Don't close our community off at the weekends, please

Okay - I featured the building of the West Hampstead Thameslink rail-bridge the other day and that progresses along quite visibly.

http://474towin.blogspot.com/2009/08/heres-access-weve-been-waiting-for.html

However, whilst the massive investment in the transport network in London continues (much of it driven by a desire to get the service up to scratch ready for the 2012 Olympics) there is a series of knock-on effects.

One of these has been to cut off transport access to the North London Overground Line and also the Jubilee Line virtually every weekend in this part of north west London.

It has become something of a regular feature with vast legions of rail replacement buses being laid on and no station services. The consequence has been that for where I live in West hampstead and Kilburn we have been increasingly cut off. Well, there has been a lot of unhappiness and chuntering and last night local traders decided to act. They called a meeting and resolved to try and get some attention for the effect these sustained closures are having.

Now I can't help but think there are a range of issues here:
- the communications from TfL about what is happening is dreadful: up goes the notice and across come the gates.
- the staff placed there at weekend and the bus drivers included often don't have a full brief in quite difficult circumstances
- more and more the extent to which West hampstead and Kilburn in particular have been hit businesses and shops are seeing a very real drop in trade and they are very very worried for their livelihood.

So here's the petition http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/jubilee-overground-closures/index.html

And I thought I would start the conversation on here:

1. could some of the closures move into the week rather than being all forced to the weekend?It's having the effect of cutting us off from the rest of London.
2. Do we as Oyster Card holders have rights as shareholders to quiz and questions and get some answers to our concerns and make sure our voices are heard. Does TfL have the capacity to hear what we are saying?
3. Are the closure entirely necessary? More and more we are all hearing stories that in fact the whole of the line is being shut when in fact work is only happening on a small stretch and that semi-permanent closure at weekend has become the operational norm. This was part illustrated by the fact that the Jubilee was miraculously opened for the U2 concert last weekend...
4. is there another way of this work being handled, are the councillors and Council fully in the loop, and what is the consequence for all of the other developments - Iverson Road, West End Lane and the constant talk of development and housing...

Last year I brought Lib Dem campaigner and MP, Transport Spokesman, Norman Baker to West Hampstead and we had a very good meeting with the incredibly constructive Peter Field from TfL - picture above right - Norman, myself and Peter). Now we hope to turn to Peter again for some help, answers and movement... watch this space.

Ed

Come on TfL, you know you want to talk to us...

Is this discreet little building on Finchley Road the answer?

For months, indeed years now, a group of local users of the North London Line (Overground) have been trying to get a Users Group together.

We've made the offer to TfL, to Silverlink historically, now to LOROL and a range of associated officers.

The response is a warm enthusiasm and then silence. Put simply there is no sustained commitment or support for such a venture from those who appears to be responsible for the line.

The result is a culture that is distant and hand-to-mouth. The whole operation works on a 'surprises only' basis.

For example, we have the signs being re-done at all the stations without a conversation on improvements, the benches at Kensal Rise being moved, the clock at West Hampstead being moved, a bike rack at Hampstead Heath in the daftest of locations, a coffee bar in Hampstead Heath, a cash point at Brondesbury - all unannounced and all could have been done better.

None of these need be problematic but the fact is all of them could have been done better, smarter, cheaper, to greater effect, if there had been the most cursory conversation with users.

So the challenges to Tfl, LOROL and the asociated arms of transport agencies are very simple:

1. Decide if you really (really) want a Users Group and if you don't then be honest and say so.
2. Provide a written commitment to working with that Users Group on a no-surprises principle (ie. we won't arrive at the station one morning to find closures, changes and additions that have not ben consulted on or notified in advance).
3. Make a geneuine effort to be far more joined up - it's no longer credible to be consulting on access arrangements for Brondesbury, at the same time as making the installation of a ash point, at the same time as consulting on Phase Three - all of which should be joined up.
4. Provide an up-to-date real contact sheet for the stations from Hampstead Heath to Kensal Rise and the associated staff responsibilities in order to remove the excuse culture of 'sorry not my department/scheme/section'.
5. Include the British Transport Police and the local residents and amenity groups and stop playing one off against the other but committing to public meetings and regular information briefings (that can also be issued at stations).

So there it is a pretty simple five point challenge to TfL, LOROL and the associated agencies. I won't hold my breath... (but hope to be proved wrong)...

Today really was the day...

It's felt like ages in coming, but the Kensal Rise to Hampstead Heath section of the Overground North London Line was re-opened this morning.

I made this little video clip to show that the line is running again - hurrah!

