On Tuesday, 12th March 2013, I joined a group from the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester for a tour 'behind the scenes' at Manchester Piccadilly Station. This had been arranged by Adrian Bailey, a regular volunteer on the railway at the Museum having retired from the 'Big Railway'. Thanks go to Adrian and the Network Rail staff we met for a most interesting evening.
We met just after 6.00 p.m. on the Concourse, near the Network Rail Reception. Before the tour could start, we each had to provide a 'Photo I.D.' to the receptionist who entered our details onto the computer system and took a photograph. Seventeen individual passes were then printed, fitted into a holder and issued. Security is taken very seriously.
Once we all had our passes, we were welcomed by the Station Manager and Duty Station Manager. After a brief introduction, we moved upstairs to the station control room.
Announcer's Room
The station control room is often called the Announcer's Room but its duties are much broader and, in the event of an incident, it takes command of all actions. Train announcements are now issued by a computerised system. All possible announcements are pre-recorded, stored digitally and then issued automatically according to the timetable, unless the operator intervenes on his computer screen as is frequently necessary. The operator not only has access to displays showing the identity, location (and lateness) of all trains in the immediate area but also further away. The operator can examine in detail the planned and actual timing of any train throughout its journey. The Station Manager was proud of the fact that the announcements are recorded not by a professional actor but by a lady Network Rail employee from the offices with a suitable voice. The system also controls the large number of PIDs (Passenger Information Displays) around the station.
A large station like Manchester Piccadilly (whose 14 platforms handle more movements daily than Euston with 18 platforms) is a potential terrorist target. The whole station is searched for suspicious packages every hour. The effectiveness of these searches is tested periodically by the Department for Transport, who place test 'suspicious packages' on the station for the staff to find. Manchester Piccadilly has a good record for promptly locating such test packages.
Closed Circuit Television plays an important part in keeping passengers safe. The station has over 400 colour cameras, all available on the various monitors in the Announcer's Room. The smaller monitors normally cycle through a number of cameras. The whole system is controlled from computer screens which can display scale plans of each area showing the location and identity of the cameras.
Comprehensive Fire Detection systems are installed throughout the station area. In the event of an alarm, the first action is to detail a member of staff to investigate. Evacuation only occurs after a confirmed alarm or multiple alarms. Again, computer screens display scale plans of each area showing the location, identity and status of detectors.
The Announcer's Room also controls the staff who provide assistance to disabled or elderly passengers.
Manchester Piccadilly Undercroft
The Trainsheds covering the platforms and the Undercroft on which they're built are listed structures and efforts have been made to retain as much as possible. In contrast, the concourse, offices and retail outlets are very modern. We descended to the Undercroft from the Announcer's Room via modern, grey-painted steel stairs.
View showing original columns supporting the Trainshed above and access road for delivery vehicles.
In areas built using brick arches, the original arches have been restored and then modified for their present uses with blockwork. The Undercroft has allowed a secure road network to be created allowing the retail outlets to receive deliveries by road and hold the stock in individual store rooms underground. As required, stock is taken to the shops by wheeled crates, minimising disruption in public areas. The undercroft is a rabbit warren of roads, car parks and passages and, by the time we had finished, I was thoroughly disorientated. We left through a pair of doors directly onto Piccadilly 'Metrolink' tram station, and I felt a little like the rabbit emerging from the hole in 'Alice in Wonderland'. We walked back to the concourse of the main station and took a non-public lift up to the third floor.
Manchester Piccadilly Signalling Control Centre
A huge illuminated display of the area controlled dominates the room. The control method is 'NX' ('eNtrance-eXit') but, whereas a 'classic' control panel would combine the indications and control pushbuttons in a single track diagram at which the signallers worked, at Manchester all indications are presented on a very large, vertical illuminated track diagram of the area with the control pushbuttons grouped onto five smaller non-illuminated track diagrams, one for each of the five control zones. These pushbutton panels are arranged horizontally in front of the five signallers, allowing the signaller to work whilst seated, if preferred. Each signaller has a desk immediately to their left, with a computer screen enabling a wide range of data to be readily accessed. Presumably the separation of the pushbuttons from the illuminated diagram was intended to make the signaller's task less strenuous - a large 'classic' 'NX' panel involves a lot of walking up and down and reaching up to access pushbuttons as required.
Of course, there are plenty of other computer screens for various purposes. Each signaller has a touch-screen telephone concentrator (the screen top right in the picture above).
One further extension to the area controlled by the Signalling Control Centre is in hand. The Atherton Line to Wigan Wallgate will be controlled from Piccadilly, abolishing existing boxes at Crow's Nest Junction, Atherton Goods Yard and Walkden. By complete co-incidence, I'd travelled that line from Wigan Wallgate earlier in the day to reach Manchester. Display screens at the Shift Manager's desk were displaying the future extension.
References
Manchester Piccadilly (Wikipedia).
Manchester Piccadilly (Network Rail).
My Pictures
Manchester Piccadilly Announcer's Room.
Manchester Piccadilly Undercroft.
Manchester Piccadilly Signalling Control Centre.
Manchester Area Rail.
Tuesday 19 March 2013
Manchester Piccadilly Station - Behind the Scenes
