Volunteering at Stations

Mordac · 21 Dec 2019

If anyone here knows y local station of Kings Norton, you'll know it has a disused island platform. That's covered in all kinds of rubbish, mostly dead tree branches and leaves. I've often thought it makes the whole place look rather grubby.

I'd be happy to volunteer to clean it myself over a few days, but as far as I know there is no "Friends of Kings Norton Station" or similar group. Would West Midlands Railway be happy to take on a single volunteer, or should I file this in the "nor worth my time" pile?

RailUK Forums

Llanigraham · 21 Dec 2019

Why not contact West Mids Rail directly by email (after the holiday) and ask them? Personally I think it sounds like a great idea.

DarloRich · 21 Dec 2019

Mordac said:
If anyone here knows y local station of Kings Norton, you'll know it has a disused island platform. That's covered in all kinds of rubbish, mostly dead tree branches and leaves. I've often thought it makes the whole place look rather grubby.

I'd be happy to volunteer to clean it myself over a few days, but as far as I know there is no "Friends of Kings Norton Station" or similar group. Would West Midlands Railway be happy to take on a single volunteer, or should I file this in the "nor worth my time" pile?

I doubt you will be allowed access to a disused island platform. Sorry to be a scrouge

Contact wmt and ask them but be prepared for a knock back. They will let you tart up public areas (maybe) but not closed ones. I am invovled in my local station group and know how strict the rules are

30907 · 21 Dec 2019

Worth pursuing as it might prompt some action from WMR, but - as DarloRich says - not quite as you propose, because you would have to be supervised 1:1. Don't know if they'd let a group do it, but there would still be safety issues.

Mordac · 21 Dec 2019

DarloRich said:
I doubt you will be allowed access to a disused island platform. Sorry to be a scrouge

Contact wmt and ask them but be prepared for a knock back. They will let you tart up public areas (maybe) but not closed ones. I am invovled in my local station group and know how strict the rules are

Yeah, that's pretty much what I was expecting. I thought there might be some safety issues with access to that area. Thanks. I might still fire them an email, but I'm expecting the reply to be what you've said.

DarloRich · 21 Dec 2019

Mordac said:
Yeah, that's pretty much what I was expecting. I thought there might be some safety issues with access to that area. Thanks. I might still fire them an email, but I'm expecting the reply to be what you've said.

Go for it. Even if that is a long term aim build up some trust by tarting the place up a bit

John Webb · 22 Dec 2019

Is there a Community Rail Partnership for that line? If so, then that will probably be the best group to approach. They will have the ear of WMT, and will be used to all the problems of access etc.

jimm · 22 Dec 2019

Mordac said:
If anyone here knows y local station of Kings Norton, you'll know it has a disused island platform. That's covered in all kinds of rubbish, mostly dead tree branches and leaves. I've often thought it makes the whole place look rather grubby.

I'd be happy to volunteer to clean it myself over a few days, but as far as I know there is no "Friends of Kings Norton Station" or similar group. Would West Midlands Railway be happy to take on a single volunteer, or should I file this in the "nor worth my time" pile?

I would suggest the best place to start would be to contact Fay Easton, who is the head of stakeholder and community for WMR, and oversees their station adoption scheme.

Her email address is on this page on the website

https://www.westmidlandsrailway.co.uk/adopt-station

John Webb · 22 Dec 2019

I assume it's the central platform seen in this photo (click on the photo to go to the larger original):
Kings Norton railway station, Birmingham

© Copyright Nigel Thompson and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.
It looks to me as though there must still be access off the footbridge, albeit normally locked, and with the width of the platform I would have thought it reasonably safe. (At St Albans City we're involved with planters on the platforms which are significantly narrower than the Kings Norton ones!)

Mordac · 22 Dec 2019

John Webb said:
I assume it's the central platform seen in this photo (click on the photo to go to the larger original):
Kings Norton railway station, Birmingham

© Copyright Nigel Thompson and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.
It looks to me as though there must still be access off the footbridge, albeit normally locked, and with the width of the platform I would have thought it reasonably safe. (At St Albans City we're involved with planters on the platforms which are significantly narrower than the Kings Norton ones!)

That's exactly right, although a lot of crap has built up on that platform since that photo was taken 9 years ago (I've only been living in this area for less than a year, so way before my time). You're right, there is clearly access from the footbridge, the door is just locked. Although I don't know whether the stairs down are in a safe condition.

