LNER Stevenage Pickup/Setdown

[Failed Unit]

How strictly enforced are the rules on pick-up and set-down for Avanti services at Watford Jn? It's the closest thing we have to this.

Don't Avanti have real goons stopping you getting to the train from the platform?

 

[bramling]

I was meaning heading North it is more challenging. At Kings Cross on the departure boards it is showing next stop Grantham and Newark Northgate. I don't know if it the stop is even advertised on the train as there is no need for it to be. However even if it was at Kings Cross you are very unlikely to have someone see it even if it was.

Agree at Stevenage they will see on the side of the train London Kings Cross, along with Do not board. However people by thier very nature will ignore that if they know there are no consequences. As others have said the only real way of catching some is doing a full revenue sweep after Stevenage. I can't see the train crew recognising a "new" passenger on a train with 200+ passengers on it.

They can swoop on people they see boarding, unlikely but there’s a small handful of LNER guards who I could imagine doing this.

 

[Hadders]

I am pleased to see that, during the very considerable disription today, LNER trains to Kings Cross are being shown on the "Live Departures from Stevenage" on the National Rail web site. Thankfully, I do not need to travel today, but presume that the information given to those arriving in order board trains at the affected stations is the same.

Good to see that Stevenage is shown on the Kings Cross departure boards today, given the significant disruption.

 

[Silver Cobra]

Anyone standing on the platform will see "Next station: London King's Cross" on the side of the train.

Boarding the train would seem a perfectly rational thing to do.

Under normal circumstances LNER actually switch off the side displays on the trains as they enter Stevenage station so they just appear blank, I assume as a means to disuade people from trying to board the train.

With today's disruption and the decision to allow the boarding of London-bound LNER services at Stevenage, I imagine that they have left the displays on.

 

[rmHawk765]

Don't Avanti have real goons stopping you getting to the train from the platform?

I mean I don't know, hence why I asked

 

[Failed Unit]

I mean I don't know, hence why I asked

There are a number of threads that give the implication. It is slightly different as well as at London Euston lots of London Midland trians stop at Watford, in the off-peak there are now just 2 trains from Stevenage from Kings Cross as far as the departure boards show. (The rest of course from St Pancras)

With the current stacking of trains stopping at Stevenage (x33 and x39) it makes it even less of an issue I suspect.

I have seen a few threads about London Euston and the barrier staff there not bieng too friendly. I haven't visited for such a long time it could have barriers now.

 

[Jimini]

Goons is a bit strong; they’re only doing their job, after all. But yep, whenever I’ve been at Watford Junction there generally are staff on the platform stopping any people from boarding southbound Avanti services. Both the train and platform displays say “do not board”, so it’s fairly obvious you’re not meant to be doing so.

 

[xotGD]

Under normal circumstances LNER actually switch off the side displays on the trains as they enter Stevenage station so they just appear blank

The Mark 4 sets have paper destination displays. Does someone whip these away before reaching Stevenage?

 

[dk1]

The Mark 4 sets have paper destination displays. Does someone whip these away before reaching Stevenage?

Maybe the onboard cleaners do when passing but I very much doubt it’s a priority.

 

[Failed Unit]

Maybe the onboard cleaners do when passing but I very much doubt it’s a priority.

By Stevenage, the train is pretty much clean and stuff stacked by the door for rapid collection at Kings Cross. The normally cleaning everything up by Huntingdon.

 

[Tester]

How strictly enforced are the rules on pick-up and set-down for Avanti services at Watford Jn? It's the closest thing we have to this.

Pick up not enforced at all (how could it be? - manhandle you back onto the train?!).

Set down is enforced by a 'hostile environment', but if you were determined, and kept to the rear of the train, I suspect that you would manage it.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 19 Jan 2026 ==

Don't Avanti have real goons stopping you getting to the train from the platform?

There are no Avanti goons at Watford Junction - it's a LNR managed station, but clearly the staff have their instructions.

 

[Kite159]

Àvanti is slightly different at the Euston end as they tend to do pre boarding checks, good luck getting past a member of staff with a ticket to Watford Junction.

Kings Cross on the other hand is more open, the barriers will open with a Stevenage ticket and once past the barriers all the platforms are accessible.

Watford Junction end, it's a bit of an hostile environment in terms of announcements about not boarding the train arriving on platform 7 (or 9 if it gets routed onto the slow lines).

 

[Falcon1200]

Under normal circumstances LNER actually switch off the side displays on the trains as they enter Stevenage station so they just appear blank

Which is surely pointless as every single southbound LNER train at Stevenage is going to Kings Cross!

