'Buffed' barriers at LU stations

[Bristolrovers8]

Does anyone know what the point of the buffed barriers was? did they not test them before putting them at every station?
they're much easier to push through than the transparent glass ones and are much easier to break off the latches which never happened with the other wide gates

 

[Peter Sarf]

It will be safety. Cannot have people getting trapped and hurt by closing barriers.

 

[Bungle965]

they're much easier to push through than the transparent glass ones and are much easier to break off the latches which never happened with the other wide gates

Ironic as I believe they were designed to be the exact opposite!

 

[Bristolrovers8]

It will be safety. Cannot have people getting trapped and hurt by closing barriers.

The other gates were also weak and you didn't even need to force them open to slip through, so I'm surprised people could get trapped in these

Ironic as I believe they were designed to be the exact opposite!

I don't understand why they didn't test it before placing it all over the network, they've just made it easier for children and teenagers to go through without having to put any force on the gate

 

[Dougal2345]

What makes these 'buffed'? - I'm unfamiliar with the term used in this sense.

 

[Leyland Bus]

What makes these 'buffed'? - I'm unfamiliar with the term used in this sense.

Ditto... I thought someone had been out with the polish!

 

[Bristolrovers8]

What makes these 'buffed'? - I'm unfamiliar with the term used in this sense.

strengthened?

 

[Chriso]

Really just shows how stupid and incompetent LU management currently is . Just look at every other project there involved in

 

[BlueLeanie]

What makes these 'buffed'? - I'm unfamiliar with the term used in this sense.

Yup, I was looking at the picture trying to work out what was shinier than normal.

What did they look like before? A bit like the silly plastic flaps in Lidl that I managed to trip over, snap and almost do myself a mischief about a month ago?

 

[Horizon22]

Really just shows how stupid and incompetent LU management currently is . Just look at every other project there involved in

Bit sweeping. "Every other project"? Such as?

 

[Bristolrovers8]

Yup, I was looking at the picture trying to work out what was shinier than normal.

What did they look like before? A bit like the silly plastic flaps in Lidl that I managed to trip over, snap and almost do myself a mischief about a month ago?

 

[alf]

Bit sweeping. "Every other project"? Such as?

Kentish Town station still closed after it was due to open 3 months ago.
Camden Town 2 year long 10mph crawl into southbound Edgware platform still in place despite promise the 30 mph normal approach to the platform would be restored by July.

Awful & dangerous shrieking noise in many tube line tunnels. Staff given ear plugs, paying customers & daily commuters not even Consulted or told about issue.

Passengers to & from Northern & Vic line escalator bank had nice dry route into Euston concourse. For the last year, without discussion, the public pointlessly forced into cold & wet & dark to get into the concourse.. with the old route blocked by a glass screen.
Just a few obvious failings that immediately come to mind.

 

[Peter Sarf]

Kentish Town station still closed after it was due to open 3 months ago.

Not really incompetence. On another thread it was said that engineers found some hidden unexpected problems.

Camden Town 2 year long 10mph crawl into southbound Edgware platform still in place despite promise the 30 mph normal approach to the platform would be restored by July.

Don't know, cannot comment.

Awful & dangerous shrieking noise in many tube line tunnels. Staff given ear plugs, paying customers & daily commuters not even Consulted or told about issue.

Lack of money to profile the worn rails I gather - can anyone chip in some money ?.
I would not say dangerous but it is a horribly loud noise.

Passengers to & from Northern & Vic line escalator bank had nice dry route into Euston concourse. For the last year, without discussion, the public pointlessly forced into cold & wet & dark to get into the concourse.. with the old route blocked by a glass screen.
Just a few obvious failings that immediately come to mind.

That might well be Network rails doing.
The whole of Euston needs sorting but I do agree it is rather vulnerable to the weather and annoying.
But it does occur to me that it means the underground station can still be accessible when Euston station concourse is closed do to overcrowding.
Also acts as a fire break (imagine if a fire like the Kings Cross fire had happened at Euston the whole concourse would have been a casualty area).

