Changes at Crewe

trainophile · 4 Feb 2019

Crewe station is looking more unloved than ever. The Virgin help office has now closed, with a notice saying help can be found from staff on platforms, and now the circular padded seat in the platform 6 waiting room has gone, replaced by the hard chairs, so that the only comfortable seats are now the ripped semi-circular ones under the window and a sofa in the annex area, and it’s very cold in here too!

Such a shame to se it going to seed

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setdown · 4 Feb 2019

trainophile said:
Crewe station is looking more unloved than ever. The Virgin help office has now closed, with a notice saying help can be found from staff on platforms, and now the circular padded seat in the platform 6 waiting room has gone, replaced by the hard chairs, so that the only comfortable seats are now the ripped semi-circular ones under the window and a sofa in the annex area, and it’s very cold in here too!

Such a shame to se it going to seed .

Maybe it’s a symptom of a wider Virgin money-saving drive. Liverpool Lime Street’s Virgin office has closed, and when I was in Coach C on a pendolino the other day, some of the ceiling panels were being held up with (a lot of) gaffer tape!

Bertie the bus · 4 Feb 2019

In the 20 years Virgin have been operating the WCML franchise they have spent virtually nothing on their stations, especially those in the North West. Branson pipes up every now and again demanding the government pays to upgrade their stations but VTWC do nothing. At the south end of Crewe it still has the old BR station signs – complete with InterCity Swallow!

Bletchleyite · 4 Feb 2019

Bertie the bus said:
In the 20 years Virgin have been operating the WCML franchise they have spent virtually nothing on their stations, especially those in the North West. Branson pipes up every now and again demanding the government pays to upgrade their stations but VTWC do nothing. At the south end of Crewe it still has the old BR station signs – complete with InterCity Swallow!

This isn't true - a huge amount of money has been spent on a heavy refurbishment of Crewe post privatisation. It used to be really grim.

Preston has had new non-slip flooring (the old one used to be awful) and a new ticket office. OK, Wigan NW hasn't had much, but does it *need* much?

I think if you want to see stations in an awful state of repair you need to ride on GWR or SWR - those really have been allowed to go to rack and ruin - even repainting platform canopies was too much for those two TOCs. Crikey, the WMT operated stations have seen more paint in the first month of that TOC's operation than the west London suburban stations have seen since BR days.

Bertie the bus · 4 Feb 2019

Bletchleyite said:
Preston has had new non-slip flooring (the old one used to be awful) and a new ticket office. OK, Wigan NW hasn't had much, but does it *need* much?

New non-slip floor? Wow, that must have cost a full £2K. Preston doesn't have a new ticket office. They demolished the old future sales ticket office and plonked a few TVMs there instead. Not exactly investment is it?

Bletchleyite · 4 Feb 2019

Bertie the bus said:
New non-slip floor? Wow, that must have cost a full £2K. Preston doesn't have a new ticket office. They demolished the old future sales ticket office and plonked a few TVMs there instead. Not exactly investment is it?

I'm not sure Preston really needs a lot doing to it. The only work that would sensibly be needed (other than a First Class lounge, which could go in the building where the old BK was) would be if there was a need to barrier it, which would take quite a lot of work (which is probably why it has not happened).

Oh, I forgot, the waiting rooms have been refurbished, the toilets fully replaced (to me VTWC stations have the nicest toilets of any stations, always well-maintained and modern) and some retail improvements.

What would you suggest it needs? I know what it didn't need - that ugly grey zit on the side of platform 7 at the car park end - but I don't believe VT paid for that.

LNW-GW Joint · 4 Feb 2019

Crewe has had the glass roof replaced over much of the station in recent years, but the south end roof (beyond the footbridge) is still full of holes in the plastic.
P12 (little used) has a new canopy.
They keep tarting up the refreshment areas but they soon relapse back to their old seedy looks.
Today's little game was to put most of the Chester locals into P10 (the one with no canopy) instead of the normal P9. Luckily the weather was dry.
Stafford/Crewe/Warrington BQ/Wigan/Preston have all had facelifts in the last 5 years or so, but it hasn't changed their basically dingy character.
The Warrington platforms were practically rebuilt from the ground up for the 11-car project, much like Rugby. Hugely expensive I expect.
I also expect Virgin (and NR) have shut up shop on station improvements pending the outcome of the current franchise bids.
HS2 planning can't be helping at Crewe, either (having not long since abandoned the idea of moving the station further south).

Bertie the bus · 4 Feb 2019

LNW-GW Joint said:
The Warrington platforms were practically rebuilt from the ground up for the 11-car project, much like Rugby. Hugely expensive I expect.

Paid for by Network Rail. Nothing to do with Virgin.

Regarding Preston and its "investment". Leyland has had far more spent on it in recent years than Preston. That shows how much Virgin look after their stations.

