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Staying overnight on Station
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Flamingo
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Bristol Temple of Doom gets locked up now!
Piccadilly has overnight services to York, Airport, Preston and Sheffield and then the London services start early in the morning.
I actually wondered about Huddersfield. There's a sign on the station doors saying about it being closed between two overnight times for cleaning purposes. However, the times never seem to change when the timetable change so I wonder if it's an old sign that's not still relevant.
Busterfridge
Member
In September 1982 i spent 18 hours on crewe station, from 00:30-18:30, I was 'between' Genesis concerts at Birmingham and Chester and had to wait for someone travelling down from cumbria, It was brilliant, 100's of train movements and plenty of passengers using the station, it was in the day when sleepers were plentiful 8 or 9 in each direction, filled a small notebook with numbers, the buffet was open all night serving coffee etc, but i bedded down on one of old 4 wheel platform trolleys, the police did'nt mind and the platform staff were superb and even admired my stamina, not much sleep was had, convinced myself i had seen most of the west coast stock ! 29 years on I don't think i could do it again it would kill me
I was at Huddersfield a couple of weeks ago (not overnight), and IIRC the sign (which evidently dated back to BR days) said something to the effect that the doors would be unlocked for a period of 15 minutes before each scheduled service overnight. (I have a vague feeling London Victoria has a similar, but more modern, sign.) What is actually done in practice at either place I have no idea.
animationmilo
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I sometimes get let to stay at Cardiff, I quite often come off the 02:31 from London and have to wait for 04:35.
Good god yes!
The "No smoking..." was popular through the early hours/dawn patrol on Saturday night/Sundary morning
Statto
Established Member
I stayed at Chester station one Saturday night in August 95. I got off a Merseyrail service around midnight, & i was waiting for the overnight Holyhead-Euston HST think it was due around 4:30am which ran in those days, mainly connecting with the late night ferries from Ireland at Holyhead.
I've also stayed at Manchester Airport Station, although i made my way into Terminal seeing people asleep waiting for there early morning flights, also remember watching Football League Extra on one of the TV in the terminal.
I'd have thought Man Picc would be good for overnight stops with plenty passenger trains, & think they'd be a few freight trains going to/from Trafford Park as well.
I've also stayed at Manchester Airport Station, although i made my way into Terminal seeing people asleep waiting for there early morning flights, also remember watching Football League Extra on one of the TV in the terminal.
I'd have thought Man Picc would be good for overnight stops with plenty passenger trains, & think they'd be a few freight trains going to/from Trafford Park as well.
Chapeltom
Established Member
I stayed at Chester station one Saturday night in August 95. I got off a Merseyrail service around midnight, & i was waiting for the overnight Holyhead-Euston HST think it was due around 4:30am which ran in those days, mainly connecting with the late night ferries from Ireland at Holyhead.
I've also stayed at Manchester Airport Station, although i made my way into Terminal seeing people asleep waiting for there early morning flights, also remember watching Football League Extra on one of the TV in the terminal.
I'd have thought Man Picc would be good for overnight stops with plenty passenger trains, & think they'd be a few freight trains going to/from Trafford Park as well.
Football League Extra - how I used to love setting my alarm for all hours of the morning for that show!
WillPS
Established Member
Sheffield (at least until recently) had opening hours printed. I believe they shut somewhere around 1am - but the opening times suggested that entry would be permitted for the overnight TPE services - no indication of when you'd be allowed in for them.
Out of interest what happens if you get off the last train at a Station at night only to find out that the station had already been locked up for the night, I'm not on about mainline stations (like Manchester Piccadilly) but out of town stations.
I know this does happen as I know it happened at Rochdale station on at least one occasion when a late running service passed through only for the passengers to find that the exit had been locked up for the night, I'm not 100% certain but I seem to remember the Fire Brigade being called on this instance to free the stranded passengers
I know this does happen as I know it happened at Rochdale station on at least one occasion when a late running service passed through only for the passengers to find that the exit had been locked up for the night, I'm not 100% certain but I seem to remember the Fire Brigade being called on this instance to free the stranded passengers
I have a feeling that some stations have ways out other than the ticket office (I think my local does)
Can't speak for all stations and there is a poster above who said about his friend crossing the running lines at Nuneaton to get over a fence and out of the station
hock:
OuterDistant
Member
Yesssss! And the theme music was "Little Britain" by Dreadzone!Football League Extra - how I used to love setting my alarm for all hours of the morning for that show!
