Which station platforms would you add additional facilities to?

[py_megapixel]

There are quite a few stations where the facilities are either stuck away on a concourse somewhere making them less convenient to access, or irritatingly confined to only one (or a few) platforms. For example, I feel Gloucester and Cheltenham could really do with maybe some toilets and a refreshment stand on the northbound platform as well as the southbound one.

What other examples are there, and what facilities would you add?

 

[adamedwards]

My local station Hatfield needs a second entrance off the northbound platform. This would instantly put a large number of homes 5 mins closer to the station, increasing use. Now if that entrance also had a secure supervised cycle parking and servicing shop, that would be perfect.

 

[RH Liner]

Platforms 2/3 at Newark Northgate need much more cover, in fact so does platform 1 where first class passengers have to board in all weathers well away from any cover.
Also platform 2 at Mansfield, which is the southbound platform for Nottingham, has only a bus shelter type cover, but far more passengers waiting for trains at Mansfield are going southwards.

 

[Ken H]

More stations need a proper tea room like the one at Carnforth. Or the one at Great Malvern. Decent coffee out of a china cup and home made cake. Polystyrene cup and a pre-packed bit of fruit cake does not cut it really.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Batley P2 (towards Dewsbury) could do with a shelter that offers some shade in the summer, rather than the current greenhouse.

 

[Metal_gee_man]

The 1st Class lounge needs to be moved to the concourse at Nottingham Station, being on the island platform 4-6 isn't helpful if like many EMR Intercity trains end up running from platform 7

 

[liamf656]

I was working in Nottingham today, and my train changed last minute from Platform 4 to 3A, which is directly adjacent, but it involved walking the full length of the platform to reach the bridge. Therefore, I would put another foot bridge at the far end near Platform 4 to better connect 2/3, similar to Leicester

 

[Halish Railway]

Leeds platform 17 needs its cover extending; If you are waiting to the xx:32 to Sheffield or xx:58 to Knottingley then the train arrives in the portion of the platform without a cover due to the xx09 departure to Nottingham occupying the covered portion.

 

[AlbertBeale]

I don't know whether it counts as a "facility" in the sense being used here - but I'd go for an overbridge linking across the platforms at London Bridge, together with some proper shelter from the elements, and seats, on the platforms there. It feels really primitive at the moment.

 

[Ken H]

I don't know whether it counts as a "facility" in the sense being used here - but I'd go for an overbridge linking across the platforms at London Bridge, together with some proper shelter from the elements, and seats, on the platforms there. It feels really primitive at the moment.

reading is the same. the over-bridge concourse is horrid in cold weather. The escalators come in vis huge holes, bringing in horozontal rain and snow. I was there on a cold snowy day and the catering staff were huddled behind their counters in overcoats by plug in heaters. The escalators are pretty exposed in bad weather too.
Note to designers. Rain doesnt always come down vertically.

 

[Mikey C]

I don't know whether it counts as a "facility" in the sense being used here - but I'd go for an overbridge linking across the platforms at London Bridge, together with some proper shelter from the elements, and seats, on the platforms there. It feels really primitive at the moment.

I suppose the intention of the station design is that everyone stays downstairs rather than hanging around for a long time on the platforms

London Bridge does need more toilets though, specifically toilets inside the gateline, as if you have a long wait or are changing trains, you have to go through the barriers to use the toilets, which are too small anyway, especially as being free they're used as a very convenient public toilet for the area.

 

[Factotum]

Every station - train or bus - needs more seating. Transport authorities seem to abhor the idea of passengers sitting down

And stockport needs toilets on platform zero or in the concourse.

 

[Alex365Dash]

I’m going to split this suggestion into two, one that I’d seriously consider and one that would be nice but would also never happen.

My serious idea would be to add a PVAL (platform validator) on the Platform 2/3 island at Fratton, which would be useful for passengers entering the station with smartcards from the Goldsmith Avenue side of the public footbridge (the one on the west side of the station).

