Should all major stations have a pub?

[Trainfan344]

Some travelling recently got me thinking, should all major stations have some sort of pub attached to the station ala the Sheffield/York taps etc. Perhaps they could be prime locations for Wetherspoons..

I'm interested to hear other people's opinions on the matter...

 

[GRALISTAIR]

Some travelling recently got me thinking, should all major stations have some sort of pub attached to the station ala the Sheffield/York taps etc. Perhaps they could be prime locations for Wetherspoons..

I'm interested to hear other people's opinions on the matter...

For selfish reasons -yes of course. I have happy memories of Stalybridge in the 1980s

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Some travelling recently got me thinking, should all major stations have some sort of pub attached to the station ala the Sheffield/York taps etc. Perhaps they could be prime locations for Wetherspoons..

I'm interested to hear other people's opinions on the matter...

Leeds has a Wetherspoons, much better than overpriced SSP bars that most large stations had in the 1990s. Huddersfield and Dewsbury are among the best though, 2 great pubs at the former and one at the latter.

 

[Cheshire Rover]

Man Victoria has a pub but as I did this evening I would much prefer The Angel just up the road.

 

[Bevan Price]

Some travelling recently got me thinking, should all major stations have some sort of pub attached to the station ala the Sheffield/York taps etc. Perhaps they could be prime locations for Wetherspoons..

I'm interested to hear other people's opinions on the matter...

For selfish reasons - no. If everybody could be trusted to drink moderately, it would not be too bad. But there is always a minority who goes to excess, and I don't like sharing trains with that type, and nor do I like being surrounded by the pong of stale beer breath.

 

[RichmondCommu]

Some travelling recently got me thinking, should all major stations have some sort of pub attached to the station ala the Sheffield/York taps etc. Perhaps they could be prime locations for Wetherspoons..

I'm interested to hear other people's opinions on the matter...

In all honesty, although I enjoy a pint (and I'm a member of CAMRA) I don't think pubs on major stations is a good idea. Intoxicated travelers on trains is a recipe for trouble and pubs at all major stations would only make things worse.

And as much as I admire the Wetherspoon's business model, given that they sell beer at cheap prices that would only increase the problem of drunken behavior.

 

[johnnychips]

In the same way this Forum has guides to ticket restrictions and route diagrams, I often think there should be a good (or otherwise) pub guide to the nearest two or three pubs to/on a station. However, with about 2500 stations (?) I think we'd use up all the storage space. We have enough arguments about trains, let alone pubs!

I read in Rail that The Berney Arms is to be converted to a private house, which gives even less reasons for non-enthusiasts to use the station there.

 

[PHILIPE]

Aberystwyth has a Wetherspoon on what was originally part of the concourse and house in former Cambrian offices. There is a gate leading from the platform into the garden but I'm not sure if it is unlocked. Otherwise out of the station round the corner and back in.

 

[telstarbox]

If anyone was so desperate to get smashed they'd go to the Whistlestop or Tesco Express for some cans if there was no pub.

As it happens I've just been to a Wetherspoons in a station (Baker Street) and it had a very civilised crowd of tourists and after work drinkers!

 

[RichmondCommu]

If anyone was so desperate to get smashed they'd go to the Whistlestop or Tesco Express for some cans if there was no pub.

That all depends on how you define a major station I suppose. There are plenty of busy junction stations that don't have a shop other than a newsagent attached to it.

As it happens I've just been to a Wetherspoons in a station (Baker Street) and it had a very civilised crowd of tourists and after work drinkers!

For what its worth I'm a proud Derby County fan and I've watched my beloved team play home and away for decades. On the 6th February Derby are away to Fulham and judging by recent seasons there will be 4,500 to 5,000 Derby fans in attendance. Many will travel by train and after the game it will be chaos in the all the pubs along the Euston Road. The TOC's could do without ****ed football fans in my opinion so why open more pubs at stations?

