The worst Network Rail station?

[anti-pacer]

Which would you say was the worst NR managed station and why?

Think of things like design, layout, user friendliness, cleanliness, etc.

 

[cslusarc]

Do you mean Network Rail owned or Network Rail owned and managed?

 

[fgwrich]

For a moment I thought you were talking about Network Rails new stations - For that I would easily nominate the new Reading Station, for the reasons of (I know it's not finished yet!) but largely that awful design by Grimshaws. The 'canopies' are useless and offer little protection, the 'vented' transfer deck still seems to be leaking which in turn causes problems for the 'indoor only' Kone Escalators - had they fitted at least half the glass screens in the original design drawings then most of the problems wouldn't be there, the new ticket office area on the south side now get's rather draughty - I told Network Rail this would happen during the design phase but they said 'it was all part of a free flowing design' and the subway still hasn't had it's dented (dented during installation) panels cleaned up and sorted out. And as for the design of the platform structures - to me, they seem very much like a recycled 1960s 'West Coast Mainline Modernisation' effort than anything that looks groundbrakingly new - in fact, they look rather similar to those created at Stafford in the 60s. I understand the need for the new layout - but the execution and design of the station really could have been much much better.

 

[nxea321446]

has to be leeds station went there last year got completley lost

 

[Nym]

Ummm, Leeds is actually not that hard to work your way round...

 

[DarloRich]

has to be leeds station went there last year got completley lost

:roll: really?

 

[CP165]

New Street leaves something to be desired...

 

[ainsworth74]

really?

I would suggest that they avoid Edinburgh if they find Leeds confusing!

 

[DarloRich]

I would suggest that they avoid Edinburgh if they find Leeds confusing!

Yes! Or any station

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Leeds isn't great, though it's not particularly confusing! The problems for me are the rather cramped 1960s concourse and the rather narrow entry/exit point from there to all platforms. The gateline, alas, has it's own thread!

Liverpool Lime Street isn't brilliant either, though it has improved over the years. Could do with 2 extra tracks in the middle of that stupidly wide one (the 'Inter-City'/longer-distance platforms), with VT's prefabricated facilities moved elsewhere!

 

[cjmillsnun]

Seems the two nominated stations at the moment are both in the middle of a fairly major overhaul.

 

[anthony263]

Although not managed by Network Rail, Newport (Gwent) has to be nominated due to the very poorly designed footbridge which is set well away from the cafe with is at the London end of the station.

The footbridge still leaks and is freezing during the winter so much so that ATW have had to plug in electric heaters.

 

[gnolife]

I find Glasgow Central to be a fairly awkward one to use, for transfers between the low and high levels.

 

[Starmill]

Leeds is not all that confusing. But I'd still nominate it for the worst. The floor is cracked, the track is always filthy, EVERYTHING is grey, the old concourse is silly, the barriers are beyond belief with their foolishness, the canopy doesn't look like it has ever been cleaned, the platform layout is odd - but still you can't really get lost - and whoever decided that that would be the place and design for a ticket office and queue wants shooting.

And then there's the biggest problem of all with it; it's in LEEDS

 

[DarloRich]

I find Glasgow Central to be a fairly awkward one to use, for transfers between the low and high levels.

yes those well signposted escalators can be tricky
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Leeds is not all that confusing. But I'd still nominate it for the worst. The floor is cracked, the track is always filthy, EVERYTHING is grey, the old concourse is silly, the barriers are beyond belief with their foolishness, the canopy doesn't look like it has ever been cleaned, the platform layout is odd - but still you can't really get lost - and whoever decided that that would be the place and design for a ticket office and queue wants shooting.

whats wrong with the barriers - i put my ticket in and they open. Am i missing something?

It was the first of the "new" stations so i guess it is quite tired now, however it is still only about a million times better than the old leeds!

 

[Spaceflower]

has to be leeds station went there last year got completley lost

Leeds is soulless. Efficient, safe, secure and designed to move masses of people. BUT distinctly inhuman.

 

[DarloRich]

I think New Street is the worst at present - but it is getting an overhaul so it may be better. It already SEEMS better in patches

 

[Starmill]

Efficient

Hmmmmm.

safe

Hmmm.

secure

Hmm.

You're sure we're talking about the same Leeds?

