Leeds station improvement updates

[YorksLad12]

Why is that LNER booth there? It takes up space, particularly with those additional barriers. if it really has to stay couldn’t it be shifted over behind the escalators? No other TOC gets a booth!

If it was behind the escalators it would be harder to find. It also (I think) handles info for other operators, not just LNER.

 

[GoneSouth]

The display monitors are not always easy to find / read either, whether that's platform 17 or for some of the others where they run services from different parts of the platform at Leeds. It also seems to be a fairly common issue on platform 13 at Piccadilly where people end up on a stockport service instead of an airport one.

I have to admit that signage at Leeds is abysmal so maybe the screens are too,

 

[skyhigh]

No other TOC gets a booth!

Northern operate the booth on the main concourse, as well as staffing the ticket office and (occasionally) the information booth on the over bridge. All of those offer passenger information and assistance.

 

[speedy1]

Are the escalators used for some kind of training school? Is it a jobs programme?

At this stage it would be nice to have some posters explaining what is going on and what the end date is!

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: Yesterday at 06:42 ==

Why is that LNER booth there? It takes up space, particularly with those additional barriers. if it really has to stay couldn’t it be shifted over behind the escalators? No other TOC gets a booth!

Of all the issues with the station this has never registered personally haha

 

[Iskra]

Are the escalators used for some kind of training school? Is it a jobs programme?

At this stage it would be nice to have some posters explaining what is going on and what the end date is!

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: Yesterday at 06:42 ==


Of all the issues with the station this has never registered personally haha

There was some (quite good) signage about escalators at one point…



Clearly there is some sort of major phased work in progress. Judging by the ones I’ve seen being worked upon, there can’t be too many left to do outside of the South Entrance.

 

[WillC]

If it was behind the escalators it would be harder to find. It also (I think) handles info for other operators, not just LNER.

It would, but I would say creating more space and less of a bottleneck is more important that giving an LNER member of staff a glorified large and disruptive seat. You can always ask the numerous staff that seem to be happy standing around on platform 8.

 

[skyhigh]

Clearly there is some sort of major phased work in progress.

I don't believe that's true. I think it's simply reactive work to failures.

 

[Iskra]

It would, but I would say creating more space and less of a bottleneck is more important that giving an LNER member of staff a glorified large and disruptive seat. You can always ask the numerous staff that seem to be happy standing around on platform 8.

The positioning of the information screens just through the barriers in that area is much more damaging to passenger flow. You can’t ask the staff on P8 anything if they’re away dispatching trains or in the process of doing so. Seems an odd gripe of all the possible gripes you could have with the layout of Leeds station!

 

[WillC]

The positioning of the information screens just through the barriers in that area is much more damaging to passenger flow. You can’t ask the staff on P8 anything if they’re away dispatching trains or in the process of doing so. Seems an odd gripe of all the possible gripes you could have with the layout of Leeds station!

It's not a huge gripe, but it would be a simple matter to remove the booth and associated barriers to make things better for passengers. The info screens I agree are not great but where else could they go - maybe behind you in place of those Leeds adverts?

 

[yorksrob]

I'm not sure why the barrier is still there, since the gateline was moved back.

 

[yoyothehobo]

I'm not sure why the barrier is still there, since the gateline was moved back.

My only guess is that there is a change in level which they dont want wheeled vehicles rolling down, or an unexpected step for those welded to their phones

 

[WillC]

My only guess is that there is a change in level which they dont want wheeled vehicles rolling down, or an unexpected step for those welded to their phones

Pretty sure it's flat - the concourse immediately after the barriers and platform 8 are level. A short waist-height barrier projecting from the building might be useful to avoid collisions when cornering (i.e. people would emerge in sight before you walking into them), but we managed to deal with this potential catastrophe before the LNER booth arrived...

 

[xotGD]

They could convert that info booth into a coffee shack. Avoid the need to go up to the bridge to buy one (or exit the barriers) if connecting from a low numbered bay to an LNER off 6 or 8. We are lacking a Costa.

