Cumbrian stations platform extensions

[Pinus contorta]

Had a good look round at Ulverston Station today. There is some scaffolding surroinding the clock tower. I don't recall any major work being done since Railtrack painted and renovated the canopy in 1998 (?) It looks really run down since the night club and latterly a kids nursery part of the building went out of use about ten years ago. Quite a lot of work involved to get it 6 car compatible I would have thought.

Also noticed several people, maybe on a site visit, when my train paused at Dalton.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Had a good look round at Ulverston Station today. There is some scaffolding surroinding the clock tower. I don't recall any major work being done since Railtrack painted and renovated the canopy in 1998 (?) It looks really run down since the night club and latterly a kids nursery part of the building went out of use about ten years ago. Quite a lot of work involved to get it 6 car compatible I would have thought.

Also noticed several people, maybe on a site visit, when my train paused at Dalton.

Just looked at it on Google Streetview. It appears to me that the unused section of the island platform is about the length of the used section and is intact, so all they need to do is resurface it. The barrow crossing is fenced and is at the end of the main platform so I don't see why it should be an issue, it isn't "dipped" in the middle of the main platform, only the island on a fenced area on the disused side of the island only, though it'd be good to add an accessible footbridge.

The state of the building is disgusting, but I don't believe it would prevent simply extending the usable platform length.

Similarly on the "main" platform there's plenty of disused length there which would be fine with a resurface, albeit in the other direction.

 

[Pinus contorta]

The state of the building is disgusting, but I don't believe it would prevent simply extending the usable platform length.

It doesn't help that the building on the main platform faces north, and is in a cutting so the canopy, gutters, etc don't get much sunlight and the moss and other vegetation builds up quickly. Some of the stuff growing out of the awning is quite shoddy. But it doesn't look any worse than some of the other structures on the network, which all cost money to maintain.

 

[Agent_Squash]

Ulverston has plenty of room to be made a nice station once more. Plus, with the school traffic, it really should have barriers also.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Ulverston has plenty of room to be made a nice station once more. Plus, with the school traffic, it really should have barriers also.

No point gating a station that is likely to become unstaffed at some point. The priority should be repairing the building and roof and getting decent long term commercial tenants in by offering decent rates.

If there's an issue with the schoolkids fare dodging, as I could quite believe there might be, send an RPI down to get some PFs issued once a week on random days.

 

[Agent_Squash]

No point gating a station that is likely to become unstaffed at some point. The priority should be repairing the building and roof and getting decent long term commercial tenants in by offering decent rates.

If there's an issue with the schoolkids fare dodging, as I could quite believe there might be, send an RPI down to get some PFs issued once a week on random days.

Is the Southern solution to gating not deemed appropriate these days with remote monitoring?

Really any station that is served by two non gangwayed Northern units should be barriered in my opinion - a RPI sting will do something but I bet not much…

 

[Bletchleyite]

Is the Southern solution to gating not deemed appropriate these days with remote monitoring?

I am not aware of any stations with gatelines with remote monitoring that do not have any staff at all on the station - are there any? So far as I have seen in extensive travels the remote monitoring is usually someone on another gateline at that station.

But no, I don't support that, I've almost missed trains several times due to how slow the response is. Now if the station is on fire...

Really any station that is served by two non gangwayed Northern units should be barriered in my opinion - a RPI sting will do something but I bet not much…

If the kids are guaranteed having to pay twenty quid once a week, soon to increase to fifty, they'll soon realise not spending their fare on sweets is more sensible. And if they don't, the railway wins anyway once it is 50.

Alternatively Northern and their Unions could bin off their stupid rule and allow unit hopping. Or as was suggested on the Sprinter thread form 4 car gangwayed sets from combinations of a 150/2 in the middle and a /1 split either side of it, though that doesn't solve the gross idiocy of ordering the 195s without. Only fix I can see to that is ordering a load of centre coaches so they don't need to run in multiple, which would allow some 15x to be binned off too.

 

[Pinus contorta]

Similarly on the "main" platform there's plenty of disused length there which would be fine with a resurface, albeit in the other direction.

I heard someone on the train saying they assumed that. However on a site visit someone had to re-do the plans for said platform. The platform ' dips' and is unsuitable for using the ramp for disabled access unless the train stops in a particular position. So the whole lot needs lifting up and then tactile paving etc.

 

[Starmill]

And if they don't, the railway wins anyway once it is 50.

Yes in general, however in the case of attempting to enforce a £50 Penalty Fare against an under 16, this isn't going to be straightforward.

 

[ScottGallagher]

Has any of this work at Ulverston been completed, hard to find pictures if so!

 

[Pinus contorta]

Has any of this work at Ulverston been completed, hard to find pictures if so!

Still doing the clock tower repairs on 18 November. Not been there this week. No sign of any activity on the platform alterations.

 

[Geeves]

Just confirming earlier posts the Barrow trains will for the majority of the day be booked as 6 cars from December subject to the usual.

 

[AMD]

Just confirming earlier posts the Barrow trains will for the majority of the day be booked as 6 cars from December subject to the usual.

Although unlikely from the TT change as there's a shortage of 195s at the moment, we've been told it'll be mainly the Cumbria 6 car diagrams that'll be shortformed.