 

[RichmondCommu]

Hmmmmm.


Hmmm.


Hmm.

You're sure we're talking about the same Leeds?

Why in your opinion is the station not safe and secure?

 

[DarloRich]

Why in your opinion is the station not safe and secure?

i would be interested to know that to -I have never had any issues at Leeds nor had the feeling i was in any way in danger.

 

[Starmill]

I think there are a lot of aspects that do it for me. They 'grey' feeling, ingrained dirt, silly levels and stairs in odd places, badly managed crowd currents at times. I'm rather biased at the minute though, so it could just be that.

EDIT: the lighting doesn't feel too soft in their either, and the pre-recorded voice saying things like "It is an offence to trespass on the railway, please keep off the tracks" and so on sounds a bit ominous (and it's hard to make out the words at that).

 

[Toad]

After agree, Leeds is crap !

Very dull !

 

[beeza1]

I think New Street is the worst at present - but it is getting an overhaul so it may be better. It already SEEMS better in patches

New Street is just awful, even the newly refurbished parts are already looking shabby, this after only a few months, what it will look like in a few years time is anyone's guess. As for the ticket office, that must be the worst design possible, what's wrong with the traditional "soft barrier" queueing system?

 

[yorksrob]

Leeds isn‘t that bad.

That said, I use it everyday so I could easily come up with a list of things that could be improved.

 

[edwin_m]

Edinburgh Waverley is always going to be a difficult one due to the layout of the station but I have to say the signage to platforms is very poor. Having not used it for some years I'm still mentally on the old platform numbering which probably puts me at a similar disadvantage to the occasional passenger. Coming out of the M&S there is a departure screen but no signs to say where particular platforms are. Before finding mine I ended up going round three quarters of the building and across the rather lethal cab road twice.

 

[Nym]

How about Wembley Central...

The current state of access onto Platform 2 is rediculous; no lighting, only one side open, and raining water down from the roof (proberbly resulting in the no lighting thing) there's now tempoary LED lighting in place that isn't helping as it's too white for the enviroment, three or four task lights are not a solution.

Platform 5 is usually closed due to flooding as well...

 

[northwichcat]

Liverpool Lime Street isn't brilliant either, though it has improved over the years. Could do with 2 extra tracks in the middle of that stupidly wide one (the 'Inter-City'/longer-distance platforms), with VT's prefabricated facilities moved elsewhere!

I think the problem with Liverpool Lime Street is it's split in to three:
1. The Merseyrail platform with automated barriers
2. The platforms usually used by Northern, EMT and TPE with manual barriers
3. The platforms usually used by Virgin and LM with no barriers

If you're doing Birkenhead to Warrington you have to go through a set of automated barriers and then through another set of manual barriers.

Then there's one Virgin TVM near the platform where their trains depart from and one Northern TVM near the ticket office with no signs advertising the alternative TVM should one have a queue or be out-of-order.

 

[Cherry_Picker]

How about Wembley Central...

The current state of access onto Platform 2 is rediculous; no lighting, only one side open, and raining water down from the roof (proberbly resulting in the no lighting thing) there's now tempoary LED lighting in place that isn't helping as it's too white for the enviroment, three or four task lights are not a solution.

Platform 5 is usually closed due to flooding as well...

I think the OP was referring to the Network Rail managed stations, namely:

London Bridge
London Cannon Street
London Charing Cross
London Euston
London Fenchurch Street
London King's Cross
London Liverpool Street
London Paddington
London St Pancras
London Victoria
London Waterloo

Birmingham New Street (currently a building site)
Edinburgh Waverley
Glasgow Central
Leeds
Liverpool Lime Street
Manchester Piccadilly



I think Reading is still managed by FGW but the keys are being handed over to Network Rail once the massive rebuilding works are complete?

 

[northwichcat]

Leeds isn‘t that bad.

That said, I use it everyday so I could easily come up with a list of things that could be improved.

Leeds may not be prefect but it has had a huge amount of investment - the new Southern entrance alone will cost over £17m. Compare that to Crewe station which hasn't had any major work done to it in years and the refurbishment budget for the whole station is just £6m.

 

[Cherry_Picker]

You have to compare passenger numbers too. Crewe serves 2-2.5m journeys a year. Leeds is approaching 25m.