A passenger collapsed on a District Line train at Bromley by Bow. But the station was 'unstaffed' so the train service had to be held for 15 minutes while assistance was arranged.
In preparation for its station staff cuts plan, 'Fit for the Future', London Underground stopped filling vacant positions on stations over two years ago. This means many stations are operating with a reduced number of staff in advance of the imposition of staff cuts planned for 2016. With fewer staff, LU has been routinely unstaffing 'open section' stations where minimum numbers regulations do not apply. For LU, it's an easy short-cut for coping with lack of staff. What could go wrong?
Plenty! Passengers in need of emergency assistance could be left in distress. Train drivers in unstaffed stations could be left to deal with traumatic incidents alone. And, as in this case, the train service itself could be delayed. When will LU see sense? It is not safe to allow passengers to travel through a station when there are no staff on-site to assist. These incidents will become more common once LU has taken an axe to official staffing numbers next year.
