Toilets at railway stations

[EbbwJunction1]

Merseyrail Electrics are one of the worst offenders in this respect. There are no toilets on their trains and the only stations I can remember having loos are Liverpool Central, Moorfields, Hooton, Chester and Southport. Clearly their management have no consideration for older members of the community with weak bladders.

The toilets at Port Sunlight are normally locked, but the station staff will open them on request.

 

[Tetchytyke]

From something I saw the other day, I think Leeds may now be 40p on the non platform concourse.

That's disgraceful, those toilets are absolutely vile. A couple of years ago I paid to use them, only to find a blocked toilet and a soiled pair of underpants on the floor. Northern's response? Use the toilets in Wetherspoons.

 

[HowardGWR]

The SWT toilet in Axminster station is spotless and free and - heated to boot!

Now why can't SWT ensure that everywhere? I assume that Clapham Junction is not under their exclusive control.

The facilities outlined in my first sentence should be one of the benefits of privatisation*, IMO. You don't have to pay in airports and supermarkets and can complain if the loos are not cleaned.

* It nevertheless escapes me why public loos should not be maintained to high standards by law.

 

[Starmill]

I know you're aware of this, but for avoidance of doubt for others, the ones in the pub (which used to be the waiting room) are classed as the station toilets. Granted, this necessitates the pub being open. The toilets here don't require you to go through the pub itself, you just turn right as you go through the entrance.

It also necessitates one knowing about them - the National Rail Enquires page for Dewsbury says it has no toilets.

 

[urbophile]

Merseyrail Electrics are one of the worst offenders in this respect. There are no toilets on their trains and the only stations I can remember having loos are Liverpool Central, Moorfields, Hooton, Chester and Southport. Clearly their management have no consideration for older members of the community with weak bladders.

They are gradually getting round to installing more. On our end of the Northern Line there is at least Liverpool South Parkway, Cressington, St Michaels, possibly Aigburth though i couldn't be sure. Formby certainly does but I don't know of any others on that stretch. Rock Ferry does but it was out of order when I desperately needed it after being stuck on a delayed train for well over an hour.

Ironically Cressington's is disabled/wheelchair accessible despite both platforms only accessible by long flights of stairs. I suppose some people might need to use it while waiting for a taxi to arrive to take them to the nearest accessible station.

 

[Crossover]

That's disgraceful, those toilets are absolutely vile. A couple of years ago I paid to use them, only to find a blocked toilet and a soiled pair of underpants on the floor. Northern's response? Use the toilets in Wetherspoons.

I pointed out for if they were in Leeds station again, there are free ones on the platforms (they had travelled by train anyway)

It also necessitates one knowing about them - the National Rail Enquires page for Dewsbury says it has no toilets.

True - maybe there is a wider issues there

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Had a bad experience or seen one.

Neither.

I just prefer a proper manual lock which can't go wrong like an electronic one can.

( Before anyone asks, yes - my car is pre-electronics... )

 

[Gathursty]

I've never used the ones at Wigan North Western or Wallgate oddly enough. Southport toilets are fine. The most outstanding toilets imho are Gatwick Airport's. Yes it's not in the station but it's within the greater complex. Not a big fan of turnstile operated ones as they seem to be most dirty but I guess they have the most usage.

I could be juvenile and say Ince could be a toilet or a station or both depending on your viewpoint.

 

[Envoy]

. Not a big fan of turnstile operated ones as they seem to be most dirty but I guess they have the most usage.
.

The turnstiles are also probably coated in bacteria. (Perhaps someone can do a swab test to prove the point)?

 

[Bletchleyite]

The toilets at Port Sunlight are normally locked, but the station staff will open them on request.

Ormskirk has now added them (there were gents' urinals there for years but were staff only), but they are already in a state.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

likewise. Which locations would you be referring to un relation to grimness?

Clapham Junction is one. The locals seem to be happy to smash them up and there is no will to remedy the matter.

I don't mind paying if they are maintained properly, I take exception when they are in a state.

Indeed, I wonder will any UK TOC consider the Germanic "WC-Center"/"McClean" approach where it is quite expensive (a quid or more) but there are cleaners there all the time making it spotless (and providing a presence) after every single use?

 

[crispy1978]

There definitely seems to be significant inconsistencies over toilets at train stations.

Some stations seem to have plenty of them, including some of the smaller stations on the network, whereas others where you think there should be plenty, or a need for plenty of them, have none or only an odd one.

