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Blackpool North: The most unfriendly station in the country?

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Darandio

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Has Northern really put that poster up with those uninvited comments? Not exactly very professional of them if it was. If it was some sort of joke and that it may have been funny but not very good to publicly put that.

Sorry, I don't mean to dampen the mood on here but I'm very surprised!

Not at all. :lol:

I created that particular poster ages ago.
 
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Horizon22

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It’s been very busy the last couple of days, queues outside most of the shops, and a long one for the Tower at 10:00 this morning.

BPN not so wonderful today, no departure boards working in the arrival hall and they only cranked up the platform ones eventually.

They finally let us through for the 12:03 at 12:02:40! Needless to say we departed 2 minutes late.

Another minute and you'd start having performance teams investigating...
 

BrianW

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Not at all. :lol:

I created that particular poster ages ago.

Well done you- great spoof 8-). Did it get onto any noticeboards? Is there a competition for worst station? Like the Razzzies are to the Oscars (and like England top of the European Covid league??).
 

Class195

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This thread has been going now for almost five and a half years.

You'd think they'd have had at least some staff turnover; some new people who might be able to improve morale a bit...but no.

My twenty days will be up next week and so far I've heard nothing regarding my complaint.

It's just one big sorry mess at Blackpool.

All the staff should be moved to another station or taken away from public service duty until their manners improve.
 

Class195

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It’s been very busy the last couple of days, queues outside most of the shops, and a long one for the Tower at 10:00 this morning.

BPN not so wonderful today, no departure boards working in the arrival hall and they only cranked up the platform ones eventually.

They finally let us through for the 12:03 at 12:02:40! Needless to say we departed 2 minutes late.

That's happened to me on countless times.

Being forced to queue inside with fifty others only for the departure to arrive and then the mad scramble to get on the train.
 

py_megapixel

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Thanks mate !
No problem.

My twenty days will be up next week and so far I've heard nothing regarding my complaint.
This seems to be normal at Northern as a whole.
Often they like to push complaints right up against the deadline. You can probably expect to get your response late on the 19th day...

I imagine this will be because they always have a backlog, which doesn't particularly surprise me given that they tend to usually be short of staff in general.
 

Parallel

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After everything COVID related is relaxed, maybe there should be a forum meet at Blackpool North. Everybody goes through the barriers when a train is due to depart but then not board and just wait on the platforms and refuse to leave, then catch a train half an hour later. :lol:
 

PR1Berske

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I'm sure we shouldn't be encouraging that sort of thing... BUT in the interest of vital research a forum meet at a notorious station has merit...
 

Vespa

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After everything COVID related is relaxed, maybe there should be a forum meet at Blackpool North. Everybody goes through the barriers when a train is due to depart but then not board and just wait on the platforms and refuse to leave, then catch a train half an hour later. :lol:


It would be like herding cats and if they make a fuss, the media would be interested....

Lol
 

Baxenden Bank

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It would be like herding cats and if they make a fuss, the media would be interested....

Lol
I see a forum group, incognito, passing through the doors and then scattering in twos and threes onto every platform. Who will the staff chase down first? Herding cats indeed.
 

SteveM70

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This seems to be normal at Northern as a whole.
Often they like to push complaints right up against the deadline. You can probably expect to get your response late on the 19th day...

I imagine this will be because they always have a backlog, which doesn't particularly surprise me given that they tend to usually be short of staff in general.

Perhaps if they provided decent customer service they’d not get so many complaints.....
 

DB

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Perhaps if they provided decent customer service they’d not get so many complaints.....

And if they actually did what they promise. They've told me three or four times that they will sort the issue of the ticket barriers at the local station rejecting a particular ticket (valid - it's an anytime return and the station is on the only permitted route). Last time I bought that ticket, still not sorted.
 

M60lad

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I was at Blackpool North yesteday awaiting 18:27 Blackpool North-Hazel Grove service and was surprised when they allowed us on the train a whole 15mins or so before the train was due out, no sooner they finished cleaning and sanitising it we were allowed on, all doors were open allthough the No Entry tape was across them until boarding was due.

No problems with the staff what so ever.
 

Sapphire Blue

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This thread has been going now for almost five and a half years.

You'd think they'd have had at least some staff turnover; some new people who might be able to improve morale a bit...but no.
The problem you get is that new staff members "fit in" with the way things are done. They follow the lead of the existing staff.
It happens in all industries.
Think about medical or dental reception staff. The dragon on the desk will have been "taught" by the previous dragon how to deal with patients.
Or, the lovely pleasant practice manager will have been "trained" by the previous incumbent.
Self perpetuating.
The only way to improve things in some practices is to change 100% of the staff.
I suspect that may be the case with Blackpool North.
 

py_megapixel

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It's not just Blackpool North station... shoutout to the member of staff on the tram in Fleetwood the other day who was too busy having a cigarette in the enclosed shelter on the platform during the turnaround time to sell me a ticket, and told me in an aggressive manner "give me a minute" before proceeding to sigh and complain loudly to another member of staff.

