Journey on an Advance that can't be completed tonight?

[AlterEgo]

Apparently the 'M&S Food' at Milton Keynes Central is not on station premises, despite being on the forecourt and in a building owned by Network Rail!

At least according to an over-officious London Midland gateline staffer I encountered some months back, who initially refused me access even to the concourse because, in his words, "Breaking a journey means going through the gateline."

Actually the M and S Food isn't, to my mind, on station premises, although the LM gateline chap was wrong to suggest that breaking one's journey means going through the gateline!

The M and S Food isn't part of the station. You have to go outside the station, turn left and there it is. Just because it is a tenant of Network Rail, who supposedly own the office building surrounding the station, doesn't make it part of the station.

 

[yorkie]

The M and S Food isn't part of the station. You have to go outside the station, turn left and there it is. Just because it is a tenant of Network Rail, who supposedly own the office building surrounding the station, doesn't make it part of the station.

I'll take your word for it, as it's your territory! But it's not always easy to know.

Network Rail do make this fairly clear for stations that they manage, as they provide helpful maps of the station. From these, it can be determined that several bars/pubs are within station premises at locations such as Manchester (Balcony Bar), Glasgow Central (Bonapartes) and Leeds (Wetherspoon).

 

[bnm]

The forecourt shops are included on the 'Stations Made Easy' map on National Rail Enquiries.

 

[AlterEgo]

The forecourt shops are included on the 'Stations Made Easy' map on National Rail Enquiries.

So is the car park, which is owned by Milton Keynes Council. The 'Shops' are in white, and I thought that, along with the fact the individual premises aren't named, means it wasn't defined as part of the station.

I'd have let you through the barrier (seems a little asinine to deny you a good sandwich!), but I guess the definition of "station premises" is rather ambiguous.

 

[bnm]

I'd have let you through the barrier (seems a little asinine to deny you a good sandwich!), but I guess the definition of "station premises" is rather ambiguous.

As is "facilities". The only public phones are outside the main entrance.

 

[cuccir]

As is "facilities". The only public phones are outside the main entrance.

I'd have let you through the barrier (seems a little asinine to deny you a good sandwich!), but I guess the definition of "station premises" is rather ambiguous.

Indeed. At some stations you have to leave the premises to cross under/over the track line on a bridge or tunnel in order to reach facilities that are on other platforms.

Of course, with thousands of stations, the NCoC shouldn't be expected to cope with the intricacies of the layout of every single location: which means, to return to the OP, that staff should allow passengers to go to an M&S that forms part of the station premises, even if the access is via a council owned car park!

 

[Deerfold]

Or a journey where a shorter late night connection precludes having overnight accommodation. I, for one wouldn't spend money on a hotel room for 3 hours in Newport!

Hotels tend to get suspicious of people wanting to book by the hour (I was checking in at one when a bloke was trying to book a rather brief room).