Preston Station re-modelling

[PR1Berske]

As an off-shoot to the Bolton thread....

If Preston is going to have, next year or 2013, an overhaul, what kind of improvements are being realistically budgeted for?

My ideal situation would be Platforms 1/2 to be torn up and started again - a lift and escalators at the footbridge, fewer seats and the existing subway to be made more...instinctive...as an option to leave/arrive rather than clogging up the stairwells at peak times...

I have no idea what rough plans are already being considered, though, so forum.......it's over to you....

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

The existing subway to be made more...instinctive...as an option to leave/arrive rather than clogging up the stairwells at peak times...

Having used this station in both the morning and the evening rush hours, the above part of your ideas has very much to commend it.

 

[driver9000]

If it follows the pattern of the original plan for revamping the station then platforms 1 and 2 would see the shop/supervisors office removed and relocated further down the platform creating more seating space and a better flow area for passengers at the bottom of the stairs. The cabin under the footbridge would be demolished to make way for toilets.

There was a plan in place a couple of years ago which detailed what was planned but I can't find it now - the subway being tidied up was part of it though.

 

[Lampshade]

No one ever uses the subway, most people don't even know it's there because it's set back so far.

The plans were for a new footbridge with escalators but nothing has been heard since the £50m 'ten worst stations' money was withdrawn.

 

[driver9000]

Plenty of people use the subway, especially between 3/4 and 5/6.

 

[jonesy3001]

I always use the subway when got luggage and going onto the blackpool platforms

 

[First class]

No one ever uses the subway, most people don't even know it's there because it's set back so far.

The plans were for a new footbridge with escalators but nothing has been heard since the £50m 'ten worst stations' money was withdrawn.

That subway is mighty handy for avoiding G4S!!

The bods at Preston have got to be the worst out of the bunch.

 

[Lampshade]

That subway is mighty handy for avoiding G4S!!

The bods at Preston have got to be the worst out of the bunch.

To be fair, it's easy enough to just walk past them, most of the time they're chatting among themselves or spending time grilling people who have just popped over to platform 2 to use the payphone/buy a coffee from Pumpkin that people just sneak past.

That said, they're in a dangerous position where they are, they need to move towards the centre of the bridge, at the moment a lot of congestion builds up on the stairs.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

That subway is mighty handy for avoiding G4S!!

The bods at Preston have got to be the worst out of the bunch.

Are you meaning that the G4S staff are the most efficiant...or inefficiant...at their job?

 

[WatcherZero]

I would like large Man Pic style destination boards (last time I was there all there was were the printed timetable boards) and easier access to the eastern platforms.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

I would like large Man Pic style destination boards (last time I was there all there was were the printed timetable boards) and easier access to the eastern platforms.

I totally agree with you about Preston having large destination boards of the type that you describe as this station is a major interchange on the WCML. Perhaps the next scheduled station improvement plan will incorporate some of the ideas shown on this thread.

 

[duffman82]

I totally agree with you about Preston having large destination boards of the type that you describe as this station is a major interchange on the WCML. Perhaps the next scheduled station improvement plan will incorporate some of the ideas shown on this thread.

It should be put where the WHSmith is so people can see it as they enter the station.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

As an off-shoot to the Bolton thread....

If Preston is going to have, next year or 2013, an overhaul, what kind of improvements are being realistically budgeted for?

My ideal situation would be Platforms 1/2 to be torn up and started again - a lift and escalators at the footbridge, fewer seats and the existing subway to be made more...instinctive...as an option to leave/arrive rather than clogging up the stairwells at peak times...

I have no idea what rough plans are already being considered, though, so forum.......it's over to you....

Demolish p7 and relay the p6 road through it and widen the island 5/6. Clear 1/2 of cafe etc. Reopen old buffet on 3/4 and relocate Upper Crust there, allowing large WH Smith etc in current site. On phone sorry for wording.

 

[Lampshade]

Demolish p7 and relay the p6 road through it and widen the island 5/6. Clear 1/2 of cafe etc. Reopen old buffet on 3/4 and relocate Upper Crust there, allowing large WH Smith etc in current site. On phone sorry for wording.

