Isn't there a disused footbridge that could be borught back into use for non rail people ?
There is indeed! Its been in use in the not too distant past too, so it can't be in that bad a state.
Isn't there a disused footbridge that could be borught back into use for non rail people ?
Both stations where gatelines are to be installed.
Isn't there a disused footbridge that could be borught back into use for non rail people ?
I'd suggest that this is because of the low numbers of trains stopping there
- Hourly to Aberdeen
- Hourly to Glasgow (with some extras)
- Hourly to Edinburgh (a fairly recent service, used to be just bi-hourly)
- Bi-hourly to Inverness
...so, whilst Perth is a physically "large" station, there's not a huge number of trains using it (lots of two platform stations have significantly more departures in an hour). Just a thought.
Also, why are people so against ticket barriers?
Not disused - it's still open at both ends, I've used it plenty of times.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/thebustocrookes/6172599905/
However it's not DDA compliant (steps at both ends), it's certainly not inviting, it's heavily grafittied, I wouldn't want to use it at night (no lighting).
It would cost a few quid to bring up to a decent standard, but it'd be a lot cheaper than building a new bridge.
As for the other points - the station bridge isn't a right of way, the EMT proposals (AIUI) allowed tram passengers to use the station bridge, since the PTE allow free tram travel to all pensioners this means pensioners can access the bridge too.
So what's the extimated cost of a new bridge? The DfT have offered £3m towards the cost of a new one - would this cover it?
Strangely, in days gone by all large stations had manual entry/exit checks by people in ticket booths who did understand which tickets were valid or otherwise. Even at smaller stations the ticket clerk would meet incoming trains and check the tickets of those alighting. This worked well but was done away with on the grounds of 'progress' and staff cuts.
Leeds sell me platform tickets for 20p, well they did, now i catch the train down when picking up girlfriend from burley park so ive stopped needing one.
At newcastle she just asks for access to platform and they never have any problems...
Coventry must have actually had its barriers removed at some point—it's quite obvious that the layout of the station was designed with barriers in mind; everyone has to pass through a 10-metre wide gate to get between the concourse and the platforms. I know BR went through a phase in the late 1980s of removing barriers, the so-called "open stations" policy, and Coventry was last remodelled in the 1960s.
Leeds sell me platform tickets for 20p, well they did, now i catch the train down when picking up girlfriend from burley park so ive stopped needing one.
At newcastle she just asks for access to platform and they never have any problems...
Of those, New Street, Piccadilly and Lime Street are completely without barriers.
As mentioned in the Sheffield Star every month or so! Also, the Supertram stop at Sheffield station is also the stop for Sheffield Hallam University which is on the opposite site of the National Rail tracks, so anyone wanting to get to Hallam from the tram couldn't get through any barriers.
Lime St however does have traditional gates like Leeds used to have, however I am not sure if they are operational. I was told Northern were looking at automatic gating Lime St after they had finished with Leeds etc, but this hasn't happened.
Not disused - it's still open at both ends, I've used it plenty of times.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/thebustocrookes/6172599905/
However it's not DDA compliant (steps at both ends), it's certainly not inviting, it's heavily grafittied, I wouldn't want to use it at night (no lighting).
It would cost a few quid to bring up to a decent standard, but it'd be a lot cheaper than building a new bridge.
As for the other points - the station bridge isn't a right of way, the EMT proposals (AIUI) allowed tram passengers to use the station bridge, since the PTE allow free tram travel to all pensioners this means pensioners can access the bridge too.
At Derby the station footbridge is a thoroughfare between Pride Park/Derby College and the city centre. College students and anyone who works in Pride Park can apply to Stagecoach for a smartcard that operates the barriers to let them cross the bridge. You have to exit one gateline within ten minutes of entering the other one, and they say they monitor this and will cancel cards that are abused. Did EMT propose a similar scheme for Sheffield?
Though I guess it wouldn't work as well in the Sheffield case as it's harder to see where they would set the boundaries of who is and who isn't allowed to apply for a card - they'd have to allow at least anyone who is a student at Hallam Uni, anyone who works within (say) half a mile of the station and anyone who lives in the Park Hill/City Road area, but how far out do you draw the line...
What about the second bridge within the station complex? I know it only connects the 2 islands with the concourse and would need a link to the tram stop built, still a much smaller prospect than building a bridge spanning the whole station.
As for why I loathe and despite ticket barriers:
1. I think station platforms should be open to the public, mostly so I can go and take photos.
2. I resent having my used ticket taken off me! I've got a nice stack of rail travel tickets now and I'm rather fond of it. I'd like to be able to continue adding to it.
Perhaps not the greatest of reasons, but that's why I object to the wretched things!
In the long run the solution has to be putting barriers on the trains rather than the stations. Straight away, every station becomes barriered.
Imagine the dewell times for packed commuter trains, could probably add hours to some journies in the peak
Not to mention who will actually keep an eye that the barriers are being used properly and that nobody gets stuck in them, not a good idea from a H&S perspective!
I'm sure i remember a VT or ATW leaflet advertising barriers going up at WVH, idk if they went up or not. This was in about the early 2000s
I dare to say Brum Snow Hill? Technically there are barriers but it's useless as you can bypass it pretty easily, all platforms are accessible.
Imagine the dewell times for packed commuter trains, could probably add hours to some journies in the peak