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Preston Station Roof (Mon 13th Jan)

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Doesn’t sound good!

Severe weather has caused damage to the roof at Preston station. As a result of this, all lines are currently blocked whilst structural engineers inspect the damage.
Trains may be cancelled, delayed by up to 60 minutes or revised. Disruption is expected until 12:00.

https://twitter.com/nationalrailenq/status/1216629333235765248?s=21

https://t.co/ZLu4iD2yNw?amp=1

A drive down the M6 for me this morning by the looks instead of sampling Avanti for the first time!
 
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d9009alycidon

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Severe weather? just had a quick check on the Met Office site and the maximum wind gust recorded over the last 24hrs was about 20mph, hardly a hurricane. Considering Storm Brendan is expected to deliver 75mph gusts soon they better get it fixed pronto!
 

M60lad

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With the weather set to get worse as the day goes on today doesnt look good for Preston just hope they get the lines back open sooon
 

najaB

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Severe weather? just had a quick check on the Met Office site and the maximum wind gust recorded over the last 24hrs was about 20mph, hardly a hurricane.
Where is the weather station? It's entirely possible to get higher gusts locally created by topology.
 

Mathew S

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It's damage caused (or not, but concerns of same) by severe weather overnight/yesterday, when it really was properly windy, is it not? And yes, I agree the 'delayed due to severe weather' announcements this morning feel a little odd, and more than likely have got a few people's backs up.
As others have posted, it has happened before.
 

LancasterRed

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Was chaos this morning with nobody knowing what to do or what was happening.

Would like to know exactly where the disruption was caused because I'm skeptical about it having taken out every platform despite the disruption allegedly being within the station. I certainly couldn't see much from platform 3.
 

najaB

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Would like to know exactly where the disruption was caused because I'm skeptical about it having taken out every platform despite the disruption allegedly being within the station. I certainly couldn't see much from platform 3.
If there was something dangling near the OHLE I could see the need to close all lines while it was sorted out.
 

NORTHERNSOUL

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I see the Preston station staff have not improved on their major incident management plan (if you'd call it that), then. Quelle surprise.


Doubt it was actually anything to do with the weather.

There have been contractors carrying out major works over the P4 P5 P6 side since Xmas its not hard to see the whole thing is covered in scaffolding.
 

Meerkat

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Was chaos this morning with nobody knowing what to do or what was happening.

Would like to know exactly where the disruption was caused because I'm skeptical about it having taken out every platform despite the disruption allegedly being within the station. I certainly couldn't see much from platform 3.

if a bit of a large roof falls down I would imagine they want to examine the rest to make sure it isn’t a roof wide issue before letting the public wander around underneath.
 

30907

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I see the Preston station staff have not improved on their major incident management plan (if you'd call it that), then. Quelle surprise.
Barely time, in a 45min station closure, to have ordered buses let alone to have sourced any.
 

Mag_seven

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It's happened before - in 2017 if my Googling is right. I suspect that's an expensive piece of work being stored up for the future...

Also way back when - as currently documented in the Class 304 thread:

Here is a flickr photo of said event (not mine).

With the station clock at 22.37, a three-car Class 304 EMU, 304028 was stood in Platform 3 at Preston with a Crewe to Carlisle relief service on January 25th 1990. The North West side of the UK was being affected by 'The Burns Night Storm', which brought high winds, causing severe disruption to Anglo-Scottish WCML services and the 304 was providing a late night service to Carlisle. Earlier that evening, Preston station had been temporarily evacuated due to glass falling from the overall roof onto the tracks and platforms below.

Class 304's were never common visitors to Preston.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/martynhilbert/33210380958
 

Carlisle

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Also way back when - as currently documented in the Class 304 thread:
No wonder the roofs falling to bits, it doesn’t appear to have had much, if any substantial work carried out out on it, since that picture,
 

Bletchleyite

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No wonder the roofs falling to bits, it doesn’t appear to have had much, if any substantial work carried out out on it, since that picture,

That's what I meant about storing up problems for the future. At some point it'll either need a load of scaffolding shoving up and it all replacing a la 1990s Manc Picc, or they'll have to rip it all down and replace with platform shelters Rugby-style.
 

