Electrical charging facilities at stations (/retail units)

[johntea]

So earlier today I was at St Pancras station with a dead phone and a bit of a wait as I had forgotten to switch the electrical socket to the 'on' position the night before at the hotel

Not a problem I thought, I'll pop into Starbucks / Costa or wherever and charge my phone for a bit while enjoying a coffee - After all, isn't that the point of these fancy coffee shop places?

Total plug count = 0! In fact, Costa did have a double plug socket but totally covered up in masking tape so they obviously didn't want anyone using that!

I guess my question is what is stopping them from sticking a few plug sockets by some seating areas? (Especially somewhere such as an extremely busy railway station!) At Peterborough station the Pumpkin cafe have a seating area with lots of plug sockets which is brilliant!

 

[Aictos]

My station has a number of plugs I guess could be used but for reasons I don't know it's company policy not to allow public use of them even though there are no signs so is hard to enforce.

 

[Nym]

Total plug count = 0! In fact, Costa did have a double plug socket but totally covered up in masking tape so they obviously didn't want anyone using that!

This is rather concerning to say the least(!)...

 

[34D]

I agree fully that the lack of plug sockets in waiting rooms and coffee shops is of concern.

In the new waiting room on the down at Wakefield Westgate there are plenty of sockets.... all key operated!

 

[LowLevel]

Presumably it's because the company doesn't wish to be responsible for any devices that blow up which could be rather expensive. Plus some people do take the mick - I know one bloke who used to come down to a station on a (very) regular basis and fully charge his mobility scooter in the waiting room without even getting on a train 'because it was free'.

 

[Tetchytyke]

Presumably it's because the company doesn't wish to be responsible for any devices that blow up which could be rather expensive.

A simple disclaimer would sort that out, although things shouldn't be "blowing up" if the wiring has been done properly.

When Westfield shopping centre can install mobile phone charging points, I remain astounded that Network Rail can't install a few at the busiest railway stations.

 

[ASharpe]

Presumably it's because the company doesn't wish to be responsible for any devices that blow up which could be rather expensive.

Many trains have on board sockets so this obviously isn't a concern.

Some Virgin managed stations have plug sockets with stickers inviting you to use them.

 

[DarloRich]

Many trains have on board sockets so this obviously isn't a concern.

Some Virgin managed stations have plug sockets with stickers inviting you to use them.

stockport, for instance, has them in the waiting room on p0

 

[lincolnshire]

Many trains have on board sockets so this obviously isn't a concern.

Some Virgin managed stations have plug sockets with stickers inviting you to use them.

But at least on the train they are provided for your use at your seat, so no wires trailing around and been a hazard for other people to trip over etc.
Also on the train you have paid your fare to travel.

At stations unless the Train operating company is happy for you to use the electric supply as in the case as reported on here that Virgin is quite happy for you to use the sockets, if not your technically stealing electricity from the train operateing company as in the case in a posting above about the guy chargeing his mobility scooter at the station and not even useing the train. Just imagine the headlines in the papers if he had been prosecuted for theft of electricity from the train operateing compnay which he was actually doing.

Its the battery chargers that could blow up if they are one of these cheap imported ones not upto standards.

 

[Class172]

Many trains have on board sockets so this obviously isn't a concern.

Not all sockets on trains are intended for use by the passenger however... I was travelling towards Birmingham a couple of weeks ago; after making a stop at one of the stations, a businessman sits down on the fold-down seat in the vestibule, promptly plugging his laptop into the socket by the door that clearly states "not for public use" - it is intended for the cleaners etc.

 

[transportphoto]

First Class lounges often have some available for use, subject to you having a valid FC ticket! I used the Liverpool Street lounge, one of the few redeeming features of it is that there is a little bench with a few plugs obviously for public use. If you could put up with the squeaky bar stools you would sit on to use them...

TP

 

[Deerfold]

First Class lounges often have some available for use, subject to you having a valid FC ticket! I used the Liverpool Street lounge, one of the few redeeming features of it is that there is a little bench with a few plugs obviously for public use. If you could put up with the squeaky bar stools you would sit on to use them...

TP

I was just about to mention this. The Kings Cross lounge does me nicely for that. The free WiFi lets me reduce my battery consumption whilst I charge too. Although there are alternatives there to having a 1st class ticket

 

[ASharpe]

Not all sockets on trains are intended for use by the passenger however... I was travelling towards Birmingham a couple of weeks ago; after making a stop at one of the stations, a businessman sits down on the fold-down seat in the vestibule, promptly plugging his laptop into the socket by the door that clearly states "not for public use" - it is intended for the cleaners etc.

I do that. Doesn't everybody?

Does anyone really consider it unacceptable behaviour?

 

[Deerfold]

I do that. Doesn't everybody?

Does anyone really consider it unacceptable behaviour?