Of course one of the issues is lots of people this morning (well the 8-10 people I spoke to were expecting new trains and new service - they hadn't appreciated that this was work on the track not on the service or the rolling stock - that, along with station refurbishments is coming down the track (as it were!) - but of that more to follow...

It was really interesting how many people were using the line and if you had forgotten just how effective a service it was, then boy was the journey for me a zip along - just 7 mins!

Here are a couple of pics that reflect the volume of passengers - the first at West Hampstead and the second on Hampstead Heath station.

If you're interested and use the Overground North London Line and would be interested in helping with a User Group please do drop me an email on ed.fordham@hampsteadandkilburn.org.uk

Overground North London Line - welcome back!

Things can only get better...

As loads of you know the Overground North London Line has been undergoing some changes to the track - improvements to cope with heavier freight as well as wider enhancements to the line.

This has led to the line being closed for weeks now - but the end is in sight.

I wanted to share this picture - which I suspect will be quite a rare one in years to come - it's taken from the foot of South Hill Park / Parliament Hill over the fence by the peace garden in Hampstead and shows the sleeper concrete blocks stacked up ready for the Hampstead/Frognal tunnel.

Now I have been pretty critical of the arrangements for the refurbishment, motivated by a frustration with the old regime and pushed by a desire to see real service improvements for customers. So this is a chance for me to eat a little humble pie: the team at Lorol/Tfl and Overground have been in touch on the forthcoming station improvements.

http://474towin.blogspot.com/2008/04/13th-train-line-colour-for-london.html

http://474towin.blogspot.com/2008/07/our-railways-have-great-tradition-its.html

A number of us have wanted to interact with the service providers to make the stations better and now are being offered the chance to do so - I'm told a letter is on the way and I will share that with readers of this blog and others. But I wanted to take this first chance to acknowledge the sometimes unfair harshness of my commentary in this respect and flag up the 'wind of change' that will hopefully replace that, as we see the realisation of millions of pounds of investments in the line and the restoration of the service.

The case for looking at our bus routes again

The closure of the North London line has been accepted by users and residents as part of the essential work needed to make the line better and crucially make it more able to carry freight - something I'm hugely in favour of.

But the costs, efforts and communications of the closure have been a bit more tricky.

Overground and Lorol are all pretty new creations but the management of this scheme has been laden with decent folk and good intentions but somehow it falls short of the mark.

The cordons closing stations have been pretty lame. The signage (as shown here at Hampstead Heath station) are well below the standard promised or expected. The staffing is a series of people desperately trying to provide information in a context where there is little.

The provision of a replacement bus however, has provided a fascinating insight. Two elements with the bus, the first is how it is much busier at certain times than you would expect - I caught it late the other night and there were a host people - families, shift workers and visitors. And the second, is how interesting the route is - not as an experience, but in demonstrating the need for more horizontal bus routes. One of the major transport hiccups in london is the way everything flows in and out of the centre and with the exception round here of the C11 and the North London line there is little across north London.

I wonder if there is now a case for approaching TfL and asking that they take a medium to long term look at their bus routes with a view to more and more variation on these routes - there is clearly a demand...

Our railways have great tradition - it's a shame TfL fails it so often...

This is the wooden edging at Hampstead Heath Overground station (North London Line) and it's a charming reminder of the quality of work and the strength of the London railway tradition in quality.

The effect of the railway upon Britain was dramatic and still the lines they cut across our landscape are deep and significant.

And literally hundreds of us use them every day.

Within that useage are a series of 'givens': we know where to stand on the platform in order to get off at the other end, we know our colour of line (orange, purple, yellow etc), we often see the same pople every day in the same place and equally often don't talk to them over the weeks, months and weeks. Further, we know the weakesses (crime, poor lighting etc)...

So for all of these bits of knowledge what is it about the Transport for London arrangements that makes them so resistant to having and supporting a user group?

The frequency with which staff leave, don't respond or don't have a cultural tradition of working with users is scary. So from 1st September (just before schools come back) they are closing the North London Line Gospel Oak to Willesden Junction and the bus replacement arrangements are... currently undefined! And the refurbishment of Brondesbury station? No consultation plans.

To my mind it's shambolic and an insult to the railway tradition. Several of us have tried to help but frankly I'm at a bit of a loss and think that on this occasion the responsibility lies with Transport for London to show some committment and lead the debate in a way that is inclusive and sincere. It's a high bar and they have failed todate but this a chance to turn a new leaf over...

http://www.urban75.org/photos/london/index.html

http://www.architecture.com/HowWeBuiltBritain/HistoricalPeriods/Victorian/RailwayArchitecture/Introduction.aspx

Save the florists!