Bletchleyite · 4 Feb 2019

Bertie the bus said:
Paid for by Network Rail. Nothing to do with Virgin.

Regarding Preston and its "investment". Leyland has had far more spent on it in recent years than Preston. That shows how much Virgin look after their stations.

What do you feel Preston needs?

Bertie the bus · 4 Feb 2019

Why don't you ask Branson that question. He's the one who keeps saying that Preston and other stations require huge investment, but only if the government pays for it and not his company.

LowLevel · 4 Feb 2019

Bletchleyite said:
This isn't true - a huge amount of money has been spent on a heavy refurbishment of Crewe post privatisation. It used to be really grim.

Preston has had new non-slip flooring (the old one used to be awful) and a new ticket office. OK, Wigan NW hasn't had much, but does it *need* much?

I think if you want to see stations in an awful state of repair you need to ride on GWR or SWR - those really have been allowed to go to rack and ruin - even repainting platform canopies was too much for those two TOCs. Crikey, the WMT operated stations have seen more paint in the first month of that TOC's operation than the west London suburban stations have seen since BR days.

Canopies are up to Network Rail to deal with.

In my humble opinion Virgin West Coast's stations are the worst Intercity stations in the country - they're like going back 30 years. I know many of them aren't helped by being less than captivating structures to start with but they've always been awful. It's always struck me as a stark contrast with their efforts on board.

Bletchleyite · 4 Feb 2019

LowLevel said:
Canopies are up to Network Rail to deal with.

In my humble opinion Virgin West Coast's stations are the worst Intercity stations in the country - they're like going back 30 years. I know many of them aren't helped by being less than captivating structures to start with but they've always been awful. It's always struck me as a stark contrast with their efforts on board.

I fundamentally don't agree - they are much nicer than GWR's, for instance (Reading doesn't count as that's a Network Rail station).

47271 · 4 Feb 2019

If you have to wait for more than half an hour at Crewe, step outside the front door, turn right, go over the pedestrian crossing, right a bit again, and then either down the steps or round on the road if you can't do the steps. You'll find yourself in the Crewe Arms Hotel. A decent bar serving food and pleasant enough lounge. A much better way to spend the time for the price of a cup of coffee or a glass of wine.

A proper old railway hotel into the bargain.

Mintona · 5 Feb 2019

Bletchleyite said:
I fundamentally don't agree - they are much nicer than GWR's, for instance (Reading doesn't count as that's a Network Rail station).

Disagree. Swindon, Didcot Parkway, Bristol Parkway and Bath Spa are all in a far nicer state than Crewe was last time I was there. Ok, Bath is a bit congested but that’s the problem with the historical layout and what I believe is a listed building. It is far nicer to look at than certain VT stations.

185 · 5 Feb 2019

A number of people agree that Crewe is a mess and needs gutting and doing from scratch, in a manner sympathetic to the older buildings, like the one on platform 12. The main station frontage should go and a new main entrance perhaps moved to one of the sides. Maybe it would be better directly managed by Network Rail. The signals, infrastructure, surfaces ...literally everything.

LNW-GW Joint · 5 Feb 2019

It's a while since I did a grand tour, but I decided then that East Anglia, the south west and Kent had the most dilapidated station buildings in the country.
I'm talking about large stations like Ipswich, Colchester, Margate, Exeter St Davids etc, even Bristol TM and Cardiff C (for services on the platforms).
Nothing appeared to have changed since BR left.
They seemed worse than the VT stations we are talking about, especially considering the footfall at most of them.

trainophile · 5 Feb 2019

47271 said:
If you have to wait for more than half an hour at Crewe, step outside the front door, turn right, go over the pedestrian crossing, right a bit again, and then either down the steps or round on the road if you can't do the steps. You'll find yourself in the Crewe Arms Hotel. A decent bar serving food and pleasant enough lounge. A much better way to spend the time for the price of a cup of coffee or a glass of wine.

A proper old railway hotel into the bargain.

I used to go for a wander at Crewe before they barriered the exit, but now it’s not worth the potential hassle on an Advance ticket.

Puffing Devil · 5 Feb 2019

LNW-GW Joint said:
Crewe has had the glass roof replaced over much of the station in recent years, but the south end roof (beyond the footbridge) is still full of holes in the plastic.
P12 (little used) has a new canopy.
They keep tarting up the refreshment areas but they soon relapse back to their old seedy looks.

The "new" roof still leaks like a sieve on P1. The waiting room seats at P5 are wearing through with sponge showing. A set of bench chairs on P1 has vanished, meaning fewer places to sit and wait.

But hey - at least we have the new entrance to the Weston Road car park.

Bletchleyite · 5 Feb 2019

trainophile said:
I used to go for a wander at Crewe before they barriered the exit, but now it’s not worth the potential hassle on an Advance ticket.

The only hassle it could be is "sorry, I can't let you out", but I've only ever heard of that once at Clapham Junction, never anywhere else.

