Crewe station - new entrance - ticket barriers

[All Line Rover]

(Very, very) slowly but surely, the new entrance at Crewe station is taking shape.

The new entrance will incorporate TVMs and an information point, with access to the platforms provided via a subway (which already exists, but will be refurbished and opened up to passengers).

According to the planning applications, this subway will have 5 ticket barriers. It appears Virgin aren't averse them after all. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't believe any existing Virgin-operated WCML stations have ticket barriers.

Does anyone know what will happen to the existing street level entrance, which is perfectly adequate from a passengers' point of view?

I would be disappointed if it closes, as a narrow subway with 5 ticket barriers seems inadequate for a station the size of Crewe, and a subway isn't the most attractive way to enter a station (as Warrington Bank Quay and Wigan North Western aptly demonstrate).

I would also be surprised if the existing entrance closed given that the new car park will be half the size of the existing one (which is surrounded by even more car parks), thus implying that these existing car parks will be retained; and given they are opposite the existing entrance, it would be strange if users of these car parks had to make a detour around the station to access the new entrance, especially as the existing entrance is at street level, whereas the new entrance, being a subway, requires passengers to walk down a flight of stairs and then back up again!

 

[All Line Rover]

I've come across the attached FAQ document (which, typically, is hosted on the council's website but isn't linked to anywhere, and only appears in an obscure Google search!) which confirms that the existing entrance will be retained. That's a relief.

With two entrances I don't think the installation of ticket barriers will be much of a problem.

The document also confirms that the project is long overdue. The expected completion date was autumn 2013 yet some buildings are still awaiting demolition! Autumn 2014 may be achievable, though I'm not putting my hopes up.

Contrary to what the council initially said, the revised planning proposals indicate that the ticket office will remain where it currently is. Unless a mini ticket office is built in the new entrance, the ticket gates will force passengers requiring a ticket not available from a TVM to go on a detour around the exterior of the station in order to access the ticket office. That's not ideal!

 

[Greenback]

If there had been a decision to get rid of the current entrance, it would have been a poor one.

I don't really see the point of installing ticket barriers at the enw entrance if they aren't going to have them at the current one, so I assume barriers will be fitted there too? Or maybe the plans have been put in to include barriers, but none will be installed?

 

[craigybagel]

There was a requirement in the WCML franchise bid that whoever won had to put barriers in at all stations. I believe that even after the bidding process was cancelled, the plan was that installation of barriers would still continue (the VT operated station I worked at at the time had equipment temporarily installed to monitor the flow of passengers through the entrance as part of the design process for barriers there), but I'm not sure what the timescale is or whether those plans are still progressing.

 

[DazDude]

As it stands, I believe the new entrance is scheduled to be open by May from what I have read.