Listed building, you'd have a job getting permission to demolish anything.

 

[umontu]

I always use the subway.
Granted it's not used a lot.

 

[WestCoast]

That subway is mighty handy for avoiding G4S!!

The bods at Preston have got to be the worst out of the bunch.

They're typical G4S though, show them anything and walk on.

However, there is one really friendly G4S guy at Preston, he's really pleasant and says "have a good day". He is by far the best out of the whole team...

The fare evaders know about the subway, they know it very well!

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

They're typical G4S though, show them anything and walk on.

They seem less dedicated than they should be. Heaven help them if their supervisiory team see them acting in this manner. G4S have a contract which lays down exactly the responsibilities inherant in their staff that are to be carried out.The supervisiory aspect is also part of the contract.

The G4S staff at the head of the stairs of platform 13 and 14 at Manchester Piccadilly are far more efficiant in their work practices.

 

[WestCoast]

The G4S staff at the head of the stairs of platform 13 and 14 at Manchester Piccadilly are far more efficiant in their work practices.

I've got past them with a foreign rail ticket before...:roll:

(I had a valid ticket behind that one).

I'd recommend this thread "G4S in Manchester". Otherwise it's going off-topic.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

I've got past them with a foreign rail ticket before...:roll:

(I had a valid ticket behind that one).

I'd recommend this thread "G4S in Manchester". Otherwise it's going off-topic.

The instance in the thread that your link directed me showed that the person in question was actually stopped by the G4S staff at Manchester Piccadilly. If people are dishonest enough to try evasion for any reason, the full weight of the law governing this should be used against them,

In your case, I would ask you one question. If you did have a valid ticket, what ever reason could you have for keeping it BEHIND a foreign ticket. What if the conductor on a train had asked you to show your valid ticket....you would have wasted the time of the conductor in trying to rearrange your tickets.

 

[WestCoast]

The instance in the thread that your link directed me showed that the person in question was actually stopped by the G4S staff at Manchester Piccadilly. If people are dishonest enough to try evasion for any reason, the full weight of the law governing this should be used against them,

They are sub-standard cheap contract staff for Northern. They were wrong to stop the passenger in question - they had a valid ticket. The staff are unknowledgable (their training lasts for a couple of days only) and provide poor customer service. If you read on through the replies you will find that.

In your case, I would ask you one question. If you did have a valid ticket, what ever reason could you have for keeping it BEHIND a foreign ticket. What if the conductor on a train had asked you to show your valid ticket....you would have wasted the time of the conductor in trying to rearrange your tickets.

I did it to test G4S out, becuase they don't do their jobs properly! There have been many complaints about them in recent years.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

I did it to test G4S out, becuase they don't do their jobs properly! There have been many complaints about them in recent years.

You did not answer my question about the production of your ticket on the train and the waste of the the conductor's time. Were you also testing the conductor on the train, in the way that you proposed to test out the G4S staff.

Now that the testing of the G4S staff at both Preston and Manchester has been done and taking note of your statement that there has been many complaints about them in recent years, will you now be submitting a formal report to the relevant railway authorities, stating your method and raison d'etre of your unauthorised method of security contract compliance in order that matters can be taken to ensure that the correct staff training and staff supervision can be effected to bring these staff up to the levels required by the contract with G4S. It seems a pity if such dedicated passenger feedback was not put to some useful purpose. Perhaps your next campaign would be to check if the uniform worn by rail staff is the correct one, etc, etc.

 

[PR1Berske]

My experience with the G4S blokes on the bridge is mixed. I can flash a ticket at them (valid or not) and they will thumbs up and let me through. It's fairly obvious from walking towards them slowly just how easy it is to get away with wandering past without a ticket - two of them on such a busy overpass is simply not enough, so of course people walk right through, or do a hasty retreat for the subway.

The problem with passengers going up the stairs clogging up the area at the bottom is made far worse by the checks too; it's bad enough having the "tight" quadrant with the fence at the bottom without passengers congregating whilst working their way into a queue formation.

