Nottingham Station: Access to platforms from footbridge

[duffield]

Access isn't solely about wheelchair users. Many customers do not walk at the speed of young adults without baggage. The 8 minute minimum interchange time which EMR claim is via the main concourse is wholly unrealistic for many travellers changing from the far end of one island to the far end of one of the other islands without using the centre bridge. Moreover, late platform alterations are frequently from the far ends of different islands.

Yes, and there was a blind chap speaking on the local news about how this was going to make it much more difficult for him to get to the tram stop with his guide dog.
It was the lead item on East Midlands Today, it's now blown up into quite a big issue.

 

[43066]

Except that the bridge in question makes a material saving when coming off the far end (and my trains frequently go to P2), whether within the station or to the tram. Travelling recently, the bridge - entrance distance approximately doubled my distance to walk compared with the footbridge.

It's a stretch to claim accessibility given the lift position, but that just points even further to how poorly designed the tram/train interchange is.

EMR's decisions here, I assume driven by DfT's (Treasury induced) urgent desire for cash and phobia about actually spending money, are an example of how the railway should NOT behave, and undermines its credibility in the eyes of the wider public.

Access isn't solely about wheelchair users. Many customers do not walk at the speed of young adults without baggage. The 8 minute minimum interchange time which EMR claim is via the main concourse is wholly unrealistic for many travellers changing from the far end of one island to the far end of one of the other islands without using the centre bridge. Moreover, late platform alterations are frequently from the far ends of different islands.

Yes, and there was a blind chap speaking on the local news about how this was going to make it much more difficult for him to get to the tram stop with his guide dog.
It was the lead item on East Midlands Today, it's now blown up into quite a big issue.

Fair comments - it’s a judgement call at the end of the day. Certainly take the point it will have more of an impact on services at the C end.

It appears that this thread has been overtaken by events somewhat, given that the closure has been postponed indefinitely.

 

[Skymonster]

The 8 minute minimum interchange time which EMR claim is via the main concourse

As a reasonably active / fit senior I would be fairly comfortable with an eight minute connection via the main concourse bridge. However, I would be very wary on accepting such an itinerary on the basis that almost any arrival delay could scupper a connection. I sincerely hope that any calculations EMR has done with respect the middle bridge closure not only accounts for recovery of ticket revenue leakage, but is balanced against the almost inevitable increased delay repay compensation that will follow.

 

[Killingworth]

I was in Nottingham on Friday arriving at the east end of a long platform 1b - or was it 1c? I tried the notorious bridge and can see the almost insurmountable problem, certainly without expenditure on significant alterations or replacement of the bridge and platforms around it.

I had a valid ticket but getting to the signposted taxi rank on Trent Street from the main concourse is a long trek back to roughly where we'd started. The bridge offered a better route. Without a ticket I'd have been sorely tempted to exit that way, as many must do.

Expensive design work may yet have to happen for barriers on the platforms - but that gives an issue for those interchanging just wanting to get from one platform to another!

Whatever - I did a short sprint to catch my return Sheffield train. When entering from the main concourse they seem very long platforms at Nottingham.

 

[duffield]

As a reasonably active / fit senior I would be fairly comfortable with an eight minute connection via the main concourse bridge. However, I would be very wary on accepting such an itinerary on the basis that almost any arrival delay could scupper a connection. I sincerely hope that any calculations EMR has done with respect the middle bridge closure not only accounts for recovery of ticket revenue leakage, but is balanced against the almost inevitable increased delay repay compensation that will follow.

Even if you're fairly active, I'd say eight minutes is not really adequate for the absolute worst case, something like platform 4 to platform 1c/2/3c, even if the incoming service is on time.

I measure P4 to P2 at 600m via the concourse bridge, which at my walking pace is about 600/1550 * 18 minutes, i.e. 7 minutes. Then you take into account that the doors on your target train may close nearly 1 minute before departure, and that it may take up to a minute for the doors to release and for you to get off the incoming service, if it's crowded. Now you have 6 minutes to make a 7 minute walk, including potential crowds and two sets of stairs, so you're actually going to have to trot a bit.

Via the footbridge it's 450m, saving about 2 minutes and making the connection, while not exactly comfortable, quite a bit less stressful.

I'd say that there's a case that the connection time should increase to 10 minutes if the footbridge closes permanently.

 

[sheff1]

The current arrangement has pointless barriers on the main concourse that don't stop fare evasion as there are other exits but if you have a ticket that doesn't work the barriers e.g. Robinhood cards you can't get through quickly as the staff supposed to be manning the barriers hang around chatting.

