Wakefield Kirkgate station

[IanPooleTrains]

As quoted from RAIL magazine:

Wakefield Kirkgate "at risk"

Wakefield Kirkgate station is in danger of falling into further disrepair that may lead to its eventual demolition, according to the Yorkshire and Humber Association of Civic Socities, which has placed its buildings on its "at risk" register

Kevin Trickett, the president of the Wakefield Civic Society and chairman of the YHCAS told RAIL there have been some proposals from Network Rail for improving the facilities there

"Nonetheless, the station needs money spending on it urgently to bring the builiding and the passenger facilities up to date. The longer this is delayed, the more risk there is to the fabric of the buildings," he said.

Some work has been done in recent months to improve the station cosmetically and plans continue to be developed for further work. However, the costs involved, and the fact that the station is unstaffed and its buidlings otherwises unused, mitigate against such process.

In the recently published Office of Rail Regulation station usage statistics for 2009/2010, Wakefield Kirkgate was the national network's 699th busiest with 529,972 passengers a year. The station building dates from 1854 and it was listed in 1979.

Northern runs local services through the station while Grand Central provides long distance links to London King's Cross

First of all, two points:

1) I find it very difficult to believe that Wakefield Kikrgate is up THAT HIGH on the list
2) Does anyone actually give a crap?

And now, here comes all of the Wakefield Kirkgate bashers out of retirement with their thoughts

 

[WillPS]

Kirkgate badly needs attention. It's mad that Centro have kept tiny stations staffed in the West Midlands yet WYPTE seem to completely ignore Kirkgate.

 

[IanPooleTrains]

Kirkgate badly needs attention. It's mad that Centro have kept tiny stations staffed in the West Midlands yet WYPTE seem to completely ignore Kirkgate.

Whereas I might agree with you on the badly needs attention, there are better looking stations in the West Midlands that are not staffed

(NOTE:- This is not a reference to RTV!)

 

[WillPS]

Whereas I might agree with you on the badly needs attention, there are better looking stations in the West Midlands that are not staffed

(NOTE:- This is not a reference to RTV!)

I don't understand your point? You seem to imply that the quality of architecture is the reason Kirkgate should be staffed, rather than the incredibly threatening and anti-social subway you have to use.

 

[IanPooleTrains]

I don't understand your point? You seem to imply that the quality of architecture is the reason Kirkgate should be staffed, rather than the incredibly threatening and anti-social subway you have to use.

I myself have never been there, I am only going on what pictures I have seen and what stories I have heard from other forum members and it is not a pretty sight

I have heard them all about feeling unsafe because of the subway and threats etc.

 

[tbtc]

I find the "cause celebre" of Kirkgate interesting. Its not the only unstaffed station with a subway/ underpass, yet its the one example commonly mentioned. Presumably because other examples are less obvious (tucked away on branches)?

Difficult one though. Knock down the buildings and you may have a safer/ brighter/ more modern station (albeit still with aforementioned underpass)... enthusiasts need to balance the "historical" aspect with the desire for a working modern station.

 

[WillPS]

I myself have never been there, I am only going on what pictures I have seen and what stories I have heard from other forum members and it is not a pretty sight

I have heard them all about feeling unsafe because of the subway and threats etc.

I went once late on a Summer night in 2007, after returning to Sheffield from London via the ECML. Our itinerary wanted us to walk between the two stations, or wait an extra half hour and catch the service direct from Westgate.

I didn't know much about Kirkgate, but let me tell you - everything you've read is true. It's a poorly lit, decaying station with lots of lovely places for ne'er-do-wells to do their bidding.

 

[Hydro]

Decaying isn't the word. It is an absolute hole.

 

[daccer]

Not sure why Kirkgate seems to be missing out on the current splurge of station redevelopments. If you look at everyones worst ten stations over the last few years you see the same names come up, Sunderland, New St, man Victoria and Kirkgate to name but a few. All the others seem to have either been done up or are getting done and yet Kirkgate (which tended to come first on the worst list) still sits rotting slowly.

Couple of queries also. Why does a station that has half a million users have no staff? Also it now has inter-city services to London via Grand central does this not warrant a staff presence? Also if the buildings are listed doesn't the owning body (i.e NR) have some sort of obligation to maintain them to a certain standard.

I cant believe that in our cramped little island a use cant be found for what is a large and important building even if it is not for rail use.

 

[WillPS]

That "half a million" figure is inaccurate, most tickets from Wakefield are issued as Wakefield Stns, so it's not possible to see passenger numbers as easily as it is with most stations outside London.

 

[Sapphire Blue]

I always find the comparison between Kirkgate and Dewsbury stations interesting, as I use both a similar amount of times per week. I don't know if the OP has been to Dewsbury either or "gives a crap" about it. (Rugeley isn't high on MY giving a crap list BTW)

Dewsbury is staffed and cared for Kirkgate isn't.

I don't know how high Dewsbury is on the "busiest station" list compared to Kirkgate but clearly many more people change trains at Kirkgate. Do these pax count on these lists or is it just tickets to/from?

Perhaps all Kirkgate needs is an businessman to open a licensed refreshment rooms and the rest will follow.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

:roll: Aesthetically challenged?!

Decaying isn't the word. It is an absolute hole.

 

[WillPS]

I always find the comparison between Kirkgate and Dewsbury stations interesting, as I use both a similar amount of times per week. I don't know if the OP has been to Dewsbury either or "gives a crap" about it. (Rugeley isn't high on MY giving a crap list BTW)

Dewsbury is staffed and cared for Kirkgate isn't.