The Selbourne Terrace side of the footbridge has a PVAL at the bottom, but if you’re coming from Platforms 2/3 wanting the Goldsmith Avenue side of the footbridge and need to validate your smartcard, you’d need to head up the bridge and back down again to Platform 1 (or the PVAL on the other side of the footbridge), tap on the PVAL there, and head back up the footbridge to exit the station.
With the new PVAL on the Platform 2/3 island, you can simply tap out and exit the station.

Of course, the issue with this is it would only really be useful on Sundays (or other times when the gateline is unstaffed) when the footbridge gates are open as the gateline is unstaffed (and therefore also open).

When the gateline is staffed, passengers arriving on Platforms 2/3 walking onto Goldsmith Avenue have to walk in the opposite direction to the direct footbridge, walk over the other footbridge to Platform 1, pass through the gateline, walk down the road to the footbridge that they looked away from earlier, then use that footbridge to make their way over back to the main road.

If you were to really start getting out the crayons, of course you can’t just keep the footbridge gates open when the gateline is staffed as that would defeat the point of the gateline.

I’d propose extending the main footbridge (the one on the east side) onto a new entrance building at Goldsmith Avenue, with a remotely controlled gateline, lift and a few ticket machines. Fratton station has quite a large catchment area, and would be useful for anyone continuing their journey to the Milton and Eastney areas.

This does however come with the caveat of compulsory purchase of the goods yard on the main road in order to build the second entrance.

 

[yorksrob]

It would be nice to have some loos on platform 16/17 at Leeds.

 

[Aictos]

St Albans City needs the retail units in use especially as WHSmiths, Pumpkins etc have gone and the only coffee outlet is a cart in the peak only.

Equally Bedford could do with a entrance on the Platform 4 side with maybe a wider footbridge.

Biggleswade could do with a replacement footbridge with lifts to all platforms and a gateline on the footbridge itself, think St Neots type of footbridge.

Gordon Hill too could do with a replacement footbridge with lifts to all platforms.

 

[NoRoute]

Tamworth platform 2, which is the platform for south bound trains on the WCML. The lack of facilities is shockingly bad, to the point where you wonder whether the people running the rail industry have even the barest appreciation of customer service or customer experience.

It's a very long platform because of the long train sets which stop there, it is accessed via an open (ie exposed to wind and rain) set of stairs down from the high level platforms and the nearest waiting rooms are back up, further along on the high level, so you have to make your way to the platform in plenty of time and wait on the platform. The platform is completely open to the weather with a single bus-shelter sized structure near the end, completely inadequate for the volume of passengers using the platform. There are abandoned bus shelters which are better equipped, and yet this is a platform on which £100+ journeys to London begin.

It doesn't need much, a sheet roof over the stair case to stop them getting wet and slippery would be good (given the purported concern over 'elf and safety, I'm surprised it hasn't been addressed before) , a run of roofing and some vertical back panels along part of the platform to keep the wind and the rain off.

When you step back and look at it, it shows a sort of contempt for the passenger.

 

[Nick Ashwell]

Chepstow really needs toilets but considering they're allowed to get by without disabled access I can't see it happening

 

[mchunt]

Oyster Card/Contactless validators on platforms at end of validity stations (i.e. Welwyn GC) and/or London Terminals (St Pancras) so you can switch from ticket to Oyster/Contactless easily.

 

[yorksrob]

Every manned station should have toilets (and no, just having a disabled toilet accessible only with a special key, is not acceptable).