DarloRich · 23 Dec 2019

John Webb said:
I assume it's the central platform seen in this photo (click on the photo to go to the larger original):
Kings Norton railway station, Birmingham

© Copyright Nigel Thompson and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.
It looks to me as though there must still be access off the footbridge, albeit normally locked, and with the width of the platform I would have thought it reasonably safe. (At St Albans City we're involved with planters on the platforms which are significantly narrower than the Kings Norton ones!)

It is open to traffic on both sides. You will not get access to that imo

BigB · 23 Dec 2019

DarloRich said:
It is open to traffic on both sides. You will not get access to that imo

Just out of interest, how is that dealt with at "normal" stations with various friends organisations cleaning platforms? If it different where trains pass as opposed to a standard stopping pattern?
It does seem a great candidate for a garden to be built on to brighten the station up.

Deepgreen · 23 Dec 2019

Coulsdon South seems to have volunteer gardeners - I saw at least three ladies working at the flower beds while my train called a couple of years ago. Dorking Deepdene has also acquired a couple of wooden sleeper-built flower beds on the approach path but, sadly, they are really uninspiring. I'm old enough to remember when some station staff used to take enough pride in their patch to do at least a little extra work to smarten it up (mainly gardens) but this is all too rare today.

scrapy · 24 Dec 2019

Mordac said:
That's exactly right, although a lot of crap has built up on that platform since that photo was taken 9 years ago (I've only been living in this area for less than a year, so way before my time). You're right, there is clearly access from the footbridge, the door is just locked. Although I don't know whether the stairs down are in a safe condition.

When you say a lot of crap has built upon that platform do you mean weeds etc or litter. If it's litter then you may be able to persuade the local council to serve a enforcement notice on Network Rail or WMT to get them to clean it up if you're approach to volunteer doesn't get anywhere. If it's large amounts of weeds you intend removing you'll have to consider how you can safely remove these from the station and dispose of them.

Might be worth getting in touch with an existing 'friends' group (preferably from a WMT managed station) to see how they started and get the right contacts within the company.

trentvalley · 24 Dec 2019

Similar situation one stop down the line at Northfield

alex17595 · 24 Dec 2019

If you could get enough people together to form a small group maybe you would be able to aquire some fence for protection from the platform edge.

Elecman · 24 Dec 2019

alex17595 said:
If you could get enough people together to form a small group maybe you would be able to aquire some fence for protection from the platform edge.

No you wouldn’t be allowed to do that, it imports more risk than unfenced

alex17595 · 24 Dec 2019

Elecman said:
No you wouldn’t be allowed to do that, it imports more risk than unfenced

Assuming it was the required safe distance from the track why wouldn't you be allowed to do it?

Mordac · 24 Dec 2019

scrapy said:
When you say a lot of crap has built upon that platform do you mean weeds etc or litter. If it's litter then you may be able to persuade the local council to serve a enforcement notice on Network Rail or WMT to get them to clean it up if you're approach to volunteer doesn't get anywhere. If it's large amounts of weeds you intend removing you'll have to consider how you can safely remove these from the station and dispose of them.

Might be worth getting in touch with an existing 'friends' group (preferably from a WMT managed station) to see how they started and get the right contacts within the company.

There's a lot of weeds, and a lot of dead tree branches and a lot of trees just growing allover the place and giving it a really unkept look. Here's a few photos I took for illustration:

Don't worry, I'm not proposing to go pick up that shoe from the six foot.

trentvalley · 24 Dec 2019

Won’t these platforms need to be brought back in to use when the camp hill line opens anyway?

If so they will be sorted with that project.

I believe the terminus is to be Longbridge.

theironroad · 24 Dec 2019

Mordac said:
There's a lot of weeds, and a lot of dead tree branches and a lot of trees just growing allover the place and giving it a really unkept look. Here's a few photos I took for illustration:

Don't worry, I'm not proposing to go pick up that shoe from the six foot.

The railway lives on rules and regs, (many rightly so, occasionally head scratching), but I'd certainly give it a try.

If you'd be happy to do it longer term, maybe suggest forming a small group (posters in station etc to attract other volunteers)

There may also be restrictions on the type of tools that can be used and the tree removal may need some attention.

In general TOCs and NR should be dealing with vegetation management in a timely , efficient manner but as can be seen at many stations and bridges, sidings etc etc it's not and there's certainly plenty of stations that have 'friends' or 'adopters' with a keen interest on keeping things looking good and also providing a good social volunteering experience.

