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Preston Station - really poor and needs urgent improvement
- Thread starter Tezza1978
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KevinTurvey
Member
- Joined
- 9 Oct 2016
- Messages
- 261
I agree with some of the points regarding Preston station. Priority should be given to replacement/improvement of the stairs and ramps which are too steep and narrow and are non-compliant with modern standards.
Platforms 1 & 2 and 5 & 6 are narrow. I think it would help in the short term getting passenger flow to shift southwards and spread out a bit – there is too much bunching and waiting at the bottom of the stairs as if services were all still formed of pacers. Most are now 3 – 6 coaches of 23m. The same is true of platforms 3 & 4 waiting for a Pendolino, you will see 200 people trying to board the front 4/5 coaches yet very few boarding the rear 6/7 coaches.
The south end of platform 1 & 2 is completely unused so much so I was stopped by a Virgin member of staff checking my mental health “because people don’t normally come down here” I was only about 30m or so beyond the lift! Although the resident provincial sector liveried sprinter coolant top-up bowser has finally been removed after almost 40 years.
Could an additional catering/waiting areas be relocated further south were they used to be on 3 – 4 – there is a mothballed bar area beyond the central ramp. There also used to be an Asda at the corner of the Fishergate which was very handy, pity we cant bring that back!
Also platforms 3C and 4C last minute platform changes are an absolute pain, which is why I wait near the central ramp just in case it switches to/from 2 until I can see the train.
There is also an issue in winter of the station becoming a bit of a wind tunnel and quite unpleasant at times. Don’t know what can be done about this though.
Platforms 1 & 2 and 5 & 6 are narrow. I think it would help in the short term getting passenger flow to shift southwards and spread out a bit – there is too much bunching and waiting at the bottom of the stairs as if services were all still formed of pacers. Most are now 3 – 6 coaches of 23m. The same is true of platforms 3 & 4 waiting for a Pendolino, you will see 200 people trying to board the front 4/5 coaches yet very few boarding the rear 6/7 coaches.
The south end of platform 1 & 2 is completely unused so much so I was stopped by a Virgin member of staff checking my mental health “because people don’t normally come down here” I was only about 30m or so beyond the lift! Although the resident provincial sector liveried sprinter coolant top-up bowser has finally been removed after almost 40 years.
Could an additional catering/waiting areas be relocated further south were they used to be on 3 – 4 – there is a mothballed bar area beyond the central ramp. There also used to be an Asda at the corner of the Fishergate which was very handy, pity we cant bring that back!
Also platforms 3C and 4C last minute platform changes are an absolute pain, which is why I wait near the central ramp just in case it switches to/from 2 until I can see the train.
There is also an issue in winter of the station becoming a bit of a wind tunnel and quite unpleasant at times. Don’t know what can be done about this though.
MichaelTrains
Member
TT-ONR-NRN
Veteran Member
How long do you expect to be waiting at Forster Square, really?
MichaelTrains
Member
It handles roughly 1.8M passengers a year and doesn't have a toilet.
If you think that is acceptable then you have a low threshold for customer amenities/comfort
TT-ONR-NRN
Veteran Member
Yes I suppose I've underestimated Forster Sq's use.
xotGD
Established Member
- Joined
- 4 Feb 2017
- Messages
- 7,803
Some people have medical conditions which require rapid access to a toilet.
The facilities at FS are woeful.
TT-ONR-NRN
Veteran Member
I'm well aware of that, thank you. I had understood there was usually always a train sat there waiting, but perhaps not. Fair enough!
I think the reasons for lack of toilet facilities at Forster Sq have been covered elsewhere- antisocial behaviour. Those of us 'in need' of toilet facilities come down the list (and maybe some contribute to the 'nuisance'?). Do such 'issues' pertain at Preston?
never seen any such problems there
though the staff do keep the loos under fairly close attention
KNN
Member
There is also a BTP office at Preston
Lots of stations in London with 10x the number of passengers also lack toilets. Particularly Tube stations, despite the fact that there obviously aren't any toilets on the trains.
It's not really good enough in either case (see Japan or Hong Kong for how it should be done, with sparkling clean toilets at virtually every stations) but don't think for a minute that Bradford is being singled out!
GRALISTAIR
Established Member
Yes late running Avanti Euston -Preston last night (diverted via Manchester and Chat Moss) August 12th. It went in on 5.
I confess the 156 from yesterday was ECS!
Attachments
That at least confirms my recollection that Platform 7 is still signed as such. Thanks.
I remember back under the original HS2 plan, they were going to reopen the old parcel platform as 0 as they would have to infill platforms 3C and 4C to accommodate the new train length. Would also make sense to reopen the bay platforms opposite to accommodate Blackpool South and Ormskirk services, keeping them away from the fast lines. Services that arrive and terminate at 3C & 4C have to cross over the down fast so it'd make sense to do that. Anyway I digress.
I can understand the point about the toilets being unpleasant at times but I think the main point is they aren't cleaned very well. The toilets before didn't look that dated but were filthy. I think the worst part is the lift subway which stinks of damp constantly
I can understand the point about the toilets being unpleasant at times but I think the main point is they aren't cleaned very well. The toilets before didn't look that dated but were filthy. I think the worst part is the lift subway which stinks of damp constantly
childwallblues
Established Member
Travelling from Warrington Bank Quay you can always change at Wigan North Western on to a Liverpool to Blackpool service with no platform change.
Seconded. Amazing beer and food. Also only 40 minutes from home. @yorkie we could do a forum meet at The Brewery Tap…0/T....but the Oakham Brewery Tap is about five minutes walk from Peterborough station. Great Thai food as well as beer.