Blackpool North: The most unfriendly station in the country?

PR1Berske · 30 Sep 2019

ElectroSoldier said:
Are you not allowed to dawdle on a platform?
Are you not allowed to walk on the platforms... to take pictures etc?

Absolutely not!

My partner and I used North the other week. One man appears to be employed to barrier off every platform door in good time for the trains to arrive. There is another man employed to put a barrier across the actual door.

Blackpool North remains very much a station for passengers to be shepherded rather than welcomed!

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Darandio · 30 Sep 2019

Karl said:
You've just got to laugh at the finger! https://www.railforums.co.uk/attachments/nrposter-jpg.55304/ It's right at the bottom

Haha, i'd forgot i'd even done it!

Karl · 30 Sep 2019

Darandio said:
Haha, i'd forgot i'd even done it!

You're a bad 'un, but spot on!

ilkestonian · 30 Sep 2019

Karl said:
Blackpool is a major tourist attraction and the first welcome you get from the train doesn't impress

Maybe a letter or email to Visit Blackpool, the council's tourism arm might be worthwhile?

Their brief says "As the tourism arm of Blackpool Council, we work closely with local partners and stakeholders to showcase the best that Blackpool has to offer our visitors."

jon0844 · 30 Sep 2019

ilkestonian said:
Maybe a letter or email to Visit Blackpool, the council's tourism arm might be worthwhile?

Their brief says "As the tourism arm of Blackpool Council, we work closely with local partners and stakeholders to showcase the best that Blackpool has to offer our visitors."

Even with the situation at Blackpool North, one could argue it's still the best Blackpool has to offer*.

* that's a joke. The people who work there are nice enough; it's more those that go there and some of those who live there.

d9009alycidon · 30 Sep 2019

What did I do right? Twice in the past decade I have visited Blackpool Central and been allowed onto the platforms for the sole purpose of photography, no complaints, no confrontations, I must put my photographs up for sale on Ebay under lOOk!!!!! Rare!!!!!

Clip · 30 Sep 2019

d9009alycidon said:
What did I do right? Twice in the past decade I have visited Blackpool Central and been allowed onto the platforms for the sole purpose of photography, no complaints, no confrontations, I must put my photographs up for sale on Ebay under lOOk!!!!! Rare!!!!!

Im pretty sure you didnt

But yes at North at times they seem to have barriers open and let anyone in including a look around the platforms but most of the time they dont

Bookd · 30 Sep 2019

I have no reason to ever visit Blackpool North, but for years I have read these complaints about it. Has anyone on the forum made a formal complaint to the TOC and what sensible reply did they receive?

SquireBev · 30 Sep 2019

d9009alycidon said:
What did I do right? Twice in the past decade I have visited Blackpool Central and been allowed onto the platforms for the sole purpose of photography, no complaints, no confrontations, I must put my photographs up for sale on Ebay under lOOk!!!!! Rare!!!!!

You might want to keep quiet about your time-travelling abilities.

d9009alycidon · 30 Sep 2019

SquireBev said:
You might want to keep quiet about your time-travelling abilities.

Then I woke up in the middle of Treasure Island! Blackpool Talbot Road of course

driver_m · 30 Sep 2019

What are they like with staff going in and out? Can’t imagine the Guards and Drivers taking too kindly to being told where they can or can’t go. To be fair, can you imagine the behaviour at BPN if you were allowed to wonder about freely? I’m sure the spotters would be happy to move around, but that would be soon disrupted by Chantelle-Marie and her 7 unruly kids arguing with Fred and Janice who’ve told them to pick their crap up! And that’s before the Hens turn up to ‘have a nice girly weekend’ in The spoons.

DarloRich · 30 Sep 2019

Bookd said:
I have no reason to ever visit Blackpool North, but for years I have read these complaints about it. Has anyone on the forum made a formal complaint to the TOC and what sensible reply did they receive?

I complained, formally, to the TOC. They did nowt except bung me a £25 voucher and nicely tell me to sod off. I know how to write professional letters. Northern at the time ( not the current bunch) did not care.

ilkestonian said:
Maybe a letter or email to Visit Blackpool, the council's tourism arm might be worthwhile?

Their brief says "As the tourism arm of Blackpool Council, we work closely with local partners and stakeholders to showcase the best that Blackpool has to offer our visitors."

Not worth your time and effort. They have no power to resolve the issue and wont care what a bunch of wibbling idiots ( myself included!) on a web forum have to say

furnessvale · 30 Sep 2019

driver_m said:
What are they like with staff going in and out? Can’t imagine the Guards and Drivers taking too kindly to being told where they can or can’t go. To be fair, can you imagine the behaviour at BPN if you were allowed to wonder about freely? I’m sure the spotters would be happy to move around, but that would be soon disrupted by Chantelle-Marie and her 7 unruly kids arguing with Fred and Janice who’ve told them to pick their crap up! And that’s before the Hens turn up to ‘have a nice girly weekend’ in The spoons.