If the re-modelling is going to be radical (and I doubt it is, economics being as they are), then surely it is time to invest in gates on that bridge?


To move further along the station, is it possible by any means to double the length of the bridge across platforms 5/6/7 ? Given the obvious pinch-points (stairwell to 5/6, stairwell to the ticket office), it seems ripe for doubling somehow, and altering the stairs to 5/6 to lessen the impact of passengers moving to/from.

 

[RAPC]

The fare evaders know about the subway, they know it very well!

They do put ticket staff on to the subway entrances from time to time. I always use the subway to get from platform 3 to 2 when connecting from a London service. Seems to be successful at catching fare dodgers as there is usually someone having their details taken on the times it has been staffed.

 

[Lampshade]

If the re-modelling is going to be radical (and I doubt it is, economics being as they are), then surely it is time to invest in gates on that bridge?.

As long as there is breath in my body, ticket gates will NOT be going in at Preston, I will oppose it at every opportunity

 

[L+Y]

The simplest remodelling scheme for Preston to my mind would be to reopen the old Platforms 1 and 2, which now lie disused at the West side of the station. Though plans can be scaled up depending how radical you want to be- perhaps consideration could be given to reopening a new bay platform at the north end of Platform 7, where the old tunnel is. Wouldn't be very long, but could be convenient for, say, a hypothetical Blackpool South stopping service.

 

[Invincibles]

Longer term looking at reopening the RES, any new footbridge should take that into account.

There is a lot to commend MattE2010s idea of widening 5 and 6. Maybe this can be done by simply having a single line between 6 and 7 rather than the two that exist now. This would save the demolition of a listed structure. These platforms should be further extended southwards now that there is no need for the old alignment to Lostock Hall that crossed under the wide span in the roof supports there.

Sounds like the plans for 1 and 2 are sensible, but again is there a need for 4 tracks there or could these also be made wider, perhaps with a south facing bay at the foot of platform 1 to terminate the ormskirk train?

 

[MidnightFlyer]

Longer term looking at reopening the RES, any new footbridge should take that into account.

There is a lot to commend MattE2010s idea of widening 5 and 6. Maybe this can be done by simply having a single line between 6 and 7 rather than the two that exist now. This would save the demolition of a listed structure. These platforms should be further extended southwards now that there is no need for the old alignment to Lostock Hall that crossed under the wide span in the roof supports there.

Sounds like the plans for 1 and 2 are sensible, but again is there a need for 4 tracks there or could these also be made wider, perhaps with a south facing bay at the foot of platform 1 to terminate the ormskirk train?

Just to clear up, I would demolish p7 but leave the trainshed wall in. Current p7 track becomes p6 track and current p6 track becomes widened island.

 

[driver9000]

To make the most of the capacity at Preston, I would rather see Fylde/East Lancs/Ormskirk services using a reopened ReS/South sidings/North Bay area. Concentrating them on that side of the station reduces conflicting moves across the ladders getting in the way of long distance passenger services and freight inevitably slowing them down. Trains shuttling between Blackpool and Preston could terminate in the current North bay siding and the Ormskirk shuttle could terminate in the current South sidings area all day long. One thing I wouldn't want to see is a reduction in through lines for either passenger or goods trains or a reduction in sidings accommodation in the station area - anyone who has been at the station in the small hours will see how useful these are!

 

[Get-Pulled-Off]

All the track and signalling re-modelling of Preston has been shelved as far as I'm aware. No RES, North Bay or realignment of 5/6/7 is happening in the short or possibly even medium term.

Preston functions pretty well at the moment, even in times of disruption, and I'm not sure the cost of modifying the signalling and track for passenger use would be justified which would be required before using the RES or platform 7. A lot of tampers use number 7 to access Dock Street so it wouldn't be a great idea to have passenger trains using it in any case.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

All the track and signalling re-modelling of Preston has been shelved as far as I'm aware. No RES, North Bay or realignment of 5/6/7 is happening in the short or possibly even medium term.

Well, that seems to be a statement to end all the speculation for the foreseeable future.