Newport - What a dump!

[ian1944]

Finally, and this is nothing to do with the station, I know, but the maps outside defy all mapping conventions by having south at the top! I know the layout of the place and even I was confused trying to work out what was the matter with the map as it didn't look right at all!

The platforms at Birmingham NS run N -> S from no.1 upwards numerically, but the National Rail layout map (platform 1 at the bottom) is this contrary way round too. If so, why? It's neither necessary nor in any way better, indeed it's worse by departing from convention. The north-is-top plan published by the Dudley Mail is much clearer, not least by marking clearly the west and east ends.

 

[Parallel]

I have changed at Newport in the past a fair few times, and I never thought it was THAT bad, until I started needing to change more at other stations and then I realised how atrocious it is. Any station that has to have the blue 'anti drug' lights in the toilets says it all really.

I agree about the poor communication too. I was wanting a Swansea bound HST at Newport and the departure board said "Calling at Patchway, Cardiff Central, Bridgend..." Patchway?? And then the train disappeared off the departure board so I went to ask at the information desk and the staff just said "it's disappeared" LOL. Half an hour later after an all shacks Llanelli stopper and a Maesteg pacer pulled up and left, it finally arrived. It actually said it had "arrived" about 5 minutes before it actually did, cue me stuffing the rest of my food down my throat to make it, and then standing on the platform for 5 minutes waiting.

Platform 1 is annoying too, late running FGW services from Portsmouth usually terminate there early and the lack of departure boards listing trains for other platforms is annoying, and it's just a very run down platform and half of it is not even meant to be for passenger use! Newport seems to provide a mixture of poorly maintained and run down traditional features with poor quality new ones. Also, this station is a nightmare for lugging a suitcase around.

For me, Newport station isn't the worst station I've ever been to though. So what is I hear you wondering?

Port Talbot Parkway. Dire. (Before the current refurb).

 

[Greenback]

Fortunately, I've never had to use Port Talbot Parkway, though I cam perilously close once when Traveline Cymru suggested it as part of the quickest route to the nearby hospital. I decided to opt for convenience rather than speed and took the bus all the way, costing me five minutes but saving me the delights of the station itself.

But Newport has one major disadvantage when it comes to changing trains, four platforms instead of one island!

 

[6Gman]

Finally, and this is nothing to do with the station, I know, but the maps outside defy all mapping conventions by having south at the top! I know the layout of the place and even I was confused trying to work out what was the matter with the map as it didn't look right at all!

QUOTE]

I struggle with maps that are up side down. North should always be at the top.

Pah! There used to be a map on Crewe station (Platform 6) which showed both the town, and the immediate area on the same sheet. One had north at the top; t'other had south at the top. Work that one out!

 

[oglord]

Newports City status was stolen from us, so they deserve a station that looks awful.

A town of 42,000 people a city? Yes there are smaller places that are, but they have some history. Wrexham wasn't even incorporated as a borough until 1857!

 

[O L Leigh]

My train arrived at platform 1, I jumped off and looked around for the departure screen. There isn't one! In order to see a list of services and where they will go from you have to go all the way down to the ridiculous golf ball thing at the end of the platform.

Yes there is. There's one under the canopy by the S Car stop board at the Cardiff end of P1.

O L Leigh

 

[BestWestern]

It's almost a year since I last changed trains at Newport but I noticed then that the old footbridge seemed to have been taken out of use.
Is the buffet still in business? I would have thought that loss of the footbridge plus distance from the new entrance would have effectively killed it off.

Noope, the Up Your Crusty is still trading. SSP outlets seem to be like cockroaches; totally unwelcome but relentlessly present. On a much more positive note, there is a far, far superior little outlet by the barriers which shows how it should be done. My money goes in their till every time.

 

[quarella]

Pah! There used to be a map on Crewe station (Platform 6) which showed both the town, and the immediate area on the same sheet. One had north at the top; t'other had south at the top. Work that one out!

If a displayed map shows an area within view I want it to be displayed so you can get your points of reference without having to either flip it in your head or have to turn round as it is displayed in the opposite direction to the are it applies to.

 

[Kite159]

Yes there is. There's one under the canopy by the S Car stop board at the Cardiff end of P1.

O L Leigh

Is it a style which always seems to be on page 2 of 5 whenever someone needs information quickly?

Like anybody really needs to know that in 2 hours time a train to Cardiff will depart from platform 3

 

[Flamingo]

Nobody has mentioned Platform 3 yet, with half the HST away from the canopy, and a trail of passengers with bikes and reservations in A, B and C wandering down the platform after the HST arrives into the part of the platform that the dispatch staff seem unaware of! I can only think of one occasion I have seen a dispatcher walk past the lift!

The banner repeater that always shows the dispatch signal on Platform 3 as Red when the signal is at green or yellow is a nightmare in itself, and an accident waiting to happen.

My personal view is that the designer actually visited one of the other Newports in the system when they were planning it.

 

[Gareth Marston]

Nobody has mentioned Platform 3 yet, with half the HST away from the canopy, and a trail of passengers with bikes and reservations in A, B and C wandering down the platform after the HST arrives into the part of the platform that the dispatch staff seem unaware of! I can only think of one occasion I have seen a dispatcher walk past the lift!

The banner repeater that always shows the dispatch signal on Platform 3 as Red when the signal is at green or yellow is a nightmare in itself, and an accident waiting to happen.

My personal view is that the designer actually visited one of the other Newports in the system when they were planning it.

