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Blackpool North: The most unfriendly station in the country?

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Class195

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From working services in and out of BPN the answer is most definitely that there are still plenty. Most get tanked up on the train to Blackpool. Imagine what they’re like coming back? Not pleasant at all.

I've seen plenty of these disgusting parties on trains in and out of Blackpool over the years.

Sadly, they still exist and can be horrible and a danger to themselves. I'd love to know more about what happened with the intoxicated blind man allowed to wander around the platforms before going over.

Maybe myself included have been harsh on the operations at BPN in the past. Not now it would seem.
 
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Ianigsy

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The stag and hen parties have moved onto the Liverpool- Manchester- Leeds- York- Newcastle axis. I've been glad of TPE first class advances on a number of occasions.
 

Bantamzen

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cle

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Odd how wheelchair users are being lumped with undesirables / 'stags n slags' - surely there is no more danger to wheelchair users at this station than to any other. In fact, trains are either very slow or stationary, so it's probably safer than most!

Stag and hen dos do tend to be a little more 'exotic' now - cheap flights to Europe, or more city-based UK trips as mentioned, vs seaside - Newcastle and Liverpool are both especially popular, as is Edinburgh (and Dublin).
 

HowardGWR

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Has anyone ever witnessed this behaviour abroad (except from Brits that is: I have witnessed it in Prague and at Lake Bled in Slovenia, always Brits)? Are there adequate seats at BPN? The photos I have seen were all of standing queues.
 

bassmike

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Sounds like they use Blackpool north to accommodate all the prototypical 1930/40's northern working class/foreman /underling retarded staff so that they don't have to post them anywhere else!
 

Neptune

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Sounds like they use Blackpool north to accommodate all the prototypical 1930/40's northern working class/foreman /underling retarded staff so that they don't have to post them anywhere else!
Wow. What a sweeping generalisation. I’m Northern, I’m a conductor (not at Blackpool) and consider myself working class. I actually find that statement quite offensive and below the belt.

I also know many of the staff at Blackpool North and they are absolute stars working under extreme pressures, especially during the summer months. Have you ever been there or are you just making a quite frankly nasty statement about people you do not know based on the opinions of people who don’t understand the system put in place there to make it safer.
 

Makenzie

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The stag and hen parties have moved onto the Liverpool- Manchester- Leeds- York- Newcastle axis. I've been glad of TPE first class advances on a number of occasions.
Yes we have lots of stag and hen parties here in Liverpool. The pubs and clubs are heaving with them. I feel sorry for our council street cleaners dealing with the mess they leave behind.
 

bassmike

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Wow. What a sweeping generalisation. I’m Northern, I’m a conductor (not at Blackpool) and consider myself working class. I actually find that statement quite offensive and below the belt.

I also know many of the staff at Blackpool North and they are absolute stars working under extreme pressures, especially during the summer months. Have you ever been there or are you just making a quite frankly nasty statement about people you do not know based on the opinions of people who don’t understand the system put in place there to make it safer.
I'm sorry if I upset you--maybe I was O T T , didn't mean to insult you personnally It was meant tongue-in-cheek I am also working-class but I was jokingly reffering to a type of person who does exist still. The majority of posters seem to think that this is still the attitude of the place. Although I am a southerner, I spent several months stationed at R A F Weeton in the 1950's and while Blackpool was ok for a night-out,the general atmosphere was a bit grim . I spent many hours sitting in the signal -box at Kirkham & Wesham chatting to the various signalmen there.
 

Ashley Hill

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I must admit that the times I've been to BPN that I've found the station staff quite surly and officious. Even showing railway ID didn't get me onto the platform to photograph the semaphores etc. Permission for photography it seemed must come from the station manager (who wasn't around). In the end I joined their daft queuing system and got on that way. Still got questioned on the way out though.
 

Mushroomman

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I had the misfortune to visit Blackpool North yesterday and was struck by the unfriendly atmosphere and the lack of "customer service and customer experience" i received.

I don't want to say to much as i am going to write to Northern but:

1) Accused by staff of dawdling on the station platform having helped the guard help an old lady off the train!
2) General stasi like approach to anyone on the station - NOT happy about taking pictures of station/train/tower
3) A gated station which then holds you in the concourse behind locked doors?
4) Allowed through said locked doors 1 minute before departure

It was all a very poor image for Blackpool and all very odd
Blackpool North,never again. I went to get photos of the semaphores shortly before replacement,and I was shouted at by a yellow jacket wearing buffoon aged about 20 ish( my son is 32),and when I say shouted at,I mean "Oi you what do you think you're doing, I'll have you arrested." As he approached he then started whistling and shouting further. I asked him why the need for such threats he said "you need to be off this station now you are trespassing and contriving passenger health and safety. As I pointed out to Mr Bolshy there was only him and me on the platform therefore no " threat " to passengers or staff. He shouted again even though he was standing about 3 metres from me the same " official threat "I asked him why the need to shout he lowered his voice and again issued the same " threat ".When I said OK I will leave after a few more pics,he threatened to take my camera from me. At this point I can't write here what I said to Mr Powermad, but you can probably guess. I asked for his name to report his hostile manner but he said I am not willing to give you my name, he said and I quote" you've no chance pall. This was amusing because when I asked him again I laughed and said "its OK pall Ive got your name from your Northern ID badge !!!
At this point I said " good by darling gave him a certain finger wave and boarded a train back to Preston. So my advice, avoid Blackpool North at all costs, you are made as welcome as a trump in a spacesuit!!!
 

