ON
TOUR

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE

With an estimated 250,000 visitors a week, Camden’s markets are one of the capital’s most prominent tourist hotspots. And with the world-famous London Zoo also on its doorstep, it’s no wonder that colleagues at Camden Road often find themselves doubling as tour guides.

“We do have commuters, but most of our customers are not local, and many are one-off visitors,” says Matt Hayes, service delivery manager for the North London Line station. “For us, that means knowing the area, its various attractions and the transport connections is vital for us to deliver good service.”

Customer host Armando Da Costa adds: “We need to quickly give customers the right information about directions and ticket types. Many of our customers are tourists who don’t know the area, so they appreciate our experience and knowledge.”

Technology also plays a part in getting customers where they need to go.

“With overseas visitors that don’t speak English well, we’ll often use a translation app on the phone,” says customer host Barbara Hamilton. “That’s a really useful tool and something we never had when I started here ten years ago.”

Customer host Tracey Martin praised the new Arrakis app, which gives frontline colleagues access to a wide range of live information.

“It’s a great tool that helps us get accurate, live service updates to customers,” she says.

FIRE DRILLED

Several of the Camden Road team have been at the station for more than a decade. Their knowledge and experience were shown to good effect when a suspected trackside fire stopped services while Exchange was on site. Quickly and calmly, the team assessed the situation, gathered the necessary information and directed customers to alternative routes. Fortunately, normal services resumed within a few minutes.

Tracey Martin, who has worked at the station for 12 years, says: “Having colleagues that know the station and each other so well, means we work together as a team and communicate effectively. That’s very important in situations like these.”

CANNY DANNY

Customer host Danny Champaneri is Camden Road’s longest-serving colleague, having worked there for more than 40 years. An economics graduate who previously worked as a foreman in a button factory, Danny joined what was then British Rail in 1981.

“It’s a very interesting job and I enjoy helping the public,” he says. “Because I’ve been here so long, I can quickly answer customers’ questions and get them where they need to go!”

DID YOU KNOW?
Camden Road station opened as Camden Town in 1870 but was renamed in 1950 to avoid confusion with the nearby London Underground station. It is now a Grade II listed building.

ROCK AND RAIL

The Roundhouse, a former locomotive turntable building along the line from Camden Road, has been a live music venue since the 1960s. It has hosted artists as varied as The Beatles, Motörhead and Ed Sheeran. Nearby, Dingwall’s Dance Hall opened in 1973 and became a prominent venue in the punk rock scene, while Camden became a popular hangout for pop stars in the Britpop era of the 90s and 00s. Among the most famous regulars was the late Amy Winehouse, whose statue now stands in one of the markets.

DID YOU KNOW?
Camden Town is named after Charles Pratt, the 1st Earl Camden, who’s earldom was named after his home, Camden Place near Chislehurst, now in the London Borough of Bromley.

MARKET FORCE

Camden’s arts, food and fashion markets attract millions of visitors every year. But they began with just a handful of stalls almost exactly 50 years ago. The first market opened in a former timber yard next to Camden Lock on 30 March 1974, with just 16 traders, selling antiques, crafts and jewellery.