The bridge looked pretty if it accidentally got in the helicopter shot of the Ryder Cup though!

 

[Greenback]

Yes there is. There's one under the canopy by the S Car stop board at the Cardiff end of P1.

O L Leigh

Either I can see even less than I think I can see, or it was away on holiday when I was there! If there is one, it doesn't appear to be very visible,e ven though I'm renowned for not noticing things. I did walk up and down the platform twice looking for info!

If a displayed map shows an area within view I want it to be displayed so you can get your points of reference without having to either flip it in your head or have to turn round as it is displayed in the opposite direction to the are it applies to.

I'd like to know who makes the decision when mapping conventions are turned on their head, so to speak.

 

[rdeez]

A plus point for Newport: You can stay at the Hampton by Hilton hotel there for the positively bargain price of 5,000 Hilton points, if you're into their loyalty program. Cheaper than staying in Cardiff!

However while taking advantage of the above offer on a few occasions, I've never ventured to the station...and perhaps now I won't. Ever.

 

[Greenback]

A plus point for Newport: You can stay at the Hampton by Hilton hotel there for the positively bargain price of 5,000 Hilton points, if you're into their loyalty program. Cheaper than staying in Cardiff!

I'm sure there is a very good reason for that!

However while taking advantage of the above offer on a few occasions, I've never ventured to the station...and perhaps now I won't. Ever.

You haven't and won't be missing much. Though I do feel it's a bit of shame you didn't see the station before it was murdered, er I mean improved for the Ryder Cup. It used to be quite pleasant, always some enthusiasts at the platform end when the Godfrey Road stabling point was in use!

 

[PHILIPE]

A plus point for Newport: You can stay at the Hampton by Hilton hotel there for the positively bargain price of 5,000 Hilton points, if you're into their loyalty program. Cheaper than staying in Cardiff!

However while taking advantage of the above offer on a few occasions, I've never ventured to the station...and perhaps now I won't. Ever.

Wetherspoons Hotel close to also, The Queens Hotel.

 

[Quakers Yard]

A lot of money was wasted ruining this station.
Never ever change there to go west...seen about 100 people trying to get on a full and standing 150 to Milford once. Cant think they were all going to Cardiff as they got off the adjacent hst I was on going westwards.

 

[387star]

You should see the staff mess room

 

[Envoy]

A lot of money was wasted ruining this station.
Never ever change there to go west...seen about 100 people trying to get on a full and standing 150 to Milford once. Cant think they were all going to Cardiff as they got off the adjacent hst I was on going westwards.

Which tallies with the point that I was making about the National Rail computer telling people heading to west Wales to leave trains from England at Newport. These people could have surely stayed on the HST all the way to Swansea? Why are the management so slack in picking up on this and sorting out the 'advice' given by the computer system?

 

[Greenback]

The advice is duff, and was rein forced by the XC guard on the train I alighted from, who reminded people that if they had an Advance ticket and an itinerary requiring a change at Newport they had to get off there, anyone else was welcome to travel on to Cardiff and change there.

It looks like at least some staff are aware of the horrors of Newport station, but will still insist that you suffer it rather than staying on a pretty empty service to the next stop.

 

[387star]

On platform one there is a departure board so small you would need to have excellent eyesight to read it!

 

[Greenback]

I don't have excellent eyesight, so maybe that explains it!

 

[Spamcan81]

I'm amazed nobody has posted this yet...



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eijc2tGe-zM

Outstanding.

 

[GatwickDepress]

You should see the staff mess room

Does it live up to its name?

 

[Flamingo]

Does it live up to its name?

Imagine a public toilet with the urinals removed, and a table with a microwave and kettle put in their place.

 

[Greenback]

UGh. Did it used to be a urinal? There's a cafe in Swansea market that looks like it has taken the place of a toilet, there's a distinct change in the wall tiling, and you can still where the walls would have been separated the toilet from the rest of the market. The tiling on that part of the wall is traditional public convenience style, the rest of the wall is plaster!

 

[plymothian]

Imagine a public toilet with the urinals removed, and a table with a microwave and kettle put in their place.

So you still got the stalls?

A management decision to cut down on wasted time? - eat and crap in the same room!

 

[HowardGWR]

There's been talk of a service from Ebbw to Newport instead of Cardiff. Reading the above and watching the rap video, I can see for the people up there, it would actually be going down market (and if you've visited the Ebbw Vale recently, you'll understand my viewpoint).

The South Wales people are great though, it's just such an enormous challenge to change things in the valleys. Newport station 'improvement' doesn't do it though.

 

[Gareth Marston]

The bus station is currently being redeveloped in Newport with new shopping going up and the buses going from temporary places.

 

[quarella]

The advice is duff, and was rein forced by the XC guard on the train I alighted from, who reminded people that if they had an Advance ticket and an itinerary requiring a change at Newport they had to get off there, anyone else was welcome to travel on to Cardiff and change there.

It looks like at least some staff are aware of the horrors of Newport station, but will still insist that you suffer it rather than staying on a pretty empty service to the next stop.

Surely that is correct advice in accordance with the conditions of an advance ticket.

 

[Greenback]

Surely that is correct advice in accordance with the conditions of an advance ticket.

The advice is technically correct, but duff because it shows no empathy for passengers and makes no difference to the XC unit which would still be running to Cardiff but with a dozen more seats unoccupied than there would have been.

As the ticket was 'XC and Connections' there is a moral case for staying on the XC train until it terminated, thus avoiding the dump that is Newport completely.