Another election day

A year ago we went to the polls and re-elected Mr. Blair and the Labour party. I wonder if the result would be similar today? As it happens, today is the day of local elections in London and some boroughs elsewhere in England but these results will tell us little about the true national mood. In my ward in Ruislip Manor, the LibDems have been very active, leafleting on several days and culminating with a visit from one of their candidates (he lives directly opposite so he did not have too far to come) and a flyer dropped in this morning reminding us it was voting day. The other parties have been virtually invisible.

As usual the palpable sense of raw excitement in the streets was, well, definitely palpable. I saw at least one person going in to vote at the church hall in Hammersmith on my way in to work. And two tellers sitting outside in the sunshine. Let us hope that by the time I wend my way homeward this evening one or two more will have bothered to vote

Now for some train news. Yesterday I was in Clerkenwell at lunchtime and intended to take the tube to High St Kensington to go back to my office. So, and get this, I arrive at Barbican station at 13:04 to see that all services are suspended due to signal failure. The notice was timed at 13:00. There was one train, jam-packed, idle at the platform. After some delay it moved off. I waited for the next, also packed, and stood uncomfortably in the heat (yes, it had to happen on the first hot day this year) for the following ten minutes that it took us to wheeze arthritically to Faringdon (the next station and supposed site of the so-called failure). As the train showed no signs of moving any further west, I abandoned my journey, for which London Underground charged me £2, and took the bus instead.

turn on Ben Elton political tirade voice
Isn’t it great? We are still reliant on a transport system that uses a signalling system devised in the late nineteenth century. A 21st century ticketing system mark you. No problem whatsoever with raking in the money from the hapless passengers (or customers as they pathetically try to call us). I’ve said this before and it’s worth repeating – how on earth is London going to host the Olympics with this sort of infrastructure?

Are we getting there?

Another exciting development in the ongoing rebuilding will-it-never-end saga of Ruislip Manor station. They switched on the information signs. Before you gasp with astonishment and call for smelling salts and therapy, let us review the facts. The sign said “Eastbound trains, Metropolitan and Piccadilly Lines” and gave the correct time. But that was all. It did not say when we could expect the next train and its destination. As I strolled up the platform a Piccadilly came in. The information display remained blank. So the intentions appear to be good and the delivery remains as crap as ever.

Oh, and on entry to the station the handwritten status board advised Piccadilly line users to go to Rayners Lane. This normally means that all Piccs are turning round there. But they were running as usual, as I have already informed you. So we have here, your honour, a clear case of no information on the electronic system and misinformation on the manual system. The prosecution rests.

A jaunt on the Overground

I had the rare pleasure of travelling on a small part of the London Overground – what used to be British Rail – today. Apart from a trip to Manchester a few years ago, I think the last time I used this form of transport was in the 1980s. If you live and work in the northern part of London then the Overground is not too relevant. Quite the reverse south of the river where huge chunks of the city are miles from the nearest Underground station.

[move into Michael Palin or your favourite TV travel presenter here mode] The first part of my journey took me from Kensington Olympia to Clapham Junction. I was, frankly, astonished that the train arrived exactly when the timetable said it would, and with no fuss went smoothly, albeit rather slowly, due south before looping round into Clapham Junction. A little later that morning, I concluded my visit to South London with the short hop from Queenstown Road to Vauxhall. Once again the train arrived in accord with the schedule on the electronic indicator. Even though it was only a four-carriage local service, there was a guard who controlled the doors, something we have not seen on the Underground for many years.

Needless to say the indicator boards at my home station, Ruislip Manor, indicate nothing whatsoever, since they have not actually been switched on yet. Fancy dear old British Rail, or whatever it’s called these days, being one up on the Tube.

A short post

Easter, warmer weather and empty trains. What a joy to travel into London at this time.

That’s all. I’m sure you have better things to do right now

More rejoicing

OK, it’s happened. There are decent sized roofs on both of the shelters on the platforms at Ruislip Manor station. So we can tick this one off the list of long-standing moans and whinges. If you want to see what the shelter looks like without a roof (and let’s face it, why wouldn’t you?) then click here