Having said that, I rarely see a queue of 20 people waiting to use a toilet at a train station, so perhaps people are savvy to how to use them, or there are enough kicking around?

 

[theblackwatch]

I'm the opposite but for a different reason; I tend to head for the non-compliant toilet because they usually have proper manual catch locks fitted to the door...

Me too - ever since an incident when I pushed the button to open the loo door on a Voyager, only to find some old 'Ada' sat on the throne. I immediately hit the 'close' button, but the door insisted on opening fully before it would shut.

 

[DarloRich]

Euston has a vile evil smelling cesspit , that barely functions, and the owner still charges a user 30p to be exposed to this vile area.

you have never been to a 4th division football game then :roll:

Doubt Euston will get touched till the HS2 works now, didnt realise it was that bad though

it isn't. While they don't have a man to hand you a towel or spray you with paco raban it is rough but serviceable and i have used much worse.

My old man (86) has prostrate problems and needs to wee twice an hour, even if it's just a dribble. So he's basically excluded from Merseyrail, the only option for him is to wear absorbant pants, which begin to smell quickly in warm weather; and not having toilets means he can't change them to a fresher pair.
Sorry to be a bit blunt, but I thought we were in the days of inclusivity?

While not quite the same New Street has a changing places toilet which is designed for use by adults who have attendant carers or personal issues to attend to.

Some further details here: http://www.changing-places.org/the_campaign/what_are_changing_places_toilets_.aspx

People with profound and multiple learning disabilities, as well people with other physical disabilities such as spinal injuries, muscular dystrophy and multiple sclerosis often need extra facilities to allow them to use the toilets safely and comfortably.
Changing Places toilets are different to standard accessible toilets (or "disabled toilets") as they have extra features and more space to meet the needs of people who use them.

The turnstiles are also probably coated in bacteria. (Perhaps someone can do a swab test to prove the point)?

some of you are such wet blankets. Just wash your hands after you use the toilet.

 

[Tetchytyke]

you have never been to a 4th division football game then :roll:

I have, I'd say Euston was worse! Even the toilets in the Bree Louise are nicer.

 

[DarloRich]

I have, I'd say Euston was worse! Even the toilets in the Bree Louise are nicer.

I wouldnt.

York City had a roofless brick bunker with a tiny channel gouged in the bottom of the wall all flushed by rainwater into a small floor drain

Carlisle had a frozen trough with a resulting waterfall of urine down the stand

hartlepooh - didn't risk it.

Luton was in the outhouse of a terraced house ( but was clean)

And the ones at Feethams drained straight into the river!

Don't know you are born you lot

 

[Mikey C]

A sad loss were the toilets on the Southeastern platforms at London Bridge, free and convenient (if a bit wet!), sacrificed to provide more room on the platforms.

Platforms 1/2 and 5/6 had both, 3/4 only had Ladies the Gents never reopened after the IRA terrorist act there...

 

[jon0844]

Victoria now charges 50p so I assume all NR operated stations will charge that soon. Quite a big price hike, even if other public toilets in London have been that much for some time.

Sent from my EVA-L09 using Tapatalk

 

[WelshBluebird]

Victoria now charges 50p so I assume all NR operated stations will charge that soon. Quite a big price hike, even if other public toilets in London have been that much for some time.

Sent from my EVA-L09 using Tapatalk

And yet and Birmingham New Street the toilets have been made free since the refurb. Do NR have any idea what they actually want to do? Hope they don't start charging at Bristol anyway!

Regarding Victoria specifically, I just use the Wetherspoons there!

 

[RepTCTC]

As I discovered this morning whilst enjoying an extended wait for a train to Guildford (my intended ride had been cancelled), Bookham has ample male urinals located in the woodland next to the car park. Okay, so the hand washing facilities were non-existent, they're not accessible, are far from female-friendly, and wouldn't cut the mustard if solids were the order of the day, but at least they smelled fresh and had adequate wildlife.

 

[jon0844]

And yet and Birmingham New Street the toilets have been made free since the refurb. Do NR have any idea what they actually want to do? Hope they don't start charging at Bristol anyway!

Regarding Victoria specifically, I just use the Wetherspoons there!

Maybe the extra 20p at Victoria is to help pay for the free ones at Birmingham New Street!

 

[theblackwatch]

I have, I'd say Euston was worse! Even the toilets in the Bree Louise are nicer.

I'm sure they can't be as bad as the old loos off the subway at Leeds station, which were discussed a while ago here.

