Stations upgrade

[philjo]

Reported on BBC news:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8363621.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/8364380.stm

the stations involved are:

Manchester Victoria
Clapham Junction
Crewe
Barking
Stockport
Warrington Bank Quay
Preston
Wigan North Western
Luton
Liverpool Central



I personally would rate Wakefield Kirkgate are being in urgent need of refurbishment, but it isn't as busy as those on the list above.

 

[jas_sl]

In layman's terms, what would happen to somewhere like Clapham Junction or Luton? Two stations I familiar with but it's more than just they're a bit grimey I'm sure.

 

[PhilipW]

7 out of the 10 are in the North West, I see, and 5 are run by Vurgin. Hmm.

 

[Capybara]

They have been working on Clapham Junction for months now, installing lifts and there's step-free to the street on St John's Hill access coming along. I don't know if that's part of this or a separate project.

 

[madannie77]

Can't really argue with most of these stations, although I question whether Preston is really that bad. Is it really worse than Carlisle. Always hated Warrington Bank Quay, which was redeveloped in BR days, and can't see how it could be improved without knocking it all down and starting again.

 

[yorksrob]

I agree, having changed trains there many times, Preston has always struck me as being rather well cared for and looked after, and the shops/facilities are reasonable enough for an interchange its size. I don't see why it's in the top ten at all.

Generally unless it's for operational reasons (i.e. the platforms are in the wrong place etc) I think wholesale rebuilding isn't usually worth the cost. Usually an improvement of passenger/access facilities and a general tidy up go further for less.

 

[EM2]

I've only been to Preston once, and only for about forty minutes but I thought there was nothing wrong with it at all.
It has a pub and a very nice proper waiting room for a start.

 

[dk1]

Can't really argue with most of these stations, although I question whether Preston is really that bad. Is it really worse than Carlisle. Always hated Warrington Bank Quay, which was redeveloped in BR days, and can't see how it could be improved without knocking it all down and starting again.

That awful & out of place buffet built near the Leeds bays at Carlisle which has stood empty for a couple of years is or has already been demolished. What an eyesore that is.

Bank Quay has recently had quite a nice refurb done to the entrance & booking office by Virgin, and ive always found the buffet quite nice. Trouble is its not very grand & in not such a fantastic are. Not much NR can do about that though.

 

[Oswyntail]

7 out of the 10 are in the North West, I see, and 5 are run by Vurgin. Hmm.

...and 10 out of 10 are in areas where the labour vote is crumbling. Or am I just too cynical?

 

[gordonthemoron]

...and 10 out of 10 are in areas where the labour vote is crumbling. Or am I just too cynical?

that's what I thought too

here's my top 10 rubbish stations:

Birmingham New Street
Wakefield Kirkgate
Manchester Victoria (they got that one right)
Euston
Kings Cross
Paddington
Swanley
Reading
Worcester Shrub Hill
Doncaster

Fortunately, a number of those are being improved

 

[Wyvern]

I agree, having changed trains there many times, Preston has always struck me as being rather well cared for and looked after, and the shops/facilities are reasonable enough for an interchange its size. I don't see why it's in the top ten at all.

Perhaps there's scope to build a shopping mall.

 

[Aictos]

Peterborough is also going to be done as well!

 

[SouthEastern-465]

Apparently Clapham Junction may be one of the busiest stations in the country but it has been voted by commuters one of the worst.

 

[mrcheek]

I've only been to Preston once, and only for about forty minutes but I thought there was nothing wrong with it at all.
It has a pub and a very nice proper waiting room for a start.

I agree, Preston is a very nice station, and does not fit on this list!

 

[Aictos]

I agree, Preston is a very nice station, and does not fit on this list!

I agree, I've been though Preston a few times in the early 90s back in 1992ish travelling though on the Leeds to Blackpool service.

Went though this year and see all these red lampposts is just like going back in time to the NSE era!

Still that pub was nice,

 

[fgwrich]

that's what I thought too

here's my top 10 rubbish stations:

Birmingham New Street
Wakefield Kirkgate
Manchester Victoria (they got that one right)
Euston
Kings Cross
Paddington
Swanley
Reading
Worcester Shrub Hill
Doncaster

Fortunately, a number of those are being improved

Hey! The only thing that needs doing at paddington after Span Four is possibly the rest of the stations roof...