On the subject of barriers I note the shape of the new barriers from the original post is the same as the picture in post number 11. I use these kind of barriers a lot but could never have recalled their shape. But the metal frame looks stronger than I could imagine the newer barriers are.

 

[NSEWonderer]

The force on the gates remains the same. The motors are mechanical hinges that hold the paddles, and they have not changed. Only the paddle itself has mainly changed.

I assume they did away with the glass more for safety and simplicity. Many years ago, TfL used to have those highly powerful pneumatic gates. The injuries they caused due to careless but fare-paying customers, and especially children, quickly put an end to high-force gates.

The gates are mainly there as a deterrent. The majority of customers are fare-paying, and in the case of an emergency, they should not have to risk their lives, as in the video, by struggling to push against the barrier if it fails to open in an emergency, which is rare but possible with all things mechanical.

It also gives gateline staff less direct exposure to these gate pushers. Instead of trying to intimidate and possibly abuse their way through staff, the majority just push through and keep moving.

As to the original claim, no the force unless toned down again is not from the paddle directly being changed.

 

[Edvid]

LU gates are a regular topic in TfL's Ticketing and Revenue Updates, including issue 154. The Wide Access Gates are covered on page 16.

Many years ago, TfL used to have those highly powerful pneumatic gates.

For now, Westinghouse Cubic P gates (first installed in 1988) still exist at some stations. Cubic then moved on to E1 gates in 1994 and E2 gates (of which automatic WAGs - as seen in posts #1/11 - are a variant) sometime in the 2000s.

Incidentally Project Hina (page 15) will see new Oyster readers installed on gates and validators in preparation for the Proteus Revenue Collection Contract.

 

[kacper]

TfL increased the motor resistance to the gate being pushed, as was said in a Ticketing and revenue update

 

[NSEWonderer]

LU gates are a regular topic in TfL's Ticketing and Revenue Updates, including issue 154. The Wide Access Gates are covered on page 16.

For now, Westinghouse Cubic P gates (first installed in 1988) still exist at some stations. Cubic then moved on to E1 gates in 1994 and E2 gates (of which automatic WAGs - as seen in posts #1/11 - are a variant) sometime in the 2000s.

Incidentally Project Hina (page 15) will see new Oyster readers installed on gates and validators in preparation for the Proteus Revenue Collection Contract.

Ah didn't know that. Tbh I should still remember that Waterloo seemed to have a few stillnif I'm remembering correctly.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

I assume they did away with the glass more for safety and simplicity. Many years ago, TfL used to have those highly powerful pneumatic gates. The injuries they caused due to careless but fare-paying customers, and especially children, quickly put an end to high-force gates.

Are those the ones that were nicknamed "Rottweiler gates"?

 

[NSEWonderer]

Are those the ones that were nicknamed "Rottweiler gates"?

Probably haha but I feel that nickname may have been very early on in my life.

Some pictures of the gates


These give a good wack if not careful but was much more powerful when first introduced.

 

[nlogax]

These give a good wack if not careful but was much more powerful when first introduced.

I believe those are the 1988 originals as mentioned upthread. See below for reference,

They still feel pretty robust after all this time!

 

[NSEWonderer]

I believe those are the 1988 originals as mentioned upthread. See below for reference,

They still feel pretty robust after all this time!

Indeed they're solid, from a time where things were made to last.

 

[Deepgreen]

What makes these 'buffed'? - I'm unfamiliar with the term used in this sense.

Indeed - I can only assume another word was intended!

LU gates are a regular topic in TfL's Ticketing and Revenue Updates, including issue 154. The Wide Access Gates are covered on page 16.

For now, Westinghouse Cubic P gates (first installed in 1988) still exist at some stations. Cubic then moved on to E1 gates in 1994 and E2 gates (of which automatic WAGs - as seen in posts #1/11 - are a variant) sometime in the 2000s.

Incidentally Project Hina (page 15) will see new Oyster readers installed on gates and validators in preparation for the Proteus Revenue Collection Contract.

