One-way systems - good and bad

[Hadders]

@MikeWh wrote about this on his site back in September.

One-Way System Woes – Oyster Fares Central

www.oyster-rail.org.uk

Finsbury Park​

Access to the Underground from the National Rail subway is not permitted. Entry to the Underground is via the new Goodwin Street entrance (off Fonthill Road). Exit is via the Station Place entrance next to the National Rail entrance. The Oyster problems stem from the haphazzard way that GTR have gated some platforms but not others on the National Rail station. If using the northbound platforms (with gates) there shouldn’t be a problem because there is an OSI between National Rail and Underground. However, there are no gates on the southbound platforms so you have to use the validators in the subway. These are counted as part of the Underground station, so the OSI doesn’t work.

 

[43094]

Leeds this morning was ‘interesting’ - by the east end steps (which everyone transferring to a platform number higher than 8 is mandated to use) was a small gaggle of Northern staff attempting a full ticket check of everyone walking past.

 

[yorksrob]

Leeds this morning was ‘interesting’ - by the east end steps (which everyone transferring to a platform number higher than 8 is mandated to use) was a small gaggle of Northern staff attempting a full ticket check of everyone walking past.

How strange. Is that not what the barriers are for !

 

[trainophile]

How strange. Is that not what the barriers are for !

Maybe making sure people weren't accidentally heading for the wrong platform, heaven forbid!

 

[yorksrob]

Maybe making sure people weren't accidentally heading for the wrong platform, heaven forbid!

That's very pro-active if so - they usually wait for people to ask for assistance !

 

[trainophile]

That's very pro-active if so - they usually wait for people to ask for assistance !

Ah but in an attempt to prevent people having to illegally double back against the flow, or do a ten minute round trip to get to the correct platform!

 

[yorksrob]

Ah but in an attempt to prevent people having to illegally double back against the flow, or do a ten minute round trip to get to the correct platform!

True, I was once reprimanded for illegally trying to walk directly from the barrier to platform 6, rather than around the lift !

 

[Kite159]

How strange. Is that not what the barriers are for !

"Why are you trying to access these platforms with a ticket for Burley Park sir, the trains for Burley Park depart from platforms 1-5?"

Barriers are useful for saying a ticket is valid at that station, not necessarily valid for the train you are going to use (or have used)

 

[Crossover]

Leeds this morning was ‘interesting’ - by the east end steps (which everyone transferring to a platform number higher than 8 is mandated to use) was a small gaggle of Northern staff attempting a full ticket check of everyone walking past.

They were there last Sunday but only checking tickets for people using that exit, not everyone going over the bridge

 

[Mag_seven]

Encountered a bizarre one way system in Portsmouth the other day whereby to get into the "Gunwharf Quays" shopping area you are not allowed to use the short "tunnel" (which is close to the Harbour station) as that is exit /one way only despite being very wide and very quiet. You are forced to take a 5-7 min diversion and when you finally get in the "two way" internal system is busier than the "one way" tunnel!

 

[trainophile]

Encountered a bizarre one way system in Portsmouth the other day whereby to get into the "Gunwharf Quays" shopping area you are not allowed to use the short "tunnel" (which is close to the Harbour station) as that is exit /one way only despite being very wide and very quiet. You are forced to take a 5-7 min diversion and when you finally get in the "two way" internal system is busier than the "one way" tunnel!

I encountered that too last month. Only allowing wheelchair access. The usual bod standing at the end of the entrance telling everyone to start hiking. Good thing it wasn't the other way round though or people would be missing their trains when they tried to exit.

 

[johntea]

The Leeds staircase police were sadly back out in force on Christmas Eve, probably more of them STOOD NEXT TO EACH OTHER than passengers!

I dd notice several Northern staff were allowed to ignore the one way system...hmm

 

[Mojo]

I noticed the people in pink jackets seemed to have returned to Kings + Mainline station in the week.

Presumably following the instances seen on Saturday evening of last week?

 

[bengley]

The Leeds staircase police were sadly back out in force on Christmas Eve, probably more of them STOOD NEXT TO EACH OTHER than passengers!

I dd notice several Northern staff were allowed to ignore the one way system...hmm

Railway staff have a specific exemption in the bylaws which allows them to travel the wrong way in one way systems.

 

[Skimpot flyer]

Railway staff have a specific exemption in the bylaws which allows them to travel the wrong way in one way systems.

Shouldn’t wrong direction moves be authorised by the signaller?

