diamond geezer

 Friday, February 17, 2017

Last month I queried what was going on with station closures on the District line, and how much of this might be down to staffing issues. Andy from the Calling All Stations blog took this one step further and put in a FoI request to TfL.
Can you please let me know for each tube station the number of times it was closed in the last 12 months due to "staff shortages" and for how long each closure lasted.
Thanks for the tip-off, Andy. TfL have duly responded with a spreadsheet detailing every shortage-related closure in 2016, complete with dates, timings and a long list of excuses. Kindly they've also totted up the total disruption time for every station, which allows me to present...

London's Top 10 most-closed tube stations due to non-availability of staff in 2016

1) Temple (District and Circle lines) 25 closures - 3430 minutes
By some distance Temple was the most disrupted tube station due to staff shortage last year, being closed for a total of 57 hours and 10 minutes, which is the equivalent of three working days. Its woes really kicked in on Wednesday 23rd November, before which there were only four closures and after which there were twenty-one. What's more these were significant closures, almost all of them over an hour in length, and most of them nearer two hours or more. The worst day was Saturday 17th December when the station closed at lunchtime and stayed closed until the end of service, 11½ hours later. Usually TfL's reason is simply "Non-Availability of Staff", this particularly at the start or end of the day, but on eight occasions the closure was due to "Operational Reasons". Specifically staff from Temple were shuffled to either neighbouring Blackfriars or more-distant Aldgate East to keep these more important stations open. Temple, it seems, is a low-priority station which can be sacrificed when necessary, and very much has been.

2) Holland Park (Central line) 17 closures - 2793 minutes
And here's another. Holland Park's problems were almost all concentrated in the second and third weeks of December, and were almost all over two hours in duration. One particular closure, thanks to Night Tube, lasted thirteen consecutive hours from 6.30pm on a Saturday evening to 7.30am on Sunday morning. Again "Operational Reasons" were to blame for most of the closures, with booked-on staff redeployed to either Notting Hill Gate or Shepherd's Bush - in one case both - to ensure these more important stations remained open.

3) Blackhorse Road (Victoria line) 9 closures - 1803 minutes
All thirty hours of closures at Blackhorse Road are due to other stations on the Victoria line being understaffed. Six closures helped to keep Walthamstow Central open, and others supported Highbury & Islington, Seven Sisters and Tottenham Hale. One of the issues on the Victoria line is that all the stations north of King's Cross are interchanges, so shutting any of them inconveniences passengers on other lines. At present, however, the Overground through Blackhorse Road is closed for an upgrade, making this an easy target when there aren't enough employees to cope with unforeseen circumstances.

4) Queensway (Central line) 7 closures - 1586 minutes
Queensway was doing pretty well until the week before Christmas, when staff started to be shuffled off to keep Notting Hill Gate open (we heard something very similar at Holland Park). Christmas Eve was by far the worst day, with not enough staff over breakfast, then a total closure from 2.30pm making thirteen hours altogether. And you might be thinking so what, it's only Christmas Eve, who was really inconvenienced, but this is a tube network that's supposed to function, and used to, and seems to have hit some sort of crisis at the end of last year.

5) Bow Road (District and Hammersmith & City line) 12 closures - 1285 minutes
My local station appears at number five, which as a regular user comes as no surprise. It had occasional problems with unavailability of staff before December, then in the two weeks before Christmas entered some kind of rapid staffing decline. In particular there were six occasions when the station didn't open at 5.15am as it should have done, kicking into action up to 2½ hours later when sufficient staff turned up, and five occasions when someone's shift finished around 10.30pm and the station remained closed for the rest of the evening. It was even worse than that in January, but these figures only cover 2016, else I suspect Bow Road would be rather higher on the list.

6) Manor House (Piccadilly line) 8 closures - 849 minutes
7) Chancery Lane (Central line) 7 closures - 797 minutes
8) Bond Street (Central and Jubilee lines) 7 closures - 761 minutes
9) Goodge Street (Northern line) 13 closures - 739 minutes
10) Tufnell Park (Northern line) 4 closures - 704 minutes
And so the list continues, now down to 'less than one working day per year' lost to lack of staff. Manor House's total includes a member of staff being taken ill with chest pains while on duty. Bond Street's interesting because almost all the closures are at the very start of the day, as if somebody kept getting into work late. Goodge Street was repeatedly closed so that stations either side could be kept open. And again, the majority of the closures that contributed to these totals took place in December.

