Toilets at railway stations

[61653 HTAFC]

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

The old Leeds station toilets, and the ones at Derby pre-refurbishment, even made the old open air loos behind the old Leeds Road terrace seem luxurious in comparison. The ones on platform 1 at Huddersfield are pretty hellish but at least they're free to try and use!

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.

Arguably 50p is better than 30p due to only having to find one coin rather than two. That's with the proviso that they're actually decent though, unlike Leeds and Euston for example.

 

[HowardGWR]

This posting is repetitious but here's a challenge. Why are airport toilets (outside departure area or inside) free of charge, clean and supervised and large station ones not?

If anyone has an answer that makes sense, I would be interested to hear it.

 

[yorksrob]

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!

At Sheffield, they started off free then NR put barriers on them. 50p is a disgrace (I saw that Leeds had gone up to 40p recently).

 

[Bletchleyite]

This posting is repetitious but here's a challenge. Why are airport toilets (outside departure area or inside) free of charge, clean and supervised and large station ones not?

If anyone has an answer that makes sense, I would be interested to hear it.

And by contrast, dropping people off at stations is free, while doing so at airports is increasingly pricey.

 

[jon0844]

Currently free. No reason many stations couldn't introduce airport fees. 5 minutes free then £5000 per second thereafter, rounded up to the nearest day.

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[Crossover]

At Sheffield, they started off free then NR put barriers on them. 50p is a disgrace (I saw that Leeds had gone up to 40p recently).

The facilities at Sheffield (on the platform) are free and whilst they aren't great, they aren't too bad either

Seems a bit bonkers really since I think the ones on the concourse cost but the station isn't barriered anyway - it's really all about knowing where they are!

 

[yorksrob]

The facilities at Sheffield (on the platform) are free and whilst they aren't great, they aren't too bad either

Seems a bit bonkers really since I think the ones on the concourse cost but the station isn't barriered anyway - it's really all about knowing where they are!

Ah yes, I'd forgotten about those.

In Leeds, the free ones on the platform 12 tend to be better anyway.

 

[Starmill]

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!

Sounds a touch dubious... the disused gent's toilets at Armathwaite are now the Gardner's Store!

East Midland's Trains' "bathroom suite" has been mentioned a few times. They all look to follow the same theme: stainless steel here there and everywhere. I wonder who chose it, because although they're OK they're never really that clean, and they look more like a prison thsn a railway station.

 

[Blindtraveler]

A bit ironic really as its ment to be easier to clean????

 

[infobleep]

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.
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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.

I use to wonder how many stations no longer have loos but use to. I wonder if they were just left in place?

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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.

I can assure you, if your out on a walk, a woodland is OK for soilds if needs must.

I wonder if Bookham ever had loos?

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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!

Which station was that?

Incidentally I remember going to Brookwood one Sunday to find the accessibility toilets were not locked. Don't know if that was an oversight as the station isn't manned on Sundays.

Of course I rarely pay for loos because the accessibility ones are usually free. Shepberds Bush charge but can't remember if they are located at the underground station or elsewhere.

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[sarahj]

This posting is repetitious but here's a challenge. Why are airport toilets (outside departure area or inside) free of charge, clean and supervised and large station ones not?

If anyone has an answer that makes sense, I would be interested to hear it.

Airports make money from charging a landing fee for each passenger, plus the large profits from catering/duty free and of course the parking fees. (only a couple of airports don't charge for drop off's, Gatwick is still free mind. But pick ups mean you have to park, thus pay.) Plus many airports are competing for passengers. Come and fly from/to us. So try and make things that bit nicer. Gatwick did up their toilets when they started to try and go bigger, pushing for the new runway, saying, look how nice we are, that runway should come to us.
Despite all the caterings options at stations, most folks might only have a coffee. Meanwhile at airports, made to turn up 2-3 hours before your flight. Looking for something to do, oh yes, spend your money. Larger takings, larger profits, larger rental fees.
However, some airports are better than others and you often read of poor toilets at some.
Plus the folks at Aiports are normally a bit better behaved. Some station toilets attract not the best people.

 

[Bletchleyite]

pick ups mean you have to park, thus pay

Avoidable (down to the lower drop-off fee) by parking off site and arranging for the passenger to be waiting there in the drop-off.