If it's a Northern service and they haven't told the managing operator about the delay you get locked in: http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/news/8486236.Trapped_couple_rescued_from_Nelson_train_station/
Chapeltom
Established Member
That story is slightly worrying!
londonmidland
Established Member
Can someone please comfirm if it is alright to stay on Manchester Piccadily overnight, also do you get a lot of freight going through Manchester Piccadily, at night?
Thanks
londonmidland
Thanks
londonmidland
MidnightFlyer
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The freight would be through p13/14 if there is any; but I suspect that only the bay platforms (p1-12) and the concourse would be open in the small hours. Having said that, I don't actually know if they can physically close of the through platforms, though you may look a bit suspicious if you were on them on your own at half two in the morning...
Railjet
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I trust that in such an instance, the Fire Brigade would send the necessary invoice for the unwarranted call-out to the station operator, and that the latter would be hauled over the coals for taking up the Fire Brigade's time and resources, when a genuine emergency could have required their assistance.
Harlesden
Member
Would one be allowed to spend the night at Grimsby Town Station? I think the days of fish trains moving around all night are long gone; and the 01:15 out of King's Cross, change at Retford around 03:50 onto the milk train from Manchester arriving Grimsby around 05:30 is also a cherished distant memory. Can't remember if that 01:15 was a Newcastle train or an Edinburgh train, but nice cosy old fashioned compartments back in the mid-70's.
There's a few overnight services to and from Manchester Airport from the North and West which would need to use 13 and 14 at Piccadily, unless they reverse twice to get in and out of a bay platform.
truckman060473
Member
In 1995 I spent a time sleeping on Swansea station after going to the clubs. It was something like 6am until the first service heading west to Carmarthen. My mate and I got on this and it went over the loop at Carmarthen to Whitland and we were told to explain to the guard on the service from Whitand to CMN why we were on it and we needed CMN as our stop. God knows what we went on!
Lampshade
Established Member
I know the 0415 to Blackpool North uses P14.
DiscoStu
Member
In the 1980's, Barnetby (!) was my favourite. It is a little hovel, but there were tons of freights trains going through. Apparently 25% of Britains bulk rail traffic still passes through there today.
Steel trains, some with bankers, would pass through regularly - even through the night.
Great days.
Steel trains, some with bankers, would pass through regularly - even through the night.
Great days.
Xenophon PCDGS
Veteran Member
In the report, there was a comment from John Threlfall, the business manager of Lancashire United, expressing sympathy to the young couple, but none from Northern Rail who actually manage this station.
Is this a fault of the newspaper in not asking Northern Rail....or perhaps they did, with no comment forthcoming.
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It's a local rag, I wouldn't expect too much. Mistakes like this are going to happen - let's face it. It was distressing for the passengers involved but worse things could have happened, which is why reviewing procedures will be an important task for Northern. They will have been compensated by probably having their fare refunded, plus loads of those free day passes Northern give on delay claims.
Xenophon PCDGS
Veteran Member
You have made the point that railway stations are private buildings which is very true. But I should imagine that railway stations and airports see a tremendous number of public admissions into a private premises situation in any 24-hour period of time.
I see that you saved your "punch-line" until the last in your comment.
Smethwickian
Member
Indeed. And in that respect, they are no different to shopping centres or other such private property.
The public is welcome at certain times to conduct business related to the property's purpose, but there is no implication that it becomes a public space or common ground or that anyone has any entitlement to do anything else.
Often at the entrance to shopping centres, for example, you'll see a small notice formally stating that, though it may be open at most times, it is not a right of way and the owners have no intention of it becoming a right of way.
Regarding the story about the couple locked in at Nelson, and the fact that the newspaper quoted only bus operator Lancashire United, perhaps because it is a jointly-operated interchange responsibilities are shared, particularly late at night, and that it was indeed a bus company employee who locked up, especially if the rail platforms exit via the bus stands. Purely a guess - I don't know the area, but neither am I leaping to the conclusion that newspapers are always wrong.
Here's some information on Nelson Interchange:
http://www.lancashire.gov.uk/corporate/web/view.asp?siteid=4404&pageid=20771&e=e
http://www.bestbuildings.co.uk/infrastructurelandscape/nelson-interchange/
From the story it looks like only 2 people alighted the last train, who had been to Blackpool for the illuminations, so it is quite likely that on many nights no-one alights the last train. Therefore the person locking up would rely on being told that the train was delayed and wouldn't assume that because there hadn't been a mass exodus that the train hadn't arrived yet.
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