 

[thelongestroad]

Under normal circumstances LNER actually switch off the side displays on the trains as they enter Stevenage station so they just appear blank, I assume as a means to disuade people from trying to board the train.

With today's disruption and the decision to allow the boarding of London-bound LNER services at Stevenage, I imagine that they have left the displays on.

On the 800 fleets, I believe the TMS knows its set down only and it turns off the exterior screens automatically.

 

[redreni]

Goons is a bit strong; they’re only doing their job, after all. But yep, whenever I’ve been at Watford Junction there generally are staff on the platform stopping any people from boarding southbound Avanti services. Both the train and platform displays say “do not board”, so it’s fairly obvious you’re not meant to be doing so.

"They're only doing their job" is a statement that holds true of many people, goons included.

They're not strictly goons as they're generally non-violent and non-criminal, but they are hired to intimidate people, which is probably why they attract that label.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

"They're only doing their job" is a statement that holds true of many people, goons included.

They're not strictly goons as they're generally non-violent and non-criminal, but they are hired to intimidate people, which is probably why they attract that label.

I literally heard them discussing it on the platform in December, as an 807 was on the approach. A stern looking middle aged woman in a hi vis jacket, saying to her colleague, "You go down that end and make sure no one gets on at the back,"

 

[riceuten]

Being a Stevenage resident, I have on occasion taken LNER trains to and from London (when permitted), but in recent years, because I have used the Key Smartcard, which I believe is not permitted on LNER services (with a TSGN ticket loaded), and because the TSGN trains go direct to my place of work, I have rarely outside of leisure travel used them.

I strongly suspect the policy change was brought about by hearsay rather than any real evidence.

 

[Starmill]

On the 800 fleets, I believe the TMS knows its set down only and it turns off the exterior screens automatically.

That's the idea. The practice on the other hand...

 

[Lee_Again]

Being a Stevenage resident, I have on occasion taken LNER trains to and from London (when permitted), but in recent years, because I have used the Key Smartcard, which I believe is not permitted on LNER services (with a TSGN ticket loaded), and because the TSGN trains go direct to my place of work, I have rarely outside of leisure travel used them.

I strongly suspect the policy change was brought about by hearsay rather than any real evidence.

It's a publicly published policy change.. not hearsay at all. ALL LNER trains are now pickup/set down only, as per the LNER timetable.

 

[riceuten]

It's a publicly published policy change.. not hearsay at all. ALL LNER trains are now pickup/set down only, as per the LNER timetable.

I meant the evidence that the boarding was delaying the trains to Kings X, not the policy itself.

 

[CHobbs]

As has been discussed on here before LNER no longer want Stevenage - London (and return) passengers on their trains from December and so are adding pickup/setdown only restrictions onto their services.
It seems they might not have quite thought it through though, as LNER staff use the trains between these stations for both work and leisure purposes.

LNER have told staff they aren’t allowed to use the trains from December as it will set a bad example for passengers/cause conflict when passengers aren’t allowed to board but staff are, and ASLEF are now strongly pushing back on this.



From Chime Whistle Publishing on x: https://x.com/chimewhistle/status/1995905196707205150?s=46&t=gwtvH_rIOgpnh7HcYQZ_8A

It was always thus

 

[William3000]

That would slow down station calls at Stevenage far too much.

Many people board to go north and alight going south. Far too many than could be accommodated at one local door and still keep to the timetabled dwell.

That would slow down station calls at Stevenage far too much.

Many people board to go north and alight going south. Far too many than could be accommodated at one local door and still keep to the timetabled dwell.

That would be utterly bonkers agreed. Opening one door would course chaos for the large number of passengers alighting. Many passengers alighting have short connection times to places like Letchworth Garden City, Hertford North, Royston, and Cambridge which require climbing stairs to other platforms. Stevenage is the second busiest station station on the ECML between Finsbury Park and York (busier than Doncaster) - the passengers using are not small and it serves as an important railhead and interchange for a wide area of much of Hertfordshire, as well as parts of Bedfordshire and southern Cambridgeshire

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 24 Jan 2026 ==

That would slow down station calls at Stevenage far too much.

Many people board to go north and alight going south. Far too many than could be accommodated at one local door and still keep to the timetabled dwell.

Indeed - Cambridge is a major trip generator and while the majority of trips north involve a change at Peterborough, about 30% of the time, it’s quicker via Stevenage - not to mention all passengers from Letchworth GC, Royston, Baldock, Hertford North, Welwyn GC, Hatfield etc heading north.

