Enthusiast photography

[mikemcniven]

I am wondering if people know various policies for enthusiast photography on stations.

Network Rail (MAN)
You have to register, on your first visit watch a 5 minute HSE video then your given a iD badge to access set platforms you ask for then you have to return the iD when your wishing to leave to sign out

Virgin Trains
Check with station "Team Leader" to see if its okay, DO NOT photo platform staff and usual don't interfere with operation of the railway.

 

[trainmania100]

I know of some stations which issue spotters with an I'd card. I've never been issued one myself but I know such policies exist at various stations in England

 

[Mag_seven]

I know of some stations which issue spotters with an I'd card.

Welcome to North Korea - what has happened to our "free country" when you now need ID cards to take photographs or spot trains.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

I am wondering if people know various policies for enthusiast photography on stations.

Network Rail (MAN)
You have to register, on your first visit watch a 5 minute HSE video then your given a iD badge to access set platforms you ask for then you have to return the iD when your wishing to leave to sign out.

Interesting - the last few times I have been to Piccadilly, including three visits this year, they told me I no longer needed to sign in, just go and do the pictures...

Have they gone back to the sign-in system used at the other Network Rail managed stations now, then?

 

[Temple Meads]

I've never signed in - or been asked to sign in - at any station, in 5 years railway photography except for Stratford International, where there was no ID badge, just signed my name in a book and bought a platform ticket.

Some London termini will apparently insist on issuing an ID card, and showing a health and safety and security video. Good peace of mind if you're planning to stay for a long time, but would be somewhat frustrating if you turn up to take a picture of one interesting working!

 

[Shaw S Hunter]

Welcome to North Korea - what has happened to our "free country" when you now need ID cards to take photographs or spot trains.

Complete nonsense. You don't need id. It may under certain circumstances be deemed helpful to station staff that you be issued with a "Visitor" pass. All that pass will have on it is the word "Visitor" with a number allowing cross-reference to a signing-in record. In practice it's not often used but is a system available as re-assurance to station staff at times of heightened vigilance. It also helps to avoid unnecessary conflict.

If you really can't stand the idea of the possibility of being subjected to such bureaucracy please feel free to find a lineside location away from stations. The network is thousands of miles long, I'm sure you can find somewhere suitable.

In the meantime try reading Network Rail's guidance for enthusiasts:

http://www.networkrail.co.uk/aspx/777.aspx

ETA Remember that railway stations are not public places but private property to which the public is admitted for the purpose of conducting legitimate railway business. This does not have to allow for enthusiasts but that is not the line taken by the industry. In many other countries, including some quite close neighbours, enthusiast activity on stations will soon arouse the interest of local law enforcement officials.

 

[HMS Ark Royal]

I am wondering if people know various policies for enthusiast photography on stations.

Network Rail (MAN)
You have to register, on your first visit watch a 5 minute HSE video then your given a iD badge to access set platforms you ask for then you have to return the iD when your wishing to leave to sign out

Virgin Trains
Check with station "Team Leader" to see if its okay, DO NOT photo platform staff and usual don't interfere with operation of the railway.

Now that is funny, that... I never get asked to sign in or watch any safety videos and I have been at this game for 20 odd years now. I wonder what Network Rail's MAN twitter page has to say - I'll get back to you on this

I've never signed in - or been asked to sign in - at any station, in 5 years railway photography except for Stratford International, where there was no ID badge, just signed my name in a book and bought a platform ticket.

Neither have I - only time I have ever been asked to sign in was by a security guard at Meadowhall about five years ago. I refused to do so on the basis he was from the shopping centre and I was stood just inside the railway boundary

 

[mikemcniven]

Now that is funny, that... I never get asked to sign in or watch any safety videos and I have been at this game for 20 odd years now. I wonder what Network Rail's MAN twitter page has to say - I'll get back to you on this

It is since the ticket gates came in, here is the tweet from Network Rail Manchester https://twitter.com/NetworkRailMAN/status/766595136293830656

 

[HMS Ark Royal]

It is since the ticket gates came in, here is the tweet from Network Rail Manchester https://twitter.com/NetworkRailMAN/status/766595136293830656

Does that apply only to those platforms? I was there a week ago (which reminds me to post the trip report) and never got asked to sign in

 

[mikemcniven]

Does that apply only to those platforms? I was there a week ago (which reminds me to post the trip report) and never got asked to sign in

as far as I am aware it is for all platforms, as they have the manual ticket checks too on the non auto barrier platforms. I normally do Platform 8/9 and I had to sign in.

 

[Phil.]

I am wondering if people know various policies for enthusiast photography on stations.

