Blackpool North Station passenger management

[NCT]

I travelled by train to and from Blackpool the other day and noticed a couple of peculiarities.

The station has a sizable waiting hall. There are doors to the platform which are normally cordoned off. Those doors are only opened - manually - when staff decide a train is ready for boarding. I wandered into the platform area through one of the doors they hadn't cordoned off and was called back to the waiting hall. I don't recall any other British stations having this 'Spanish' style of passenger management.

Unless I missed it - the station didn't have any ticket machines.

Both times I went through the barriers, they were left open with staff presence. Leaving the station, the ordinary barriers were opened but cordoned off and there were two members of staff standing by the wide gates which were also left open. I'm not sure the staff actually checked tickets - they just waved everyone through.

It felt like the staffing level was at least twice what was necessary.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 3 Apr 2026 ==


Platform doors cordoned off with waiting lines


Barriers left open but cordoned off, with manually 'supervised' wide gates

 

[stadler]

I travelled by train to and from Blackpool the other day and noticed a couple of peculiarities.

The station has a sizable waiting hall. There are doors to the platform which are normally cordoned off. Those doors are only opened - manually - when staff decide a train is ready for boarding. I wandered into the platform area through one of the doors they hadn't cordoned off and was called back to the waiting hall. I don't recall any other British stations having this 'Spanish' style of passenger management.

Unless I missed it - the station didn't have any ticket machines.

Both times I went through the barriers, they were left open with staff presence. Leaving the station, the ordinary barriers were opened but cordoned off and there were two members of staff standing by the wide gates which were also left open. I'm not sure the staff actually checked tickets - they just waved everyone through.

It felt like the staffing level was at least twice what was necessary.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 3 Apr 2026 ==


Platform doors cordoned off with waiting lines
View attachment 201648

Barriers left open but cordoned off, with manually 'supervised' wide gates
View attachment 201649

Blackpool North has been notorious for its stupid setup for years. It is overstaffed and has a good amount of jobsworths employed there. They normally make everyone wait in the concourse until a few minutes before departure and then let everyone through. It is a stupid unnecessary setup. I have never understood why they can not operate like a normal station and let people wait on the platforms.

 

[800001]

I travelled by train to and from Blackpool the other day and noticed a couple of peculiarities.

The station has a sizable waiting hall. There are doors to the platform which are normally cordoned off. Those doors are only opened - manually - when staff decide a train is ready for boarding. I wandered into the platform area through one of the doors they hadn't cordoned off and was called back to the waiting hall. I don't recall any other British stations having this 'Spanish' style of passenger management.

Unless I missed it - the station didn't have any ticket machines.

Both times I went through the barriers, they were left open with staff presence. Leaving the station, the ordinary barriers were opened but cordoned off and there were two members of staff standing by the wide gates which were also left open. I'm not sure the staff actually checked tickets - they just waved everyone through.

It felt like the staffing level was at least twice what was necessary.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 3 Apr 2026 ==


Platform doors cordoned off with waiting lines
View attachment 201648

Barriers left open but cordoned off, with manually 'supervised' wide gates
View attachment 201649

You will find many threads about Blackpool North on here, about exactly what you experienced.
This has been on going for many many years and shows no sign of improving.

 

[pr1]

Not to pile onto the many threads on this, I'll just say that almost every bad experience I've had as a customer/passenger is at Blackpool North. There is something "on the edge" about the place, as though the staff are so primed for trouble that they can't relax or 'stand down'. It's such a shame. There's a good station, and pleasant experience, just crying to be discovered.

 

[Bevan Price]

THat staffing level is probably desirable, as a precaution against rowdy behaviour by people returning home after over-indulging in alcohol consumption at events such as hen parties.
Last time I was there (a few weeks ago), the platform was accessible a good 10-15 minutes before departure time. And, unlike the platforms, the concourse (waiting area) does have some facilities including toilets and some seats.

 

[Trackman]

Unless I missed it - the station didn't have any ticket machines.

Probably, It does have ticket machines as the booking office isn't open all the time.

 

[NCT]

I hadn't realised this topic was a common refrain on these boards!

 

[janb]

Unless I missed it - the station didn't have any ticket machines.

There is one in your second photo next to the Blackpool Transport tickets booth.

In the December 2021 Vextrix Survey streetview there is also one inside the gateline next to the tickets window.

 

[AngelicUpstart]

The barriers are basically out of use at the moment. The entire barrier line is due to be redesigned and replaced over the next few months. They sometimes use them at quiet times, but, put simply, they can't manage a busy inbound train and cause long delays.

