Perth Station

[herschell]

Not sure if it's been mentioned here, I was at this station and was thinking how some of it is a bit dark and could do with some extra lighting, does anyone else agree?

 

[najaB]

Not sure if it's been mentioned here, I was at this station and was thinking how some of it is a bit dark and could do with some extra lighting, does anyone else agree?

It's not the brightest of places at night, but I've never found it to be dangerously dark. It doesn't help that a lot of the lights are sodium vapour lamps which put out a lot of Lux but in a part of the spectrum that we're less sensitive to so they don't seem as bright as they are. don't give good colour rendition and never seem as bright as they are.

 

[leightonbd]

Doesn't help that there is no life on the platforms - the only cafe. I think, is at the entrance in the booking hall and not in view of the trains.

Makes the train shed a quiet, tired place when it could be a little more like, say, Preston/Carlisle or even Stirling.

 

[chefchenko]

Doesn't help that there is no life on the platforms - the only cafe. I think, is at the entrance in the booking hall and not in view of the trains.

Makes the train shed a quiet, tired place when it could be a little more like, say, Preston/Carlisle or even Stirling.

its always very quiet, a fine station with a grand past now looks sad and neglected

 

[najaB]

Makes the train shed a quiet, tired place when it could be a little more like, say, Preston/Carlisle or even Stirling.

It's not that busy a station though - I think the busiest it gets is about 4 or 5tph.

 

[herschell]

I think the pictures of older trains on platform 1 could certainly do with a bit of a touch up as well

 

[SeanG]

From when I visited it seemed that perhaps a smaller station would feel a bit busier as the big station gives so much space so it would look empty.

Of course its much better to keep the lovely old station and do it up

 

[najaB]

From when I visited it seemed that perhaps a smaller station would feel a bit busier as the big station gives so much space so it would look empty.

Of course its much better to keep the lovely old station and do it up

Of course, in my dreams the line through Forfar would be reopened as a through route to Aberdeen and the station would be much more busy with northward extensions of WCML services.

 

[route:oxford]

It's not that busy a station though - I think the busiest it gets is about 4 or 5tph.

I understand there has been a considerable increase in passengers from Gleneagles since the rebuild and new link road being built (not shown on Google or Bing maps) from the A823. It's finally made the station a safe proposition for access from Auchterarder.

Perhaps it's time for one Edinburgh-Dunblane an hour to be extended to Perth?

 

[najaB]

Perhaps it's time for one Edinburgh-Dunblane an hour to be extended to Perth?

I like the idea, but it breaks the departure pattern from Dunblane back to Edinburgh.

 

[alexf380]

Surely an hour would be plenty to go Dunblane - Perth - Dunblane? Just pop it in the Dunblane to Edinburgh path an hour later.

 

[najaB]

Surely an hour would be plenty to go Dunblane - Perth - Dunblane? Just pop it in the Dunblane to Edinburgh path an hour later.

If you include a Gleneagles stop, it's pretty much bang on 30 minutes each way. That doesn't give much time for the turnaround.

 

[Altnabreac]

If you include a Gleneagles stop, it's pretty much bang on 30 minutes each way. That doesn't give much time for the turnaround.

Given the imminent (well 2018 anyway) Dunblane electrification this prevents any extension to Perth in the medium term.

However post electrification to Perth in the mid 2020s this would presumably reduce journey times enough to make it a reasonable option at that point.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
On the general point of Perth station it is one of only a few stations left that has not been repainted and had new signs in the saltire livery.

For some reason the Dundee bound platforms (1&2) have been done in saltire livery but not the rest of the station.

I believe only Rosyth, Alloa and a few of the Far North stations remain in pre- Saltire appearance. Also I believe there is a deadline of the franchise handover to complete the relivery so there may be some more painting / new signs appearing at Perth in the next month or two.

 

[najaB]

For some reason the Dundee bound platforms (1&2) have been done in saltire livery but not the rest of the station.

That's really interesting - can't believe I didn't notice it before. Maybe because those platforms are on the route to Salmond-landia?

 

[Gadget88]

Perth is a great station but agree it's not always busy. Glad they kept the old building as Falkirk has none of the origonal stations left.

Was up there one time and there was an old steam train looked great with the old building. Would be good if they did some stream routes to Perth over the Forth rail bridge and back? Would make it much busier.

No need for the Dunblane to extend as the Aberdeen service is already very good.

 

[route:oxford]

Perth is a great station but agree it's not always busy. Glad they kept the old building as Falkirk has none of the original stations left.

Falkirk Grahamston is a disgrace, or at least was still a disgrace the last time I visited before Christmas.

The platforms are too short for the 'Chieftain and the pedestrian bridge is a rust-bucket.

It's time for a completely new station and bridge. An extra platform or two might be helpful for accommodating a Grangemouth or additional Cumbernauld service too.

No need for the Dunblane to extend as the Aberdeen service is already very good.

But still requires a change at Larbert or Stirling for Gleneagles commuters travelling to Edinburgh/Edinburgh Park

 

[Gadget88]

Falkirk Grahamston is a disgrace, or at least was still a disgrace the last time I visited before Christmas.

The platforms are too short for the 'Chieftain and the pedestrian bridge is a rust-bucket.

It's time for a completely new station and bridge. An extra platform or two might be helpful for accommodating a Grangemouth or additional Cumbernauld service too.