 

[GoneSouth]

We are lacking a Costa.

I thought you said turn it into a coffee shack, not a Costa.

You just can’t call Costa a coffee shop. Terrible doesn’t begin to cover it. I can recommend some places that sell large cups of milk that actually have some coffee flavour of you like!

 

[Minnietheminx]

Platform 17 is a terrible place to have to wait for a train. Theres very little shelter from the wind and rain in winter and there is nowhere to sit down. Why are passengers waiting to board the Nottingham and Lincoln trains left to stand on this dreadful platform with no facilities when the train is there in the platform with the doors locked. Often the doors are not unlocked until only a couple of minutes before departure. Is there any reason why passengers can’t board and sit in the relative comfort and warmth of the train rather than being left standing at the side of the train in the platform. In comparison at Nottingham both XC and EMR leave the doors unlocked and passengers can board and sit in the train sometimes up to 30 minutes before departure.

I carry a camping chair for waiting on platforms 17 and 4 at Leeds. My back tells me that standing for more than a couple of minutes at a time is not a good idea.

 

[YorksLad12]

Pretty sure it's flat - the concourse immediately after the barriers and platform 8 are level. A short waist-height barrier projecting from the building might be useful to avoid collisions when cornering (i.e. people would emerge in sight before you walking into them), but we managed to deal with this potential catastrophe before the LNER booth arrived...

From memory, there is a very slight slope.

The escalator on P16 has emerged from its cocoon, and was escalating this evening, with two fitters in attendance at the top - but still closed off.

 

[IanXC]

Pretty sure it's flat - the concourse immediately after the barriers and platform 8 are level. A short waist-height barrier projecting from the building might be useful to avoid collisions when cornering (i.e. people would emerge in sight before you walking into them), but we managed to deal with this potential catastrophe before the LNER booth arrived...

I've thought about this in the past, and having had a wander around there definately is a significant change in levels. Attached picture is before the gateline was moved (and from Google maps) but you get the idea.

Given there are various historic structures under the platform (isn't this about where one of the sets of toilets in the old subway would be?) I'm not sure it is obvious whether you could flatten it all, or whether you'd have to raise the level elsewhere to overcome the issue - but I would be astounded if it was not possible (at whatever cost...) to overcome this and provie a level area.

 

[YorksLad12]

I've thought about this in the past, and having had a wander around there definately is a significant change in levels. Attached picture is before the gateline was moved (and from Google maps) but you get the idea.

Given there are various historic structures under the platform (isn't this about where one of the sets of toilets in the old subway would be?) I'm not sure it is obvious whether you could flatten it all, or whether you'd have to raise the level elsewhere to overcome the issue - but I would be astounded if it was not possible (at whatever cost...) to overcome this and provie a level area.

Roughly, if you imagine that the steps down where roughly halfway between the current gate line and escalators, the toilets were to the left of that when you got down the stairs..

I think the height difference is down to the viaducts. Platforms 15, 16 and 17 are higher that the rest, then there's a further drop for platforms 4, 5 and 6, then a really big drop to the old Wellington platforms area.

 

[Rail2002]

Are there plans to reinstate the on site bus stops at the main entrance? It would be a shame to lose such inter-connectivity.

When I was there last, every single one of the USB charging ports were broken. The railway tries to push people to use mobile phones and apps, but it is lacking in facilitation of such.

The gold clock tower looks very nice, as does the facade by the front entrance.

Other than that, it seems to have taken a jolly long time for such little progress.

 

[Mugby]

They could convert that info booth into a coffee shack. Avoid the need to go up to the bridge to buy one (or exit the barriers) if connecting from a low numbered bay to an LNER off 6 or 8. We are lacking a Costa.

If anyone remembers, something like the former Breadbox on the concourse at Manchester Piccadilly would be nice, a decent cup of coffee at a reasonable price!