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OUTBREAK OF COMMON SENSE ON LONDON UNDERGROUND Driver praised for responding to passenger demands to stop at Turnham Green Showing the initiative that you would expect from somebody on £31,000 a year, a LUL tube driver recently earned cheers from passengers who were desperately trying to get home to Chiswick. The incident occured recently at Baron's Court tube station. It had been announced that Hammersmith station had been closed. Passengers waiting at on the platform saw 5 Piccadilly line trains arrive and then depart express to Acton Town. At that point it was announced that all District Line services west of Earl's Court were suspended. Rob Brougham of Jigsaw Conferencing, who was trying to get to Ravenscourt Park takes up the story, "About the same time another Piccadilly Line train stopped. The people on this train had evidently been told already about the District Line suspension and, when the driver announced he was stopping next at Acton Town, four or five people in different carriages blocked the doors and shouted to the driver to stop at Turnham Green."
Twice the driver told passengers that the train would not stop at Turnham Green but people continued to block the doors and insisted that the train should stop at Turnham Green. Suddenly, the driver announced that “In response to passenger demand" the train would now stop at Ravenscourt Park and Turnham Green. According to Rob, "Everyone on the platform jumped quickly onto the train amid many smiles, at least one cheer and just about everybody shaking their heads in disbelief at the first evidence many of them had ever seen of a London Underground employee actually responding to the needs of passengers." Ken Livingstone has promised a full review of the Turnham Green service when he takes full control of the management of London Underground.
October 8, 2002 |