Never had a self service TVM do that ;)
(or anyone responsible for ticket sales outside Blackpool for that matter)
 

philthetube

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Member of tram staff works an hour, then had a five minute opportunity for a smoke and chat, you would presumably complain also if he sold you a ticket while smoking.

There would have been no problem with him selling you a ticket when on the move, as is his job.

Maybe he had reason to sigh and complain about a lack of consideration somewhere.
 

Ianno87

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Member of tram staff works an hour, then had a five minute opportunity for a smoke and chat, you would presumably complain also if he sold you a ticket while smoking.

There would have been no problem with him selling you a ticket when on the move, as is his job.

Maybe he had reason to sigh and complain about a lack of consideration somewhere.

He simply could have said "please take a seat and I'll do your ticket when we set off".
 

philthetube

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Very true, but you could have simply taken a seat and waited to pay, rather than disturbing his 5 minute turnaround time.
 

py_megapixel

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Very true, but you could have simply taken a seat and waited to pay, rather than disturbing his 5 minute turnaround time.
Sorry, but I am new to the system in Blackpool; as some local PTEs can over-zealously enforce penalty fares etc I was worried about what would happen if I boarded without a ticket.

Also how am I supposed to know that tram staff have breaks at Fleetwood? For all I know they work a few trips up and down and then change over with another crew and have their break then, as happens in some other cases.

I don't expect aggression if I ask a member of staff a question, even if they are on a break, as they are after all still representing the company. "I'll sell you a ticket when we get going" would suffice.
 

D.K.TAYLOR

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Blackpool has always had a bad reputation and on my various visit's have lived up to there expected degree of civility but this has been for many years so I assume when retirement there off spring get the job and continue the family tradition,
Northern in there new era should get a reliable senior to sort the unhappy staff out to all are satisfaction
 

Merle Haggard

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Insolent staff on Blackpool trams are nothing new.
On a visit to Blackpool in the 1970's, waiting for a tram. When one did turn up, it was a centre-entrance double decker, half full, and with two conductors in the lower deck (one each side of the entrance). After passengers had alighted, one of the conductors physically prevented us from boarding. 'We're too busy!!!'
In common with other un-welcoming places, haven't been since. Less work, so they're probably pleased.
 

matchmaker

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No it's a joke poster someone of this parish made up. Having a few printed up and sneaking them into the advert frames at 2am would be funny as hell though. They have those allen keys with the spigot in them if anyone is tempted... [sarcasm]Not that I can condone trashing the TOCs obviously [/sarcasm]

I've a set of these security keys. Amazon...
 

Bletchleyite

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Insolent staff on Blackpool trams are nothing new.
On a visit to Blackpool in the 1970's, waiting for a tram. When one did turn up, it was a centre-entrance double decker, half full, and with two conductors in the lower deck (one each side of the entrance). After passengers had alighted, one of the conductors physically prevented us from boarding. 'We're too busy!!!'
In common with other un-welcoming places, haven't been since. Less work, so they're probably pleased.

To be fair, conductor-operated "traditional" Blackpool trams had a very limited standing capacity, usually low single figures if any at all, similar to Routemasters and other conductor-operated buses (this, like with a bus, was on a plate near the door). It is quite possible that they had inadvertently gone over capacity and had to let it drop back down.

But yes, they were a traditional, surly bunch at times! :)
 

philthetube

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Do agree that they could be a surly bunch, however Blackpool Transport seems to be a different beast now, all staff smartly dressed and I have not seen any examples of misbehaviour this year, quite the opposite in fact.

All this is off topic though.
 

spargazer

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There are a few moans about Blackpool North on Trip Adviser.com and what I have gleaned from them is this
BPN is the ICAO code for an obscure airfield in Nepal

Re: Blackpool North Station
If you have gone through the Complaints Procedure, and you are not satisfied with the response you have received so far, you may ask Passenger Focus to take up the complaint on your behalf.

Passenger Focus is the official independent watchdog for rail passengers. They will offer you impartial advice and may take up your complaint if you are not satisfied with the outcome.
Telephone: 0300 123 2350
E-mail [email protected]
OR
Write to:
Passenger Focus,
Freepost RRRE-ETTC-LEET,
PO Box 4257,
MANCHESTER
M60 3AR (this is a freepost address, you do not need to put a stamp on the envelope).

OR THE TOURIST BOARD THERE
All the best folks
NB I use the bus, cheaper, and faster from home to tower and I get a seat.
 
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