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Some form of heating at King's Cross in the winter.

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Bantamzen

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I nominate Strood and the old Rochester station as two of the coldest experiences I've had waiting for a train in winter.

I'm sure the northerners will now pile in to tell me that it's positively balmy down here in comparison :)

Dent in winter......

Come to think of it, Dent in summer.....

That is all.....

;)
 
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Phil.

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Why not time your arrival to train departure -10 by which time it should be boarding.
 

Ianno87

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I was informed that modern day St Pancras is designed to be deliberately drafty as a fire prevention/smoke extraction measure.

Would't surprise me if same thinking has been applied at King's Cross.
 

HSTEd

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Why not time your arrival to train departure -10 by which time it should be boarding.

Because then if you are held up in transit you miss your train and your advanced purchase ticket is worthless.

I know people who arrive at the station an hour before the train departs to avoid this.
 

Starmill

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Until last week, Manchester Piccadilly had a concourse that was always lovely and warm in winter, because it was always 'inside'.

Not longer. The glass and heaters are being removed and switched off respectively in order to install ticket gates.
 

sarahj

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Gatwick Airport station. Even on a nice sunny day like today, the winds howl across the platform. I was waiting today about 13.30 for my 442 at the open down end and I had to put my coat back on. In the winter it's freezing. It's a strange place. Seems to be misty/ icy when other places are not. Perhaps it's the open area of the runways, no wind breaks, I just don't know.


and on a 442 note, gawd was this one rattling and banging. I was trying to fill out some forms and I was sitting above the boogie in the middle/powered coach, even on plain rail, it was banging and crashing. My writing was all over the place.:oops:
 

Andyh82

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It's worse when catching an early morning train when the train itself is freezing as well, due it being parked outside with its doors and or windows open, and ineffective heating that finally warms up about an hour later. Particularly if the train starts here rather than warming up on an ECS run.

Not so much a problem on sealed stock like a Mk4 but sprinters with manual hopper windows and of course pacers with bus doors are the worst.
 

HowardGWR

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Why not time your arrival to train departure -10 by which time it should be boarding.

Ah, someone who lives 500 metres from the station and walks to it, doubtless.:roll:
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Or waiting on an Exeter St Davids on a freezing winter evening, the platform with a 159 chugging away at it, the cleaning having already been done (observed from said freezing platform), and the doors still firmly shut 10 minutes before departure, with the driver sat nicely warmed in his cabin.

Really makes one have warm feelings towards staff. Oh, how they care so much for we (paying, as opposed to being paid) pax.
 
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RolandR

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When I was at Kings Cross in January for my train home to Leeds, I had gone through the barriers before the other passengers as I was already aware of which platform my train would be leaving from. It certainly was cold that evening, but I was able to keep warm under an electric heater on the wall opposite about platform 6. This was clearly for staff use, but there was no staff about requiring use of that heater.
 

yorkie

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Why not time your arrival to train departure -10 by which time it should be boarding.
10 minutes is not long enough; the minimum interchange time within King's Cross is 15minutes. Cross-London transfers include even more padding, and many itineraries will give more than the minimum interchange time because of the way the connections work.

If a passenger is starting their journey by a non-rail mode then you are stuffed if you miss the train, so it wouldn’t be sensible to only allow 10 minutes.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Because then if you are held up in transit you miss your train and your advanced purchase ticket is worthless.

I know people who arrive at the station an hour before the train departs to avoid this.
It depends on what you mean by "in transit". By bus, yes. By National Rail, you are safe if you allow the minimum connection time. By LU? Complicated...
 

broadgage

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I was informed that modern day St Pancras is designed to be deliberately drafty as a fire prevention/smoke extraction measure.

Would't surprise me if same thinking has been applied at King's Cross.

I suspect that you are correct. Most deaths in fires are from smoke, not burns. Designing buildings so as to reduce the chance of smoke build up can save many lives.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Why not time your arrival to train departure -10 by which time it should be boarding.

As others have posted, this is not always viable due to the risk of missing the train if delay occurs en-route.
My usual policy is to arrive in the vicinity of the station up to an hour before my train leaves., that is not to say that I stand around in the cold for 50 minutes before boarding however.
Possibilities include, waiting in a nearby pub or café, or if arriving by underground, taking a seat on the warm and sheltered underground platform.
At Paddington I normally wait in the First class lounge :D

At smaller or more remote stations there may be little alternative to a wait in the cold, all that can be done in such cases is to dress warmly and take reading matter, food and drink, or electronic entertainments.
 

Phil.

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10 minutes is not long enough; the minimum interchange time within King's Cross is 15minutes. Cross-London transfers include even more padding, and many itineraries will give more than the minimum interchange time because of the way the connections work.

If a passenger is starting their journey by a non-rail mode then you are stuffed if you miss the train, so it wouldn’t be sensible to only allow 10 minutes.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

It depends on what you mean by "in transit". By bus, yes. By National Rail, you are safe if you allow the minimum connection time. By LU? Complicated...

Read what I posted. Arrive at time -10. As in at the barrier for the platform.
 
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