RISE TO THE OCCASION
How teamwork, preparation and pride in our communities keep customers moving (and grooving) during London’s biggest summer events
Mention “Notting Hill” and “sound systems”, and one might think of the lively DJ crews soundtracking London’s biggest street carnival.
At Kensal Rise station though, it’s colleagues who have been taking to the mic – not to entertain but to keep visitors safe and on
the move.
Each August bank holiday, the station becomes the main gateway to the Notting Hill Carnival, with thousands of customers arriving and leaving through the station.
To help manage the crowds this year, new roaming microphones have been brought in, enabling colleagues to get instructions and information across whenever and wherever required. It’s just one of the measures designed to keep people safe and support the expertise and local knowledge of station colleagues.
Angela Davis
Angela Davis
Angela Davis, service delivery manager, has been involved in Carnival operations for 22 years and normally leads the station plan.
“Kensal Rise is the main hub on the Mildmay line for Carnival,” said Angela. “It is a very small station, but we move thousands of customers in a few hours. The issue is not so much when customers go into Carnival, it is when they are coming back. That is when the main challenges arise.”
To manage the pressure safely, the team uses a one-way system, closes off platform access where needed, and holds customers in safe waiting areas so platforms do not become overcrowded. Barriers, CCTV monitoring, British Transport Police support and crowd-control teams all need to be in the right place at the right time. On the busiest days, around 25 to 30 people can be involved.
Preparation starts early with a tabletop exercise in advance and the team met again on the Saturday before Carnival. “If we don’t prepare, we won’t be ready,” said Angela. “We have to make sure everything is in the right place.”
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Natalia Hamilton, service delivery resilience manager, worked alongside Angela. She also has crowd-management experience from events across the network. Natalia said: “It is about keeping order and making sure colleagues are confident enough to maintain a safe operation.”
Good service is also essential. If trains are delayed or arrive already busy, the team has to adjust how many customers can safely be allowed onto the platform. A colleague monitoring CCTV can help managers judge when to hold people back and when to release the next group.
Natalia Hamilton
Natalia Hamilton
And the roving microphone proved particularly valuable in passing on instructions to customers outside the station; to avoid overcrowding and ensuring they used the correct entrances.
“The mics were a real bonus this year,” added Angela.
Despite the pressure, both Angela and Natalia thrive on making it a positive experience.
“The atmosphere is special,” said Natalia. “And there’s so much culture and history connected with the Carnival. I’m proud to be involved.”
Angela added: “This year was one of the best Carnivals in terms of the planning. And we have a brilliant team. When the plan and the people come together, you feel you have accomplished something.”
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Keeping people informed
Behind the scenes, preparation for Carnival is refined year by year, with lessons from previous events shaping improvements for customers and colleagues. As well as the roaming microphones, clearer wayfinding was introduced this year, including large archway signs at the start and mid-points of queues. Working with the London Borough of Brent and TfL, we also arranged a nearby road closure to reduce the risk of people walking alongside live traffic.
“Every improvement is about keeping people informed, moving and safe,” said Chris Barry, events strategy & alternative transport manager.
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