Station toilets - Merseyrail area

[northwichcat]

I was just wondering if Liverpool Central retained free to use toilets following refurbishment (Lime Street toilets became chargeable after refurbishment.)

Also did Chester retain toilets on platform 4 after refurbishment? I remember they closed when refurbishment was taking place but I don't know if they re-opened.

 

[gordonthemoron]

Yes, Liverpool Central has very nice free toilets after passing the barrier towards the platforms

 

[pablo]

... and Chester is OK, thank you.

 

[Soyyo]

Merseyrail should get some recognition for the work it has done generally on passenger comfort at its stations. Not only do many of the smallest stations have toilet facilities but also heated waiting rooms are becoming common across the network.

 

[fowler9]

Liverpool South Parkway has free toilets, unfortunately only 3 but still. You can use one of them without passing through the barriers.

 

[gordonthemoron]

and don't Merseyrail operated stations have ticket offices which are open for the duration of service?

 

[northwichcat]

and don't Merseyrail operated stations have ticket offices which are open for the duration of service?

I think even if the staffed Northern Rail stations in Merseyside have ticket offices which are open from first to last train. Rainhill ticket office opens at 06:00 and closes at 23:50.

 

[gordonthemoron]

perhaps it's a PTE requirement?

 

[MidnightFlyer]

perhaps it's a PTE requirement?

Merseytravel throw thousands of pounds a year at it from what I can remember.

 

[SeanG]

Makes sense to have good station toilets, as there are no toilets on the trains

 

[fowler9]

West Allerton and Mossley Hill are open from first to last train, of that much I am sure. No toilets though, but the trains have them.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

and don't Merseyrail operated stations have ticket offices which are open for the duration of service?

And very few, if any, ticket machines.

 

[fowler9]

And very few, if any, ticket machines.

I can't think of any outside of the city centre, not even sure South Parkway has them (I'm guessing it does).

 

[northwichcat]

And very few, if any, ticket machines.

Northern TVMs have generally been installed at:
1. Large stations even if another operator has already installed TVMs e.g. Stockport
2. Staffed stations where the staff were struggling to sell tickets to everyone at times e.g. Knutsford
3. Stations with part time ticket offices and high patronage for a station with P/T staffing e.g. Northwich
4. Unstaffed stations with high patronage for an unstaffed station e.g. Greenbank.

Now if Merseyrail use the same criteria that would probably mean something like 5 to 10 of the 67 stations they call at.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

I can't think of any outside of the city centre, not even sure South Parkway has them (I'm guessing it does).

The unstaffed stations in Cheshire served by Merseyrail have TVMs.

NRE says Liverpool South Parkway has TVMs. It also says Southport has them, don't know if that's Northern or Merseyrail ones.

 

[gordonthemoron]

Liverpool South Parkway has Merseyrail TVMs, as does Orrell Park

 

[pablo]

I think Merseyrail does a very good job all round, especially with old rolling stock to keep going. I can just about live without a TVM at my local station.

 

[fowler9]

I think Merseyrail does a very good job all round, especially with old rolling stock to keep going. I can just about live without a TVM at my local station.

Indeed mate, no complaints from me. Especially since the staff in my station are top notch.

 

[AntoniC]

And very few, if any, ticket machines.

Southport Station has one of them.

 

[Old Yard Dog]

Very few Merseyrail stations outisde the main city centres have toilets, neither do the trains. Lime Street only has toilets at high level which you have to pay for. A couple of interchange stations like Hooton and Ormskirk do have toilets, but sometimes you have to ask the ticket office staff to open them for you.

So it can be a long way home without a chance to point Percy at the porcalain after a night at the pub.

 

[507 001]

The only PTE sponsored station on merseyside that I can think of that doesn't have a first-till-last ticket office is whiston.

 

[razor89]

Very few Merseyrail stations outisde the main city centres have toilets, neither do the trains. Lime Street only has toilets at high level which you have to pay for. A couple of interchange stations like Hooton and Ormskirk do have toilets, but sometimes you have to ask the ticket office staff to open them for you.

So it can be a long way home without a chance to point Percy at the porcalain after a night at the pub.

Well this isn't true...

Lime Street Low Level has a toilet past the barriers next to the escalators. And most Merseyrail stations do have toilets and more are planned for those that don't.

Take the Southport line, only stations WITHOUT toilet facilities are: Hillside, Hightown, Waterloo (I think), Bootle New Strand, Bank Hall.

