Waiting room opening hours

[TUC]

Is there a consistent approach to when station waiting rooms are open ( such as them only being open at times when the station is staffed)?

My question arises because I found the waiting room at New Pudsey locked today and, on checking online, was advised that it is only open during hours when the booking office is open. Given that the latter is closed all day on Sunday, so is the waiting room. I could understand this approach if the waiting room had items in which could be stolen or damaged but, aside from the wheelchair ramp, it only had metal seats screwed down to the floor. (Having the ramp locked in there does raise a separate question of what if it was needed to be deployed outside of booking office hours?). All in all it seemed little more than what is in open shelters in some other stations, so the rationale for locking it was not immediately clesr.

 

[cin88]

Its likely to prevent vandalism or anti social behaviour during times when the station isn't staffed. Trains carry their own assistance ramps so the station's being behind a locked door isn't usually an issue.

 

[Coleridge]

It's a combination of the UK rail industry's unfriendly attitude towards its customers and the great British public's tendency to vandalise anything that is unattended.

 

[TUC]

Its likely to prevent vandalism or anti social behaviour during times when the station isn't staffed. Trains carry their own assistance ramps so the station's being behind a locked door isn't usually an issue.

I get the vandalism issue, but my point was that, the ramp aside, there didn't seem much that was capable of being vandalised that isn't in open shelters elsewhere.

I recognise that Northern trains carry their own ramps, but that does beg the question of why there is a station one as well (and why this one is locked away when they are in open station areas in some other places)?

 

[JulienD]

The ticket office at Henley-on-Thames closes at 13h! I think they should open it later and thus close it around 16h30 when all the college students have left.

 

[bramling]

I get the vandalism issue, but my point was that, the ramp aside, there didn't seem much that was capable of being vandalised that isn't in open shelters elsewhere.

It isn’t just vandalism, but some of the activities people get up to in there. Never underestimate just how troublesome elements of the population are.

I agree it isn’t ideal to penalise everyone, however it’s a case of damned if you do and damned if you don’t, there isn’t much point in having the room available if people are afraid of going in there because there’s a gang doing drugs inside, or whatever.

 

[74A]

Also stops people sleeping in there overnight.