Sheffield? Cold? You try Stockport in mid-winter! If you can smell a stench of diesel then there's not much wind-chill. There's no Stockport - Stalybridge link to use nowadays, but you knew about cold when you were waiting for that!Cold is what I always think...platforms are somewhat windswept, waiting rooms barely heated and the nice warm coffee shops close at 7pm...just when it's getting colder. Other than that it's fairly decent (other than the almost permenant stench of diesel fumes!)
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What is the most dismal un-passenger friendly large railway station in UK
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bramling
Veteran Member
Nothing wrong with Piccadilly IMO apart from the through platforms, a little too much clutter, and the rottweiler-like approach to ticket checks. But all in all the station is decent to use, and outside the evening peak offers a pleasant relaxed atmosphere.
I do hate the northern practice of leaving trains locked up though, nowhere else in the country feels the need to do this quite so religiously.
Yeah platforms are narrow to wait particularly when a cross country at past 5pm turns up. Surprised by the rest, not a spotter at all but they have a very nice waiting area where you have a good view of trains coming in from Filton or Patchway so fits well if I'm waiting for a quick connection to Newport/Cardiff.
Bus links to Filton/city centre are fine. Bit trickier getting to Fishponds area (usually just miss the half hour bus with the times XC stop at) so makes more sense and quicker to get off at Stapleton Road.
Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
The platforms gained the a/b suffix in about 2000, and they haven't been bothered to label them properly ever since. It's bizarre, as the same thing works just fine at New St.
Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
LNR do it at Euston too. I think it's a security related thing at big cities, as neither Northern nor LNR tend to do it elsewhere, or at least not as much.
The problem with Picc is that 13/14 are so wrong that it tarnishes the rest of what is quite a nice station.
Indeed. At least one can wait on the platform under plenty of shelter.
bramling
Veteran Member
It seems to be a north-west thing. A friend of mine was furious being kept on the platform at Carlisle a few days ago until 3 minutes before departure, before boarding a Leeds service. Both Manchester stations are terrible for it, standard practice is to close up a train even for quite short turnarounds.
I don’t use Euston that much fortunately, although it seems to also adopt nasty practices from elsewhere in the country, in contrast to other London termini. Indeed Euston seems to a slightly less brash version of Blackpool North at times! Having said that, I breezed straight through today to my train before it was advertised, using a box helped as there was nothing to indicate which service I was boarding!
It’s noticeable how some parts of the former Regional Railways have what I could describe as a noticeably different ethic compared to the London area. Much more forceful especially when it comes to checking tickets.
Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
It isn't just a North West thing. I think it's a city security thing.
I sat on an engines-off Northern train in Southport a couple of weekends ago for about 40 minutes with no staff evident.
bramling
Veteran Member
Yes at least they don’t go as far as to do the Blackpool North system.
Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
The SE culture is that guards aren't for doing tickets (even if they technically are) - similar to Merseyrail, where they flirted with the idea of revenue guards and gave up. That said, Merseyrail is a bit of a microcosm of South London style third rail operation in the North.
bramling
Veteran Member
If it’s a city thing then there’s many places it *doesn’t* happen. King’s Cross for a start, there it’s very much the exception to close up, only happening if there’s more than one train in a platform. Likewise I’m struggling to think of other London termin that do it. Of course, many of these are DOO meaning there’s no one to conveniently close up, or in other cases perhaps it’s too much effort to close up a 12-car train compared to a Pacer. Glasgow Central doesn’t seem to do it.
bramling
Veteran Member
Thinking mainly of south of the river, I’ve always got the impression revenue collection is always slightly half-hearted, even on SWT.
Having said that, the most aggressive I’ve ever seen was an old boy on the Stranraer line. Pretty much barking at people, and being very officious checking things like railcards. A bit overkill to be honest.
Requeststop
Member
Paddington compared to Euston? I'd say Paddington wins hands down.
Euston is an awful mess. Too many people in the cramped concourse. The departure and arrivals boards right in front of the platforms and passengers arriving at the station having to fight through the hoards of departing passengers to get to the underground and the dreadfully difficult taxi areas.
Paddington is an exercise of space in the concourse. Seating, well there could be more; the departure boards not in front of the platforms but wisely spaced to the sides of the area and viewable from both sides. Plenty of opportunities to eat and drink in the lawn and again around the outer areas of the concourse, The Mad Bishop and Bear is a great pub for a meal and a drink before departure even if it is over expensive in some areas, and sensibly the Heathrow departures are in the middle ofthe platforms and not at the edges. Access to the taxi's is a little to far over to one side of the station for those arriving at platforms 1-6 but Underground access to the Circle and Bakerloo is fine.
Paddingtons First Class lounge is far superior to Eustons as well. The Savoy compared to a Premier Hotel.
Give me Paddington anyday.
Euston is an awful mess. Too many people in the cramped concourse. The departure and arrivals boards right in front of the platforms and passengers arriving at the station having to fight through the hoards of departing passengers to get to the underground and the dreadfully difficult taxi areas.
Paddington is an exercise of space in the concourse. Seating, well there could be more; the departure boards not in front of the platforms but wisely spaced to the sides of the area and viewable from both sides. Plenty of opportunities to eat and drink in the lawn and again around the outer areas of the concourse, The Mad Bishop and Bear is a great pub for a meal and a drink before departure even if it is over expensive in some areas, and sensibly the Heathrow departures are in the middle ofthe platforms and not at the edges. Access to the taxi's is a little to far over to one side of the station for those arriving at platforms 1-6 but Underground access to the Circle and Bakerloo is fine.