 

[Mat17]

Penistone needs the old GCR platforms reopening and a connection to Manchester... I'll get my coat

 

[zwk500]

Wolverton could do with an additional exit from the Island platform direct up to the road above, and ideally an exit of P1 onto the Canal towpath for the new-ish flats. The pavement next to the road is very narrow, and removing the foot traffic to the flats from the road through a new exit would massively improve safety. There's already and emergency staircase from the road to the towpath, with a gap to the platform. Less of an issue in the morning as people tend to arrive a little bit further apart, but in the evening when everybody had got off the train at once it could be a concern. A canopy on P3 & P4 would be nice as well, but signal sighting probably prevents it.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Wolverton could do with an additional exit from the Island platform direct up to the road above, and ideally an exit of P1 onto the Canal towpath for the new-ish flats. The pavement next to the road is very narrow, and removing the foot traffic to the flats from the road through a new exit would massively improve safety. There's already and emergency staircase from the road to the towpath, with a gap to the platform. Less of an issue in the morning as people tend to arrive a little bit further apart, but in the evening when everybody had got off the train at once it could be a concern. A canopy on P3 & P4 would be nice as well, but signal sighting probably prevents it.

Wolverton presently lacks lifts, so needs an entirely new footbridge. Access from the other side (which I agree would be useful) could I guess be considered when building that. The narrow pavement on the road bridge would probably preclude access from there.

 

[zwk500]

Wolverton presently lacks lifts, so needs an entirely new footbridge. Access from the other side (which I agree would be useful) could I guess be considered when building that. The narrow road bridge would probably preclude access from there.

Lifts would be largely pointless without wholly rebuilding the platforms, given the stepping jumping distance. Although the new exit would probably need a new footbridge anyway, as I don't think there's room alongside P1 for a walking route with sufficient safe distance from the fast line. I don't see any particular reason why access from the road bridge can't be had from just next to the Bus Stop, where the former access has been blocked up.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Huddersfield needs gun-towers, with snipers armed with paintball guns to fire at anyone who thinks the "keep left" signs don't apply to them.

For practice, they can fire them at whoever decided to switch to right-side walking during the pandemic... only to switch back to left-side walking (the correct way) a week or so ago.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Lifts would be largely pointless without wholly rebuilding the platforms, given the stepping jumping distance. Although the new exit would probably need a new footbridge anyway, as I don't think there's room alongside P1 for a walking route with sufficient safe distance from the fast line. I don't see any particular reason why access from the road bridge can't be had from just next to the Bus Stop, where the former access has been blocked up.

To be fair the stepping distance on the slows does need sorting out. I know it's on a curve, but that's no excuse for the height differential which is easily as bad as you used to get at some rural halts, yet there are no wooden steps or similar. There will be plenty of people who can walk up a set of stairs that can't manage that step up.

So I guess the "additional facility" needed here is about a foot of hardcore and some tarmac!

 

[Metal_gee_man]

How about completely rebuilding Luton Station, a station that has sooo many trains stopping at it, both Commuter and Intercity it needs a 21st century upgrade, full accessibility to all platforms, wider more spacious overbridges, ticket hall/gateline and platform facilities that don't look like they're falling to pieces and hanging on by a thread. For a station that has 3.8m entry's and exits and considered a Category B station by the DaFT its diabolical and certainly no advert for anyone to visit/survive the town

 

[Bletchleyite]

How about completely rebuilding Luton Station, a station that has sooo many trains stopping at it, both Commuter and Intercity it needs a 21st century upgrade, full accessibility to all platforms, wider more spacious overbridges, ticket hall/gateline and platform facilities that don't look like they're falling to pieces and hanging on by a thread. For a station that has 3.8m entry's and exits and considered a Category B station by the DaFT its diabolical and certainly no advert for anyone to visit/survive the town

I refer the honourable poster to the thread on "stations that accurately reflect the town in which they are situated"

 

[Metal_gee_man]

I refer the honourable poster to the thread on "stations that accurately reflect the town in which they are situated"

I'm glad I don't live there but you're right, the station fits the town, it just isn't right it has been neglected to its current levels

 

[The exile]

A southern entrance/ exit to Bristol Parkway.

 

[faltskog36abba]

Toilets behind the Ticket Barrier would be good at Manchester Victoria. There is plenty of room at the eastern end of the platforms.