Give it a go.

xotGD · 24 Dec 2019

The disused platform is being rewilded. I think it should be left to nature to recolonise.

There are plenty of lineside locations where people have just dumped piles of rubbish; these should be the priority for tidying up. And ideally the fly tippers caught and prosecuted.

MotorcycleAlan · 24 Dec 2019

For all sorts of reasons, insurance being one, you will have great difficulty gaining access to any non-public area unless qualified, trained and security cleared staff.

61653 HTAFC · 26 Dec 2019

alex17595 said:
Assuming it was the required safe distance from the track why wouldn't you be allowed to do it?

At a guess, because at present the platform could be used to evacuate a train in an emergency, but fencing the platform off would remove this ability. Temporary fencing to protect a non-tracksafe workforce would also bring the risk of being blown onto the tracks.

BigB · 26 Dec 2019

xotGD said:
The disused platform is being rewilded. I think it should be left to nature to recolonise.

There are plenty of lineside locations where people have just dumped piles of rubbish; these should be the priority for tidying up. And ideally the fly tippers caught and prosecuted.

Allowing vegetation to recolonise has its own issues - in this case as both platforms are live then allowing trees to grow may cause the coping to move - potentially putting the platform out of guage. Best case scenario is a train hitting the coping stone causing superficial damage, but a possession to fix. Also unchecked growth allows contact with OHLE and again, remedial work becomes far more involved than the work requires to remove these trees at say three feet in height. If people want to help to keep the platforms from deteriorating, and the operator don't have resources then subject to ensuring they work safely, it is to be encouraged. Basic safety training would be required but not to PTS standard - I would say that that would be counterproductive... remember the shoe on the track earlier? How many volunteers with a PTS would think that they were able to pick it up?

Fly tipping sometimes beggars belief, especially the things thrown over garden fences on enbankment. Track access point entrances are also prime spots for tipping as by their nature they are not frequently used. A few years back line I work at had to get help from the army and take an excavator on a flat wagon to clear a large amount fly tipped over many years at the bottom of a steep slope by a layby almost opposite the entrance to the council tip!! It filled a large waste container though we did make a few pounds from the scrap steel. CCTV was not an option at the time but removing the layby removed the issue.

Mordac · 29 Dec 2019

Looks like someone at WMR has been reading this thread. I came back after Christmas Holibobs to be greeted with this sight:

They still left the dead trees to rot there, but maybe they'll be removed at a later date.

Flying Phil · 29 Dec 2019

The power of UK Rail Forums.....

geoffk · 29 Dec 2019

I read that a local service via the Camp Hill line could start in 2022, with three new stations. If this happens then, as trentvalley has suggested, these platforms will be brought back into use.

Clip · 29 Dec 2019

DarloRich said:
I doubt you will be allowed access to a disused island platform. Sorry to be a scrouge

DarloRich said:
It is open to traffic on both sides. You will not get access to that imo

Elecman said:
No you wouldn’t be allowed to do that, it imports more risk than unfenced

MotorcycleAlan said:
For all sorts of reasons, insurance being one, you will have great difficulty gaining access to any non-public area unless qualified, trained and security cleared staff.

Someone best go tell rail partnerships up and down the country that they wont be allowed access and be able to tart up certain platforms - especially in the north because theres many lines including branches that used to have 2 tracks but now only one where the disused platform has been given over to those whould would care for them - I mean even places like Leyland which is on the very busy West coast mainline actually has volunteers who maintain the plant pots and wooden trains on all the platforms which very fast trains use.

717001 · 30 Dec 2019

Mordac said:
Looks like someone at WMR has been reading this thread. I came back after Christmas Holibobs to be greeted with this sight:

They still left the dead trees to rot there, but maybe they'll be removed at a later date.

May be worth checking if engineering work will close the line at any point - access might be easier to organise then.

jimm said:
I would suggest the best place to start would be to contact Fay Easton, who is the head of stakeholder and community for WMR, and oversees their station adoption scheme.

Her email address is on this page on the website

https://www.westmidlandsrailway.co.uk/adopt-station

Agree with this - but may be worth looking online first to see if there are nearby groups, as they may be able to give you good advice. For a one-off exercise, it might be possible for one of them to lead officially - it happened a few weeks ago on East Coast Main Line.

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