely and keep trains running on time.”
But passengers have reacted with fury, saying they should be given the information to decide for themselves.
Many also fear the system will cause more rushing than it prevents. They pointed out that trains’ platform departures are often only revealed minutes before they are due to depart, so the new system could only give them seconds to react to platform announcements.
A photograph of the poster for the new system was shared online by an X user called Jonathan. He wrote: “This is so patronising, good grief. ‘We would prefer you missed your train than that you rushed to catch it’.” He added: “Who do you think is best placed to decide whether it’s worth the risk and exertion to catch my train? You??!?”
Alexandra Wilson, an academic and writer asked: “But how soon before departure do they actually announce the platform? It’s often incredibly late, prompting a stampede.”
Tony West, who commutes between London and Didcot, posted: “Doesn’t this just mean everybody will run because they won’t know exactly when the train will leave[?]”
Jeremy Leggett, a rural policy adviser from Brighton, tweeted: “Not sensible to remove information from displays three minutes ahead of departures, especially when connecting trains are the norm, eg Brighton east- west. Bad policy as well as patronising. @SouthernRailUK.”
MJ Simpson pointed to a flaw in the plans. He wrote: “So if you’re booked on the 5.25 and you get to the station at 5.23, there will be no sign of the 5.25 on the departure board, even though it hasn’t left yet. Have I got that right?”
Speaking to the Times, which first reported the scheme, Simon Watson, a York commuter, said: “The trains are every 30 minutes and when I am heading home, which one I’m on can make the difference between being home for the children’s bedtime or not. Whether I run for the train is my decision.”
He said it would force passengers to use their phones for information about departures. “Surely it’s better to rush looking at the departure boards than your phone,” he said.
Last year chaotic scenes and persistent overcrowding at nearby Euston station prompted Network Rail to allow passengers to board some services early. It now allows passengers to board about 40% of Avanti West Coast services from the station 20 minutes before departure. The move came after London TravelWatch said passengers were being put in danger by high levels of overcrowding.
Despite the improvements, passengers said Euston is still a “nightmare”.