One other station stands out in TfL's overall list, and that's Canary Wharf. Although 'only' closed for 325 minutes over the course of last year, it has the second highest number of closures overall, which is seventeen. With one exception each of these closures is at the beginning of the day, just after 5am, as some member of staff fails to make it in on time. The 'reason' column in TfL's spreadsheet repeatedly mentions a staff taxi being late, and occasionally the closure of the Blackwall Tunnel, suggesting that some key employee lives south of the river. But the delays in opening the station are generally less than half an hour in duration, and peak in the summer, which is definitely atypical for the rest of the list.

Before we finish, let's churn out some more statistics regarding the 360 staff-related Full Station Closures in the 2016 list.

• 91 different tube stations were affected by staff-shortage closures in 2016. 87 of these are underground, and therefore have strict fire safety rules regarding minimum numbers of staff.
• 179 stations had no staff-shortage closures in 2016. Almost all of these are above ground, which means the gates can be left open and the station left unstaffed as necessary... which at some stations is quite often.

• Almost two-thirds of 2016's staff-shortage closures began first thing in the morning, that's between half past four and six o'clock. This suggests employees are having trouble getting into work, which is perhaps not surprising given that the tubes are shut, or perhaps staff are simply oversleeping. Whatever, there were more than 200 occasions last year when early-bird passengers will have turned up at a tube station to find it closed.
• By contrast, only about 50 of last year's closures were at the very end of the day, with stations shutting down and not reopening. Temple, Holland Park and Bow Road account for half of these.

• The shortest staff-shortage closure was 2 minutes, at Hyde Park Corner, at the start of service on 24th August.
• One-third of closures lasted over an hour, 15% over two hours, 5% over three hours, and three over ten hours.
• The average length of a closure was 67 minutes.

• Almost three-quarters of staff-shortage closures were because of "Non-Availability of Staff".
• 20% of closures were for "Operational Reasons", generally staff being sent to other stations which would otherwise have been forced to close.
• 5% of closures were specifically due to issues with staff taxis running late.

• There were only 6 staff-shortage closures in January 2016, and only 8 in February. Monthly totals increased to a bit of a peak in the summer, hitting 35 in August, before falling back. November wasn't great, with 34, but December was a disaster with 149. That's 41% of the entire year's total in a single month!

• TfL's 'Fit for the Future' reorganisation, which cut back staffing numbers at stations, was introduced in April. There was no obvious uptick in closures at the time, but the staffing system was now much more reliant on overtime.
• The RMT union called an overtime ban for station staff on 23rd November. The number of station closures rose considerably from this point onwards.
• The RMT called additional action from 15th December, asking members to refuse to train staff sent to cover from other stations. The number of station closures duly leapt in the immediate run-up to Christmas.

And finally here's the table the Evening Standard headline writers will like the best...

The five worst tube lines for staff-related station closures in 2016

1) District line (7240 minutes)
2) Central line (7196 minutes)
3) Circle line (5410 minutes)
4) Piccadilly line (3630 minutes)
5) Victoria line (3477 minutes)

Before anyone gets too excited, I should point out that this league table is terribly misleading. Almost half the District line's total is explained by Temple, and two thirds of the Circle's. Meanwhile Holland Park and Queensway contributed over 60% of the Central line's appalling-looking total. The surprise might be the Victoria line, which managed to have staff-related closures at 14 of its 16 stations. At the other end of the table obviously the Waterloo & City line had the least disruption, but the Metropolitan was next with only 369 minutes, because most of it is above ground.

Take all of this with a pinch of salt, because you can prove anything with statistics, and 2016 was a wholly atypical year. But what's for sure is that December saw an unholy station-staffing debacle on the Underground, with 150 station closures in just one month. The RMT's overtime ban was the trigger, suggesting it was only overtime holding TfL's staffing reorganisation together, and this all too easily fell apart. A pledge to reinstate hundreds of jobs will hopefully solve the problem... the travelling public can only hope.


