Toilets and unmanned stations

[Killingworth]

Are there any unmanned stations that have public toilets provided by the TOC?

If there are, how are they maintained? How can they be kept safe and operational?

I ask because an amazing number of people arrive at our station and immediately ask where are the toilets, including folks alighting from trains that have toilets. (Answer in our case, if you buy an expensive coffee try the restaurant at the bottom of the car park.)

 

[HamworthyGoods]

Are there any unmanned stations that have public toilets?

If there are, how are they maintained? How can they be kept safe and operational?

I ask because an amazing number of people arrive at our station and immediately ask where are the toilets, including folks alighting from trains that have toilets. (Answer in our case, if you buy an expensive coffee try the restaurant at the bottom of the car park.)

Toilets aren’t the only things that need to be kept safe and clean at unstaffed stations, the station itself needs be swept, bins emptied etc. This is normally done by a travelling member of staff, a ‘line cleaner’

Whilst unstaffed stations don’t generally have facilities there’s no reason why they can’t, if you think about it that’s actually no difference to a public convenience in a car park which again are usually dealt with by roaming cleaners

 

[Killingworth]

Toilets aren’t the only things that need to be kept safe and clean at unstaffed stations, the station itself needs be swept, bins emptied etc. This is normally done by a travelling member of staff, a ‘line cleaner’

Whilst unstaffed stations don’t generally have facilities there’s no reason why they can’t, if you think about it that’s actually no difference to a public convenience in a car park which again are usually dealt with by roaming cleaners

60 years ago all but the smallest halts were manned and most had toilets. Yes our TOC sends someone round twice a week to empty bins and sweep up. My understanding is that it's primarily cost that prevents more toilets notw being provided.

How many unmanned stations have toilets and how are they kept clean in service ?

 

[johntea]

I think Castleford has a disabled one in the new waiting room available now since the refurbishment (although I believe if the waiting room is open there is some form of staff presence lurking about anyway)

Although it seems like anyone can pick up the required key to open it for about 3 quid if they really wanted to!

 

[yorksrob]

I think it's disgusting how railway management get away with having so many stations, even named ones without toilet facilities, or just disabled ones that are only accessible with a key.

South West Railway send to be a particularly poor example for this, given that a lot of its stations are only served by toiletries trains.

 

[Spartacus]

Are there any unmanned stations that have public toilets?

Any of them with bushes or an out of the way corner....

 

[Taunton]

South West Railway send to be a particularly poor example for this, given that a lot of its stations are only served by toiletries trains.

Particularly at Weymouth, where they have been closed off for some years now, despite having been initially expensively provided. That's a busy station on summer evenings.

 

[Killingworth]

Any of them with bushes or an out of the way corner....

That's exactly the point. Currently the back corner of the waiting shelter is someone's preferred answer.

 

[hexagon789]

Are there any unmanned stations that have public toilets?

Gleneagles has an accessible toilet in the platform 2 waiting room. I presume it's maintained by the same members of staff you see travelling between unstaffed stations doing a bit of litter picking and bin bag emptying.

 

[Nova1]

Meanwhile at other stations there's toilets that are specifically only open whenever the ticket office is open. At Stratford-Upon-Avon there are no open toilets if the ticket office is closed. This can be a little inconvenient, especially recently, as the ticket office has been closed due to "staff shortages" a lot

 

[py_megapixel]

Porthmadog had toilets last time I was there, which admittedly was a while ago.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Porthmadog had toilets last time I was there, which admittedly was a while ago.

The pub on the platform looks after them; I figure they're closed if the pub is.

Meanwhile at other stations there's toilets that are specifically only open whenever the ticket office is open. At Stratford-Upon-Avon there are no open toilets if the ticket office is closed. This can be a little inconvenient, especially recently, as the ticket office has been closed due to "staff shortages" a lot

Bletchley is the same, though the increased hours of gateline staffing means they're open longer hours than they were. Unusually, because there's no other access to the platforms, the building itself is open 24/7 even if no staff are on site.

 

[hexagon789]

Meanwhile at other stations there's toilets that are specifically only open whenever the ticket office is open. At Stratford-Upon-Avon there are no open toilets if the ticket office is closed. This can be a little inconvenient, especially recently, as the ticket office has been closed due to "staff shortages" a lot

Clarkston and East Kilbride.

For Clarkston the ticket office closes at just after half-one from memory (it's a weird time, something like 1343 or 1344 I can't recall). The toilet in the waiting shelter is thus closed after this time and all day Sunday.

EK is open practically all day, and even on Sundays until about 5pm or just after.

 

[Lemmy99uk]

Sellafield has station toilets.