I have not visited BPN for several years but the biggest gripe used to be the way passengers were held on the concourse until the last possible moment which caused an unruly rush for seats when the barrier was finally opened.

As far as staff were concerned, a few less minutes in the cabin and a few more on barriers and trains would have been far more customer friendly.

stj · 30 Sep 2019

Was the same in BR days.I remember going to see the first HST in the 80s.We went via Poulton on the train as we knew it would be hard getting on the platforms.After arriving from Poulton went to the end of the platform to await the HST but after a few minutes asked to leave.We refused stating we had tickets to be told
BTP would be called if we stayed.My mate was already on a caution from BTP for filming near Blackpool North Box a few months earlier so we did what we were told and left.

PeterY · 30 Sep 2019

I visited Blackpool North station at the beginning of September and after the posts on here I was a bit wary. I didn't really have a problem there and I did take a few photos. The member of staff on the barrier was fine with me. I did say to him "Rovers don't work the gatelines". Somehow I was expecting him, to put my ticket in the gateline.

AE · 30 Sep 2019

furnessvale said:
I have not visited BPN for several years but the biggest gripe used to be the way passengers were held on the concourse until the last possible moment which caused an unruly rush for seats when the barrier was finally opened.

This was also my experience when I visited BPN this summer. Passengers were held on the concourse behind barriers and tape until 5 minutes or so before the train, which was clearly visible from the concourse the entire time that I was waiting, was due to depart. I waited standing on the concourse as all of the seats next to the platform were taken (about 5 if I recall correctly). And as I waited I had time to study the departure board which consisted mainly of trains to Manchester which were cancelled (this being a Sunday evening). The system seemed to be designed to cope with football match sized crowds which all seemed a bit superfluous for the thirty or so passengers I was waiting with.

GRALISTAIR · 30 Sep 2019

driver_m said:
What are they like with staff going in and out? Can’t imagine the Guards and Drivers taking too kindly to being told where they can or can’t go. To be fair, can you imagine the behaviour at BPN if you were allowed to wonder about freely? I’m sure the spotters would be happy to move around, but that would be soon disrupted by Chantelle-Marie and her 7 unruly kids arguing with Fred and Janice who’ve told them to pick their crap up! And that’s before the Hens turn up to ‘have a nice girly weekend’ in The spoons.

You named that tune in 1

mattyb1405 · 30 Sep 2019

Having never visited Blackpool via train before I was lucky enough to go on an RTC Blackpool Peninne Express trip a couple of weeks back, seemed friendly enough and an efficient operation at the station.

Sheepy1209 · 30 Sep 2019

I travelled out and back from Blackpool North today for the first time in a while - I can't put my finger on it but there was something different.

- All barriers were open, something I've never known before. Having witnessed queues for barriers, platform 1 and taxis all intermingling I hope they've realised they need to do something about it.
- We were allowed to board our York train as soon as it arrived - no waiting for incoming passengers to clear the platform.
- A couple of cheery greetings both at the barrier and on the train.

I've seen passengers boarding on an adjacent platform to an arrival several times, something that would have never been allowed before.

I don't know what's changed, and I fully expect to be disappointed by finding things back to how they used to be - but I can hope.
If only they could do something about the Platform 1 queue situation........

PR1Berske · 30 Sep 2019

Sheepy1209 said:
I travelled out and back from Blackpool North today for the first time in a while - I can't put my finger on it but there was something different.

- All barriers were open, something I've never known before. Having witnessed queues for barriers, platform 1 and taxis all intermingling I hope they've realised they need to do something about it.
- We were allowed to board our York train as soon as it arrived - no waiting for incoming passengers to clear the platform.
- A couple of cheery greetings both at the barrier and on the train.

I've seen passengers boarding on an adjacent platform to an arrival several times, something that would have never been allowed before.

I don't know what's changed, and I fully expect to be disappointed by finding things back to how they used to be - but I can hope.
If only they could do something about the Platform 1 queue situation........

That sounds so out of character for BPN. I believe you, obviously, it just sounds too good to be true!

Leo1961 · 1 Oct 2019

Could it be that the member of staff that controls the place like a concentration camp is on annual vacation at the moment?

syorksdeano · 1 Oct 2019

PR1Berske said:
That sounds so out of character for BPN. I believe you, obviously, it just sounds too good to be true!

Oh I don't know. I travelled through Blackpool North twice last week, and on both occasions it was described as above.....and to top it all off the staff were actually smiling

ElectroSoldier · 1 Oct 2019

What a strange situation.

Blackpool north is in terms of passenger numbers about equal to Warrington Central, both managed by Northern and they way the staff handle people is so different.
There is no reason to exclude passengers from the platforms until minutes before departure. There is no reason to shepard people from the platforms after alighting a train.

There is disparity between each station which shouldnt be the case. If they manage Blackpool North like that then all stations should be managed in the same way.
Problems with drunken yobs is not a good reason to operate contrary to the company policy

LowLevel · 1 Oct 2019

ElectroSoldier said:
What a strange situation.