 

[Gareth Marston]

Aberystwyth has a Wetherspoon on what was originally part of the concourse and house in former Cambrian offices. There is a gate leading from the platform into the garden but I'm not sure if it is unlocked. Otherwise out of the station round the corner and back in.

It's actually the 1926 GWR rebuild building its in, the original Cambrian Railways buildings are still in use. Beer Garden was out of action due to damage to canopy above it.

 

[Minilad]

I don't care much for pubs on stations but I think it should be law that every station has a chip shop within 2 minutes walk

 

[Gathursty]

Do Portsmouth Arms and Berney Arms count? I'll get my coat...

 

[johnnychips]

See #7. Does Portsmouth Arms have a pub?

EDIT: Yes it does!

http://www.tarkarail.org/page22.html

 

[Gemz91]

Fairly certain every major station has a pub within a two or three minute walk anyway, except maybe Stoke on Trent (although I've not been there for a few years so this might have changed).

 

[Class 170101]

From a station security point of view given pubs open in evenings you might get less anti-social behaviour from young people with nothing better to do.

However I also agree with the comments of those above who make the point about drunk people being a pain on stations to deal with so I am not convinced about the Wetherspoon's type of business model. However a 'proper' pub where alcohol is a bit more expensive (to discourage anti-social drinking) and food is offered might be a good idea (similar to Huddersfield).

Perhaps the railway could be encouraged to take it on as a small business unit perhaps selling newspapers or being a pub or other ideas as well as selling train tickets.

 

[ijmad]

Redeveloped London terminals all seem to have nice pubs. The Betjemen Arms (St Pancras) & The Parcel Yard (Kings Cross) are actually pretty nice and are reasonably (for London) priced.

I've even been to those two a few times as a destination when not catching a train.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

From a station security point of view given pubs open in evenings you might get less anti-social behaviour from young people with nothing better to do.

However I also agree with the comments of those above who make the point about drunk people being a pain on stations to deal with so I am not convinced about the Wetherspoon's type of business model. However a 'proper' pub where alcohol is a bit more expensive (to discourage anti-social drinking) and food is offered might be a good idea (similar to Huddersfield).

Perhaps the railway could be encouraged to take it on as a small business unit perhaps selling newspapers or being a pub or other ideas as well as selling train tickets.

Your example (higher prices and food being served) only applies to one of the two pubs at Huddersfield, the Head of Steam. The King's Head is as reasonably priced as anywhere that isn't a Wetherspoons and a bag of pork scratchings is the most substantial comestible available!

 

[RichmondCommu]

Redeveloped London terminals all seem to have nice pubs. The Betjemen Arms (St Pancras) & The Parcel Yard (Kings Cross) are actually pretty nice and are reasonably (for London) priced.

I've even been to those two a few times as a destination when not catching a train.

Whilst I would agree that they are both nice pubs you are still paying more for a pint of bitter then you would on the Euston Road itself. Now I accept that the price increases largely reflect how much floor rental Network Rail is charging but personally I would walk down the road to the Euston Flyer.

 

[matacaster]

Rather usefully, Huddersfield has two pubs in the station, which is Grade 1 listed!

 

[AndrewE]

should all major stations have some sort of pub attached to the station ?

Is the Pope a Catholic? Of course, but I hear what others say about boozed-up travellers. We have to recognise that stations, like airports, charge premium rents so the beer will never be as cheap as at a Wetherspoons elsewhere in a town. However I always though the HoS at Lime St was taking the P*ss. It is nice to have real ale (and food of some sort) available at or very near a station though, and I'm all for it...
...And why just major stations? Stalybridge, Wolverhampton (nearby anyway), Bridgnorth come to mind...
A

 

[yorksrob]

To the OP, Yes, of course !

Thinking of waits at stations without such a facility.

Ely springs to mind.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

As a brief aside but still on the subject of alcohol and rail service provision, do those so-called "Ale Trail Trains" cater for moderation in drinkers or is there any anti-social behaviour that sometimes affects some of them. What would be the average passenger alcohol consumption on such an "Ale Trail Train"?

