Hull station evacuated earlier during rush hour (17/12/21)

[Asmo]

Hull Paragon station was closed for a time this afternoon. It was reported in the local press that TPE who are responsible for operating the station were not able to provide sufficient staff to ensure the safety of passengers within the station confines. Is it possible that this was caused by the above industrial dispute? The only other likely explanation would be that it was due to COVID related staff shortages.

Cause of Hull Paragon evacuation confirmed after rush hour delays

Frustrated passengers were ordered to leave the station on Friday afternoon

www.hulldailymail.co.uk

Hull's Paragon Station was evacuated on Friday afternoon, leaving many passengers unable to get home in the middle of rush hour.

A notice attached to one of the gates at the station's entrance said the station had been closed until further notice due to a "shortage of staff".

"Due to staff shortage, the station cannot be evacuated safely, so the station will have to remain closed until the adequate number of staff are on duty," the notice added.

Reports now suggest a TransPennine Express Service duty manager was absent from the station, which meant passengers had to be evacuated as it is reported that it is a legal requirement for a station of its size to have such a manager present.

 

[westv]

Hull Paragon station was closed for a time this afternoon. It was reported in the local press that TPE who are responsible for operating the station were not able to provide sufficient staff to ensure the safety of passengers within the station confines. Is it possible that this was caused by the above industrial dispute? The only other likely explanation would be that it was due to COVID related staff shortages.

I wondered that too.

 

[Horizon22]

It wasn’t to do with drivers dispute, but staff shortage. There was no colleague within the entire building trained for the event of an evacuation, a legal H+S requirement.

I am aware that a number of stations across the network have previously got within a whisker of having to temporarily close as well due to a lack of the mandated minimum number of staff. These were mostly at risk last December.

 

[Fokx]

I am aware that a number of stations across the network have previously got within a whisker of having to temporarily close as well due to a lack of the mandated minimum number of staff. These were mostly at risk last December.

Even Inspector Sands has to take time off work sometimes

 

[HullRailMan]

I am aware that a number of stations across the network have previously got within a whisker of having to temporarily close as well due to a lack of the mandated minimum number of staff. These were mostly at risk last December.

Staffing seems to have been an issue at Hull for months along with Brough and Selby. Ticket offices at the latter two have both been closed numerous times recently. TPE really couldn’t care less about this area it seems!

 

[yorksrob]

Given how big Paragon is concourse wise, that's pretty damning.

 

[Spaceflower]

I know, there must have been at least 17 vagrants.

 

[M60lad]

I'm pretty sure I read somewhere that the other week during the day that Selby Station had to be closed to a shortage of available staff with trains having to pass through non-stop.

 

[74A]

What are the criteria that require a station to be staffed. I know places like Swindon and Newbury operate without staff and they are quite large.

 

[yorksrob]

I'm pretty sure I read somewhere that the other week during the day that Selby Station had to be closed to a shortage of available staff with trains having to pass through non-stop.

That is pretty silly, given that Selby is pretty much an open station anyway.

 

[SeanG]

Closed due to lack of fire warden and lack of a station manager. TPE sent a replacement from Huddersfield so the station could reopen

 

[74A]

I'm pretty sure I read somewhere that the other week during the day that Selby Station had to be closed to a shortage of available staff with trains having to pass through non-stop.

That can't be right as on the Northern website the station is unstaffed after 1945. There must have been another reason why trains did not stop.

 

[noddingdonkey]

Wouldn't a fire warden need to be extremely familiar with the layout of the station including non-public areas? Were they just lucky to have somebody available at Huddersfield who had previously worked at Hull?

 

[westv]

Wouldn't a fire warden need to be extremely familiar with the layout of the station including non-public areas? Were they just lucky to have somebody available at Huddersfield who had previously worked at Hull?

Presumably it wasn't just a box ticking exercise.

 

[Fokx]

I'm pretty sure I read somewhere that the other week during the day that Selby Station had to be closed to a shortage of available staff with trains having to pass through non-stop.

Selby station can remain unstaffed and is frequently.

You may have seen a post regarding the ticket office being closed so a ‘buy from the conductor’ post and the lack of accessibility due to the barrow crossing being closed

 

[Pit_buzzer]

Did they close the bus station at Hull as well, it's the same building as the station?

 

[Fokx]

Did they close the bus station at Hull as well, it's the same building as the station?