Bertie the bus

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The roof has had a large amount spent on it. About a decade ago IIRC. In the 80s Preston station was a rundown dump. I remember waiting for a train once and a light bulb crashing onto the platform a couple of feet from where I was sitting. It is a totally different station now, though the general overall appearance is similar but you would expect that with a listed building.
 

Bletchleyite

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The roof has had a large amount spent on it. About a decade ago IIRC. In the 80s Preston station was a rundown dump. I remember waiting for a train once and a light bulb crashing onto the platform a couple of feet from where I was sitting. It is a totally different station now, though the general overall appearance is similar but you would expect that with a listed building.

True, I don't find it unpleasant at all. Though it doesn't look quite as nice now the tiled flooring has been replaced with concrete paving, though at least they did use the same colours and patterns, I guess less chance of falling over though! That said the platforms other than that part really need resurfacing, they are looking very tired.
 

swanhill41

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The issue with the station is that it is not fit in any way for the 21st century.

I could go into access problems, track layout and the actual fabric to the building and that is at the least.

Frankly it is hard to believe the amount paid out in the WCML upgrade in the 2000s and hardly a penny was spent on Preston.

I do not know if there are plans afoot to have a major overhaul, but certainly the time has been reached where as someone suggested the roof will need a Man Picc rebuild, otherwise the nearness of a closure of longer period will interrupt things at Preston.

Sounds sensationalist, but as a local to the station can tell you that the building has issues which could in normal circumstances would damn near cause it be not suitable for public access.

As a note was there when the station was closed during a storm in 2007/8, shards of glass falling onto platform, luckily not hitting passengers who were on station at the time.

Certainly if I owned the building I would be checking my insurance cover !
 
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LancasterRed

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if a bit of a large roof falls down I would imagine they want to examine the rest to make sure it isn’t a roof wide issue before letting the public wander around underneath.

Completely understandable.

Part of the issue at Preston too is that the manual PA isn't audible. The automated one is fine.

Not knowing which train was coming first, and where, caused issues.

The disused platform isn't under the roof AFAIK and worse contingency options than that have been put forward in the past surely. But that's just my two cents. Believe someone nearly missed an exam because of this disruption.
 

yorksrob

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That's what I meant about storing up problems for the future. At some point it'll either need a load of scaffolding shoving up and it all replacing a la 1990s Manc Picc, or they'll have to rip it all down and replace with platform shelters Rugby-style.

It's not quite the same. Rugby seemed to be bereft of glass for at least twenty years before they replaced it. Prestons trainshed does at least function as a roof.
 

WatcherZero

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They've got scaffolding up over both ends of roof at Preston, was that there before or has it been put up since?
 

Clip

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Preston just needs money spending on it - its cramped, dark and not a nice place to be. May aswell do the roof properly too including whatever excuse that platform 1/2 canopy i for a roof as it leaks everywhere along the platforms
 

LeylandLen

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For me,a senior male and an occasional user of Preston Station for trips on Avanti to/from London, I find the station very disappointing. I find it difficult to hear some announcements as the sound is lost in the empty roof space.Sometimes a Voyager with running diesel engine completely drowns out any speaker.Cant they put some speakers nearer head height ?How about a screen or two where people can read about platform changes, delays, etc ? Also footbridges too narrow ; very slippery in the wet.Not easy for many people with luggage to negotiate the station.Thats my rant over !
 

Carlisle

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They've got scaffolding up over both ends of roof at Preston, was that there before or has it been put up since?
I’m fairly sure that’s only been erected recently, possibly to repair the ends of the roof that appear to have been in a pretty dilapidated state for some time, despite what might have been spent on other parts of the roof
 
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