 

[CaptainHaddock]

The facilities at Sheffield (on the platform) are free and whilst they aren't great, they aren't too bad either

Seems a bit bonkers really since I think the ones on the concourse cost but the station isn't barriered anyway - it's really all about knowing where they are!

The gents' between platforms 2 & 5 at Sheffield seem to be being deliberately run down. Of the 4 sinks, 3 of them are out of order due to broken taps but rather than fix them EMT have just taped black and yellow "hazard" tape over them. Also one cubicle has been out of order for days and the lock is broken on another.

A cynic may suggest that EMT are deliberately making the free facilities so poor that people would rather pay for the better quality chargeable ones on the concourse.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I doubt that. If I'm in need I will most likely go for the closest facilities rather than the ones that might be a bit less scummy / not charge.

 

[Tetchytyke]

The ones on platform 1 at Huddersfield are pretty hellish but at least they're free to try and use!

They're not that bad, given they were only put in a few years ago.

If you are talking about hellish, what about the old gents on the island platform? The smell in the summer hock:

 

[wastedlife]

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...

Platform 1/2 was ridiculous for the cruising in the gents. It was steadily eradicated from places like CX, Waterloo and Liverpool St, but I've popped into P1/2 while out for lunch and being desperate for a slash, and then being followed back to work, through the Hays Galleria and past Southwark Crown Court by some chap whose eye I had caught for a millisecond too long.

Unfortunately, in the rebuilding, they were an obvious casualty - there just wasn't enough space in the evening rush hour for the throngs of people waiting for trains. There are still toilets in LBG, in the underground passageway - but you have to pay!

 

[Mikey C]

Platform 1/2 was ridiculous for the cruising in the gents. It was steadily eradicated from places like CX, Waterloo and Liverpool St, but I've popped into P1/2 while out for lunch and being desperate for a slash, and then being followed back to work, through the Hays Galleria and past Southwark Crown Court by some chap whose eye I had caught for a millisecond too long.

Unfortunately, in the rebuilding, they were an obvious casualty - there just wasn't enough space in the evening rush hour for the throngs of people waiting for trains. There are still toilets in LBG, in the underground passageway - but you have to pay!

I've never had that problem there, it must be you

They were incredibly convenient though, get to your platform, 5 minutes to wait, time for a quick visit, as opposed to trying to find toilets in the main station (and paying). Especially with the 376s not having toilets

 

[mirodo]

The gents' between platforms 2 & 5 at Sheffield seem to be being deliberately run down. Of the 4 sinks, 3 of them are out of order due to broken taps but rather than fix them EMT have just taped black and yellow "hazard" tape over them. Also one cubicle has been out of order for days and the lock is broken on another.

A cynic may suggest that EMT are deliberately making the free facilities so poor that people would rather pay for the better quality chargeable ones on the concourse.

I generally find that the the taps in the Sheffield Tap next door (both the beer-dispensing and water-dispensing ones) work just fine. I always try and build time in my journey to use both!

 

[HowardGWR]

Plus many airports are competing for passengers. Come and fly from/to us. So try and make things that bit nicer.

I think Sarahj puts a finger on the difference here. Also, her comments about class of clientele are relevant. However, the TOCs (and NR) are supposed to be competing with other transport, road and air. Motorway services facilities (the male ones anyway) are not known by me as shining examples of clean toilets, but the airports ones are generally decent.

Transport Focus exists to deal with these issues and I suggest it could do more naming and shaming. For the smaller stations, would not the provision of the French-invented 'sealed and washed-down every visit' cubicles be an answer?

A tip: if you don't want to end up with a nasty cold every time you travel, as we did after our last trip, take a tissue on entry, and then, subsequent to washing your hands, use tissue to open any door to exit the convenience, depositing that tissue in the next litter bin encountered. Of course the glass of beer you subsequently buy in the buffet will be coated with the crap from all the previous drinkers because the glasses are not washed properly.

Perhaps don't travel, if one can help it, could be a better plan.

 

[mirodo]

Airports make money from charging a landing fee for each passenger, plus the large profits from catering/duty free and of course the parking fees. (only a couple of airports don't charge for drop off's, Gatwick is still free mind. But pick ups mean you have to park, thus pay.) Plus many airports are competing for passengers. Come and fly from/to us. So try and make things that bit nicer. Gatwick did up their toilets when they started to try and go bigger, pushing for the new runway, saying, look how nice we are, that runway should come to us.
Despite all the caterings options at stations, most folks might only have a coffee. Meanwhile at airports, made to turn up 2-3 hours before your flight. Looking for something to do, oh yes, spend your money. Larger takings, larger profits, larger rental fees.
However, some airports are better than others and you often read of poor toilets at some.
Plus the folks at Aiports are normally a bit better behaved. Some station toilets attract not the best people.