Yes. My late father was an AFC specialist who worked on the Underground Ticketing System, then with WCL on various aspects of the system. It is impossible to have paddles which are 100% safe and 100% resistant to 'push-throughs'. A compromise therefore has be adopted, with safety obviously trumping everything else. My career was also on the Underground, and I developed a good sense of whether the person behind me was going to push through, and I would stop dead at the right spot if they tried to, thus trapping them and forcing them to 'seek assistance'. No end of fun!

 

[ThameslinkUser]

I believe those are the 1988 originals as mentioned upthread. See below for reference,

I miss those gates. So much faster to get through than the E1 and E2 ones.

 

[CharlieSpotted]

What makes these 'buffed'? - I'm unfamiliar with the term used in this sense.

Indeed - I can only assume another word was intended!

I can only assume that OP is a gamer.

In the gaming world, to "buff" something (eg a weapon or a character) is to make it stronger, and to "nerf" it is to make it weaker.

 

[bluegoblin7]

The old WAG (wide-aisle gate) paddles didn't meet current fire safety standards, which is the reason for their replacement. The new paddles shouldn't be any easier or harder to push through, as the actual motors haven't changed.

There is a separate programme under way to 'ruggedise' these and make it harder to push through, however this can only go so far as there still needs to be some ability to 'force' the gates in the event that people or belongings get stuck in them.

Comments of 'TfL incompetence' say more about the posters than they do TfL, frankly.

 

[Chriso]

Bit sweeping. "Every other project"? Such as?

. Central line refurbishment
. Hacking recovery
. Revenue protection which has become non existent in my 7 years of commuting except maybe twice a year of a morning undercover exercise (and I use the term undercover loosely) at a zone 1 station
. Oyster extension to various stations on national rail which are delayed indefinitely
. Kentish town station rebuild which is 6 months probably more late no doubt Colindale will have the same fate
. Piccadilly Line Sudbury branch which service is abysmal
. Graffiti removal on S Stock. I think Pudsey has tagged every other train with corrosive paint and the disgusting external state of most Piccadilly and Bakerloo line stock
. Last minute train cancellations on the sub surface lines coupled with last minute full line closures due to lack of control room staff

 

[Horizon22]

. Central line refurbishment
. Hacking recovery
. Revenue protection which has become non existent in my 7 years of commuting except maybe twice a year of a morning undercover exercise (and I use the term undercover loosely) at a zone 1 station
. Oyster extension to various stations on national rail which are delayed indefinitely
. Kentish town station rebuild which is 6 months probably more late no doubt Colindale will have the same fate
. Piccadilly Line Sudbury branch which service is abysmal
. Graffiti removal on S Stock. I think Pudsey has tagged every other train with corrosive paint and the disgusting external state of most Piccadilly and Bakerloo line stock
. Last minute train cancellations on the sub surface lines coupled with last minute full line closures due to lack of control room staff

Half of these aren't even projects (not even sure what "hacking recovery" means, and everywhere has last minute cancellations), some are incorrect (Contactless - not Oyster - is being extended and it's not "indefinitely delayed") and some (Colindale) require a crystal ball apparently!

Sounds like you've got a few axes to grind.

 

[Starmill]

Pretty much all ticket gates in this country are designed to be pushed open in an emergency. The airport-style "cage" ones are, as you would imagine, a whole different game. NS seem to have several of these, but they do mean you can't use them on a normal escape route in an emergency. Probably fine if you're designing a station from scratch, with no existing building constraints.

 

[Chriso]

Half of these aren't even projects (not even sure what "hacking recovery" means, and everywhere has last minute cancellations), some are incorrect (Contactless - not Oyster - is being extended and it's not "indefinitely delayed") and some (Colindale) require a crystal ball apparently!

Sounds like you've got a few axes to grind.

Not at all just a daily commuter on the tube. Hacking recovery means weeks after they were hacked they have yet to bring back contactless history meaning I have no idea what I am been charged daily. I have had to resort to oyster to achieve this basic function online.

I just don’t have any faith in the management at LU as a daily fare paying passenger like I would imagine many fellow passengers

 

[TFN]

The WAGs at the station I work in were adjusted (buffed) several months back. You do see some people struggle more than before but as said above they are designed to be pushed through in an emergency.