Indeed. My usual ticket was always rejected by the barriers and when you manage to attract the attention of one of the chatters they usually try to suggest that because the ticket has been rejected it is not valid.

For this reason I have for many years exited/entered via the centre bridge and Station Street. If EMR are going to remove that option they really need to programme the barriers to accept valid tickets and educate their staff that if a ticket is rejected it doesn't mean it is invalid (whilst they are at it, also remind them that they are supposed to be monitoring the barriers and not chatting amongst themselves with their backs to them). Of course I don't expect any of that to happen, meaning unnecessary delay and discussion every time.

 

[35B]

Even if you're fairly active, I'd say eight minutes is not really adequate for the absolute worst case, something like platform 4 to platform 1c/2/3c, even if the incoming service is on time.

I measure P4 to P2 at 600m via the concourse bridge, which at my walking pace is about 600/1550 * 18 minutes, i.e. 7 minutes. Then you take into account that the doors on your target train may close nearly 1 minute before departure, and that it may take up to a minute for the doors to release and for you to get off the incoming service, if it's crowded. Now you have 6 minutes to make a 7 minute walk, including potential crowds and two sets of stairs, so you're actually going to have to trot a bit.

Via the footbridge it's 450m, saving about 2 minutes and making the connection, while not exactly comfortable, quite a bit less stressful.

I'd say that there's a case that the connection time should increase to 10 minutes if the footbridge closes permanently.

In which case the analysis needs to go much wider, and consider the effect on timetables and connections

 

[tram21]

Had an interesting one today, was boarding an Intercity service at Nottingham, and at (almost) every door, there were staff (presumably RPIs) at every door, checking tickets as you boarded the train.

So they are definitely trying different ways to protect revenue. All I think they need is regular revenue protection teams on the routes out of Nottingham, and it'll deter the casual fare evader. Getting one penalty fare is eough to scare someone for life!

 

[transportphoto]

Had an interesting one today, was boarding an Intercity service at Nottingham, and at (almost) every door, there were staff (presumably RPIs) at every door, checking tickets as you boarded the train.

Most likely on platform seven?

 

[43066]

Had an interesting one today, was boarding an Intercity service at Nottingham, and at (almost) every door, there were staff (presumably RPIs) at every door, checking tickets as you boarded the train.

So they are definitely trying different ways to protect revenue. All I think they need is regular revenue protection teams on the routes out of Nottingham, and it'll deter the casual fare evader. Getting one penalty fare is eough to scare someone for life!

EMR RPIs on the intercity routes do seem to be very proactive, and can be found on a surprising number of trains.

 

[tram21]

EMR RPIs on the intercity routes do seem to be very proactive, and can be found on a surprising number of trains.

We just need more on Regional routes!

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 6 Mar 2025 ==

Most likely on platform seven?

Platform 6

 

[Discuss223]

Had an interesting one today, was boarding an Intercity service at Nottingham, and at (almost) every door, there were staff (presumably RPIs) at every door, checking tickets as you boarded the train.

So they are definitely trying different ways to protect revenue. All I think they need is regular revenue protection teams on the routes out of Nottingham, and it'll deter the casual fare evader. Getting one penalty fare is eough to scare someone for life!

That sounds like a good compromise and would be definitely workable at Nottingham, where most EMR services have substantial lay-overs and most start or terminate there.

Even the Connect services between Liverpool Lime Street and Norwich dwell there for some time for crew changes/coupling/uncoupling.

It's a good way to prevent doughnutting and those travelling on peak trains with off-peak tickets.

But it also allows movement on the footbridge and makes life easier for those changing trains.

Win, win I say.

 

[Kite159]

It's a good way to prevent doughnutting and those travelling on peak trains with off-peak tickets.

Not really, as the person will have a ticket from Nottingham to say Beeston and if the train called at Beeston then it's a valid ticket for that train (until said person stays on to London and exits the barriers at St Pancras with a ticket from Luton Airport)

 

[Discuss223]

Not really, as the person will have a ticket from Nottingham to say Beeston and if the train called at Beeston then it's a valid ticket for that train (until said person stays on to London and exits the barriers at St Pancras with a ticket from Luton Airport)

That's not something that closing the footbridge would eradicate anyway.

The ticket gates don't check that a person going through them will be boarding a train that calls at the destination on their ticket.

However, if someone tries to board a London train with a Beeston ticket, but the train is running fast to East Midlands Parkway, an RPO on the doors can intercept this.