Stations with poor facilities of an evening

[yorksrob]

For me this would be Peterborough.

Its a major station with lots of facilities - buffets on the platform, Waitrose nearby, some sort of pub etc.

Yet get there of a Sunday evening, there's nothing. Everything's closed.

I don't expect the moon on a stick, but Peterborough is an important interchange. It should have buffet facilities until close of play.

 

[KHCT]

Hull is a ghost town on a Sunday evening....and not much better on any other day. WH Smith closes at 4pm on Sunday, both Costa and Starbucks are gone before 7pm, ticket office packs up at 6pm and the toilets are locked at least 2 hours before the last train departs.

 

[Djgr]

Hull is a ghost town on a Sunday evening....and not much better on any other day. WH Smith closes at 4pm on Sunday, both Costa and Starbucks are gone before 7pm, ticket office packs up at 6pm and the toilets are locked at least 2 hours before the last train departs.

Is that nice traditional caff open?

 

[styles]

In a similar vein as Peterborough, I'd say Grantham, for similar reasons. I used to change there to transfer between East Coast Mainline and Midland Mainline services. Late at night it's a bit crap.

 

[Llandudno]

Derby, impossible to get something as simple as a coffee after 7pm, either in the station or within 10 minutes walk of it!

There are some rather good pubs near the station mind you….!

There are a plethora of kebab shops, Asian restaurants and ‘convenience’ stores nearby but you can’t get a takeaway coffee for the train!

Perhaps Bubbles Sauna/massage parlour opposite the station should offer takeaway coffee for loyalty card holders…!

 

[styles]

Perhaps Bubbles Sauna/massage parlour opposite the station should offer takeaway coffee for loyalty card holders…!

£25 entry fee according to the Derby Telegraph though. Mind you, it does include a 30 minute massage so you could probably expect a cup of Nescafe to be thrown in if you asked nicely.

 

[Goldfish62]

Reading has terrible facilities during the daytime given it's the 9th busiest station outside London. These are wound down to virtually nothing from around 18:30 onwards.

 

[Bishops]

For me this would be Peterborough.

Its a major station with lots of facilities - buffets on the platform, Waitrose nearby, some sort of pub etc.

Yet get there of a Sunday evening, there's nothing. Everything's closed.

I don't expect the moon on a stick, but Peterborough is an important interchange. It should have buffet facilities until close of play.

Perhaps they have found that having it open on Sunday evening doesn't cover its bills and wages to be paid to the staff

 

[6PAN]

Oxford has nothing after about 19:30 and there is nowhere nearby to even get a coffee. Southampton Central isn’t great either but there are shops and pubs nearby.

 

[Dr Hoo]

Oxford has nothing after about 19:30 and there is nowhere nearby to even get a coffee. Southampton Central isn’t great either but there are shops and pubs nearby.

At least Southampton Central has a Tesco Express in Overline House (effectively the same building). Its opening hours seem to be 06:00-23:00, seven days.

I know that Lord Adonis (former Transport Secretary) was famously unimpressed with the offering though.

 

[lowe1409]

Could increased use of vending machines solve this problem, and I mean better than the standard snack/drinks machines. I can't remember where in Europe it was that I found out about pizza vending machines on the platforms. I've seen Ben and Jerry's machines as well, and obviously hot drinks machines. Some of these could make stations a more pleasant place to be during quieter hours

 

[styles]

Could increased use of vending machines solve this problem, and I mean better than the standard snack/drinks machines. I can't remember where in Europe it was that I found out about pizza vending machines on the platforms. I've seen Ben and Jerry's machines as well, and obviously hot drinks machines. Some of these could make stations a more pleasant place to be during quieter hours

Quite possibly. I had an overnight connection at Wolverhampton once and the choice was basically chocolate bars and fizzy drinks. Even a sandwich would've been nice. At least there's a Chinese restaurant, a pub, and a Sainsbury's Local just outside the station though.

 

[Taunton]

Weymouth has toilets which are locked at 1800, earlier when the ticket office is short staffed. That's just before the peak time when families return from the beach. The big series of Summer Saturday extras back to Westbury and Bristol depart hourly from 1830 to 2030, and the numbers going to the facilities and finding them locked is considerable..