 

[Starmill]

Indeed - Cambridge is a major trip generator and while the majority of trips north involve a change at Peterborough, about 30% of the time, it’s quicker via Stevenage - not to mention all passengers from Letchworth GC, Royston, Baldock, Hertford North, Welwyn GC, Hatfield etc heading north.

It remains a real scandal that only three coaches and only once an hour are available on the the through trains between Cambridge and Peterborough.

 

[Kite159]

It's days like this when there is engineering works reducing Thameslink/Great Northern to running an hourly Peterborough & hourly Cambridge semi-fast service where the passengers at Stevenage have lost out with LNER going pick up/set down only.

 

[Hadders]

It's days like this when there is engineering works reducing Thameslink/Great Northern to running an hourly Peterborough & hourly Cambridge semi-fast service where the passengers at Stevenage have lost out with LNER going pick up/set down only.

Today's not been good for services between Stevenage and London. Fewer trains are to be expected when everything's diverted via Hertford, but...

Too many 8-car trains. I travelled on the 11:32 from Kings Cross to Stevenage. Saw it was an 8-car and positioned myself appropriately only for an 8-car 387 to turn up (different stopping point). The train was proper wedged. Thge trains really should all be 12-car on Sundays (and the two fast trains an hour were before the December timetable change). If 8-car trains must be used then it would be better if 700s were used as they are optiised for standing.

 

[riceuten]

Today's not been good for services between Stevenage and London. Fewer trains are to be expected when everything's diverted via Hertford, but...

Too many 8-car trains. I travelled on the 11:32 from Kings Cross to Stevenage. Saw it was an 8-car and positioned myself appropriately only for an 8-car 387 to turn up (different stopping point). The train was proper wedged. Thge trains really should all be 12-car on Sundays (and the two fast trains an hour were before the December timetable change). If 8-car trains must be used then it would be better if 700s were used as they are optiised for standing.

Got an 8 coach train during the week last week to London Bridge. They had *2* members of staff positioned to stop passengers embarking the parallel LNER, and the manager rattily said to someone enquiring if she could catch the train that "this was banned now".

I asked her to announce that the next TSGN train to Horsham was short formed, as there were a large number of people at the Hitchin end of the platform, which she grudgingly did. And yes, the train was packed, and we were delayed whilst passengers ran up the platform to the stairs

 

[Starmill]

Got an 8 coach train during the week last week to London Bridge. They had *2* members of staff positioned to stop passengers embarking the parallel LNER, and the manager rattily said to someone enquiring if she could catch the train that "this was banned now".

I asked her to announce that the next TSGN train to Horsham was short formed, as there were a large number of people at the Hitchin end of the platform, which she grudgingly did. And yes, the train was packed, and we were delayed whilst passengers ran up the platform to the stairs

The British railway at its finest. Crushing people in while leaving seats unoccupied. Half-enforcement of rules for their own sake, to significant costs, and zero tangible benefits. It's similar to Avanti West Coast trying to argue the toss that first class ticket holders may travel in standard class but not first, on the same train. It's a wonder we get any public money at all for the railway when it sees fit to treat the public in this way.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 26 Jan 2026 ==

Today's not been good for services between Stevenage and London. Fewer trains are to be expected when everything's diverted via Hertford, but...

Too many 8-car trains. I travelled on the 11:32 from Kings Cross to Stevenage. Saw it was an 8-car and positioned myself appropriately only for an 8-car 387 to turn up (different stopping point). The train was proper wedged. Thge trains really should all be 12-car on Sundays (and the two fast trains an hour were before the December timetable change). If 8-car trains must be used then it would be better if 700s were used as they are optiised for standing.

No trains whatsoever between Stevenage and Hertford was poor too.

 

[Hadders]

No trains whatsoever between Stevenage and Hertford was poor too.

It’s not ideal but, it’s only Watton at Stone that goes without when the mainline is closed for engineering and everything has to go via Hertford.

If you call trains at Watton then the number of trains that can run reduces significantly.

 

[Mattplans]

I am furious on behalf of the residents of Watton-at-Stone.

 

[Starmill]

It’s not ideal but, it’s only Watton at Stone that goes without when the mainline is closed for engineering and everything has to go via Hertford.

If you call trains at Watton then the number of trains that can run reduces significantly.

Watton sees very low use and nearly everyone there could use Stevenage without too much trouble. But Hertford - Stevenage is another matter. However it was more a general point about the capacity planning for passenger handling being poor overall, clearly inserting stops at Hertford North would have been no more helpful regardless of timing if there were no room on the train.