Whether it is acceptable or not bear in mind you may get spikes which could damage your equipment - these are down to the varying power requirements of the train and will not affect it when stationary when cleaners may use it.

 

[table38]

The new waiting room at Stalybridge has sockets. Now there's got to be a "plug" joke there somewhere...

 

[EM2]

So earlier today I was at St Pancras station with a dead phone and a bit of a wait as I had forgotten to switch the electrical socket to the 'on' position the night before at the hotel

Should have gone to Vodafone, which has a charging cabinet.

 

[Class172]

I do that. Doesn't everybody?

Does anyone really consider it unacceptable behaviour?

On a quiet train, I wouldn't be bothered. However the situation was on a peak-time service from New Street, which are very busy; it was not at all helpful to passengers as the laptop lead trailed across the busy vestibule, as a tripping hazard and general obstacle.

 

[yorksrob]

All stingy excuses for poor customer service. Matthew Parris was making just this point in The Times a short while ago.

 

[Deerfold]

All stingy excuses for poor customer service. Matthew Parris was making just this point in The Times a short while ago.

All what are?

 

[plastictaffy]

Whether it is acceptable or not bear in mind you may get spikes which could damage your equipment - these are down to the varying power requirements of the train and will not affect it when stationary when cleaners may use it.

I know exactly whereabouts in the train these are - there is also one at each end of the train, behind the seats immediately behind the cab. Very handy for charging up the work moan-phone in times of disruption. However, they can damage electrical items when the train passes through a neutral section.

 

[yorksrob]

All what are?

Not allowing people to charge their mobile phones etc. I can see the point about not letting people plug in electric bar fires and mobility scooters, but really.

 

[button_boxer]

There are some sockets available for public use at St Pancras... but they're beyond the security checkpoint in the Eurostar departure lounge.

 

[theshillito]

Not allowing people to charge their mobile phones etc. I can see the point about not letting people plug in electric bar fires and mobility scooters, but really.

As previously mentioned, the sockets marked "not for public use" are not shielded in the same way as at-seat sockets and could result in voltage spikes that could damage whatever you charge, especially mobile phones. I've found that if you're behind a seat where the at-seat socket is not in use, kindly asking the passenger if you can use it usually works out well.

Or do what I do and carry an external phone battery. They're pretty small these days.

 

[yorksrob]

As previously mentioned, the sockets marked "not for public use" are not shielded in the same way as at-seat sockets and could result in voltage spikes that could damage whatever you charge, especially mobile phones. I've found that if you're behind a seat where the at-seat socket is not in use, kindly asking the passenger if you can use it usually works out well.

Or do what I do and carry an external phone battery. They're pretty small these days.

I should clarify, my dislike is for those stations and retail outlets that are too stingy to allow someone to charge their phone (as per the title of the thread).

Voyagers and the like, usually have many sockets available for passengers, therefore I do not begrudge them their hoover socket.

 

[theshillito]

I should clarify, my dislike is for those stations and retail outlets that are too stingy to allow someone to charge their phone (as per the title of the thread).

Voyagers and the like, usually have many sockets available for passengers, therefore I do not begrudge them their hoover socket.

My apologies, I misinterpreted your comment.

I believe retail outlets need some form of surge protection and perhaps even insurance before they can let anyone simply use plug sockets, and not all of them are willing to put that extra cost down.

 

[Liam]

Not all sockets on trains are intended for use by the passenger however... I was travelling towards Birmingham a couple of weeks ago; after making a stop at one of the stations, a businessman sits down on the fold-down seat in the vestibule, promptly plugging his laptop into the socket by the door that clearly states "not for public use" - it is intended for the cleaners etc.

Remember one night on the Caledonian Sleeper in the seated carriage I was watching a movie on my laptop, the guard on his way through the train pointed me towards the cleaners socket saying you can use that for a bit before I turn the lights off.

 

[Tetchytyke]

your technically stealing electricity from the train operateing company

Given the phenomenal cost of powering the lights, escalators, lifts, departure boards and advertising screens, I'm sure the station operator can cope with the cost of charging a mobile phone.

 

[transportphoto]

Given the phenomenal cost of powering the lights, escalators, lifts, departure boards and advertising screens, I'm sure the station operator can cope with the cost of charging a mobile phone.

But surely it should be the station operator's decision as to whether or not they chose to spend money on charging the third parties' mobile phones, and not the third party?

TP

 

[Tetchytyke]

Of course it should, but doing anything other than allowing existing sockets to be used by the public just looks like needless penny-pinching.

 

[table38]

Assuming a phone charger uses about 5 watts* (when charging), and assuming 20p/kWh* for domestic electricity (companies should be able to negotiate a better tariff), I calculate you'd have to leave it charging for 5 hours before it cost them 1p

* because it makes the calculation easier