Best and Worst Unstaffed Stations

[WestCoast]

Did a search for this, but nothing came up.

The quality of unstaffed stations varies enormously across the network, in terms of condition and appearance plus facilities for waiting passengers.

So, what do you think are the best and worst? For the sake of being explicit - it can count if it's just got a morning Monday - Friday peak ticket office, but nothing else.

Best: The unstaffed stations on the Settle & Carlisle line - Horton-in-Ribblesdale, Ribblehead, Dent, Garsdale and Kirkby Stephen are fantastically looked after with indoor waiting rooms. For a modern station, Adwick is rather good, with enclosed glass "waiting room" shelters.

Worst: Obviously Wakefield Kirkgate (let's not mention this one again!), but a less obvious one would be Lostock Gralam on the mid-Cheshire line, there's not even a shelter on the Manchester bound platform. St Denys is also in a bit of state.

 

[- Cal -]

Irlam and Patricroft are a bit of a dump

 

[northwichcat]

Greenbank's also bad. It gets around 5 times more passengers than Lostock Gralam and while it does have shelters on both sides they smell of cat's ****.

I agree about Adwick being very good - it's probably the most accessible 2 platform unstaffed station anywhere.

 

[WestCoast]

Greenbank's also bad. It gets around 5 times more passengers than Lostock Gralam and while it does have shelters on both sides they smell of cat's ****.

Yes, Greenbank is bad, I've only used it once though.

 

[HST Power]

90% of the T&W Metro stations have no staff, and they could really use some at Monument.

 

[WestCoast]

90% of the T&W Metro stations have no staff, and they could really use some at Monument.

I believe all the city centre underground stations are staffed, but they are locked away in a control room.

Meadow Well is one of the worst stations on that network, I had a friend that lived in Percy Main and wouldn't use it.

 

[Mojo]

90% of the T&W Metro stations have no staff, and they could really use some at Monument.

I doubt that Monument station is unstaffed. Under the law governing safety at sub surface railway stations each designated station (of which Monument is one) has minimum staffing numbers if it is to be open for passenger service.

 

[HST Power]

I believe all the city centre underground stations are staffed, but they are locked away in a control room.

Not much use in there then!

Meadow Well is one of the worst stations on that network, I had a friend that lived in Percy Main and wouldn't use it.

I've been as well. It's quite bad.

 

[northwichcat]

I doubt that Monument station is unstaffed. Under the law governing safety at sub surface railway stations each designated station (of which Monument is one) has minimum staffing numbers if it is to be open for passenger service.

I've used Monument station on T&W Metro and there were staff there. However, are we saying 'unstaffed' means 'no ticket office' or excluding any stations which have non-ticket selling staff?

 

[WestCoast]

I've used Monument station on T&W Metro and there were staff there. However, are we saying 'unstaffed' means 'no ticket office' or excluding any stations which have non-ticket selling staff?

Well, that's a bit tricky because it's a much less common situation on NR. Generally, smaller mainline stations have just ticket office staff and if they don't have that, then no staff at all. But on the T&W Metro and LU/LO e.t.c it's a bit different.

I'd prefer a visible staff presence to a non-visible one. I've not seen many staff patrolling T&W Metro underground stations, that may change with the introduction of barriers.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Best: Horton-in-Ribblesdale.

Worst: Obviously Wakefield Kirkgate (let's not mention this one again!), but a less obvious one would be Lostock Gralam on the mid-Cheshire line, there's not even a shelter on the Manchester bound platform.

I wouldn't disagree with Horton-in-Ribblesdale. Honourable mention also for Edinburgh Park.

 

[HST Power]

I always find the staff at Potters Bar quite helpful and friendly.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

Best staffed: Hebden Bridge
Worst staffed: Byfleet & New Haw

Best unstaffed: Edinburgh Park
Worst unstaffed: Wak..... K....... (I'm sure you don't need to be told the rest

 

[WestCoast]

Best staffed: Hebden Bridge

Hebden Bridge is a lovely station.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Best unstaffed: Edinburgh Park

It's good, the overbridge is very sterile inside though and I usually like modern stations!

 

[MidnightFlyer]

Edinburgh Park is good: clean and smart, yet somehow basic and simple despite its size. It was planned to be staffed when the tram reached there, obviosuly that'll never happen now!

 

[HST Power]

Edinburgh Park is good: clean and smart, yet somehow basic and simple despite its size. It was planned to be staffed when the tram reached there, obviosuly that'll never happen now!

I agree. Edinburgh Park is a very nice station. It's clean and cheerful, and also a good place to photograph from.

 

[tbtc]

Edinburgh Park is good: clean and smart, yet somehow basic and simple despite its size. It was planned to be staffed when the tram reached there, obviosuly that'll never happen now!

