£1.5m for Wakefield Kirkgate

[stuartmoss]

Story on the Beeb: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-16584780

 

[wbbminerals]

"Kirkgate is a station in need of improvement and we have already completed improvements to CCTV, subway and entrance lobby with more work scheduled this year on the canopies and to remove the spine wall.

"However, the listed station buildings have been empty for many years and are in need of attention."

So the only imminent change promised will be the removal of the canopies and spine wall on platform 2. Better get some photos soon then.

 

[brompton rail]

I was under the impression that Groundwork Wakefield were going to move their offices into the restored station building. Can't find the source of this though.

Lunchtime's Look North Yorkshire had Alan Whitehouse and a Network Rail gent out on the platform, but no real detail of what is planned.

It would be good if Metro would staff the station, though no doubt they don't have the money. Ten departures an hour deserves something better!

 

[MidnightFlyer]

I was under the impression that part of the cleared out station building was indeed becoming a booking office, but there always seems to be changes left, right and centre on these sort of projects.

 

[newbie babs]

Apparently the work so far is CCTV and subway entrance improvements. Later in the year work on the canopies and Spine wall and plans to restore the Grade II Listed Station Buildings

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Apparently the work so far is CCTV and subway entrance improvements. Later in the year work on the canopies and Spine wall and plans to restore the Grade II Listed Station Buildings

Will the Grade II listed status have to ensure that any works carried out have to be in keeping with the existing structures?

 

[Wath Yard]

Will the Grade II listed status have to ensure that any works carried out have to be in keeping with the existing structures?

What derelict? That wouldn't be a very good use of £1.5 million.

This should be good news for Wakefield, if the money makes any difference (and £1.5m isn't a lot these days), but bad for the next town that will have the title of worst station in the known world.

 

[Nym]

Will the Grade II listed status have to ensure that any works carried out have to be in keeping with the existing structures?

Boradly speaking...

"Be as it was where possible"

"Remove or add parts to make safe if replacement like for like is not possible"

It also depends on how much of the building is listed.

 

[Waverley125]

Kirkgate needs drastic improvement, not piecemeal changes.

*Re-opening booking office on platform 1
*Re-open the old waiting rooms, including a coffee shop & newsagent
*Close the Subway & build an accessible footbridge in its place
*Tear down the horrible current canopies & rebuild them in the original style

 

[tom1649]

When and why did the station become unstaffed in the first place? There are far smaller stations around which retained theirs.

 

[Urban Gateline]

When and why did the station become unstaffed in the first place? There are far smaller stations around which retained theirs.

Bizarrely, according to the NRE site on the Stations page of Wakefield Kirkgate:

There is staff assistance available on the platform.

http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations/sjp/WKK/objectvalues/3402-0000004.html

 

[syorksdeano]

I was at Wakefield Kirkgate on Thursday and some blokes were having a look inside the buildings. They left the door open so I had a quick look.......it's going to a big job to bring the insides back to life.

 

[HSTEd]

How exactly did both Wakefield stations survive to the present day?

Before Sandal and Agbrigg reopened would it not have been possible to simply close Westgate and route all trains through Kirkgate using that enormous number of chords in the area?
Surely Kirkgate has sufficient platforms for all the services?

 

[wbbminerals]

How exactly did both Wakefield stations survive to the present day?

Before Sandal and Agbrigg reopened would it not have been possible to simply close Westgate and route all trains through Kirkgate using that enormous number of chords in the area?
Surely Kirkgate has sufficient platforms for all the services?

That just wouldn't work, particulary back in the day when there was more freight around here. The line speeds are so much slower that way, Kirkgate would become a bottle-neck and passenger trains would be stuck behind freights. Don't forget there are loads of units going through Kirkgate to and Horbury Junction all day. :roll:

 

[YorkshireBear]

Yeah i passed through thursday there was some surveying and other things going on.

Would love to see it restored to look nice, not neccesarily former glory but... you know.

 

[Sapphire Blue]

Could be another fantastic venue for a real ale pub.

 

[9K43]

When and why did the station become unstaffed in the first place? There are far smaller stations around which retained theirs.

Kirkgate was staffed in the early 1980's with a booking office and some platform staff.
Healey Mills men signed on and off at Kirkgate, and got 1.5 hours travelling to and from Kirkgate.
As all passenger trains were pay trains, the booking office closed in the mid 1980's. The Pay Train Guard did all the ticket issuing on the train.
Then about 1990 the sole platform staff moved up to HM and trained as a shunter, and the station was de staffed.
The PWay still worked from Kirkgate as did the S and T.
Just by Kirkgate was the Cobra Rail Head, this spot was a busy place with staff s/on at 0500hrs and guards covering the shunting in and out till 2100hrs.
I have spent many happy hours down at Cobra working rest days and Saturday mornings.
Cobra closed around 2004. There was a Porta Cabin Signal Box, which opened in 1981 ish, but moved into the Kirkgate Station a couple of years ago.
The shunters cabin was right at the end of the down platform.
My first Ballast train I worked was on Platform 2 when the station track layout was altered that was in 1982.
Titanic John Turner was the secondman and the Driver was Jimmy Turner.
John as called Titanic cos where ever he went the trained failed

 

[Sapphire Blue]

How much of 1.5m will have been wasted today in the Prince Charles palarva?

 

[Schnellzug]

Well, given the absurd costs of everything on the Railways, that should pay for painting the lampposts.

 

[syorksdeano]

So Wakefield Kirkgate had a visit from Prince Charles today. Could you imagine what he said about the state of the station?

"This looks as knackered as my mother you know"
or
"are we safe here?"

 

[Lampshade]

Well, given the absurd costs of everything on the Railways, that should pay for painting the lampposts.

Maybe they should encourage it to be done by the private sector e.g. include full scale regeneration of Kirkgate in the next franchise specification for the work to be undertaken by the TOC a la Chiltern; keep Network Rail and associated bloated costs as far away as possible.

 

[HSTEd]

Maybe they should encourage it to be done by the private sector e.g. include full scale regeneration of Kirkgate in the next franchise specification for the work to be undertaken by the TOC a la Chiltern; keep Network Rail and associated bloated costs as far away as possible.

So we can pay £10 million in franchise payments for the £1.5 million's work?

 

[tom1649]

Kirkgate was staffed in the early 1980's with a booking office and some platform staff.
Healey Mills men signed on and off at Kirkgate, and got 1.5 hours travelling to and from Kirkgate.
As all passenger trains were pay trains, the booking office closed in the mid 1980's. The Pay Train Guard did all the ticket issuing on the train.
Then about 1990 the sole platform staff moved up to HM and trained as a shunter, and the station was de staffed.
The PWay still worked from Kirkgate as did the S and T.
Just by Kirkgate was the Cobra Rail Head, this spot was a busy place with staff s/on at 0500hrs and guards covering the shunting in and out till 2100hrs.
I have spent many happy hours down at Cobra working rest days and Saturday mornings.
Cobra closed around 2004. There was a Porta Cabin Signal Box, which opened in 1981 ish, but moved into the Kirkgate Station a couple of years ago.
The shunters cabin was right at the end of the down platform.
My first Ballast train I worked was on Platform 2 when the station track layout was altered that was in 1982.
Titanic John Turner was the secondman and the Driver was Jimmy Turner.
John as called Titanic cos where ever he went the trained failed

Very interesting. Thanks for the information.

 

[Schnellzug]

So we can pay £10 million in franchise payments for the £1.5 million's work?

And why was that? Because all these things are specified in the Franchise Agreement. All these absurd costs are all because everything is dictated by what the Politicians decide.