Wakefield Kirkgate set for £3.5m improvements

[northwichcat]

http://www.wakefieldexpress.co.uk/news/local/staff_finally_at_kirkgate_1_3481953

 

[sonic2009]

http://www.wakefieldexpress.co.uk/news/local/staff_finally_at_kirkgate_1_3481953

About time!!

 

[YorkshireBear]

WOOP! i did email northern about this a few days ago and they said they were in middle of talks to do stuff to it.

Very good news i never use the station but it is very good news.

 

[IanPooleTrains]

http://www.wakefieldexpress.co.uk/news/local/staff_finally_at_kirkgate_1_3481953

***falls on floor is shock***

 

[WestCoast]

It will be money VERY WELL spent! The place has been desperately crying out for investment for a very long time.

Kirkgate is an intercity station and deserves staffing...

 

[Donny Dave]

*Winches jaw up from the ground*

What next, druggies and drunks moved elsewhere? hock:

 

[MidnightFlyer]

Good to hear, a few things of note though:

• Note the word 'could' not 'is' in the first paragraph
  
• It says 'security staff'. Will this be in addition to booking office staff or will it just be a bouncer patrolling it every so often?

 

[IanPooleTrains]

Will this be in addition to booking office staff or will it just be a bouncer patrolling it every so often?

If so, I nominate you to be bouncer

 

[northwichcat]

[*]Note the word 'could' not 'is' in the first paragraph

The article does detail where the funding is coming from. There's a certain £1.25m, a very likely £0.5m and over £2m unconfirmed from grants, which brings the total possible to around £4m rather than the £3.5m quoted. Maybe the £3.5m is quoted because they are expecting to obtain around £1.75m in grants even though they've applied for over £2m worth.

 

[Masbroughlad]

Somebody pinch me! This has been like a warzone for years and years!!

When was it last manned? Has it ever had long distance, intercity services in the days of BR?

Good news though! I bet Grand Central will be pleased. They should contribute....Years ago, they were going to do it up themselves.....

 

[MidnightFlyer]

I'd guess it lost staff in the late 70s...

 

[YorkshireBear]

Somebody pinch me! This has been like a warzone for years and years!!

When was it last manned? Has it ever had long distance, intercity services in the days of BR?

Good news though! I bet Grand Central will be pleased. They should contribute....Years ago, they were going to do it up themselves.....

I dont know about when it lost its manning but its a city centre(ish) station with services to leeds,sheffield,nottingham and now london. Its not low key in any way it actually has quite a few services, It deserves manning even if only for safety reasons.

Does anyone know the capcity on lines around kirkgate in respect to mroe services?

 

[Donny Dave]

I dont know about when it lost its manning but its a city centre(ish) station with services to leeds,sheffield,nottingham and now london. Its not low key in any way it actually has quite a few services, It deserves manning even if only for safety reasons.

Does anyone know the capcity on lines around kirkgate in respect to mroe services?

Around Kirkgate it's self, yes.

However, Leeds, Sheffield, Hare Park Jn (Doncaster - Leeds line) and Shaftholm Jn (ECML) are all pretty busy, especially the first 2.

There is room though for a 1/2 hourly Huddersfield - Wakefield - Knottingley - Goole - Hull service, although if anyone would want to use it, is an entirely different matter!

 

[WestCoast]

It says 'security staff'. Will this be in addition to booking office staff or will it just be a bouncer patrolling it every so often?

To be honest, although I'd prefer a member of Northern staff plus security guard, at least some presence will clear away the undesirables.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

The report states that Groundwork have announced plans to turn the station into a community hub. Is there anyone on the forum with knowledge of what this will entail?

 

[W-on-Sea]

Wonder if they will do anything with the similarly decaying and derelict and drug-addict-attracting pub building immediately outside the station - which I think is also a listed building, and contributes to some of the current problems at Kirkgate.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Wonder if they will do anything with the similarly decaying and derelict and drug-addict-attracting pub building immediately outside the station - which I think is also a listed building, and contributes to some of the current problems at Kirkgate.

Before that could be done, there would have to be checks carried out to establish who the owners of the property are.

 

[Masbroughlad]

When Grand Central started Kirkgate to London services, they said they were the first for 30(?) years? What were the previous Kirkgate to London services?

 

[Aictos]

Wow, certainly wasn't expecting anything along these lines at all.

As to staffing, will it be just booking office staff manning the station or will there be a mix of platform and booking office staff?

By looking at Live Departures, you need least 2 members of platform staff not counting the booking office.

 

[tbtc]

Does anyone know the capcity on lines around kirkgate in respect to mroe services?

Well, a few years ago there was only...

• Wakefield Westgate - Wakefield Kirkgate - Huddersfield - Staleybridge - Manchester Victoria
• Leeds - Castleford - Wakefield Kirkgate - Sheffield
• Wakefield Kirkgate - Sheffield
• Wakefield Kirkgate - Pontefract

...so six departures an hour.

Now we have

• Wakefield Westgate - Wakefield Kirkgate - Huddersfield - Bradford - Leeds (Selby)
• Leeds - Wakefield Kirkgate - Sheffield
• Leeds - Wakefield Kirkgate - Sheffield - Nottingham
• Leeds - Castleford - Wakefield Kirkgate - Sheffield
• Wakefield Kirkgate - Pontefract

...so nine departures an hour, plus the irregular Grand Central service (London - Doncaster - Pontefract - Wakefield Kirkgate - Halifax - Bradford). Its had quite an increase in service provision, and the increase has been in longer distance services.

