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Leeds station to be ticket holders only midnight - 5:30am

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johntea

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This is certainly an interesting development, they must have struck a deal with McDonalds too as they'll now be cut off from quite a busy period of customers for 2 hours at weekends!
 

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johntea

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Yes, generally York to Manchester Airport TPE (and vice versa). The previous policy was nobody past the ticket barriers until 10 minutes before train departure times during the night but now the whole station seems to be off limits.

A negative step (quite a safe place to wait for a taxi, and McDonalds a lot less rowdy than Briggate) but probably required due to the minority of idiots as usual!
 

Paul Kelly

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Isn't the ticket office at Leeds currently open 24 hours? This seems like a backward step. Maybe there will be TVMs installed outside the station otherwise it looks like quite a catch-22 situation.
 

gimmea50anyday

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It might be in reaction to excessive antisocial behaviour, however I would have thought it would have been the platform area as opposed to the entire station.

As I have often said on here, great having barriers but they should be manned and operated properly.
 

ole17

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one can't help noticing how the sign says "'doors' to the station will be staffed" instead of entrances. imagine btp checking around fire exits as well from time to time for antisocial behaviour.
 

Blindtraveler

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Surely a single to somewhere like New Pudsy or headingly or a disgarded ticket thats not been gripped would get round this one?
Backward step indeed although I hope arriving pax awating taxis or having a cuppa somewhere still open wouldnt be turfed out if ticketed?
 

Xenophon PCDGS

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It might be in reaction to excessive antisocial behaviour, however I would have thought it would have been the platform area as opposed to the entire station.

Most unfortunately, it can be something far more serious than anti-social behaviour to be guarded against in this day and age when international terrorism is something that knows no boundaries.

I know the recent incident at the Manchester United football ground was thankfully not a real device (it actually was made to look so by the private security group who were involved with the testing of the dog search and patrol teams at that ground). but a timed explosion from a device that had been planted hours earlier when large numbers are expected on that large railway station could be horrific if it occurred.
 

Bletchleyite

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Surely a single to somewhere like New Pudsy or headingly or a disgarded ticket thats not been gripped would get round this one?
Backward step indeed although I hope arriving pax awating taxis or having a cuppa somewhere still open wouldnt be turfed out if ticketed?

There won't be anywhere to have a cuppa - all the shops will close at midnight.
 

Shaw S Hunter

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Without direct experience of Leeds station quite so late what follows is speculation on my part but I wonder if the measure is an attempt to deal with criminal activities such as drug dealing or solicitation? It could be that BTP feels under-resourced to deal with a particular issue at present and this may be a somewhat cynical move to try and push problems off their patch and onto that of the local constabulary. Frankly it wouldn't surprise me if the same thing happens elsewhere in due course.
 

Iskra

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This is what happens at Huddersfield currently (and in my opinion quite ridiculously), they make you wait outside the doors (in the rain) and then only open the doors 10 minutes before trains are due to arrive. It's not very passenger friendly for Airport trains considering people tend to be at the station early if they're catching a flight and have lots of luggage to get to the correct platform.
 

Starmill

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The platform area is already closed between these times except until 10 minutes before boarding... They must mean the whole station. Also it's pretty crazy that they need to close the shops, the Starbucks at Manchester Piccadilly is open 24 hours* (although the ticket office closes at 2230). Then again, Leeds is a bit of a dump compared to Manchester Piccadilly so I can see why its experiencing more abuse.

*Except Sunday night
 
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185

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Who's the poor *** going to be stood in the doorway with an Avantix selling tickets at 3am Sat night? :P
 

Class 170101

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Most unfortunately, it can be something far more serious than anti-social behaviour to be guarded against in this day and age when international terrorism is something that knows no boundaries.

I know the recent incident at the Manchester United football ground was thankfully not a real device (it actually was made to look so by the private security group who were involved with the testing of the dog search and patrol teams at that ground). but a timed explosion from a device that had been planted hours earlier when large numbers are expected on that large railway station could be horrific if it occurred.

If a device has been left for hours then it would suggest that the station's security porcedures aren't working properly. There should be regular sweeps of the station to account for this.
 