 

[185]

Liverpool Airport needs a train to go with the TVM/Ticket Machine. Or at least something on rails. The local bus link operator, Arriva, has become diabolical since buying out MTL.

 

[northwichcat]

Liverpool Airport needs a train to go with the TVM/Ticket Machine. Or at least something on rails. The local bus link operator, Arriva, has become diabolical since buying out MTL.

The 500 service used to be a contracted service provided by Selwyns until 2005/2006.

Merseytravel did do a tram-train proposal for the Albert Dock to Liverpool Airport via South Parkway but I've not heard anything on that lately.

 

[Wavertreelad]

Merseytravel did do a tram-train proposal for the Albert Dock to Liverpool Airport via South Parkway but I've not heard anything on that lately.

I understood the tram scheme for Liverpool has been scrapped completely earlier this year, although there may still be on-going investigations into the scheme and how it was managed. I believe all the outstanding planning applications have been withdrawn, or lapsed and the rails which had been purchased and which lay in storage in Immingham were being sold, but the local tax payer is still likely to end up with a bill of about 70 million with nothing to show for it. The last Government originally granted approval in 2002 but delays in implementing the scheme led to delays and a huge increase in costs. The government then refused to fund the additional 170 million costs in 2005 with some of the planning consents lapsing in 2010. The scheme had been widely criticised from the beginning for a variety of reasons.

 

[gottago]

The only PTE sponsored station on merseyside that I can think of that doesn't have a first-till-last ticket office is whiston.

There's also Upton and Heswall which are in the PTE but of course are the anomaly because they're served by Arriva and surely have the lowest passenger numbers of any stations in the PTE. In fact the only thing that would point you towards it being in the Merseytravel area is the box sign they use at all other stations which almost implies that it is served by Merseyrail.

It's a shame really, Upton is an awful station, feels very unsafe and is always full of litter and broken glass. The only investment it's had is the electronic departure boards which were a surprise addition.

 

[HowardGWR]

There's also Upton and Heswall which are in the PTE but of course are the anomaly because they're served by Arriva and surely have the lowest passenger numbers of any stations in the PTE. In fact the only thing that would point you towards it being in the Merseytravel area is the box sign they use at all other stations which almost implies that it is served by Merseyrail.

It's a shame really, Upton is an awful station, feels very unsafe and is always full of litter and broken glass. The only investment it's had is the electronic departure boards which were a surprise addition.

Indeed and to reach the down platform at Heswall one had to go under the railway and up a tree'd pathway - an invitation to muggers and rapists if ever I saw one. As you know the area, why is there no proposal for a station at Prenton, near the motorway exit and a big built up area? I also noticed that closed Storeton seemed handy for several nearby areas.

The line seems ideal for an electrified service. I probably need educating here.

I am now studying Wikipedia where there is an article on 'the Borderlands line' so excuses.

 

[gottago]

Indeed and to reach the down platform at Heswall one had to go under the railway and up a tree'd pathway - an invitation to muggers and rapists if ever I saw one. As you know the area, why is there no proposal for a station at Prenton, near the motorway exit and a big built up area? I also noticed that closed Storeton seemed handy for several nearby areas.

The line seems ideal for an electrified service. I probably need educating here.

I am now studying Wikipedia where there is an article on 'the Borderlands line' so excuses.

There have been proposals for a station in the Prenton area for many years and there is certainly space for one but the current service patten probably wouldn't see it get many passengers (a la Upton which is surrounded by a lot of low income residents but hardly anyone uses it). Changing at Bidston makes things too slow and it's much quicker to get the bus. Electrification has been mooted many times as well but at the moment it's too expensive to justify unfortunately. I could see it becoming quite a popular line with a more frequent service and a direct route to Liverpool but sadly there just isn't the money.

 

[Bevan Price]

There's also Upton and Heswall which are in the PTE but of course are the anomaly because they're served by Arriva and surely have the lowest passenger numbers of any stations in the PTE. In fact the only thing that would point you towards it being in the Merseytravel area is the box sign they use at all other stations which almost implies that it is served by Merseyrail.

It's a shame really, Upton is an awful station, feels very unsafe and is always full of litter and broken glass. The only investment it's had is the electronic departure boards which were a surprise addition.

The problem with Heswall is that is is in a lightly-populated area, at least one mile from the central area. It cannot compete with fairly frequent direct bus services from the village centre to Birkenhead & Liverpool.