But still requires a change at Larbert or Stirling for Gleneagles commuters travelling to Edinburgh/Edinburgh Park

The windows have been painted rather than the red. Thats that changed and they put a new ticket office in. No wi-fi noting. If you Google the old station they demolished a nice station looked like Stirling. Now it's a late 80's ugly building. The actual building looks similar to the one at Inverkieving but they did atleast keep the origonal building on the old platform. When is see how good Gleneagles looks now and the new cafe at North Queensferry makes Falkirk look awful.

 

[route:oxford]

The windows have been painted rather than the red. Thats that changed and they put a new ticket office in. No wi-fi noting. If you Google the old station they demolished a nice station looked like Stirling. Now it's a late 80's ugly building. The actual building looks similar to the one at Inverkieving but they did atleast keep the origonal building on the old platform. When is see how good Gleneagles looks now and the new cafe at North Queensferry makes Falkirk look awful.

They did quite well with the new bridge at Dunblane - it's really quite in keeping, but modern all the same.

 

[route:oxford]

Picture of new Dunblane Bridge

(Downloaded from Network Rail Press Release)

 

[aylesbury]

At least its painted white the horrible bridge at Bicester town is blue and even more unsightly.

 

[Gadget88]

Picture of new Dunblane Bridge

(Downloaded from Network Rail Press Release)

Yep I like that they have one like it in Perth.

I believe one of the stations in Fife might have been Rosyth got a new footbridge.

Sadly seems they probably only replace really old ones. I reckon the current ones will be around another 20+ years.

It's a shame as the line will be electrifed but the station simply isn't fit for purpose. Even Cumbernauld had had a revamp.

 

[blackhill]

Perth is a great station but agree it's not always busy. Glad they kept the old building as Falkirk has none of the origonal stations left.

Was up there one time and there was an old steam train looked great with the old building. Would be good if they did some stream routes to Perth over the Forth rail bridge and back? Would make it much busier.

No need for the Dunblane to extend as the Aberdeen service is already very good.

It is a busy station passengers numbers have doubled in the last 10 years to almost 1M pa. I think the reason it looks empty is it so vast, 7 platforms over a large area with two station entrances.

 

[jeemac]

I often change at Perth, and always feel it has a real sense of faded glory. Yes it's busy with around 1M users a year, but it's a shame the wonderful old train shed is fairly quiet, while a lot of the business is happening on Dundee and Aberdeen services out on platforms 1 and 2! I'd love to see it REALLY buzzing again, with direct services to Edinburgh via Kinross every 30 minutes, and North to Aberdeen via Forfar - but in the short term a nice on-platform cafe would make it feel better!

There's a great review article here, which has some fantastic pictures of the station in the 'glory days' as well as timetables and history that may be interesting to many on here.

http://www.railwaywondersoftheworld.com/perth.html

 

[cf111]

Changing at Perth is no fun especially if you've more than ten minutes. Not much to do and very cold, a cafe would be lovely.

 

[D6975]

Changing at Perth is no fun especially if you've more than ten minutes. Not much to do and very cold, a cafe would be lovely.

I used to nip across the road to the Cafe in the bus station. I assume it's still there?

oo errr - just noticed that I'm now an Established Member. Do I get a T-shirt?

 

[jeemac]

Changing at Perth is no fun especially if you've more than ten minutes. Not much to do and very cold, a cafe would be lovely.

Now that there are platform barriers, it's not easy to nip out of the station while you're waiting on a connection, especially if you're on an advance ticket. The siting of the shop in that small entrance area doen't work for me either - a simple cafe on the platform where you could get a bacon roll or decent coffee and bit of cake, while watching the trains would be ideal!

 

[herschell]

I agree with it needing it a cafe even if it was a Pumpkin like so many of them seem to be

 

[deltic08]

I often change at Perth, and always feel it has a real sense of faded glory. Yes it's busy with around 1M users a year, but it's a shame the wonderful old train shed is fairly quiet, while a lot of the business is happening on Dundee and Aberdeen services out on platforms 1 and 2! I'd love to see it REALLY buzzing again, with direct services to Edinburgh via Kinross every 30 minutes, and North to Aberdeen via Forfar - but in the short term a nice on-platform cafe would make it feel better!

There's a great review article here, which has some fantastic pictures of the station in the 'glory days' as well as timetables and history that may be interesting to many on here.

http://www.railwaywondersoftheworld.com/perth.html

I agree that Perth station lost something when Stanley Junction-Forfar-Kinnaber Junction closed as a through route in 1966. The Refreshment Room on the original island platform closed completely after being open all through the day and night and the south end of the overall roof was cut back which made it a more open and passenger unfriendly space.

 

[CallySleeper]

Re: Perth,

Is there a standard procedure for trains coming at night to use the washer and/or fuel road before stabling? Obviously there is the up sidings down from platform three but do trains stable in platforms too (esp 5/6). Presumably having been washed and re-fuelled.

 

[SignalSighting]

Fuelling, tanking and washing requirements at Perth are arranged by the Station Co-ordinator in conjunction with Scotrail Control. Every set which stables should be processed - unless prevented by possessions or faults - but the order in which this is done varies night by night. There are three nightshift shunt driver turns (albeit all three are not always covered) and shunting goes on until the early hours. Fuel is available from 19:00 when the fueller books on. Sets are cleaned internally in the platforms; sets can be stabled in platforms 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 as required by the 'Start of Work' in the morning, or in the Carriage Sidings. Perth is far busier between 21:00 and 09:00 than it is during the remainder of the day.