Also, people don't generally go to (out-of the-way) airports unless they are catching a plane or picking someone up.

Stations are much more susceptible to passing footfall and toilets are more likely to be used by local shoppers/workers/people who are not giving their business to the station.

 

[jon0844]

Arguably 50p is better than 30p due to only having to find one coin rather than two.

Do you work for the Network Rail press office? What if you've only got a quid?

They have change machines so it shouldn't matter what you have. The point is, you'll now need to spend not far off double.

To be honest, they should also take contactless payment cards (heck, even credit/debit cards - with a suitable fixed rate negotiated with a bank on account of the low fee).

 

[DarloRich]

A tip: if you don't want to end up with a nasty cold every time you travel, as we did after our last trip, take a tissue on entry, and then, subsequent to washing your hands, use tissue to open any door to exit the convenience, depositing that tissue in the next litter bin encountered. Of course the glass of beer you subsequently buy in the buffet will be coated with the crap from all the previous drinkers because the glasses are not washed properly.

that is almost beyond parody.

 

[Crossover]

The ones on platform 1 at Huddersfield are pretty hellish but at least they're free to try and use!

I wouldn't say the ones on P1 at Huddersfield are that bad!

 

[Tetchytyke]

Plus the folks at Aiports are normally a bit better behaved. Some station toilets attract not the best people.

I think this is a big part of the reason. Tramps hanging round airports, at least in the UK, tend to be "encouraged" elsewhere very quickly by security. And you can't access most of the airport anyway if you're not flying.

You don't see the same things at railway stations. Part of the reason why some toilet blocks are so vile is because the "customers" (and I use that term loosely) have made them that way.

 

[Mikey C]

I think this is a big part of the reason. Tramps hanging round airports, at least in the UK, tend to be "encouraged" elsewhere very quickly by security. And you can't access most of the airport anyway if you're not flying.

You don't see the same things at railway stations. Part of the reason why some toilet blocks are so vile is because the "customers" (and I use that term loosely) have made them that way.

And of course railway stations are (generally) in the middle of urban areas, full of all the drunkenness and other social issues urban areas have whereas airports are in the middle of nowhere!

 

[HowardGWR]

that is almost beyond parody.

Wooosh!

(see smiley)

 

[DarloRich]

Wooosh!

oh

 

[fowler9]

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.

Sounds like you are from my end of town David but From experience I can add Birkenhead North and Bootle Oriel Road to that list. Ha ha.

I would add that despite thinking Liverpool South Parkway is a lovely station the toilet facilities are terrible. 3 super loos which are self cleaning between use to serve six platforms and a bus interchange. The busses don't have toilets, the eight Merseyrail services an hour don't have toilets, the six Desiros an hour seem to have both bogs locked out of use on a regular basis.
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And of course railway stations are (generally) in the middle of urban areas, full of all the drunkenness and other social issues urban areas have whereas airports are in the middle of nowhere!

Never seen me at an airport then.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

I wouldn't say the ones on P1 at Huddersfield are that bad!

Then i can only assume my last visit was shortly after that of someone who was very ill!

The aforementioned old toilets on the island (between the stairwell to the subway and the signal box) were horrible with an even more horrible clientele. I was about 15 when they were closed but had aĺways been warned about them by older relatives!

 

[infobleep]

I think this is a big part of the reason. Tramps hanging round airports, at least in the UK, tend to be "encouraged" elsewhere very quickly by security. And you can't access most of the airport anyway if you're not flying.

You don't see the same things at railway stations. Part of the reason why some toilet blocks are so vile is because the "customers" (and I use that term loosely) have made them that way.

Which is why I'm so glad I have a key to access the accessibility ones. They are nearly always in a better state.

I remember going to Guilfest music festival one year. Due to state of the on site loos each year, I decided to used the brick blook accessibility one just outside the festival site. It needed a key to get in and was clean. I could hear women in the ladies loo next door saying that those were in a disgusting state.

This one issue is why I don't go to large festivals. I have to sit down and no way do I wish to sit on.... I'll leave it to your imagination now.

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