Bolton Station Re-Modelling

[Nym]

I don't think they'd want to blow a load of money on a car park and have it paved over by Platform 5 through... All I can think of having fit would be a multi-storey with space to the side to re-construct platform 5, would be a narrow car park, possibly building some levels over the running lines?

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

The main diference between Vic/Pic and Bolton for the platforms is the pedestrian access points, at both these stations it is in the centre of the platform, I must ask, have you ever walked to the far end of Bolton from the ticket office, it's a good 5 min walk for me, but can take upto 10mins for a free traveler.

It is also quite a long walk to the ends of all three platforms at Manchester Airport rail station, all of which are classsified as both (A) and (B) platforms.

This is to obtain the maximum useage of the station platforms.

 

[lancastrian]

It is also quite a long walk to the ends of all three platforms at Manchester Airport rail station, all of which are classsified as both (A) and (B) platforms.

This is to obtain the maximum useage of the station platforms.

There is also quite a walk at Euston, especially if you want to get a seat in second class. The longer the train, or more than one train per platform, then you will always have a long(ish) walk to get to you seat.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

There is also quite a walk at Euston, especially if you want to get a seat in second class. The longer the train, or more than one train per platform, then you will always have a long(ish) walk to get to you seat.

Long gone indeed are the days at Euston when a Royal Scot would be at the head of a train when the 1st and 2nd class carriages were quite easy to find in the maroon liveried coaching stock.

 

[lancastrian]

Long gone indeed are the days at Euston when a Royal Scot would be at the head of a train when the 1st and 2nd class carriages were quite easy to find in the maroon liveried coaching stock.

Ahh those were the days, real trains.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Well I am glad that they are finally improving Bolton Station, and with the New Bus Station being built nearby, we might have a decent Transport Exchange at last. They are even supposedly reinstating the footbridge over the Johnson Street curve site, but not exactly in the same place.

Did you think that the Bolton free shuttle bus has been useful as an interim measure. It does connect the rail and bus stations, plus much of the shopping centre.

What plans do they have for the existing bus station site, once the new one is built?

 

[WatcherZero]

Dont know if it was mentioned previously but part of the renovation is platform signalling to change the stopping location of the trains from the far side of the station to nearer the main entrance so theres less far to walk.

Will be sold for redevelopment to finance the interchange, the only issue seems to be some peoples belief that the new bus station being further from the market may be inconveniant for users.

 

[yorksrob]

Will be sold for redevelopment to finance the interchange, the only issue seems to be some peoples belief that the new bus station being further from the market may be inconveniant for users.

What's being sold for redevelopment out of interest? I hope the platform buildings and canopies are going to be restored? Bolton has the makings of a splendid station with some tlc.

 

[WatcherZero]

The original bus station, no specific scheme yet though

Bolton Council has identified the Moor Lane site as a potential development opportunity capable of offering a range of uses including, office, residential, retail and leisure including in particular family focused food and beverage, entertainment and cultural uses to complement the existing uses within the town.

The rail station is being improved (in fact works almost finished) with full platform length canopy extensions (though not in vintage style), new ticket office and renovation of platform buildings.

 

[yorksrob]

The original bus station, no specific scheme yet though

Cheers Watcher Zero, to be honest, it does look a bit windswept around the bus station area so it could do with some investment.

 

[Nym]

Yeah, but within 400yds of the bus station theres a load of abandoned brown belt thats been for sale for years without being developed, I wouldn't hold out too much hope. Theres plenty of 'development space' already in Bolton. Espcically around Moor St and Chorley St

I can only hope that Platform 5 is re-instated at Bolton soon, possibly during electrification works when the line will be closed anyway.

Would need the fencing taking down and canopy extending west on pt.4, but it looks like it wouldn't be that much effort.

The major problem would be building another car park

 

[yorksrob]

I suppose the train station has a good steady patronage throughout the day. Really there's no reason why it couldn't be as decent a place to wait as Huddersfield if looked after properly.

 

[WatcherZero]

Central Bolton has suffered greatly from Middlebrook sapping retail investment which is partly the councils own fault, however thankfully its surviving unlike Rochdale and Oldham town centres.

 

[Nym]

Partly because Bolton, unlike most town centres, isn't dominated by one large shopping centre, that is what I hope won't happen with the old bus station. Bolton has two small shopping centres and two big shopping streets for those who don't know, and a very large market, that is a proper market, not a modern one.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Since the "improvements" to Bolton Station in the mid 80's, the cappacity was drastically reduced..