Otherwise id add Southampton and Basinstoke on those lists...becasue all SWT have done is painted the canopys and not much else...ticket hall still remaines as NSE rebuilt it, and the subway leaks everytime it rains...with the track pumping sluge down...

Also not a major station...but bramley could do with a smarten up...Still seems to be midly confused between TT days, FGW Link and FGW days...

 

[Aictos]

As to subways leaking, the lift subway at Hertford North leaks badly - NR came out and said only solution is to relay the trackbed, which I find strange as Hitchin and Potters Bar are having works done which include a water management system so leaks should be something of the past in these stations.
Must clarify that there's no relaying of the trackbed needed at these locations too.

As to outstanding issues:

Old CIS screens on platforms need replacing.
Additional PA speakers to be installed especially in the booking office area.
CCTV plus local monitoring moved back to platform office from booking office.
Lights to be replaced in booking office area.
Windows to be deep cleaned - both platforms and booking hall areas.

Refurbishment of platform office due to be completed 2004ish!

What would be nice would be make the station fully DDA by installing a lift on platform 1, together with a proper waiting room.

Long list but issues that are outstanding pity as the only nice places are the toilets and the waiting room on platform 2 and 3 which doesn't say much!

 

[djw1981]

AIUI items 1-5 tghere are all the franchise TOC's responsibility as maintenance, not upgrade of the infrstsructure. FCC should stop losing staff and try investing

 

[Mojo]

7 out of the 10 are in the North West, I see, and 5 are run by Vurgin. Hmm.

Rather than highlighting Virgin's lack of care, perhaps one should look at who one of Lord Adonis' "station champions" was, one Chris Green (of Virgin Trains fame!)

 

[djw1981]

Equally of NSE fame.....
Manchester Victoria
Clapham Junction - NSE
Crewe - VT
Barking - NSE
Stockport - VT
Warrington Bank Quay - VT
Preston - VT
Wigan North Western - VT
Luton - NSE
Liverpool Central

This could of course be a sign that if a TOC (eg Virgin) fails to improve it's stations, as other fanchisees have done, eventually the Government picks up the tab (just like with the track modifications for Virgin's train fleet) etc...

Funny that!

 

[Waddon]

Theres an article on this subject in London's Evening Standard newspaper, however it notes that there will be a public consultation on how the money should be spent. Does anyone have any more information about this public consultation? I would certainly like to express my views...

 

[Drsatan]

I'd add Southampton Central to the list even though it's certainly in better condition than, say Wakefield Westgate. The loos on platform 4 are filthy and the locks on a couple of the cubicle doors don't work; for some reason the loos on platform 1 are OK, although that's understandable since they were refurbished fairly recently. The platform 4 booking office usually only has one or two windows when all three should be open. Same goes for the waiting room: the platform 1 waiting room (where London-bound trains depart from) was expanded a few years ago and has lots of seats, whereas the platform 4 waiting room (where trains to Cardiff & Weymouth normally depart) is way too small & needs repainting. Do I detect discrimination against non-London travellers? :roll:

Even though it's only a small station, Romsey could be included on the list as well. The station building's been boarded up for ages and is falling apart. It was going to be turned into a youth hostel but the plan fell through. The station building really deserves better because it's architecturally unique in that it has a coupled chimney, and is a good example of early LSWR architecture. Wheelchair access needs to be added to platform 1 from Cupernham Way since that platform isn't accesible to wheelchair users. There's supposed to be DfT funding for that but work hasn't started yet.

 

[spoony]

I take it they never visited Sunderland station then

 

[Lampshade]

Seems to me they've gone for stations with an underpass, I don't understand why Preston's on the list; sure, it's not the most up to date station in the world and it's bloody cold in the winter but that surely doesn't mean it's one of the worst :???:

Manchester Victoria I agree with though

EDIT:

The overhaul is set to include the replacement of footbridge steps with escalators and lifts to make it more passenger friendly, a brand new first class lounge, new toilets and passenger facilities and a complete renovation to spruce up its shoddy appearance.

Reported in the Lancashire Evening Post last year. The footbridge does need attention, many a time I've seen someone with luggage take a tumble on the way onto the concourse.

http://www.lep.co.uk/news/Preston-train-station-set-for.4407111.jp

 

[Aictos]

AIUI items 1-5 tghere are all the franchise TOC's responsibility as maintenance, not upgrade of the infrstsructure. FCC should stop losing staff and try investing

I know that but the station is low on any manager's to do list which is why nothing gets done, partly why a ex MD got involved.