That is also one of the main reasons you are kept off the platform until your train is ready to board. Manchester trains have a fairly healthy period in Blackpool, so you can quite often board them 10-15 minutes before departure. York and Liverpool trains have only around 10 minutes turn around time and therefore you often get a mad dash. They also try to do a quick littler collection and to de-tank the toilet if necessary in that time so sometimes you are boarding seconds before.

 

[dk1]

Always good to have too many rather than not enough staff.

 

[scrapy]

A lot of the time the gateline looks overstaffed because traincrew on breaks or staff that have finished or not yet started shifts will stop to chat as they pass through.

 

[johntea]

I've been passing through a lot recently and despite the doors sytem still being a thing I do think the experience has improved from years gone by, certainly helped by the surrounding area around the station now looking much less derelict than it once did!

 

[llewjones]

Perhaps playing devils advocate a bit, but so long as adequate time is given prior to departure for boarding, in what way does this differ from a London terminus such as Kings Cross, where access to platforms is gate controlled and (in theory) not permitted until the platform is announced?

 

[dk1]

I've been passing through a lot recently and despite the doors sytem still being a thing I do think the experience has improved from years gone by, certainly helped by the surrounding area around the station now looking much less derelict than it once did!

I recently stayed at the excellent Holiday Inn opposite and totally concur with your comments. It is vastly improved now with the tram stop, Sainsbury’s, Railside Brewhouse & soon to be MoD offices.

 

[Baxenden Bank]

Perhaps playing devils advocate a bit, but so long as adequate time is given prior to departure for boarding, in what way does this differ from a London terminus such as Kings Cross, where access to platforms is gate controlled and (in theory) not permitted until the platform is announced?

I think that that is the problem. Long queue on the concourse, doors opened only a couple of minutes prior to departure, mad scramble to board including loading of prams, stowing luggage etc. That scramble happens unavoidably at a busy interchange but just seems unnecessary at a terminus. Holding boarding passengers back until a train has decanted arriving passengers makes sense but only if the turnround time allows it.

The concourse to platform doors used to be solid metal roller shutters, kept closed until the train arrived, closed immediately after passengers alighted by an eager railman, opened seemingly very reluctantly just before the train was due to depart. No dawdling getting off (or taking pictures or numbers), no dawdling getting on.

Then again, they could make people queue in the subway outside of the ticket barriers!

 

[NorthernSpirit]

I've been passing through a lot recently and despite the doors system still being a thing I do think the experience has improved from years gone by, certainly helped by the surrounding area around the station now looking much less derelict than it once did!

Watching a recent video by Walks On The Wild Side, one thing that does stand out and that is the state of Blackpool North. It just needs the station being completely leveling and rebuiding in an open air, doorless, modern design that would complement the surroundings.

 

[Elecman]

There is one in your second photo next to the Blackpool Transport tickets booth.

In the December 2021 Vextrix Survey streetview there is also one inside the gateline next to the tickets window.

Correct

 

[philthetube]

I both meet people and travel through Blackpool North regularly, the experience has vastly improved on how it was a few years ago.

Trains are tanked an properly cleaned at the station, the cleaning could not happen if boarding were allowed on arrival'


they seem to need to provide assistance to passengers on virtually all arrivals, so more staff than you would expect are needed for this.

 

[Russel]

Perhaps playing devils advocate a bit, but so long as adequate time is given prior to departure for boarding, in what way does this differ from a London terminus such as Kings Cross, where access to platforms is gate controlled and (in theory) not permitted until the platform is announced?

I'd suggest Euston is a closer London terminus comparison than Kings Cross, with it's shambolic and at time, downright dangerous approach to passenger management.

 

[ChilliSauce]

What you have to remember is that in the 1960s Blackpool North was proposed for closure. With Blackpool Central being retained.

Which actually would of been much better for Blackpool .. And the service via Lytham would still of run to the Central Station and not cut back to Blackpool South.

The old route to Blackpool Central now has Yeadon Way built on it.

But for reasons best understood by Blackpool council what you have today is what you have got ..

 

[Shaw S Hunter]

What you have to remember is that in the 1960s Blackpool North was proposed for closure. With Blackpool Central being retained.

Which actually would of been much better for Blackpool .. And the service via Lytham would still of run to the Central Station and not cut back to Blackpool South.

The old route to Blackpool Central now has Yeadon Way built on it.

But for reasons best understood by Blackpool council what you have today is what you have got ..

Absolutely no mystery here, the site of Blackpool Central was much more valuable as a redevelopment opportunity than North and Blackpool couldn't justify two significant terminii. But yes, with hindsight the wrong station/route was closed.