I've never tried the barrier with a ticket, anyway, as 99% of the time it seems to be open. Could it be like New St where any valid (i.e. valid somewhere on the railway network) in-date ticket seems to open it? (Latest (valid, though slightly tenously in terms of route until the "wobble" swaps from the Euston to a Brum service) ticket that did: return half of Bletchley to Stoke route LNR/WMR Only). One day I'll buy something ridiculous like Wick to Altnabreac and try that.

trainophile · 5 Feb 2019

^ So long as you’re not worried about not getting it back!

My main gripe is about the information office closing. It’s all very well saying ask staff around the station, but chances are that if you manage to see someone in a Virgin uniform they are probably quite busy dispatching something!

Bletchleyite · 5 Feb 2019

trainophile said:
My main gripe is about the information office closing. It’s all very well saying ask staff around the station, but chances are that if you manage to see someone in a Virgin uniform they are probably quite busy dispatching something!

There does seem to be a trend of "wandering around staff with iPads/iPhones" instead of offices/desks. The most ridiculous version of this I have seen is the way check-in is done at Ibises now. Even if they wanted to save staff by dual-purposing the bar and reception staff, they could do that simply by having a sign saying "reception, queue here" at one end of the bar.

I did note at New St Sunday evening there were staff with iPads standing around at the entrance to the ticket office flogging barcodes printed on used bog roll (or somesuch). Completely and utterly pointless - put them behind the desks.

adrock1976 · 5 Feb 2019

Bletchleyite said:
There does seem to be a trend of "wandering around staff with iPads/iPhones" instead of offices/desks. The most ridiculous version of this I have seen is the way check-in is done at Ibises now. Even if they wanted to save staff by dual-purposing the bar and reception staff, they could do that simply by having a sign saying "reception, queue here" at one end of the bar.

I did note at New St Sunday evening there were staff with iPads standing around at the entrance to the ticket office flogging barcodes printed on used bog roll (or somesuch). Completely and utterly pointless - put them behind the desks.

Regarding Ibis (a brief sideways off topic question), do the bar staff get paid double, as they are doing 2 people's jobs?

Back in the early 1990s, my brother worked as a mechanic repairing and servicing heavy plant vehicles. As people left and were not replaced, he ended up doing the work of 2 other people in addition to his own. He never got his pay trebled for the efforts though and ended up leaving for somewhere better.

ForTheLoveOf · 5 Feb 2019

Bletchleyite said:
I did note at New St Sunday evening there were staff with iPads standing around at the entrance to the ticket office flogging barcodes printed on used bog roll (or somesuch). Completely and utterly pointless - put them behind the desks.

That's a permanent fixture (when it's operational), unfortunately. It's their way of doing 'tickets for today' sales, for people who don't want to use the ticket machines.

Bletchleyite · 5 Feb 2019

ForTheLoveOf said:
That's a permanent fixture (when it's operational), unfortunately. It's their way of doing 'tickets for today' sales, for people who don't want to use the ticket machines.

The mind utterly boggles.

Bletchleyite · 5 Feb 2019

adrock1976 said:
Regarding Ibis (a brief sideways off topic question), do the bar staff get paid double, as they are doing 2 people's jobs?

Checking in at the bar at small hotels is not exceptionally unusual, so I doubt it (though I expect you were in part joking

). At some Premier Inns the bar continues round onto the reception desk and one member of staff does both.

camflyer · 5 Feb 2019

185 said:
A number of people agree that Crewe is a mess and needs gutting and doing from scratch, in a manner sympathetic to the older buildings, like the one on platform 12. The main station frontage should go and a new main entrance perhaps moved to one of the sides. Maybe it would be better directly managed by Network Rail. The signals, infrastructure, surfaces ...literally everything.

Crewe as a whole is a mess not just the station. For a town with such good connections it should be quite and lively prosperous place but whenever I pass through it just looks like it is stuck in post-industrial decay without any of the urban regeneration that other areas have seen.

trainophile · 5 Feb 2019

camflyer said:
Crewe as a whole is a mess not just the station. For a town with such good connections it should be quite and lively prosperous place but whenever I pass through it just looks like it is stuck in post-industrial decay without any of the urban regeneration that other areas have seen.

The town is about a mile from the station, so you don’t get a very good impression of the surrounding area.

Bletchleyite · 5 Feb 2019

trainophile said:
The town is about a mile from the station, so you don’t get a very good impression of the surrounding area.

Take the 20-ish minute walk to the centre and you won't be any more impressed.

camflyer · 5 Feb 2019

trainophile said:
The town is about a mile from the station, so you don’t get a very good impression of the surrounding area.

I had 2 hours to kill in Crewe recently so I had a good wander around town. It didn't get any better.

Puffing Devil · 5 Feb 2019

Even the Wetherspoons has closed. Draw your own conclusions!

Changes at Crewe

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