<< click for Newer posts

click for Older Posts >>


click to return to the main page


...or read more in my monthly archives
Jan24  Feb24  Mar24
Jan23  Feb23  Mar23  Apr23  May23  Jun23  Jul23  Aug23  Sep23  Oct23  Nov23  Dec23
Jan22  Feb22  Mar22  Apr22  May22  Jun22  Jul22  Aug22  Sep22  Oct22  Nov22  Dec22
Jan21  Feb21  Mar21  Apr21  May21  Jun21  Jul21  Aug21  Sep21  Oct21  Nov21  Dec21
Jan20  Feb20  Mar20  Apr20  May20  Jun20  Jul20  Aug20  Sep20  Oct20  Nov20  Dec20
Jan19  Feb19  Mar19  Apr19  May19  Jun19  Jul19  Aug19  Sep19  Oct19  Nov19  Dec19
Jan18  Feb18  Mar18  Apr18  May18  Jun18  Jul18  Aug18  Sep18  Oct18  Nov18  Dec18
Jan17  Feb17  Mar17  Apr17  May17  Jun17  Jul17  Aug17  Sep17  Oct17  Nov17  Dec17
Jan16  Feb16  Mar16  Apr16  May16  Jun16  Jul16  Aug16  Sep16  Oct16  Nov16  Dec16
Jan15  Feb15  Mar15  Apr15  May15  Jun15  Jul15  Aug15  Sep15  Oct15  Nov15  Dec15
Jan14  Feb14  Mar14  Apr14  May14  Jun14  Jul14  Aug14  Sep14  Oct14  Nov14  Dec14
Jan13  Feb13  Mar13  Apr13  May13  Jun13  Jul13  Aug13  Sep13  Oct13  Nov13  Dec13
Jan12  Feb12  Mar12  Apr12  May12  Jun12  Jul12  Aug12  Sep12  Oct12  Nov12  Dec12
Jan11  Feb11  Mar11  Apr11  May11  Jun11  Jul11  Aug11  Sep11  Oct11  Nov11  Dec11
Jan10  Feb10  Mar10  Apr10  May10  Jun10  Jul10  Aug10  Sep10  Oct10  Nov10  Dec10 
Jan09  Feb09  Mar09  Apr09  May09  Jun09  Jul09  Aug09  Sep09  Oct09  Nov09  Dec09
Jan08  Feb08  Mar08  Apr08  May08  Jun08  Jul08  Aug08  Sep08  Oct08  Nov08  Dec08
Jan07  Feb07  Mar07  Apr07  May07  Jun07  Jul07  Aug07  Sep07  Oct07  Nov07  Dec07
Jan06  Feb06  Mar06  Apr06  May06  Jun06  Jul06  Aug06  Sep06  Oct06  Nov06  Dec06
Jan05  Feb05  Mar05  Apr05  May05  Jun05  Jul05  Aug05  Sep05  Oct05  Nov05  Dec05
Jan04  Feb04  Mar04  Apr04  May04  Jun04  Jul04  Aug04  Sep04  Oct04  Nov04  Dec04
Jan03  Feb03  Mar03  Apr03  May03  Jun03  Jul03  Aug03  Sep03  Oct03  Nov03  Dec03
 Jan02  Feb02  Mar02  Apr02  May02  Jun02  Jul02 Aug02  Sep02  Oct02  Nov02  Dec02 

jack of diamonds
Life viewed from London E3

» email me
» follow me on twitter
» follow the blog on Twitter
» follow the blog on RSS

» my flickr photostream

twenty blogs
our bow
arseblog
ian visits
londonist
broken tv
blue witch
on london
the great wen
edith's streets
spitalfields life
linkmachinego
round the island
wanstead meteo
christopher fowler
the greenwich wire
bus and train user
ruth's coastal walk
round the rails we go
london reconnections
from the murky depths

quick reference features
Things to do in Outer London
Things to do outside London
Inner London toilet map
20 years of blog series
The DG Tour of Britain
London's most...