Blackpool north is in terms of passenger numbers about equal to Warrington Central, both managed by Northern and they way the staff handle people is so different.
There is no reason to exclude passengers from the platforms until minutes before departure. There is no reason to shepard people from the platforms after alighting a train.

There is disparity between each station which shouldnt be the case. If they manage Blackpool North like that then all stations should be managed in the same way.
Problems with drunken yobs is not a good reason to operate contrary to the company policy

Warrington Central and Blackpool North couldn't be more different. It's like comparing an apple and a house brick.

I have no time for the manner in which the station staff at Blackpool are reputed to behave but at least try and pick a vaguely comparable station

Warrington is mostly a through station bar a few morning and evening services with trains running quite frequently in both directions. It primarily serves commuters and leisure travellers. There's no stock servicing, dwell times are 1 minute and the toilets etc are on the platforms.

Blackpool is a terminus that services rolling stock and primarily serves the leisure market with some commuting.

ElectroSoldier · 1 Oct 2019

LowLevel said:
Warrington Central and Blackpool North couldn't be more different. It's like comparing an apple and a house brick.

I have no time for the manner in which the station staff at Blackpool are reputed to behave but at least try and pick a vaguely comparable station

Warrington is mostly a through station bar a few morning and evening services with trains running quite frequently in both directions. It primarily serves commuters and leisure travellers. There's no stock servicing, dwell times are 1 minute and the toilets etc are on the platforms.

Blackpool is a terminus that services rolling stock and primarily serves the leisure market with some commuting.

No its not, not for what we are talking about.
but if you want then we can compare it to another C1 station like Manchester Oxford Road, Bournmouth, Eastleigh, Portsmouth Harbour, Shrewsbury, Southampton, Stoke.....

Or is the reason you think they are so very different because the reason the passengers use the station?

LowLevel · 1 Oct 2019

ElectroSoldier said:
No its not, not for what we are talking about.
but if you want then we can compare it to another C1 station like Manchester Oxford Road, Bournmouth, Eastleigh, Portsmouth Harbour, Shrewsbury, Southampton, Stoke.....

Or is the reason you think they are so very different because the reason the passengers use the station?

They're different for pretty much every reason possible apart from the approximate annual number of passengers. If the way a station is used both by it's passengers and operationally doesn't make them different then, they're directly comparable, why not :rolleyes:

Warrington Central is manned by a booking clerk (if they're lucky), one platform person who usually lives on the Manchester platform popping in and out of their cubby hole at the top of the stairs for trains and some agency gateline operators. People don't spend any time there. They arrive, board their train, and leave.

Blackpool North being a terminus with holidaymakers by necessity usually involves people hanging around (at Skegness sometimes people turn up literally an hour before their train and hang around looking miserable) and it's a completely different layout.

I've never had the pleasure of Blackpool North but I've been working trains through Warrington for years and I can't see how you could ever compare the two without being overly simplistic.

ElectroSoldier · 1 Oct 2019

But were not talking about operation of trains. We are talking about simple things like how staff handle customers.

Which is basically passenger numbers and the flow of them.
Sure the passenger dwell on the station is longer at Blackpool than Warrington the way they are handled should be the same shouldnt it?
They are after all managed by the same company and the aim is to get people onto trains.

LowLevel · 1 Oct 2019

ElectroSoldier said:
But were not talking about operation of trains. We are talking about simple things like how staff handle customers.

Which is basically passenger numbers and the flow of them.
Sure the passenger dwell on the station is longer at Blackpool than Warrington the way they are handled should be the same shouldnt it?
They are after all managed by the same company and the aim is to get people onto trains.

In so far as being pleasant with people? Absolutely.

Letting people roam the platforms as they wish? Not necessarily.
Boarding should be open at a reasonable time, not at some arbitrary point 2 minutes before. If you're servicing the trains with hoses everywhere having people wandering about dragging suitcases around isn't a good idea.

Darandio · 1 Oct 2019

ElectroSoldier said:
But were not talking about operation of trains. We are talking about simple things like how staff handle customers.

Yet the two are linked at Blackpool North. One of the main reasons used (and discussed earlier in this thread) is passengers not being allowed on platforms while tanks are being filled and the resulting platform clutter that goes with it. Warrington doesn't have this so isn't comparable.

But this same process obviously happens at multiple stations up and down the country and passengers aren't herded like cattle in those locations, Blackpool North is certainly a special case.

ainsworth74 · 1 Oct 2019

Darandio said:
One of the main reasons used (and discussed earlier in this thread) is passengers not being allowed on platforms while tanks are being filled and the resulting platform clutter that goes with it.

Though, and I'm open to correction here, since they rebuilt Blackpool North the hoses are now mounted in the platform edge so no longer trail across the platforms. See stations like Kings Cross for similar set ups (and where no one shouts at you for wandering around whilst trains are being tanked). I quite agree before hand there was some logic when you would have had hoses trailing all over platforms but that isn't the case anymore.

Blackpool North: The most unfriendly station in the country?

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