Huntergreed

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Haha Blackpool North. I remember my first and last visit there. I was 15 at the time, taking a trip to Manchester on the Northern Rail. Being a young enthusiast at the time, I was quite interested in the different rolling stock. I used the online signalling diagrams to see what platform my train was on, and being curious to see what type of stock was operating my service, I decided to try and get a quick peek down the platform.

BIG Mistake

A member of staff came up immediately, calling me a security risk and asking why I needed to see down the platform. I explained I wanted to see the type of rolling stock I would be spending 1.5 hours on, to which I was told this was “confidential” and to “mind my own business”. I completely maintain my innocence, but this was enough to almost put me off the railway hobby (and it did for a month or two), before I realised that this was only one station, which I vouched to never rreturn to, even if this meant 20-30 minutes added on to my journey to travel to Blackpool South. The level of staff authoritarianism and mistrust in the travelling public is quite frankly atrocious and it’s shameful that a town known for bringing joy and happiness to many families who visit it has this poor standard of service.
 

Huntergreed

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I wonder if they are keeping everyone inside the ticket concourse whilst Covid19 is rife.
Of course, they’re not going to let the virus out on the platforms, that would be against the rules :lol:

in all seriousness if they are they need to stop as it’ll make spread much easier
 

geoffk

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Well what's the solution? Northern is now "under new management" and this kind of behaviour has clearly been around a long time. Does management just not care? How about starting a Facebook page? Maybe get some photographs of these characters put on it.
 

Class195

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Of course, they’re not going to let the virus out on the platforms, that would be against the rules :lol:

in all seriousness if they are they need to stop as it’ll make spread much easier

Probably my least favourite station on the network in terms of staff hostility.

I can very well imagine everyone cooped up behind the glass waiting anxiously for the glass doors to freedom to be opened.
 

Class195

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Well what's the solution? Northern is now "under new management" and this kind of behaviour has clearly been around a long time. Does management just not care? How about starting a Facebook page? Maybe get some photographs of these characters put on it.

When I was last there in October, I was told by the station manager who was on site that Blackpool North is a special case and has it's own unique health and safety certificate which is different from all other Northern stations.

This is primarily because of the Hen and Stag parties and high number of disabled people that frequent the station.
 

Huntergreed

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When I was last there in October, I was told by the station manager who was on site that Blackpool North is a special case and has it's own unique health and safety certificate which is different from all other Northern stations.

This is primarily because of the Hen and Stag parties and high number of disabled people that frequent the station.
I would be interested to know if that certificate authorises staff to:

Demonstrate unneccessary hostility towards passengers

Pointlessly imprison passengers between the glass gates of freedom and the ticket barriers

Deliberately make things difficult for train crew by opening the freedom gates far too late and sometimes delaying services due to boarding taking more than 2 minutes, which is how long before the departure time they let the passengers on.

However I’m sure if HMP Blackpool is looking for any new staff anytime soon, they’ve got a great pool to choose from at this station.
 

Ashley Hill

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Has anyone from Northern senior management ever explained or defended the actions of its staff on this forum?Enthusiasts are completely different from the hens,stags and weekend drunks etc. As for security risk would a terrorist politely ask a member of staff to take fots etc? No they'd mingle with a crowd so as not to draw attention. It's about time that Northern openly responded on here! (Bet they don't though)
 

yorkie

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I would be interested to know if that certificate authorises staff to:

Demonstrate unneccessary hostility towards passengers

Pointlessly imprison passengers between the glass gates of freedom and the ticket barriers

Deliberately make things difficult for train crew by opening the freedom gates far too late and sometimes delaying services due to boarding taking more than 2 minutes, which is how long before the departure time they let the passengers on.

However I’m sure if HMP Blackpool is looking for any new staff anytime soon, they’ve got a great pool to choose from at this station.
I suggest sending them an FOI request https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/body/northern

I can't see the situation at Blackpool North changing; management must be well aware of what goes on, and therefore must surely approve of it.
 

37424

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I remember my one and only attempt to get on the platforms at BPN in the early 90's as I got there a fellow enthusiast with a camera was in the process of being booted off the platform so I thought well I guess I will give that a miss then. So it seems to have been going on a long time I doubt it will change anytime soon.

Last time I was there I tuck a few quick photos of the train I was catching but they didn't like that much I got asked to board the train immediately.
 
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