There may be scope for more services, but not the spare stock in the current environment. Ideally I'd electrify the Leeds - Wakefield Kirkgate - Barnsley - Sheffield service as part of the MML wiring (which would be daft if the wires stopped in Sheffield and didn't extend to the ECML electrification areas), but there's no chance of that in the short term or even medium term. And, as Kenyes said, in the long term we are all dead.

 

[sprinterguy]

And, as Kenyes said, in the long term we are all dead.

Now there’s a happy thought for us all to dwell on during Friday afternoon folks!

 

[tbtc]

Now there’s a happy thought for us all to dwell on during Friday afternoon folks!

I'm here to cheer everyone up, aren't I?

 

[Snapper]

The report states that Groundwork have announced plans to turn the station into a community hub. Is there anyone on the forum with knowledge of what this will entail?

This lot?

http://www.groundwork.org.uk/

 

[northwichcat]

This lot?

http://www.groundwork.org.uk/

Yes. They don't just do gardens and the like.

There's a community centre at Northwich station (not Groundwork) that has a small cafe, a few computers with Internet access and runs a few training courses. It also has toilets but those are for customers only and not rail passengers.

 

[spionkop64]

Around Kirkgate it's self, yes.

However, Leeds, Sheffield, Hare Park Jn (Doncaster - Leeds line) and Shaftholm Jn (ECML) are all pretty busy, especially the first 2.

There is room though for a 1/2 hourly Huddersfield - Wakefield - Knottingley - Goole - Hull service, although if anyone would want to use it, is an entirely different matter!

I've always thuoght that the so-called 'Ponte shuttle' (Wakefield Kirkgate-Knottingley) should run through to Goole - thereby connecting with Northern services between Hull-Doncaster. Places such as Whitley Bridge and Snaith are seeing large numbers of new houses, mainly due to their proximity to the M62. Sadly, because they are over the invisible boundary and into the public transport hating North Yorkshire a new service hasn't got a prayer - and that applied before the current economic downturn.

 

[flymo]

When Grand Central started Kirkgate to London services, they said they were the first for 30(?) years? What were the previous Kirkgate to London services?

I have a 75/76 timetable and there are some trough services to Kirkgate from London but nothing compared to Westgate's services from London.
Northbound there was an 1804 off KX to Bradford Exchange / Halifax splitting at Doncaster. The Halifax portion went through Kirkgate at 2056. This was Mon - Sat. There was also an overnight service from KX at 2250 also to Leeds / Bradford via Halifax, again splitting at Doncaster. the Bradford via Halifax portion went through Kirkgate at 0235. There was also an 0852 Mon - Sat off St. Pancras to Leeds calling at Kirkgate at 1232

Can't seem to find anything to London during the currency of this timetable, only from Westgate.

Hope this is of interest.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

This lot?

I see that they were working with the schoolchildren at St. Joseph's in Oldham this Wednesday. They seem to be involved in a wide range of project work. Their website is quite good.

The question that I asked was what their plans would entail for turning the station at Wakefield Kirkgate into a community hub, as this is the subject of this particular thread. The fact that SOMETHING is going to happen at this unfortunate station can only be a "plus", seeing the gradual deterioration that has slowly grown worse, year by year.

 

[Masbroughlad]

I have a 75/76 timetable and there are some trough services to Kirkgate from London but nothing compared to Westgate's services from London.
Northbound there was an 1804 off KX to Bradford Exchange / Halifax splitting at Doncaster. The Halifax portion went through Kirkgate at 2056. This was Mon - Sat. There was also an overnight service from KX at 2250 also to Leeds / Bradford via Halifax, again splitting at Doncaster. the Bradford via Halifax portion went through Kirkgate at 0235. There was also an 0852 Mon - Sat off St. Pancras to Leeds calling at Kirkgate at 1232

Can't seem to find anything to London during the currency of this timetable, only from Westgate.

Hope this is of interest.

Thank you Flymo - certainly is interesting. Can you imagine getting a train at Kirkgate at half two in the morning now. The place is bad enough in daylight hours!

(Out of interest - what would the locos and stock be on the trains you mention?)

 

[lancastrian]

...so nine departures an hour, plus the irregular Grand Central service (London - Doncaster - Pontefract - Wakefield Kirkgate - Halifax - Bradford). Its had quite an increase in service provision, and the increase has been in longer distance services.

There may be scope for more services, but not the spare stock in the current environment. Ideally I'd electrify the Leeds - Wakefield Kirkgate - Barnsley - Sheffield service as part of the MML wiring (which would be daft if the wires stopped in Sheffield and didn't extend to the ECML electrification areas), but there's no chance of that in the short term or even medium term. And, as Kenyes said, in the long term we are all dead.

Well that would be not only helpful as well as basic common sense planning to link up all the electrified lines in any area. But knowing the way the Civil Servants at DaFT (don't) think, don't hold your breath. I have used Kirkgate very rarely but any improvement will be benifical.

I have not heard of that quite from keynes but there was a similar one that I have heard, which is:-

"your a short time living and a long time dead," by those wonderful musicians, the Wurzerls.

 

[Hydro]

Right chaps, once this is completed, we must now find a new "worst station" to moan about. The power of moaning has been shown to work. Another two threads and I think we can get Pacers and Voyagers replaced.