I did put on a suggestion to my ex manager suggesting we apply for DfT funding under the Access for All programme to replace a window in the platform office with a fully DDA one as they have at Welwyn Garden City as staff are not that easy to see from the office door unlike a DDA window would provide.
Needless to say it got turned down without even being thought of without a thank you, I' have a closer look to see if it's possible.

We used to monitor the local car park cctv but to cut corners, it got moved to the booking office where it's never used being a waste of resources unlike if it were in a 24/7 manned office which the platform office is!

 

[djw1981]

That surely depends upon one's local managers. The RAIL feature on best large medium small stations each year shows that local managers and indeed some TOC's were good at seeing their stations as their 'shop window' and as part of the full passenger experience. GNER at Newcastle was always a good example.

Still looking at Virgin, the new part of Wolverhampton station is very nice, and I can't help feeling that even a coat of paint to make the older buildings look similar might not have cost that much but would have made the station look 'as one'.

 

[Aictos]

Take the Best Large, Medium or Small Station Awards in any given year, is it any surprise that no FCC stations get nominated?
I for one would like to see my station win a award for Best Kept Station but management never enter any FCC station.

You would have thought that having the line being shared with the station would be enough to keep it in a reasonable condition as their 'shop window'.

It's sad when you go though other stations and they look well looked after.

 

[fgwrich]

Here are some examples from Basingstoke Station...

Id also not put the words Refurbishment and South West Trains togher...as the oh so wonderfull recently refurbished Station waiting rooms are a shambles...So heres a list of whats wrong with them...

Platform 1...Dosent have a waiting room but has always needed one...Toilets still as NSE left them with shabby doors and only cold water avlible...Also very drafty...

Platform 2&3...Refurbishment is tooooo bad on that side, but the toilets could have been thought out far better and whose idiotic idea was it to moove the Platform LED screens to the end of the platforms, so if you standing along P2/3...You have to moove to the end of the buildings to read them! These were originally mounted down the platforms and were far easier to read... see pictures below...

Platform 4...Shabby...The Roof leaks at the best of times and the plaster is already falling off the walls! again toilets could have been far better thought out and not the cheap finnish swt have gone for...

Platform 4/5...Quite possibly the most heritage part of the station...Hasnt been touched at all, and still retains its Notwork South East Pictorial Screens!

Station Enterance...Despirately needs rebuilding to allow better passenger flow...ticket office area could despiratly do with refurbishment as the floor gets very slippery when it rains, and the 1980s Wood panneling really really could do with removal...

As for the Subway under the station...Always slippery, always leakes...Never clean...Cramped and tends to smell at the best of times...Yet Maintenance is pretty rare yet there always seems to be some confusion over who should maintain it..the council, SWT or NR...

That canopy was hit last year by a out of guage container...yet no-one though of dealing with the left over canopy...

And pretty much 65% of the signs are the old vinyl over ones...which DO need replacement and ARE Fading all over the station...

And thanks to the wonderfull junction replacement done in 2007, the basingstoke weed garden has grown right up again...Sorry, thats the crossover that was replaced to increase line speeds...yet theres all sorts of problems with it and it has...a...15MPH speed limit again!

Its all rather ironic when you go from Basingstoke with its pretty poor waiting rooms to Reading, where FGW has mass refurbished there waiting rooms and toilets up there, to a very high standard...and really are very pleasant to wait in...

 

[ashworth]

Reported on BBC news:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8363621.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/8364380.stm

the stations involved are:

Manchester Victoria
Clapham Junction
Crewe
Barking
Stockport
Warrington Bank Quay
Preston
Wigan North Western
Luton
Liverpool Central



I personally would rate Wakefield Kirkgate are being in urgent need of refurbishment, but it isn't as busy as those on the list above.

When I heard about this report I immediately expected to see Wakefield Kirkgate at the top of the list. It isn't as busy as the others but that could in many ways be partly due to the fact that, especially after dark, it is not safe to use.
I occasionally have to visit Wakefied from Nottingham. The new through Nottingham to Leeds service should be good news but I only ever use it on the outward journey. When returning I would rather use Wakefield Westgate and change at Sheffield. That subway if frightening during the day never mind at night.
The whole place seems derelict and rather like a station that has been closed for many years.

 

[tbtc]

I take it they never visited Sunderland station then

Very true - one of the most depressing stations around, esepecially given passenger numbers