Iskra

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I travelled through Leeds station last night on the 2156 off London, so I arrived about 00:20 and this new policy was in action, with a PCSO making everyone queue up outside. It was however completely pointless as a London train had just disgorged x hundred drunk football fans who were happily marauding around the inside of the station...

...Also the ticket barriers were closed, yet one staff member just let everyone through the disabled gate without checking tickets, which is a bit strange.
 
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amateur

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The last time i were in Leeds was probably 2005! Is ASBO really that "bad" in Leeds? All relative, I suppose
 

bewildered

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Then again, Leeds is a bit of a dump compared to Manchester Piccadilly so I can see why its experiencing more abuse.

What an utterly moronic statement, what does the facilities mean in contrast to this? I've seen just as many drunk unsociable people in Piccadilly as I've seen in Leeds, many London stations and other large stations all over the country.

Any ways from the horses mouth (a member of BTP) the reason behind this trial is to avert anti social behaviour and drunks. The issues with Leeds station is the large taxi rank outside which is one of the main routes home for people out on the town. As anyone that's actually travelled through Leeds station in the early hours you'll find a lot of people who are refused passage in taxis due to being too intoxicated, they thought it was acceptable to sleep it off in the station (and before anyone says drunks are present in all cities). This lead to other issues arising which homeless thinking it was ok to sleep on the concourse, theft from passed out revellers, and other issues arising to it. This was taking up too much time for the police in dealing with this so in the light of it all decided to shut the station.

Unfortunately it's a sad state of affairs when a minority spoil it for everyone but because of budgets it's simply to viable to operate it as once before. I believe also due to the surrounding area of Leeds station being BTPs "beat" and there being many busy latenight thoroughfares they also have to patrol these and couldn't give their full service to the concourse.
 

brompton rail

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What an utterly moronic statement, what does the facilities mean in contrast to this? I've seen just as many drunk unsociable people in Piccadilly as I've seen in Leeds, many London stations and other large stations all over the country.

Any ways from the horses mouth (a member of BTP) the reason behind this trial is to avert anti social behaviour and drunks. The issues with Leeds station is the large taxi rank outside which is one of the main routes home for people out on the town. As anyone that's actually travelled through Leeds station in the early hours you'll find a lot of people who are refused passage in taxis due to being too intoxicated, they thought it was acceptable to sleep it off in the station (and before anyone says drunks are present in all cities). This lead to other issues arising which homeless thinking it was ok to sleep on the concourse, theft from passed out revellers, and other issues arising to it. This was taking up too much time for the police in dealing with this so in the light of it all decided to shut the station.

Unfortunately it's a sad state of affairs when a minority spoil it for everyone but because of budgets it's simply to viable to operate it as once before. I believe also due to the surrounding area of Leeds station being BTPs "beat" and there being many busy latenight thoroughfares they also have to patrol these and couldn't give their full service to the concourse.

Perhaps it might be an idea (could be good or bad!) to close the taxi rank instead. After all New Station Street is Network Rail land and not public highway.

Drunks and other non railway customers are a problem late at night at many railway stations, even after last train departures/arrivals.
 

Iskra

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The last time i were in Leeds was probably 2005! Is ASBO really that "bad" in Leeds? All relative, I suppose

It's not just Leeds, there was a thread about similar issues at York recently and there are scores of 'dry trains' across the network now which implies it is not just Leeds. Where Leeds (and York) are fairly unique is that they both have trains 24 hours a day and are very close to the drinking areas in each city, whereas it's all a bit more spread out at Manchester etc.
 
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bradford758

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Leeds local bus station now closes at 23:30 (presumably the coach station is still open).
Bradford Interchange closes at 01:30 with coaches using Hall Ings after this time.

Sent from my 4009X using Tapatalk
 

greaterwest

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...Also the ticket barriers were closed, yet one staff member just let everyone through the disabled gate without checking tickets, which is a bit strange.

Would you like to persuade hundreds of drunk football fans to use ticket barriers?

Thought not.

At that point, if the member of staff in question let them all through the wide aisle gate, it may be a question of safety, not only for that member of staff, but for the drunks on the station.
 
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