read the archive
Mar24  Feb24  Jan24
Dec23  Nov23  Oct23  Sep23
Aug23  Jul23  Jun23  May23
Apr23  Mar23  Feb23  Jan23
Dec22  Nov22  Oct22  Sep22
Aug22  Jul22  Jun22  May22
Apr22  Mar22  Feb22  Jan22
Dec21  Nov21  Oct21  Sep21
Aug21  Jul21  Jun21  May21
Apr21  Mar21  Feb21  Jan21
Dec20  Nov20  Oct20  Sep20
Aug20  Jul20  Jun20  May20
Apr20  Mar20  Feb20  Jan20
Dec19  Nov19  Oct19  Sep19
Aug19  Jul19  Jun19  May19
Apr19  Mar19  Feb19  Jan19
Dec18  Nov18  Oct18  Sep18
Aug18  Jul18  Jun18  May18
Apr18  Mar18  Feb18  Jan18
Dec17  Nov17  Oct17  Sep17
Aug17  Jul17  Jun17  May17
Apr17  Mar17  Feb17  Jan17
Dec16  Nov16  Oct16  Sep16
Aug16  Jul16  Jun16  May16
Apr16  Mar16  Feb16  Jan16
Dec15  Nov15  Oct15  Sep15
Aug15  Jul15  Jun15  May15
Apr15  Mar15  Feb15  Jan15
Dec14  Nov14  Oct14  Sep14
Aug14  Jul14  Jun14  May14
Apr14  Mar14  Feb14  Jan14
Dec13  Nov13  Oct13  Sep13
Aug13  Jul13  Jun13  May13
Apr13  Mar13  Feb13  Jan13
Dec12  Nov12  Oct12  Sep12
Aug12  Jul12  Jun12  May12
Apr12  Mar12  Feb12  Jan12
Dec11  Nov11  Oct11  Sep11
Aug11  Jul11  Jun11  May11
Apr11  Mar11  Feb11  Jan11
Dec10  Nov10  Oct10  Sep10
Aug10  Jul10  Jun10  May10
Apr10  Mar10  Feb10  Jan10
Dec09  Nov09  Oct09  Sep09
Aug09  Jul09  Jun09  May09
Apr09  Mar09  Feb09  Jan09
Dec08  Nov08  Oct08  Sep08
Aug08  Jul08  Jun08  May08
Apr08  Mar08  Feb08  Jan08
Dec07  Nov07  Oct07  Sep07
Aug07  Jul07  Jun07  May07
Apr07  Mar07  Feb07  Jan07
Dec06  Nov06  Oct06  Sep06
Aug06  Jul06  Jun06  May06
Apr06  Mar06  Feb06  Jan06
Dec05  Nov05  Oct05  Sep05
Aug05  Jul05  Jun05  May05
Apr05  Mar05  Feb05  Jan05
Dec04  Nov04  Oct04  Sep04
Aug04  Jul04  Jun04  May04
Apr04  Mar04  Feb04  Jan04
Dec03  Nov03  Oct03  Sep03
Aug03  Jul03  Jun03  May03
Apr03  Mar03  Feb03  Jan03
Dec02  Nov02  Oct02  Sep02
back to main page

the diamond geezer index
2023 2022
2021 2020 2019 2018 2017
2016 2015 2014 2013 2012
2011 2010 2009 2008 2007
2006 2005 2004 2003 2002

my special London features
a-z of london museums
E3 - local history month
greenwich meridian (N)
greenwich meridian (S)
the real eastenders
london's lost rivers
olympic park 2007
great british roads
oranges & lemons
random boroughs
bow road station
high street 2012
river westbourne
trafalgar square
capital numbers
east london line
lea valley walk
olympics 2005
regent's canal
square routes
silver jubilee
unlost rivers
cube routes
Herbert Dip
metro-land
capital ring
river fleet
piccadilly
bakerloo

ten of my favourite posts
the seven ages of blog
my new Z470xi mobile
five equations of blog
the dome of doom
chemical attraction
quality & risk
london 2102
single life
boredom
april fool

ten sets of lovely photos
my "most interesting" photos
london 2012 olympic zone
harris and the hebrides
betjeman's metro-land
marking the meridian
tracing the river fleet
london's lost rivers
inside the gherkin
seven sisters
iceland

just surfed in?
here's where to find...
diamond geezers
flash mob #1  #2  #3  #4
ben schott's miscellany
london underground
watch with mother
cigarette warnings
digital time delay
wheelie suitcases
war of the worlds
transit of venus
top of the pops
old buckenham
ladybird books
acorn antiques
digital watches
outer hebrides
olympics 2012
school dinners
pet shop boys
west wycombe
bletchley park
george orwell
big breakfast
clapton pond
san francisco
thunderbirds
routemaster
children's tv
east enders
trunk roads
amsterdam
little britain
credit cards
jury service
big brother
jubilee line
number 1s
titan arum
typewriters
doctor who
coronation
comments
blue peter
matchgirls
hurricanes
buzzwords
brookside
monopoly
peter pan
starbucks
feng shui
leap year
manbags
bbc three
vision on
piccadilly
meridian
concorde
wembley
islington
ID cards
bedtime
freeview
beckton
blogads
eclipses
letraset
arsenal
sitcoms
gherkin
calories
everest
muffins
sudoku
camilla
london
ceefax
robbie
becks
dome
BBC2
paris
lotto
118
itv