Network Rail (MAN)
You have to register, on your first visit watch a 5 minute HSE video then your given a iD badge to access set platforms you ask for then you have to return the iD when your wishing to leave to sign out

Virgin Trains
Check with station "Team Leader" to see if its okay, DO NOT photo platform staff and usual don't interfere with operation of the railway.

A five minute H&S video before going train spotting.
The world's gone mad!

 

[ash39]

Not for me thanks. I'll continue to do what I've done for the past 5 years (in which time I've never been challenged) which is take my pictures from a safe area, keeping out of the way of other passengers and railway staff. I'm rarely at a station for more than 10 mins or so, it's only ever the odd photo of a train I've just got off at journey's end rather than a full photo session. As someone posted above, I'd go lineside for that as the photos would probably be better anyway.

I'd be interested to see what the line would be for tourists taking a snap of their train as they get on/off - you see a lot of this at York, especially foreign tourists. Do they have to watch the video too?

 

[causton]

Not for me thanks.

I would say what you are doing is acceptable, there is a big difference between people who spend 5 minutes taking a photo or a few, and people who spend literal hours videoing or taking photos!

 

[HMS Ark Royal]

Not for me thanks. I'll continue to do what I've done for the past 5 years (in which time I've never been challenged) which is take my pictures from a safe area, keeping out of the way of other passengers and railway staff. I'm rarely at a station for more than 10 mins or so, it's only ever the odd photo of a train I've just got off at journey's end rather than a full photo session. As someone posted above, I'd go lineside for that as the photos would probably be better anyway.

I'd be interested to see what the line would be for tourists taking a snap of their train as they get on/off - you see a lot of this at York, especially foreign tourists. Do they have to watch the video too?

I can honestly say that I have never been stopped and asked to watch a video at YRK either...

 

[MK Tom]

So much of this discussion seems to centre on the practise of entering a station purely to take photos. That's odd to me - I do a trip where I already have a ticket to travel, and photo as part of the trip. As such I always have a legitimate reason to be on the station and virtually never have trouble.

The only time I did was at Southend Victoria, when I had to argue past a succession of rude security guards and even a police officer before I found staff who knew the actual Abellio policy. Needless to say Abellio were informed afterwards and a message was passed on to the staff there. Wasn't really worth it for three 321s but it becomes a matter of principle.

I do think it's a bit entitled to think you have the right to enter a station for photography alone - I get angry if I'm stopped (which has only ever happened in the UK at Southend Victoria and London Cannon Street) but I'm always a legitimate passenger. This is a matter in which my personal feelings as an enthusiast come into conflict with my understanding that landowners have the right to set policy on their land. It's our job as organised enthusiasts to popularise the concept of what we do and work with those operators to our mutual benefit.

The other element is just being sensible - don't whip your camera out when Barry Jobsworth is walking past in his hi-vis. Exercise a little discretion and, like me, you'll have about two incidents with the odd cleaner or third-party gateline staff member in 500 trips over 8 years.

 

[mikemcniven]

Just to add in to my comments as I have been to Piccadilly yesterday for the first time since starting the thread, they still operate the visitor pass thing, mine from Yesterday is attached.


Visitor pass by Mike McNiven, on Flickr

 

[bramling]

So much of this discussion seems to centre on the practise of entering a station purely to take photos. That's odd to me - I do a trip where I already have a ticket to travel, and photo as part of the trip. As such I always have a legitimate reason to be on the station and virtually never have trouble.

The only time I did was at Southend Victoria, when I had to argue past a succession of rude security guards and even a police officer before I found staff who knew the actual Abellio policy. Needless to say Abellio were informed afterwards and a message was passed on to the staff there. Wasn't really worth it for three 321s but it becomes a matter of principle.

I do think it's a bit entitled to think you have the right to enter a station for photography alone - I get angry if I'm stopped (which has only ever happened in the UK at Southend Victoria and London Cannon Street) but I'm always a legitimate passenger. This is a matter in which my personal feelings as an enthusiast come into conflict with my understanding that landowners have the right to set policy on their land. It's our job as organised enthusiasts to popularise the concept of what we do and work with those operators to our mutual benefit.

The other element is just being sensible - don't whip your camera out when Barry Jobsworth is walking past in his hi-vis. Exercise a little discretion and, like me, you'll have about two incidents with the odd cleaner or third-party gateline staff member in 500 trips over 8 years.

As has been posted elsewhere, people have had trouble at Southend Victoria at various times. Certainly my impression was some fairly rude staff there with not much else to do but go round stirring up trouble. I've had more issues in Essex than everywhere else in the country combined.