I don't know how high Dewsbury is on the "busiest station" list compared to Kirkgate but clearly many more people change trains at Kirkgate. Do these pax count on these lists or is it just tickets to/from?

Perhaps all Kirkgate needs is an businessman to open a licensed refreshment rooms and the rest will follow.

There used to be a pub just beside. Some kind of security presence is absolutely needed.

The station needs to be staffed to the same level as a station like Chesterfield.

Lord alone knows how the authorities can continue to ignore it.

 

[IanPooleTrains]

I don't know if the OP has been to Dewsbury either or "gives a crap" about it.

I have been through Dewsbury a couple of times but mosty fast on the way to either Leeds or York from Piccadilly

 

[Yorkswatcher]

It is a **** hole.

But it has had a little work done to it since those pics where taken. But for a once fine building it is now falling down.

I wonder what people think when they arrive at that station who have never been to Wakefield before.

it is still very unsafe and there was a rape there a couple of years ago.

 

[IanPooleTrains]

One of those pictures actually looked like it has a ghost in it

 

[9K43]

At HM we had a lot of jobs from Kirkgate, and there was a mess room on Platform 1.
If you were signed on for Kirkgate, you claimed 1.5hrs travelling time.
Now like HM all gone.

 

[142094]

People are asking why Metro (WYPTE) doesn't do soemthing about it - short answer is funding. Perhaps some of the £85m being spent in Manchester could be instead used to bring Kirkgate up to standard.

 

[YorkshireBear]

I go through it regularly (leeds - chapeltown) It is horrible. But it is an important station

Expresses to leeds and sheffield twice and hour stoppers to knottingley leeds and sheffield as well as gran tour all stop there and the occasional GC service. It's not underused so i cant see why money is being spent on it.

How much would it cost to renovate and maybe put a footbridge in?

 

[DarloRich]

It is now a total dump. It is almost as if they are using the old property developers trick of letting an old building decay, get vandelaised and set on fire so that is HAS to be pulled down becuase it is unsafe and a ncie shiney new station casn be built.

The thing is it SHOULD be a really good station, it just needs lots of work. It has now gone beyond TLC and now needs a total refurbishment. (and soon!) Surely the station buildings can be brought back into use in some form. It desperatly needs staffing too. The alternative is that it will close as even more people use Westgate. That couldnt be the plan could it?

 

[YorkshireBear]

It is now a total dump. It is almost as if they are using the old property developers trick of letting an old building decay, get vandelaised and set on fire so that is HAS to be pulled down becuase it is unsafe and a ncie shiney new station casn be built.

The thing is it SHOULD be a really good station, it just needs lots of work. It has now gone beyond TLC and now needs a total refurbishment. (and soon!) Surely the station buildings can be brought back into use in some form. It desperatly needs staffing too. The alternative is that it will close as even more people use Westgate. That couldnt be the plan could it?

How coudl they fit the services into westgate thats the problem ? Kirkgate needs to remain open or alot of places loose services.......

It shoudl be an important station.

 

[DarloRich]

they just wont bother! (or build a new station somewhere else)

 

[142094]

There has been some sort of a clean up recently, new lighting, new flooring put down in the subway and new signage. Most of this seems to have been done by Northern. Perhaps if Network Rail were to put hand in pocket and pay for some/all repairs that were needed then the rest may be able to be found locally.

 

[YorkshireBear]

There has been some sort of a clean up recently, new lighting, new flooring put down in the subway and new signage. Most of this seems to have been done by Northern. Perhaps if Network Rail were to put hand in pocket and pay for some/all repairs that were needed then the rest may be able to be found locally.

It's shame when all these other stsations are getting money spent on them when i think out of all station ive passed through, this is most desperate. I don't even use the station so doesnt affect me personally just for the benefit of local railway. surely WYPTE Northern and NR could get together

 

[Legzr1]

Now like HM all gone.

What's the odds on HM closing altogether,everything of worth being sold and the cash spent on a few pre-fabs at Kirkgate to accommodate what's left of HM DBS staff?

 

[ApAp]

A shoddy little station for a long distance operator to use.

I wonder how many people just assume it's going to be Westgate as that's where the trains to London generally leave from.

Grand Central's own page does not give much prominence to the fact it is Kirkgate, just mentioned once in the description.

http://www.grandcentralrail.co.uk/wakefield.html

 

[142094]

No point in GC investing in any of the stations they call at - just money down the pan - especially seeing as other TOCs (Northern/East Coast) run the stations and they are the ones who should be paying for ungrades along with NR. The most funding GC gives to stations on its routes is probably for posters and information holders.

 

[yorksrob]

That "half a million" figure is inaccurate, most tickets from Wakefield are issued as Wakefield Stns, so it's not possible to see passenger numbers as easily as it is with most stations outside London.

Although TBH secondary stations such as Kirkgate are more likely to be under-estimated in these cases.

As 142042 says, it has been tidied up a bit recently, although for the number of passengers I'm surprised that it isn't staffed.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

An interesting one: the building looks in places to be beyond cheap repair - part of it fell on a car a while ago - but a new build would stick out in the area, it probably sits in the most undesirable area in Wakefield, and would be prone to vandalism in the night hours...

Your best bet is to knock it down, fill in the subway, reorganise and clean up the platforms, and give it a new building. Now just gotta find money.

 

[The Barlow Boy]

It's a s**thole, pure and simple. It's too big for it's needs and it oozes everything that a person uses as an excuse for not travelling on public transport. Would you want your 17 year old daughter passing through there?
The quicker that it's razed to the ground and replaced by a little brick waiting shelter and having some high quality lighting and CCTV the better.