Rochdale Station- Staff Shortage (Station Closed 17/02)

[Bungle965]

It would appear station staff haven't turned up this morning to unlock the station.

Customers unable to access with apparently a station manager on their way 1+ hours ago, trains have either turned back at Castleton or passing through non stop.

https://x.com/i/status/2023636463863087466

Is there a strike on at Rochdale? We’re all waiting to catch our train!
@northernassist

Hi there, have you been able to enter the station now? It should be open within the next 10 minutes if not.

No, all still waiting. Everyone missed their trains too.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 17 Feb 2026 ==

Station reopened 07:30

 

[TUC]

Have Northern given any further explanation or apology? In one of the comments on X Northern mentions staff sickness, but it still appears that the station did not open until around 0730. Are there really not contingency arrangements which get an earlier response than that?

 

[Bungle965]

Are there really not contingency arrangements which get an earlier response than that?

It would appear the contingency was getting the on call to drive to Bolton to pick up the keys and then drive back to Rochdale!

 

[voyagerdude220]

It would appear the contingency was getting the on call to drive to Bolton to pick up the keys and then drive back to Rochdale!

Surely Manchester Victoria would be closer?

 

[ainsworth74]

Surely Manchester Victoria would be closer?

I mean I'm starting to wonder if there's only one set of keys to the station to be quite honest! The thing that struck me is that whoever is on call should surely have a set of keys to whatever stations they're on call to cover...

 

[TUC]

I mean I'm starting to wonder if there's only one set of keys to the station to be quite honest! The thing that struck me is that whoever is on call should surely have a set of keys to whatever stations they're on call to cover...

Absolutely. What if there was an emergency in the station during the night? Would the emergency services have to wait whilst the on-call staff member went to Bolton?

 

[Elecman]

Absolutely. What if there was an emergency in the station during the night? Would the emergency services have to wait whilst the on-call staff member went to Bolton?

If it was visible signs of fire(smoke/flame) then the Fire Brigade would affect an immediate entry. I know as this happened when I was on call.

 

[TUC]

If it was visible signs of fire(smoke/flame) then the Fire Brigade would affect an immediate entry. I know as this happened when I was on call.

I’m sure they would. However, if it was a lower level of urgency but still something that wouldn’t wait until morning (The well discussed scenario of passengers finding themselves locked in a station comes to mind), a quick means of accessing keys should be in place.

 

[Geeves]

Plenty of keys the issue was the shutter is controlled by fob similar to the one you use to open your car. The issue is the set at Victoria are purely for booking office relief and don't have that fob... They used to when I covered it. I assume that might change again!

From an external perspective it looks ridiculous but when you factor in its opened successfully on time 1000 times in a row using staff on OT, using staff coming from 30 miles away, etc you have to give some credit. I think folks would be surprised how thinly staff are spread on the railway

 

[ainsworth74]

I think folks would be surprised how thinly staff are spread on the railway

I'm not particularly surprised by how thinly spread the staff are but I am surprised by how few sets of, comparatively cheap, critical keys/fobs appear to exist. As I said the thing that really struck me was that the person on call did not have their own ability to open the station and had to travel to Bolton and back to get a set.

There might be good reasons for this but for me if someone is trusted to be on call they can be trusted with the keys/fobs to open the station (and any others they could be called out to assist with) and should have their own set!

 

[Lemmy99uk]

There might be good reasons for this but for me if someone is trusted to be on call they can be trusted with the keys/fobs to open the station (and any others they could be called out to assist with) and should have their own set!

Having multiple copies of keys in circulation is a security risk in itself, but the logistics of proving large numbers of people with huge bunches of keys would be a complete nightmare.

 

[ainsworth74]

Having multiple copies of keys in circulation is a security risk in itself, but the logistics of proving large numbers of people with huge bunches of keys would be a complete nightmare.