 

[The Pelican]

Watching a recent video by Walks On The Wild Side, one thing that does stand out and that is the state of Blackpool North. It just needs the station being completely leveling and rebuiding in an open air, doorless, modern design that would complement the surroundings.

I've always quite liked the building itself, which feels like quite an impressive terminus, especially now it's got it's own tram stop opposite.

 

[DelW]

I've always quite liked the building itself, which feels like quite an impressive terminus, especially now it's got it's own tram stop opposite.

Agreed - I don't know the station other than by repute, but I think that the photos in the first post show a quite impressive structure, looks like a mid 20th century period piece to me. It also looks clean and bright and well looked after, even if the queuing and gate line arrangements are less than ideal.

 

[bramling]

Agreed - I don't know the station other than by repute, but I think that the photos in the first post show a quite impressive structure, looks like a mid 20th century period piece to me. It also looks clean and bright and well looked after, even if the queuing and gate line arrangements are less than ideal.

I wouldn’t say it’s impressive. The station as used today is what was once the excursion platforms. It wasn’t just Blackpool Central station which went - North’s original station went too, with the excursion platforms being retained. It is for this reason that the station has a slightly odd and austere feeling, as well as lacking the space and facilities one would expect from a significant terminus. It presumably was never designed to function in the way it now does.

From the outside there’s little special about it, and it isn’t much better inside.

 

[NCT]

The barriers are basically out of use at the moment. The entire barrier line is due to be redesigned and replaced over the next few months. They sometimes use them at quiet times, but, put simply, they can't manage a busy inbound train and cause long delays.

I suppose this makes sense. The present position of the barriers doesn't really make sense. It would be better to swing them round by 90 degrees and have barriers across the full length of the waiting hall, perhaps fairly close to the doors. It would make more sense for the cafes and shops to be on the unpaid side of the station I think?

Perhaps playing devils advocate a bit, but so long as adequate time is given prior to departure for boarding, in what way does this differ from a London terminus such as Kings Cross, where access to platforms is gate controlled and (in theory) not permitted until the platform is announced?

I think the London terminals arrangements (Euston, St Pancras, Paddington) are unnecessary. King's Cross has a general gateline for all platforms. If you look on Realtimetrains and head to the platform before it's announced nobody will shoo you away. Even at Euston if you get to the platform before staff set up their makeshift ticket-check line no-one will bother you.

Always good to have too many rather than not enough staff.

Absolutely not. Staffing bloat means my fares or my taxes are higher than necessary.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 5 Apr 2026 ==

Trains are tanked an properly cleaned at the station, the cleaning could not happen if boarding were allowed on arrival'

This is managed at other stations with open platforms or general gatelines. You can time your platform announcements without keeping platforms sterile. On the platform just announce the first / current train as 'train terminates here, do not board'.

 

[dk1]

Absolutely not. Staffing bloat means my fares or my taxes are higher than necessary.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 5 Apr 2026 ==

I wouldn’t worry too much about having the odd extra member of customer facing platform staff making the public feel safer. Behind the scenes you can have a messroom with up to a dozen spare drivers on twice the salary. It will have little/no effect on the fare box.

 

[D1537]

Blackpool North has been like this since the 1980s. I presume the terrible passenger management has been passed down from senior staff to junior staff for the last 40 years.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

What you have to remember is that in the 1960s Blackpool North was proposed for closure. With Blackpool Central being retained.

Which actually would of been much better for Blackpool .. And the service via Lytham would still of run to the Central Station and not cut back to Blackpool South.

While it would be better for services, I agree - wouldn't we just have those staff who are currently working at Blackpool North working at Blackpool Central instead, so we would simply have the same issues anyway?

 

[bramling]

I wouldn’t worry too much about having the odd extra member of customer facing platform staff making the public feel safer. Behind the scenes you can have a messroom with up to a dozen spare drivers on twice the salary. It will have little/no effect on the fare box.

There is a bit of a difference though. Those dozen spare drivers potentially keep the service moving, whilst a dozen staff hovering round a gateline don’t.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 5 Apr 2026 ==

While it would be better for services, I agree - wouldn't we just have those staff who are currently working at Blackpool North working at Blackpool Central instead, so we would simply have the same issues anyway?

Had Central remained open the station would be more attractive to use. At today’s Blackpool North the surly paranoid staff and brutalist building go hand in hand.

 

[dk1]

There is a bit of a difference though. Those dozen spare drivers potentially keep the service moving, whilst a dozen staff hovering round a gateline don’t.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 5 Apr 2026 ==

But I did say ‘spare‘ drivers. We would just be cutting others out or get sent home after approx 5hrs. Usually we would do little or no driving on such days.