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A safety net when all else fails

50458 ‘Poor’ quality CCTV images on the Central Line

February 2012 in London Underground

tagged Equipment Station and platform South East

The quality of the images displayed on platform CCTV monitors at Central Line stations is a concern for one reporter.
The images have been reported on numerous occasions as being grainy, cloudy, having lines running through them, flickering on and off for a couple of seconds at a time or having a shadow making it look like it is being projected twice.  All these issues result in Drivers having difficulty seeing platforms clearly when passengers are boarding and alighting.  The reporter is concerned that if someone was trapped, fell or was injured the Driver may not be able to see because of the quality of the images.
The reporter believes that faults with the station equipment, train equipment or problems with the transmission feed are causing this problem and that the majority of the faults are with the old station equipment.
Stations where there are known problems with CCTV images include Bank (westbound), Marble Arch (eastbound), Tottenham Court Road (eastbound) and Oxford Circus (eastbound).
Could LUL:
  • Investigate the quality of CCTV images on the Central Line?
  • Rectify any problems that are identified in order to improve CCTV image quality?

Response from London Underground

London Underground would like to thank the reporter for raising their concerns.

On checking the Service Control service fault log relating to the stations mentioned in the report, there have been two items logged for fault rectification at each of the stations over the past six months in relation to One Person Operations (OPO)/CCTV. 

Having reviewed these logged faults it has been confirmed that all of these jobs have been rectified and closed.

With regards to the reporting of faults; faults or failures would be reported via Service Control if they are found during the daily checks or are reported by a Train Operator.  

As per the requirements inRule Book 8,section 8.1the daily in cab monitor checks are undertaken on the Central Line by Service Control at Wood Lane - these checks are recorded.  A copy of the bench mark pictures are also held by Service Control.  Any faults/defects are then reported in accordance with theRule Book.

In addition to this, and supplementary to theRule Bookrequirement, the Train Operating Standards  Manager who holds the platform train interface championship role, undertakes a check of in cab monitors via train cab rides each month and these checks are also recorded.

As the Central Line has in-cab CCTV the Station Staff would not report any defect as there is no equipment on the platform. It should also be noted that Train Operators are required to report defective CCTV as and when they find it to be defective.

 50458