Sure it's a security risk but you know who has keys and so if anything goes wrong and the keys were used to access the station your list of suspects is rather short... Plus if you cannot trust the people not to abuse the keys they've been given I reckon they're probably not suitable to be on call or to be unlocking/locking stations up! I'm not convinced it's going to be that logistically tricky to make sure that people who are on call have all the keys they need.

 

[Lemmy99uk]

Sure it's a security risk but you know who has keys and so if anything goes wrong and the keys were used to access the station your list of suspects is rather short... Plus if you cannot trust the people not to abuse the keys they've been given I reckon they're probably not suitable to be on call or to be unlocking/locking stations up! I'm not convinced it's going to be that logistically tricky to make sure that people who are on call have all the keys they need.

It’s nothing to do with trust, but it’s a fact that every time you duplicate the keys you add more potential for a set to be mislaid or go missing in some way.
If you give each on call person a set of keys for a dozen or more stations how can you audit them?
What security measures will each individual need to put in place?
Will they require a safe to be installed at home? (Spares are generally kept secure in a station safe or a restricted area)
How do you deal with a lock change at a station?
What happens if the key holder (eg station manager) cannot attend and a second line on call (eg Conductor manager) is used. Is that another group of people who will need a personal issue?
Does the on call person need to have this bag full of keys with them at all times? If so, how are they expected to carry them around all day?
When the on call areas get a review (as they sometimes do) how long will it take to re-allocate the bunches of keys to the revised group of people?

 

[MadMac]

Didn’t something similar happen there relatively recently?

 

[Mattplans]

Didn’t something similar happen there relatively recently?

Yes. So much for the sentiment expressed in post #9. https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/rochdale-station-passengers-locked-out.286801/

 

[MadMac]

Yes. So much for the sentiment expressed in post #9. https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/rochdale-station-passengers-locked-out.286801/

Thanks! I thought I recalled something.

 

[Mattplans]

Thanks! I thought I recalled something.

Post #5 of that thread also suggests this is a regular occurence

 

[TUC]

It’s nothing to do with trust, but it’s a fact that every time you duplicate the keys you add more potential for a set to be mislaid or go missing in some way.
If you give each on call person a set of keys for a dozen or more stations how can you audit them?
What security measures will each individual need to put in place?
Will they require a safe to be installed at home? (Spares are generally kept secure in a station safe or a restricted area)
How do you deal with a lock change at a station?
What happens if the key holder (eg station manager) cannot attend and a second line on call (eg Conductor manager) is used. Is that another group of people who will need a personal issue?
Does the on call person need to have this bag full of keys with them at all times? If so, how are they expected to carry them around all day?
When the on call areas get a review (as they sometimes do) how long will it take to re-allocate the bunches of keys to the revised group of people?

The same challenges faced by an organisation with one staff member having on-call responsibilities covering multiple locations. I'm not sure why it is any more challenging for rail.

 

[TransportHub]

Surely a keypad or swipe card system would be better? Or at least to access a key safe physically at the station (externally). Key codes can be communicated quickly and changed if the number is too well known. Or swipe cards where permissions can be remotely granted or withdrawn.

 

[ChilliSauce]

I would hope everyone who went to catch a train only to find the station locked so having to either wait or make arrange other arrangements so resulting later at their final destination is going to submit a delay-repay into Northern because "their" train was effectively cancelled at Rochdale. Likewise for anyone trying to alight.

Failure by this TOC to deliver a service has to have consequences on the TOC

 

[TUC]

Surely a keypad or swipe card system would be better? Or at least to access a key safe physically at the station (externally). Key codes can be communicated quickly and changed if the number is too well known. Or swipe cards where permissions can be remotely granted or withdrawn.

Agreed. The current arrangements seem very ‘old world’.

 

[Baxenden Bank]

Why does Rochdale need to be locked up?

There must be plenty of stations, with ticket offices (secured in themselves), which are open for abuse 24/7. With subways (or footbridges) for people to lark around in, with fast trains passing whilst the station is unstaffed. Quick list: Longport, Kidsgrove, Congleton.