Whilst the matter of the refurbishment works are being discussed, what plans are there for the very old "etched glass" windows saying "Telegraph Office", "1st Class Ladies Waiting Room", etc. There are quite a few of these and they must have some historical interest.

 

[WatcherZero]

Cant seem to find many pictures of what it looks like now, mostly its left alone with some new glass conservatorys added here and there, best I could find was this two month old gallery. The works pretty much finished now compared to onging work which you see in the gallery.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/_4cryingoutloud/sets/72157626295291961/with/5585448641/

What you cant see is internal walls in some of the old brick platform structures have been knocked through to make larger toilets/cafe/waiting rooms utilising unused old space (e.g. former seperate class/sexes, station storage/rooms used by staff, etc..).

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

What you cant see is internal walls in some of the old brick platform structures have been knocked through to make larger toilets/cafe/waiting rooms utilising unused old space (e.g. former seperate class/sexes, station storage/rooms used by staff, etc..).

We have not been to Clitheroe for the last two months and we usually change trains at Bolton. The old "conservatory" extension to the buffet had been demolished, last time we went in, and the wall space was boarded over, but the area outside was being made ready for a new extension. I think that an area between two original buildings was being enclosed in a clear material.

I will see how the old etched-glass windows have survived next time we change trains there. Thank you for supplying the photo link.

 

[lancastrian]

Did you think that the Bolton free shuttle bus has been useful as an interim measure. It does connect the rail and bus stations, plus much of the shopping centre.

What plans do they have for the existing bus station site, once the new one is built?

Well some people have found the free bus halpful, but often I have passed the bus standing in the bus stop by the Station on Newport Street, the driver stood outside the bus, having a fag, with about 4/5 people on only. By the time I have walked over to Deansgate, I often beat the bus to get there. I know this because I have seen people I saw on the bus at Newport Street, behind me at the Bank. It's time has been extended so i presume that Bolton Council feel that it is value for money. Although, other decissions give grave doubt to that premiss.

There were plans for the new Bus Station in the Bolton News a few months ago. I had a look at them and I could not believe how converluted they were, It looked as though who ever designed the plans, thought how can I cause the greatest difficulty in busues using this bus station.

To give one example, buses will turn into Newport Street, off great Moor Street to enter the bus station, they will then move around the New Bus stataion in an anti clock wise manner, after they leave the bus back onto Great Moor Street, then if the are head south from Bolton, they will cover the same route as they enter Newport Street in the same place, before passing the entrance to the bus station again. How daft can you get??:roll:

http://www.tfgm.com/upload/library/10-0810_BoltonBS_Cons_web.pdf

If you want to see both artists impressions and the plan, use this link.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

There were plans for the new Bus Station in the Bolton News a few months ago. I had a look at them and I could not believe how converluted they were, It looked as though who ever designed the plans, thought how can I cause the greatest difficulty in busues using this bus station.

http://www.tfgm.com/upload/library/10-0810_BoltonBS_Cons_web.pdf

The layout of the bus bays on the front cover seem identical to those at Manchester Airport bus station.

 

[Inox]

I go through Bolton everyday. it's a welcome improvement tha going on right now, but do you reckon that with a new extended canopy they'll have the budget to clean the buildup of crud on the windows of the existing canopy? the station wouldn't be a lot less grim if the light was allowed to pass through.

how much would it cost to get one or two guys with a boom or telescopic sponge/brush to get on the roof and clean it up?

 

[lancastrian]

I go through Bolton everyday. it's a welcome improvement tha going on right now, but do you reckon that with a new extended canopy they'll have the budget to clean the buildup of crud on the windows of the existing canopy? the station wouldn't be a lot less grim if the light was allowed to pass through.

how much would it cost to get one or two guys with a boom or telescopic sponge/brush to get on the roof and clean it up?

Well as a regular user of Bolton station, any improvement is to be aplauded, but they spend a lot of money doing half a job. They is still no plan to have a decent car park for the station. As the old Focus/DoItAll is still empty after at least 3/4 years, why not just demolish it and us the area as a Station Car Park.

And who ever planned the pick up/set down system on the Trinity Street Bridge, was sadly deluded in it's benefit. Taxi's are always stopping on the double yellow lines, often blocking the exit from the ajoining bus station, causing blockages on the inner lane across the bridge. I have seen at least two occasions that this bad usage has cause cars to crash into the taxis, plus, a Hire Car, leaving the 'BUS STATION', where it should not have been, pushing out from between two white vans, only for the front of the Hire Car, to be crushed by an articulated lorry driving along the outside line.

When they redid the Bus Station/Taxi rank along side the Station in Bolton, they should have created a setting down/pick up point there and not allow any stopping on the Trinity Street bridge.