 

[bengley]

Shouldn’t wrong direction moves be authorised by the signaller?

 

[yorksrob]

**Exciting Newsflash**

The one-way system at Leeds appears to be no more.

I went up on the "up" escalator today for the first time since March.

 

[yorkie]

**Exciting Newsflash**

The one-way system at Leeds appears to be no more.

I went up on the "up" escalator today for the first time since March.

Brilliant news.

When it was new, in the Summer of 2020, there were loads of staff, late into the night, preventing people going the wrong way. As time went on, the one way system was easily by-passed on an evening for interchange purposes as most of the staff disappeared later in the day.

It's good to hear it's now gone forever.

I wonder how much it cost?

 

[yorksrob]

Brilliant news.

When it was new, in the Summer of 2020, there were loads of staff, late into the night, preventing people going the wrong way. As time went on, the one way system was easily by-passed on an evening for interchange purposes as most of the staff disappeared later in the day.

It's good to hear it's now gone forever.

I wonder how much it cost?

I'm certainly chuffed to be the first person to report it on here

There weren't many staff around, but I suppose there aren't usually of an evening.

 

[Kite159]

**Exciting Newsflash**

The one-way system at Leeds appears to be no more.

I went up on the "up" escalator today for the first time since March.

You mean passengers will no longer be welcomed to the station to the chorus of bouncers shouting "Keep left"?

Good news, as that one way system was idiotic to cause congestion

 

[yorksrob]

You mean passengers will no longer be welcomed to the station to the chorus of bouncers shouting "Keep left"?

Good news, as that one way system was idiotic to cause congestion

It will certainly result in me being less red faced and out of breath by the time I get to platform 17 !

 

[Kite159]

It will certainly result in me being less red faced and out of breath by the time I get to platform 17 !

Especially if you arrived on platform 14!

 

[yorksrob]

Especially if you arrived on platform 14!

Yes, that would have been a long trek - especially on a short connection !

 

[johnnychips]

Every cloud has a silver lining - the one at Sheffield is quite good at separating passengers entering or leaving the bridge to the platforms. However the rather pointless one at Doncaster just results in people tutting and ignoring it by going up or down the ‘wrong‘ stairs, and there are no goons to enforce it like there seemed to be at Leeds.

 

[Cdd89]

I’m happy for you up north. Personally I’ll be happy when the silly situation at Clapham Junction comes to an end!

 

[Кряква]

I’m happy for you up north. Personally I’ll be happy when the silly situation at Clapham Junction comes to an end!

Farringdon NR is amusing.

If you follow the stickers, I'm not even sure if there's a route down to the southbound platform.

I think maybe you're supposed to enter, go down the stairs to the northbound platform, then walk all the way along it, then back up and then back down?

Or maybe there is, and the sheer amount of visual pollution everywhere now as a result of these silly "how to suck eggs" stickers means that I've missed it...

At some stations I'm curious as to whether it might work to reach over and tap my Oyster on the other side of the barrier and walk through a ticket barrier 'backwards', or whether it'd be counted as a tap out (I intend to pay, but not perform some sort of bizarre dance to get to the correct side of a platform)

 

[Scotrail314209]

It's like at Glasgow Central, the rather useless bouncers in pink hi-vis enforcing the pesky one way entrance at the rather wide Gordon Street entrance but not anywhere else. They weren't very welcoming as they'd also shout at you to put on a mask, even if you were in the process of putting one on.

 

[Cdd89]

I think maybe you're supposed to enter, go down the stairs to the northbound platform, then walk all the way along it, then back up and then back down?

I thought it was to the westbound circle/H&C/met platform and then down the little stairs. I’ve no idea if that’s right as there’s never anyone there enforcing the rules. I also have no idea which set of stairs up from the north end of the northbound platform you’re meant to use.

 

[Crossover]

One of our local supermarket petrol stations kiosk gained a one way system back sometime last year. I don’t often use it as I will usually pay at pump, but have to go in with vouchers etc. Their system takes you in and to the checkout and then out round the store (it’s essentially just two aisles) to get out

i, like many others, ignore coming out (there is often hardly a soul around) and one time I ignored it going in as I wanted to get a sandwich at the opposite side of the store and didn’t do the parade via the tills to get there!

**Exciting Newsflash**

The one-way system at Leeds appears to be no more.

I went up on the "up" escalator today for the first time since March.

Hallelujah!

 

[yorksrob]

Hallelujah!

It should save me some panting !