 

[QueensCurve]

How do or did they decide how many loos a station requires?

Woking has three accessibility loos. Guildford has one and Clapham Junction and Waterloo have two. Woking has 6 platforms, with 5 in regular use. Guilford has 8 although 7 isn't used and 3 at various times during the day. Waterloo has 21, soon to be 24 and Clapham Junction 17.

Im not sure how many male and female loos Woking has though.

The ones at Clapham Junction are beyond platform 17 so a trek if your needing a train on platform 1. I can understand closeness to a platform isn't a requirement for a lot to be added but surely if Woking needs three for 6 platforms then Clapham Junction might need more than two located side by side.

I realise some if this may be from the way things evolved over time and I'm sure they are not out to make life hard for people, even though I do find the closure of loos on the Cobham line, for large parts of the day not helpful when the trains have no loos themselves.

Bear in mind they are making trains disabled friendly so why not make public transport more loo friendly.

It is a pleasant surprise how good the provision of toilets at stations is these days.

About 35y ago BR had a purge on station toilets (no pun intended). They decided, perhaps in reaction to some criticism, not to provide toilets except where they were uunder a legal obligation to do so. The obligation cited was where catering facilities were provided.

Shortly after that, toilets at many rural stations were bricked up. I seem to recall the first station I visited where this had happened was Ravenglass.

About 3 years ago I had a brief visit to Cornwall. I don't recall Looe having a loo.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Euston has a vile evil smelling cesspit , that barely functions, and the owner still charges a user 30p to be exposed to this vile area.

In the days of the British Rail Publication The New Euston Station 1968 there were "Superloos" positions 1 and 2 in the station map. They are still in the same place. The epithet "super" has been removed; the fee to use them has not.

 

[Joseph_Locke]

you have never been to a 4th division football game then :roll:

Or Cambridge; never mind "now wash your hands", I needed a disinfectant bath for my shoes having had to tip toe through the yellow puddles ...

 

[Bletchleyite]

And yet and Birmingham New Street the toilets have been made free since the refurb. Do NR have any idea what they actually want to do?

I was surprised at that. I wonder if it was a logistical issue rather than an intention to make them free long-term.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

The epithet "super" has been removed; the fee to use them has not.

Weren't there "second class bogs" as well?
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

I'm sure they can't be as bad as the old loos off the subway at Leeds station, which were discussed a while ago here.

I don't find a lot wrong with the bogs themselves, they just stink because ventilation is inadequate. I'm sure that could be solved easily enough, just need a decent flow of air through them.

 

[theblackwatch]

I don't find a lot wrong with the bogs themselves, they just stink because ventilation is inadequate. I'm sure that could be solved easily enough, just need a decent flow of air through them.

I think you may be confused - the ones I'm talking about haven't been accessible for around 15 years at a guess.

 

[Welly]

I was staying with my friend for a week and every morning we had to catch the 5am train to Waterloo which meant leaving his house at silly o'clock. I had to make use of the disused gents (left unlocked!) at his local station for my morning relief to avoid waking up his household. Of course there was no water so it was lucky they were #1s only!

Anyway I remember the bogs at both primary and secondary schools being in a far worst state than railway station bogs!

 

[Bletchleyite]

I think you may be confused - the ones I'm talking about haven't been accessible for around 15 years at a guess.

Sorry, my confusion, I read incorrectly that we were still talking about Euston. I see your posting was about Leeds.

 

[Tetchytyke]

I'm sure they can't be as bad as the old loos off the subway at Leeds station, which were discussed a while ago here.

The ladies loos were apparently OK. It was just the gents, with that stinky trough of doom, that were the issue. It's the same issue in most toilets that are in subways or downstairs, the old loos at Kings Cross were absolutely vile too.

Euston's toilets are still shameful for 30p mind.

 

[Trackman]

A sad loss were the toilets on the Southeastern platforms at London Bridge, free and convenient (if a bit wet!), sacrificed to provide more room on the platforms.

Platforms 1/2 and 5/6 had both, 3/4 only had Ladies the Gents never reopened after the IRA terrorist act there...

yes, I remember the toilets on 1/2, only about 12 months ago I think they went.
I think it's a costing issue rather for more room on the platforms.
The gents wouldn't really get in the way anyway.

 

[Bletchleyite]

For years MKC had toilets on platforms 1/2 and 3/4, but only 3/4 were ever open to passengers. They have had the sense to open both sets now, though.