Nice, but lacks passing loops, meaning the Bathgate/ Dunblane services are potentially delaying the fast Glasgow services. Unavoidable at some old stations, but regrettable on a new station (where there was space)

 

[MidnightFlyer]

I do agree, though I think a long term proposal is to have some of the Edinburgh-Falkirk-Glasgow 'shuttles' call there.

 

[trentside]

If I restrict myself to the local area (to stop me from saying Wakefield Kirkgate) then I'd have to offer these;

Best: Swinderby - lovely rural setting, and well looked after, despite being unstaffed and hardly used (though that may be a factor!).

Worst: Gainsborough Lea Road. Scruffy, horrible station! The ancient canopies are falling to bits, as is the wall on the platform facing the Lincoln bound line. The signal box is burnt out, and a lot of the lighting has been smashed to bits.

 

[12CSVT]

Apart from W@k**ield K*rkg*te, I wouldn't want to be on any of the stations between Wimbledon Chase and West Sutton late at night

 

[Boothby97]

I don't like Grimsby Docks because of the smell.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Nice, but lacks passing loops, meaning the Bathgate/ Dunblane services are potentially delaying the fast Glasgow services. Unavoidable at some old stations, but regrettable on a new station (where there was space)

:roll: Aren't the Bathgate/Dunblane services timetabled to depart Edinburgh immediately after the fast Glasgow (via Falkirk High) services are on their way?

 

[ACE1888]

Exeter Central, unlike St Davids, always looks 'uncared' for and decaying to me, obviously still staffed mind you!

 

[tbtc]

:roll: Aren't the Bathgate/Dunblane services timetabled to depart Edinburgh immediately after the fast Glasgow (via Falkirk High) services are on their way?

There's a difference between things being scheduled and things always working that way. Given the six "stoppers" each hour (inc four from Bathgate), and four "fast" trains, there's a chance that a delay in Dumbarton will mean a late running east bound EMU, thus getting in the way of the fast service from Falkirk High.

Edinburgh Park is fine, when everything goes to plan, but there's no contingency/ Plan B.

 

[2Dogbox]

Market Rasen is quite a pleasant unstaffed station. I always think Barnetby on the same line is rather bleak particularly as people can change there from EMT onto TPE services, however there is a pub across the road.

Worst ever unstaffed station has to be Bordesley in Birmingham. although hardly anything calls there except when blues are playing.

Going to be a lot more unstaffed stations if McNasty gets his report implemented.

 

[ReverendFozz]

Best Staffed - York, Durham and Newcastle, the staff in those stations have been helpful to me a few times
Worst Staffed - Kings Cross

Best Unstaffed Metrocentre
Worst Unstaffed Dunston, Manors and Seaham

 

[gnolife]

Best staffed - Chester
Worst staffed - Eccles

Best unstaffed - hang on, correction, ive just been told that Handforth is actually staffed, never seen them though , Nantwich
Worst unstaffed - Ardwick, although Hyde Central is a close runner up (ive never been to Wakefield, so i cant comment on it)

 

[gogogoadam]

Best staffed - Chester
Worst staffed - Eccles

Best unstaffed - hang on, correction, ive just been told that Handforth is actually staffed, never seen them though , Nantwich
Worst unstaffed - Ardwick, although Hyde Central is a close runner up (ive never been to Wakefield, so i cant comment on it)

Sorry not to reply to this quite in the spirit, but I was quite amused by references to Adwick, as I wrongly presumed 'Ardwick'! Talk about extremes.

My favourite unstaffed station is my local, Bedminster. Nice new murals, shelters are just about OK, nice information screens. Once saw a team of 2 ticket sales staff from FGW on the platform at 8am, hasn't been repeated since.

I would say Ardwick and Bordeseley are the worst, however they are good places to get good cityscape views.

Adam

 

[sunday]

Hatton is a fairly dismal unstaffed station, used to have to wait for connections there quite a lot when I was at college. The information screens were rarely in service and the shelter was usually vandalised in some way. The shelter on the platform as you enter is prone to flooding if it rains due to a slant on the platform. Could really use a couple of benches and a quick lick of paint.

 

[HST Power]

Best Staffed - York, Durham and Newcastle, the staff in those stations have been helpful to me a few times
Worst Staffed - Kings Cross

Completely agree. I can never remember going into Kings Cross when it wasn't completely mad and overflowing with commuters. Life would be much easier if there was a more effective and helpful staffing system. London is also incredibly complicated. Even I, who travels to Westminster on a fairly regular basis, can't make head or tail of the strange ticketing regulations and touching out/touching in rules that seem to apply. Kings Cross could really use some more staff to help people who feel confused by the network. It is after all the key station in London.

Newcastle and York, both excellent.