Also all this cosmetic work is good, it improves the look of the station, but fails to solve the problems concerning the platforms of the station. The track need to be reconfigured so that platforn one can be accessed from the Preston line, plus platform five need to be reinstated so the a cross platform concetion between the Blackpool & Southport line services. All this needs to be done before the line is electrified.

 

[Nym]

Also all this cosmetic work is good, it improves the look of the station, but fails to solve the problems concerning the platforms of the station. The track need to be reconfigured so that platforn one can be accessed from the Preston line, plus platform five need to be reinstated so the a cross platform concetion between the Blackpool & Southport line services. All this needs to be done before the line is electrified.

This....

And a better car park!

I tend to use Lostock now because Bolton is inaccessable after 7:20am, is just a pain if I have a late finish in Manchester.

I'm sure that we could have a 500 space car park at Bolton and a 1500 space car park at Horwich, and they'd still both be full!

 

[Inox]

Well as a regular user of Bolton station, any improvement is to be aplauded, but they spend a lot of money doing half a job. They is still no plan to have a decent car park for the station. As the old Focus/DoItAll is still empty after at least 3/4 years, why not just demolish it and us the area as a Station Car Park.

And who ever planned the pick up/set down system on the Trinity Street Bridge, was sadly deluded in it's benefit. Taxi's are always stopping on the double yellow lines, often blocking the exit from the ajoining bus station, causing blockages on the inner lane across the bridge. I have seen at least two occasions that this bad usage has cause cars to crash into the taxis, plus, a Hire Car, leaving the 'BUS STATION', where it should not have been, pushing out from between two white vans, only for the front of the Hire Car, to be crushed by an articulated lorry driving along the outside line.

When they redid the Bus Station/Taxi rank along side the Station in Bolton, they should have created a setting down/pick up point there and not allow any stopping on the Trinity Street bridge.

Also all this cosmetic work is good, it improves the look of the station, but fails to solve the problems concerning the platforms of the station. The track need to be reconfigured so that platforn one can be accessed from the Preston line, plus platform five need to be reinstated so the a cross platform concetion between the Blackpool & Southport line services. All this needs to be done before the line is electrified.

oh, aye. exactly my point. Do It All has great links off manchester road/A666 a simple extending off the foot bridge to the rear of the car park would give access to hundreds more parking space.....

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

But do you reckon that with a new extended canopy they'll have the budget to clean the buildup of crud on the windows of the existing canopy? How much would it cost to get one or two guys with a boom or telescopic sponge/brush to get on the roof and clean it up?

That point is one for the organisation who manage Bolton station to resolve, but they may want to do a deep-clean once all the construction and refurbishment works have been completed.

 

[Inox]

yeah, fingers crossed mate. It's Northern Rail. I'm not up on what franshises can and can't do in terms of doing work on Railtrack proprty (where the boundries lie)

 

[WatcherZero]

Anything above head height is NR, anything below head height is franchisee. NR has to sign off any works and will apppoint the contractors though the governments changing it so franchisees could appoint their own contractors after a scheme has been approved by NR.

 

[Howardh]

Oh dear.

Went to Bolton station for the first time in weeks yesterday, and had a look at the improvements. OK, here's the good stuff. The toilets on platforms 1/3 are now quite nice, and roomy and on the platforms the canopies have been re-done, but tbh I didn't see much wrong with them in the first place, save for a few small leaky bits.

But that's where the plaudits stop. The ticket-office is a bright, but dull, soulless miserable shed of a place. The seats on the platforms are cold, uncomfortable and uninviting. And I had to ask where the new, state-of-the-art waiting room was, and was pointed to a glass door which led to the gap between two buildings, again with said metal seats. The cafe now has all-glass frontage, but looking inside it has the same appeal as a school dining room. Yugh!

What a waste of money! All that needed to be done was give the old waiting room a lick of paint, some decent seats and an information screen and we're away!

Bolton is a massive town, and deserves much, much better. Preston station has had it's negative press, but there's a good waiting room, nice cafe, shops open much longer and...a pub!

 

[WatcherZero]

Dont get too comfortable, Preston is scheduled for a major refurb 2013 or so to deal with the expected passenger increase.

 

[vectra33]

What plans do they have for the existing bus station site, once the new one is built?

Tesco had expressed an interest,the plan was a car park at ground level,with an elevated store built above,not unlike the one at Burnley,on the site of the old Standerwick/Ribble garage.

Dave

 

[snail]

Dont get too comfortable, Preston is scheduled for a major refurb 2013 or so to deal with the expected passenger increase.

2012 according to the WCML RUS.