We've run a few bits and pieces on here about plaques - but not much on the historic blue plaques (though I sense a theme for the summer there!).
http://474towin.blogspot.com/2008/05/at-home-with-george-orwell.html

http://474towin.blogspot.com/2008/02/blue-plaque-for-george-crabbe-in.html

But there are also a number of what you might call 'genuine residents' plaques' - raised by friends, admirers and local people who appreciate the work, dedication of their fellow residents.

This one on Willoughby Road is just one example and is very charming, but of late it has assumed a greater significance...

Clearly Maggie Richardson died in 1974, but until last year there was still a florist on this corner (Willoughby Road meets Hampstead High Street). Now gone.

Until 2006 there was a florist outside Hampstead Heath Railway Overground Station. Now gone.

But for how much longer is the florist in South End Green, outside Marks and Spencers and the Royal Free Hopsital going to survive? There is an ongoing and documented spat between the officials and planners and highways crew and the florist himself.

So these three things all left me wondering if we were seeing a decline or collapse of on street florists? Is there a specific issue here, are supermarket chains overtaking the industry, is it home delivery flowers and interflora (and brand variants) winning the battle?

I for one much prefer street traders, I think they add character, act as eyes and ears of the community, they provide opportunity for what I regard as the 'little man' and are great features on the street - noise, colour, charm...

Let's not lose things that are good about the area we live in and this is one small part worth standing up for. So when did you last buy from your local florist?

Ed Fordham

Why Overground need to listen to a Users Group for the North London Line

The North London Line (I assume it is still called the North London Line even though it's part of Overground) is being gradually tidied up - or at least new signs are going up and handrails are being painted.

But frankly I'm looking for a bigger shift than just the paint colour. Now we do have the security guards, but there's a bit of work needed on some of the customer service based on my experience - and I'm using about 4-5 different stations a week - and some fixture repairs are going on.

My picture here is of a dumping area at Kensal Rise that needs cleaning up - it's pretty grim, use an area used for putting full bin bags and is generally being used as a storage space for rubbish and becoming an eyesore. it's not the only one - it is just one example I saw when i had the camera.

But there is a still a further catalogue of repairs and enhancements that are needed:

- the graffiti at Brondesbury

- the awful awful wire security fence at Finchley Road and Frognal

- the bike rack in the wrong place at Hampstead Heath

- the lack of screens in the various ticket halls which mean you have to swipe your oyster card to go in and find out if a train is due (yes, I know there is a printed timetable, but trains on this line are frequently late and the screen is the only way of finding out actually likely departure times).

Oh, and when the trains are cancelled I hope that there is a better system in future than this one I caught on a recent sunday...

Yes, the piece of flip chart paper says "NO TRAINS FROM THIS STATION 12.30 TODAY

02/12/07 Sunday"

And the even more amusing piece of tape over the Oyster swipe card point says "NO TRAINS TODAY."

To be fair these were put up by a member of staff who 'happened to be there' and who was trying to be helpful - but it didn't feel very professional and did nothing to assist the people who had bought tickets cos the machine is separate from the swipe point or the stairs to the platforms...

For these reasons and more I'm very keen to accelerate setting up a Users Group for the 6 affected stations - please do get in touch. I'm hoping to get a meeting sorted in the next week or so and will let everyone know.

ed.fordham@hampsteadandkilburn.org.uk

A Users Group for the North London Line?

For too long the North London Line has sat neglected and tatty. It is without a doubt one of the most useful lines of transport in London - for starters it goes across London (east west) rather than the perennial north south, second it stops in places people live in rather than just shopping centres (such as Brondesbury Park) and third it goes to really useful places (connecting at Willesden Junction, down to both Stratford and Kew).

However, for a long time now it has felt low grade - unstaffed at night, poorly lit, subject to a lot of graffiti - a general air of neglect.

The North London Line is now being transformed in reputation as part of Overground - there are staff (albeit a bit security led - there's some need for some customer service training in places) and ticket barriers and with these elements the re-paint jobs.

The effect is to restore some confidence and tackle the back-log of works.

With that end in mind there has been an ongoing conversation with the regional station manager about setting up a users group for the 6 stattions along the bit of the line that runs from Kensal Rise to Hampstead Heath (Kensal Rise, Brondesbury Park, Brondesbury, West Hampstead, Finchley Road & Frognal, Hampstead Heath). If you're intersted and up for this then please do drop me a line ed.fordham@hampsteadandkilburn.org.uk - it's hoped to have a a meeting in the next few weeks to get a group going - it's not rocket science, we don't want to to make it too onerous, but just a chance to be the eyes and ears on the line, making things better, giving suggestions and where useful working with TfL and Overground to push forward enhancements.

Please do get in touch.