 

[The Ham]

As a brief aside but still on the subject of alcohol and rail service provision, do those so-called "Ale Trail Trains" cater for moderation in drinkers or is there any anti-social behaviour that sometimes affects some of them. What would be the average passenger alcohol consumption on such an "Ale Trail Train"?

I would suggest that although it would be possible to have anti social behaviour in any situation that a real ale train is going to have a much lower rate than say a Yates or Weatherspoon.

Pubs at stations could be an asset, but would have to be well run. Price is going to be an issue, but if that was really a problem then Starbucks (and other coffee shops) would go out of business at dormitory town stations as people use their home coffee machines and travel mugs. In reality people are lazy and are willing to pay to be lazy.

 

[Bletchleyite]

In all honesty, although I enjoy a pint (and I'm a member of CAMRA) I don't think pubs on major stations is a good idea. Intoxicated travelers on trains is a recipe for trouble and pubs at all major stations would only make things worse.

Most major stations do have a pub[1] either on the station or nearby, don't they?

Crewe's one could do with longer opening hours, though.

[1] Or equivalent, e.g. the coffee place selling beer as well.

 

[Spamcan81]

For selfish reasons - no. If everybody could be trusted to drink moderately, it would not be too bad. But there is always a minority who goes to excess, and I don't like sharing trains with that type, and nor do I like being surrounded by the pong of stale beer breath.

Not having alcohol available on stations wouldn't stop drunks sharing your train. Most if not all major stations will have pubs just a short distance away. Plenty of opportunity for folks to get bladdered prior to catching a train.

 

[yorksrob]

As a brief aside but still on the subject of alcohol and rail service provision, do those so-called "Ale Trail Trains" cater for moderation in drinkers or is there any anti-social behaviour that sometimes affects some of them. What would be the average passenger alcohol consumption on such an "Ale Trail Train"?

I would suspect quite low, as in my experience of such trails, most of the ale gets drunk in the pub between trains.

 

[IanD]

Some travelling recently got me thinking, should all major stations have some sort of pub attached to the station ala the Sheffield/York taps etc. Perhaps they could be prime locations for Wetherspoons..

I'm interested to hear other people's opinions on the matter...

Not necessarily on the stations as those pubs tend to charge way over the odds compared to the local area. I never use the Tap pubs for that reason, if there's similar quality beer around a couple of minutes walk away then why bother? If not, I'll just not have a beer at all.

In the same way this Forum has guides to ticket restrictions and route diagrams, I often think there should be a good (or otherwise) pub guide to the nearest two or three pubs to/on a station. However, with about 2500 stations (?) I think we'd use up all the storage space. We have enough arguments about trains, let alone pubs!

I always use CAMRA's WhatPub

Redeveloped London terminals all seem to have nice pubs. The Betjemen Arms (St Pancras) & The Parcel Yard (Kings Cross) are actually pretty nice and are reasonably (for London) priced.

Nice pubs possibly but reasonably priced?? Depends on your definition I suppose but I find them to be about 25% more expensive compared to nearby pubs.

 

[Phil from Mon]

Whilst I would agree that they are both nice pubs you are still paying more for a pint of bitter then you would on the Euston Road itself. Now I accept that the price increases largely reflect how much floor rental Network Rail is charging but personally I would walk down the road to the Euston Flyer.

Don't know the Euston Flyer, but whenever I have a wait at Euston I use the Doric Arch, great beer and good food, so much better than those dreadful and over priced bars on the concourse.

 

[IanD]

Don't know the Euston Flyer, but whenever I have a wait at Euston I use the Doric Arch, great beer and good food, so much better than those dreadful and over priced bars on the concourse.

Doric Arch is OK as is the Euston Flyer, but I always use the Bree Louise, about a minute or so's walk away from Euston. Decent food, extensive range of real ales and ciders plus 50p discount on a pint and £2 off their pies for CAMRA members (and students and teachers and military and Emergency Services - and anyone who signs up for their membership club!).