 

[OhNoAPacer]

Sellafield has station toilets.

Been a long time since I ever had to use these. You had to be either very brave or very desperate to use them. Preferably both very brave and very desperate.
I vaguely remember them being closed, but maybe they have been refurbished, or at least reopened.

 

[Killingworth]

Been a long time since I ever had to use these. You had to be either very brave or very desperate to use them. Preferably both very brave and very desperate.
I vaguely remember them being closed, but maybe they have been refurbished, or at least reopened.

National Rail Enquiries confirms there are toilets at Sellafield; https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations/sel/details.html

Or probably were when that page was compiled. I'm wary about relying on the accuracy of that site, but it's good to hear of one specific unmanned station with toilets.

 

[Barnsley]

There are toilets at Glaisdale station on the Whitby line

 

[Sm5]

Sellafield has station toilets.

Does it glow in the dark ?

 

[Killingworth]

There are toilets at Glaisdale station on the Whitby line

Not railway toilets according to National Rail; https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations/GLS/details.html

 

[P Binnersley]

Not railway toilets according to National Rail; https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations/GLS/details.html

Re-opened in 2018.

Home - Esk Valley Raliway

[email protected] 07584419114 Welcome to the Esk Valley Railway From the heart of Middlesbrough to the historic seaside town of Whitby, passing through the North York Moors National Park and serving 17 stations along the route. The Esk Valley Railway connects the rural...

www.eskvalleyrailway.co.uk

 

[Killingworth]

Re-opened in 2018.

Home - Esk Valley Raliway

[email protected] 07584419114 Welcome to the Esk Valley Railway From the heart of Middlesbrough to the historic seaside town of Whitby, passing through the North York Moors National Park and serving 17 stations along the route. The Esk Valley Railway connects the rural...

www.eskvalleyrailway.co.uk

That's a good example, joint funding for a very lightly used station.

I wonder how often they get cleaned and by who? Don't suppose they're likely to have problems with vandalism or vagrants thereabouts. That seems to be a fear in many busier locations.

 

[75A]

I think it's disgusting how railway management get away with having so many stations, even named ones without toilet facilities, or just disabled ones that are only accessible with a key.

Don't all stations have names - just asking

 

[yorksrob]

Silly auto-spell !

 

[themiller]

National Rail Enquiries confirms there are toilets at Sellafield; https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations/sel/details.html

Or probably were when that page was compiled. I'm wary about relying on the accuracy of that site, but it's good to hear of one specific unmanned station with toilets.

When I worked there a couple of years ago there was one toilet with a ‘long’ stainless steel urinal and (I think) three WCs. One of the WCs was locked shut and used as a store. Both men and women used the facility despite it being non-compliant with regs. but when you need to go…….

 

[yorksrob]

Garsdale has a very nicely kept toilet. OK, not entirely unmanned as the signalman is nearby !

 

[AY1975]

Not railway toilets according to National Rail; https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations/GLS/details.html

Similarly, Penally station on the Pembroke Dock line has toilets in the adjacent car park, which are part of Pembrokeshire Council's network of public toilets.

See also this now-closed thread on unstaffed stations with toilets: https://railforums.co.uk/threads/trivia-unstaffed-stations-with-toilets.200235/

 

[bearhugger]

That's a good example, joint funding for a very lightly used station.

I wonder how often they get cleaned and by who? Don't suppose they're likely to have problems with vandalism or vagrants thereabouts. That seems to be a fear in many busier locations.

If I remember correctly, the people who live in the station house, and the station adopters keep an eye on them.

 

[Killingworth]

If I remember correctly, the people who live in the station house, and the station adopters keep an eye on them.

I can't see many busy station adoption groups offering a loo cleaning service!

 

[bearhugger]

I can't see many busy station adoption groups offering a loo cleaning service!

You may be correct for station groups at larger stations, but Glaidale loos are quite small and relatively quite lightly used. It would take me 15 minutes at the very most to clean Glaisdale or Kildale toilets. I know how much effort the station groups put in to the stations along the Esk Valley line.

 

[Killingworth]

You may be correct for station groups at larger stations, but Glaidale loos are quite small and relatively quite lightly used. It would take me 15 minutes at the very most to clean Glaisdale or Kildale toilets. I know how much effort the station groups put in to the stations along the Esk Valley line.

Does Kildale have a toilet? I ask because I visited there 4 years ago and only saw a small shelter. Might it be in a green fenced off building behind?

With only 1500 passengers a year that's a very generous provision. I was visiting ancestral graves in adjacent St Cuthbert's churchyard and may have gone behind one of the many bushes!