Leeds Station concourse and platform improvements

[johntea]

What is the latest update with regards to the works to make the concourse more open? I'm sure the works had a schedule of 6 weeks but the construction stuff has been up a lot longer than that now!

 

[ianhr]

Yes, the ridiculous 'circus tent' which blocks most of the entrance where Burger King used to be is completely empty and there has been no activity inside it for weeks now.

I am tempted to conclude that a lot of what is going on is merely 'make work'.

 

[johntea]

Has Marks And Sparks bit the dust now too? Not surprising if so really with Sainsburys competing...

 

[yorksrob]

Has Marks And Sparks bit the dust now too? Not surprising if so really with Sainsburys competing...

I thought it was part of the refurb, but I admit I haven't been in for a while.

 

[johntea]

Ah yes still appears to be open.

I've made a new worst enemy at Leeds station and it is those new PATHETICALLY slow lifts!

The doors open like they're stuck together with superglue, then L-I-F-T G-O-I-N-G D-O-O-O-O-O-W-N then D-O-O-R-S C-L-O-S-I-N-G then a bit of time to reapply the superglue then the exact same vice versa! I blame them entirely for making me miss a very tight connection this evening due to a delay on a previous journey!

 

[yorksrob]

Ah yes still appears to be open.

I've made a new worst enemy at Leeds station and it is those new PATHETICALLY slow lifts!

The doors open like they're stuck together with superglue, then L-I-F-T G-O-I-N-G D-O-O-O-O-O-W-N then D-O-O-R-S C-L-O-S-I-N-G then a bit of time to reapply the superglue then the exact same vice versa! I blame them entirely for making me miss a very tight connection this evening due to a delay on a previous journey!

Oh yes, any regular traveller to platform 17 will agree with you on that one!

 

[Bantamzen]

Yes, the concourse works seemed to have ground to the a halt at the main entrance. Goodness knows what’s gone wrong, it surely can’t have been that difficult to rip out the units, cap off utilities and install new doors can it?

In the meantime, does anyone know what those strange new monoliths are that have appeared in the last day towards the Northern info desk. I half noticed them yesterday and was going to have a closer look, but was distracted by the free frozen pizzas being handed out….

Oh and don’t get me started on those lifts. “Call accepted”, I should blumming well hope so lift, it isn’t optional for you….

 

[johntea]

Some sort of information system maybe? I was there last night when it was being put up and saw a couple of brand new NEC screens being delivered to the workers, although I thought it was maybe just part of the free pizza marketing! (Why did they have to do that promotion on my day off from work!)

 

[edwin_m]

Are they the things like giant iPhones? These are displaying random information* screens at various other NR managed stations.

*Not of a particularly useful sort.

 

[Adam0984]

It's a Smart Wall incorporating train running info a TVM and other stuff the 1st one in the country was installed at Harrogate at the end of last year and this is the other half of it as Harrogate was too small for the full wall

 

[ValleyLines142]

The toilets on platform 8 at Leeds have no doors on the cubicles!!

 

[johntea]

So it's up...

Congratulations on managing to clutter the concourse up whilst still not having completed the project to declutter it!

Thank goodness the ticket selling is currently out of order I dread to imagine the queues to use those in a morning!

 

[bluenoxid]

And it's opened up but no new doors?

 

[Bantamzen]

And it's opened up but no new doors?

Yeah, about that. Don't get me wrong, it looks far better with all that extra glass gone in letting in more light, but I was expecting more doors......

 

[class 9]

Yes, the ridiculous 'circus tent' which blocks most of the entrance where Burger King used to be is completely empty and there has been no activity inside it for weeks now.

I am tempted to conclude that a lot of what is going on is merely 'make work'.

Went through today, its all gone, it's a lot brighter now.

 

[Tetchytyke]

The toilets on platform 8 at Leeds have no doors on the cubicles!!

The gents toilets on platform 8 at Leeds now have tensabarriers across the cubicles, saying they are closed due to vandalism. Can still use the urinals though.

 

[johntea]

Took me by surprise how different it actually looked with all the light coming through! Still some small barriers up for some reason though hopefully they have vanished by now.

As for the toilets, absolutely bl%$^y stupid that a few are probably going to spoil it for the rest now no doubt they'll be shortly be sticking a turnstile in the way :roll:

 

[yorksrob]

I see that the annoying Costco stand is currently in front of the new space. Annoying because they never have the decency to give away any freebies.

The frozen pizza last week was delicious!

 

[1D53]

The free pizza was brilliant!

 

[HowardGWR]

The free pizza was brilliant!

Hopefully not going too OT, I regard pizza as congealed sawdust with some parsimoniously sprayed savoury stuff on it. I love real Italian cooking, but where these snack places are concerned, I strive to find somewhere where pizza tastes more like food.

 

[johntea]

The departure screens on the main concourse now seem to show arrival times next to all the stations for services, got a picture somewhere when I can find it!

 

[yorksrob]

Hopefully not going too OT, I regard pizza as congealed sawdust with some parsimoniously sprayed savoury stuff on it. I love real Italian cooking, but where these snack places are concerned, I strive to find somewhere where pizza tastes more like food.

Funnily enough, I have a soft spot for doughy pizza-hut type creations.

 

[Saint66]

The departure screens on the main concourse now seem to show arrival times next to all the stations for services, got a picture somewhere when I can find it!

Yeah they do, seems to have come in over the past week and a half. Quite handy if you ask me!

Although It's not the only station I've seen mentioned on twitter this week about this introduction, I've definitely seen it being put on twitter about VTEC stations now having this.

 

[johntea]

Found it!

 

[james2trains]

Has the gateline received any sign of improvement to add QR scanners?

 

[johntea]

Nope (I'm sure someone said they may not even be compatible :roll: ) although I believe the ones covering the Southern exit have them built in, don't know if they're activated to actually work mind!

 

[james2trains]

Nope (I'm sure someone said they may not even be compatible :roll: ) although I believe the ones covering the Southern exit have them built in, don't know if they're activated to actually work mind!

Northern tweeted a few weeks ago that they're going to upgrade them "soon", so if they're not compatible is a new gateline coming? All seems very quiet and unorganised

 

[yorksrob]

Meaningless, as the Southern exit gateline is closed completely in the evenings.

They might as well brick it up for all the use it is. Complete waste of money.

 

[johntea]

Just passed through Leeds and a few of the main barriers now have large barcode readers fitted to the top of them, although I tried to scan my mTicket barcode and it didn't do much apart from a large green flash so probably work in progress over Christmas

 

[Grumpy]

Nope (I'm sure someone said they may not even be compatible :roll: ) although I believe the ones covering the Southern exit have them built in, don't know if they're activated to actually work mind!

The southern entry ones are activated-I was directed to use one by the ticket collector earlier this week.
He was more than happy to show me how to operate the gate as it no doubt broke up the monotony and loneliness of his job. The only snag was it rejected my ticket as it was a concessionary!