 

[D1537]

My local station (Northallerton) has around 2.5K passengers per day but don't bet on being able to use the toilets after 5.30pm when the ticket office closes.

 

[skyhigh]

I can't remember where in Europe it was that I found out about pizza vending machines on the platforms.

I think they exist in Paris. I've certainly come across them in random locations in the French countryside.

 

[david737]

I may be wrong but the toilets at Harrogate close when the ticket office closes (1900 Mon to Sat & 1800 Sun) but you have got the Tap pub next door.

 

[A S Leib]

Carlisle's struck me as short-changed if looking for something more substantial than a WH Smiths meal and quicker than something from a pub. There is at least a Costa just outside as well which is open until 19:30 on weekdays and 18:00 on weekends.

 

[W-on-Sea]

Oxford station is not ideal, but at least the M&S is open until 10pm on Fridays and Saturdays, or 9pm Mondays-Thursdays, so cold drinks and sandwiches, at least are available there. Prior to COVID it was open until 11pm Monday to Saturday, and until 10pm on Sunday, so it is definitely not what it was. Racking my brains for the nearest coffee....can't remember whether the Sainsbury's at the opposite end of Frideswide Squire has a Costa machine or not.

 

[Kite159]

Reading has terrible facilities during the daytime given it's the 9th busiest station outside London. These are wound down to virtually nothing from around 18:30 onwards.

There is a Sainsburys Local located a stone's throw from the station entrance with a Tesco Express not much further. Plus plenty of other takeaway options within 5 minutes.

Just don't use the older building near the ticket office as that is quite bleak these days.

 

[johntea]

Wakefield Westgate is a pretty poor show, Greggs knocked off for 6pm and Costa / WHSmith by 7pm (Sunday 4pm and 5pm respectively too!)

A decent walk to anywhere else in Wakefield to grab something other than some rather bright dessert place right opposite the station!

 

[deltic]

Why do you want taxpayers money spent on keeping buffets etc open when its not commerical to do so?

 

[Haywain]

My local station (Northallerton) has around 2.5K passengers per day but don't bet on being able to use the toilets after 5.30pm when the ticket office closes.

I think there will be plenty of far busier stations that don't have toilets at all.

 

[stuartn]

Carlisle's struck me as short-changed if looking for something more substantial than a WH Smiths meal and quicker than something from a pub. There is at least a Costa just outside as well which is open until 19:30 on weekdays and 18:00 on weekends.

Carlisle has a number of take aways a very short walk from the station, and the Spar supermarket, which is open to 11pm.

 

[Llandudno]

Wakefield Westgate is a pretty poor show, Greggs knocked off for 6pm and Costa / WHSmith by 7pm (Sunday 4pm and 5pm respectively too!)

A decent walk to anywhere else in Wakefield to grab something other than some rather bright dessert place right opposite the station!

Wakefield Kirkgate is even worse….!

 

[yorksrob]

Perhaps they have found that having it open on Sunday evening doesn't cover its bills and wages to be paid to the staff

Why do you want taxpayers money spent on keeping buffets etc open when its not commerical to do so?

I think it's quite reasonable to expect large stations to have somewhere to get a cup of tea and a sandwich during operational hours.

 

[8ace]

Could increased use of vending machines solve this problem, and I mean better than the standard snack/drinks machines. I can't remember where in Europe it was that I found out about pizza vending machines on the platforms. I've seen Ben and Jerry's machines as well, and obviously hot drinks machines. Some of these could make stations a more pleasant place to be during quieter hours

There's a pizza vending machine outside Brighton station, pretty decent.

Pizza Rebellion

 

[Mag_seven]

What were the opening hours of "Travellers Fare" outlets back in the day?

 

[yorksrob]

I don't know about Travellers fare (I wasn't out that late in BR days), however I dis spend the night at Manchester Piccadilly some years ago, owing to oversleeping on the train and having a big gap to the morning train.

To its credit, it had a tea/coffee kiosk open all night.

 

[styles]

There's a pizza vending machine outside Brighton station, pretty decent.

Pizza Rebellion

That looks genuinely decent.

 

[8ace]

That looks genuinely decent.

It is, I had the cheesy garlic bread and now I'm hungry