Paddingtons First Class lounge is far superior to Eustons as well. The Savoy compared to a Premier Hotel.
Give me Paddington anyday.
NLondonlurker
Member
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As an aside just come back from Italy where I did fair bit of rail travel. Impressions of stations over there - some lovely station architecture, concourse and platform level generally v pleasant but some quite depressing subways to navigate to reach platforms (think more darker concretey versions of Stratford) and some stations seemed overly large for number of trains calling there.
Back to UK, definitely got to vote for Euston - find the lack of seating and the mad rush needlessly stressful, especially when travelling with luggage and/or kids. Its also v gloomy, and since the refurb works at nearby St Pancras and Kings Cross it compares badly to both now. Also had the misfortune of encountering a mouse merrily munching through some chocolate on a shelf in one of the station retail units a few years ago - when I reported it to a member of staff he seemed pretty casual about it!
Man Piccadilly - platform 13 & 14 have always been a mess, though I'm glad I've not had misfortune of experiencing the new arrangement folks on here have mentioned. The main station though is pleasant and far nicer than it used to be back in the early 90s.
Crewe - is slightly depressing but reasonably functional. Agree that Chester can be bleak - when changing onto a North Wales bound train they also have an annoying tendency of changing the platform at last moment, adding further to the anxiety of trying to get onto a rammed 2 carriage Holyhead-bound train.
Back to UK, definitely got to vote for Euston - find the lack of seating and the mad rush needlessly stressful, especially when travelling with luggage and/or kids. Its also v gloomy, and since the refurb works at nearby St Pancras and Kings Cross it compares badly to both now. Also had the misfortune of encountering a mouse merrily munching through some chocolate on a shelf in one of the station retail units a few years ago - when I reported it to a member of staff he seemed pretty casual about it!
Man Piccadilly - platform 13 & 14 have always been a mess, though I'm glad I've not had misfortune of experiencing the new arrangement folks on here have mentioned. The main station though is pleasant and far nicer than it used to be back in the early 90s.
Crewe - is slightly depressing but reasonably functional. Agree that Chester can be bleak - when changing onto a North Wales bound train they also have an annoying tendency of changing the platform at last moment, adding further to the anxiety of trying to get onto a rammed 2 carriage Holyhead-bound train.
May I refer you to platform 2C...less dieselly but exponentially more cold!
Cold! The heating is proper Yorkshire and is switched on in January only for 15mins on a Monday morning just to teck chill off fort week. It's not supposed to cater for Soft Southerners!Cold is what I always think...platforms are somewhat windswept, waiting rooms barely heated and the nice warm coffee shops close at 7pm...just when it's getting colder
Dr Hoo
Established Member
As a frequent user of Manchester Piccadilly I am well familiar with Platforms 13 & 14 but struggle to understand how the construction of 15 & 16 would make a material difference to the 'station' aspects of 13 & 14. (I appreciate the performance and capacity aspects.)
P13 and 14 would remain largely exposed to the wind on a viaduct, still have curved platforms with gaps, still have a single lift and so forth. Passengers requiring toilets and refreshments would still need to wait in the 'lounge'. If all the trains were 'southbound', potentially alternately, then presumably only the south end of the platforms would be used, given the typical length of services even after planned new fleet deliveries are complete.
In the spirit of this thread can somebody suggest a nice uni-directional island station on a similar land footprint? Somehow Stevenage (say) isn't much of an inspiration even though it has a head start of being on straight track and level with the surrounding area.
P13 and 14 would remain largely exposed to the wind on a viaduct, still have curved platforms with gaps, still have a single lift and so forth. Passengers requiring toilets and refreshments would still need to wait in the 'lounge'. If all the trains were 'southbound', potentially alternately, then presumably only the south end of the platforms would be used, given the typical length of services even after planned new fleet deliveries are complete.
In the spirit of this thread can somebody suggest a nice uni-directional island station on a similar land footprint? Somehow Stevenage (say) isn't much of an inspiration even though it has a head start of being on straight track and level with the surrounding area.
Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
In the 1990s there were both toilets and refreshments on the platforms. These were removed due to the overcrowding. The buildings also served to block the wind.
Of course, you could go "full whack" with 15-16 and put a nice overall roof over both sets.
It can be done — see the new overall roofs on the exposed high-level platforms of the rebuilt Berlin Ostkreuz. (Photo: BauInfoPortal - Deutsche Bahn AG).
LOL The Irony
On Moderation
As I recall, Chester had a pretty good licensed buffet/bar last time I was there. That and the Victorian platform canopies make it pretty decent in my book.
faltskog36abba
Member
I never said it was the drivers fault, But surely there must be some communication between the conductor of the train and platform staff to enable disabled people to disembark a train.
frodshamfella
Established Member
I've never been there but I read that Rosehill ( which sounds lovely ) is pretty unpleasant as all you hear is the traffic e of the M65.
You mean Rose Grove?
they used to run summer saturday trains starting at rose Hill. Never worked out why. I assume the ECS came from Leeds, stopped at Rose Hill then went southwards. 1970-1980's
Poolie
Member
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- 30 Jan 2010
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- 180
Stockton. Depressing and a bit intimidating. To think of its history and what it was like in its previous glory
frodshamfella
Established Member
Yes sorry.
Eric
Member
Blackpool North
syorksdeano
Member
- Joined
- 7 Jan 2011
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I'm surprised noone has mentioned Walsall. Horrible bloody place and then there's the train station....
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