Yes, and the retail stores.

 

[185]

For a company that for years has tried to thin down frontline staff beyond what is reasonable, such as removing GPR station staff leaving the likes of Warrington Central & Stalybridge (when they used to run them) locked up with passengers climbing fences & crossing the main line - this is just the latest in a long line of incidents caused by shortsighted finance directors' pennypinching with plans being carried out by Ops Director Paul Watson - who have been at the firm since 2004.

Some years ago, they tried to remove ('costly') station staff at a busy station where staff are absolutely essential. The company claimed "systems are in place to prevent passengers being dragged down the platform by a train and the union are exaggerating", and "a risk assessment had been carried out by the Head of Safety" (who's now at Hull Trains). Two months later, a passenger was dragged down a platform at a different station, with Siemens issuing a new directive regarding Desiro train doors.

Report 19/2014: Passenger incident Newcastle Central station

Passenger becoming trapped in a train door and dragged a short distance at Newcastle Central station, 5 June 2013.

www.gov.uk

The office of Rail Regulation intervened in their de-staffing plan and forced TPE to retain staff at the two (quite large) stations they planned to de-staff.

Quite concerning, I've arrived at Manchester Airport (TPE) station at 2am, observed a serious incident that was reported to the signaller and found absolutely no TPE staff on site. When questioned by an MP, TPE claimed to the rail minister that "as it's part of Manchester Airport it doesn't have to be staffed".

 

[HSP 2]

I thought that T P E was under the umbrella of the Operator of Last Resort now? So it looks like nothing is changing.

 

[Watershed]

I thought that T P E was under the umbrella of the Operator of Last Resort now? So it looks like nothing is changing.

No, Northern, LNER and SE are the only TOCs currently operated by the OLR. The rest are on various forms of contracts/agreements with the DfT, though practically speaking the level of micromanagement is now so high they may as well be part of the DfT.

 

[Class 170101]

I'm surprised Manchester Airport isn't classed as being 'underground' and therefore requiring appropriate staffing for that.

 

[Monkeyfuzz]

Selby station can remain unstaffed and is frequently.

You may have seen a post regarding the ticket office being closed so a ‘buy from the conductor’ post and the lack of accessibility due to the barrow crossing being closed

The toc I work for train us how to use the barrow. not the case for all though

 

[peri]

Will TPE be penalised for closing the station?

 

[Nym]

I'm surprised Manchester Airport isn't classed as being 'underground' and therefore requiring appropriate staffing for that.

It's less "underground" than any other station with a roof.

 

[Watershed]

I'm surprised Manchester Airport isn't classed as being 'underground' and therefore requiring appropriate staffing for that.

The platform roof is above the ground level adjacent to the emergency exits, therefore it's not considered to have any 'underground platforms' for the purposes of the Fire Precautions (Sub-surface Railway Stations) (England) Regulations 2009.

 

[Towers]

What are the criteria that require a station to be staffed. I know places like Swindon and Newbury operate without staff and they are quite large.

When have you known Swindon to be completely unstaffed? Access to the station buildings is required for the station to operate.

Bear in mind that there's a difference between a station being "unstaffed" for the purposes of train dispatch, and the entire premises actually being completely unattended.

 

[IanXC]

Will TPE be penalised for closing the station?

Above and beyond anything else all the train cancellations and delays are down to a 'station operator cause' so they're on the hook for those.

 

[Grumpy]

I know someone whose young granddaughter was returning from Leeds to Hull. Two successive hourly trains were cancelled and when she eventually caught a train it was frighteningly over crowded.
Huge passenger disruption with consequent bad PR. We cant operate the station as there's no-one here to manage an evacuation-so they evacuate the station!

 

[Dr Hoo]

I know someone whose young granddaughter was returning from Leeds to Hull. Two successive hourly trains were cancelled and when she eventually caught a train it was frighteningly over crowded.
Huge passenger disruption with consequent bad PR. We cant operate the station as there's no-one here to manage an evacuation-so they evacuate the station!

Was it perhaps the case that the ‘last qualified evacuator standing’ realised that no competent relief was going to arrive and organised the evacuation before booking off? This would seem to be a safe and orderly way of doing things.

Genuine question.

 

[noddingdonkey]

There's a big difference between an Inspector Sands style emergency evacuation and an orderly closure of the building.