 

[The exile]

Surely a keypad or swipe card system would be better? Or at least to access a key safe physically at the station (externally). Key codes can be communicated quickly and changed if the number is too well known. Or swipe cards where permissions can be remotely granted or withdrawn.

Or indeed master keys for particular station groups.

 

[azzarazza]

Surely a keypad or swipe card system would be better? Or at least to access a key safe physically at the station (externally). Key codes can be communicated quickly and changed if the number is too well known. Or swipe cards where permissions can be remotely granted or withdrawn.

I agree, surely a swipe card would be effective, even if only for an external door. Where I work, all sites are accessed by a swipe card and a code together (so if a card is dropped, you still need the code to go with it). Where a physical key is needed for something, a electronic key cabinet is installed, allowing it to be removed by the same swipe card as long as you are authorised. This means any building can be accessed at any time as long as you are authorised and access can be quickly stopped/added as needed. However, how much would Northern want to spend fitting new access control to all stations for something which should rarely (if ever) be a problem?

 

[The exile]

I agree, surely a swipe card would be effective, even if only for an external door. Where I work, all sites are accessed by a swipe card and a code together (so if a card is dropped, you still need the code to go with it). Where a physical key is needed for something, an electronic key cabinet is installed, allowing it to be removed by the same swipe card as long as you are authorised. This means any building can be accessed at any time as long as you are authorised and access can be quickly stopped/added as needed. However, how much would Northern want to spend fitting new access control to all stations for something which should rarely (if ever) be a problem?

It would only apply to a smallish number of stations, surely.

 

[Bishops]

I mean I'm starting to wonder if there's only one set of keys to the station to be quite honest! The thing that struck me is that whoever is on call should surely have a set of keys to whatever stations they're on call to cover...

They probably cover from Preston to Huddersfield as the on call person and whilst they all dont need keys for all stations it still would be a big bunch for them to take with them

 

[zwk500]

It would only apply to a smallish number of stations, surely.

It would/could apply to any station where an entrance is closed for any length of time. It's obviously less critical at stations where a side gate is left open when the station building is locked up, but could be used there.

 

[johntea]

All fun and games until the swipe card system fails and then you're in the same boat of waiting for someone with a key as the failsafe! (I've dealt with many such systems in the past and they often aren't as reliable as one may think!)

No matter what there will always be a slight chance of a human / mechanical failure in the chain, although I'm sure Northern will learn from it

The official line is a staff member was covering for a colleague and there was a rota "complication"

Rail operator Northern apologises for Rochdale station lockout

The train operator says a staff rota mix-up led to commuters arriving to find the station locked.

www.bbc.co.uk

A rail company has apologised to customers who arrived early in the morning to find a locked station.
Northern Trains said the station, which usually opens at 06:10 GMT, was opened at about 07:30 GMT after a staff member covering for a colleague arrived late due to a rota "complication".
A Northern Trains spokesman said: "We are sorry to customers who were unable to use Rochdale Station this morning."
Rochdale's Labour MP Paul Waugh has written to the company asking for a full explanation of what happened.

 

[vlad]

Why does Rochdale need to be locked up?

There must be plenty of stations, with ticket offices (secured in themselves), which are open for abuse 24/7. With subways (or footbridges) for people to lark around in, with fast trains passing whilst the station is unstaffed. Quick list: Longport, Kidsgrove, Congleton.

Longport ticket office closed last century!

I think the issue is that the only access to Rochdale station is through the ticket office, whereas the other stations you mention have separate access to the platforms so you can close the ticket office and people can still use the station.

 

[The exile]

It would/could apply to any station where an entrance is closed for any length of time. It's obviously less critical at stations where a side gate is left open when the station building is locked up, but could be used there.

Where the (only) entrance, surely, which cuts it down quite a bit.