Great Western Coffee Shop

Railway stations in Bristol area too dingy say pressure groups

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Clifton Down railway station

Railway stations should be well-lit and welcoming - not dark, foreboding places which make people feel at risk of danger, say two rail pressure groups.

The Friends of Bristol Railways (FOSBR) and the Transport for Greater Bristol Alliance (TfGBB) have spoken of ^hidden stations^ in the area where access is difficult.

At Shirehampton, the station is at the end of a narrow, twisting alley between tall hedges and corrugated walls which prevents people from seeing any dangers either in front or behind.

At Redland, rail users have to walk through a former station yard which labelled ^private^.

The pressure groups are calling for Community Rail Partnerships to be given more powers and funding to make stations more attractive to encourage people to use them.

They add that many stations suffer from poor accessibility for people who find it difficult to walk or children in buggies.

The campaigners say: ^We welcome the introduction of CCTV at many stations and would like to see this continue to be rolled out to Bedminster, Parson Street, Patchway, Yate, Weston Milton, Oldfield Park and Keynsham and the remaining stations on the Severn Beach Line. We see this as important since it would enable further improvements to stations, particularly this installation of ticket machines.^

A study by the Severnside Community Rail Partnership discovered that many potential passengers were unsure about how to buy a ticket.

The pressure groups say: ^Many local stations could benefit from having retail units. We see the Merseyrail Mtogo shops that also serve as ticket sellers as a good model. The presence of retail outlets would also provide a sense of security to passengers.^

The pressure groups want to see the ticket offices at Weston-super-Mare and Bradford-on-Avon stations to be safeguarded. They would also like to see a Mtogo-type shop at Clifton Down where there are a high number of passengers.

The comments are included in a 20-page document which has been submitted to First Great Western as part of its consultation exercise in the bidding process for the next rail franchise.

The pressure groups are calling for Community Rail Partnerships to be given more powers and funding to make stations more attractive to encourage people to use them.

A study by the Severnside Community Rail Partnership discovered that many potential passengers were unsure about how to buy a ticket.

The pressure groups say: ^Many local stations could benefit from having retail units. We see the Merseyrail Mtogo shops that also serve as ticket sellers as a good model. The presence of retail outlets would also provide a sense of security to passengers.^

The comments are included in a 20-page document which has been submitted to First Great Western as part of its consultation exercise in the bidding process for the next rail franchise.

Yes.

At Swindon you buy from the ticket office or machine.   
At Chippenham you buy from the ticket office or machine in the booking hall.   If the booking hall is closed, there's another machine in the north car park which you should use, but no signs to tell you that it's there (and if you don't use it, you could be liable for a penalty fare). 
At Melksham, there's no ticket machine so you but on the train - unless the conductor's machine isn't working in which case you buy when you change / get to your destination if you can. 
At Trowbridge, you buy from the ticket office or if that is closed you buy on the train.

Is it any wonder that people get confused?

Should be matter of pride to look after our stations

In the last year I have travelled on a number of branch lines around the country. The line from Plymouth to Gunnislake on Dartmoor was by far the most scenic.

I also travelled to Ebbw Vale at the end of the western valley line in South Wales. And I went on the stretch to Barry Island from Cardiff Central.

The most notable thing that I can say about my experience travelling on these lines, is the tidiness and upkeep of all the stations. Most stations have CCTV cameras, along with disabled access at some stations where required. Many have adequate car parking facilities and best of all none has overgrown weeds and bushes covering the platform ends. And thankfully there is no sign of graffiti.

All of this is in marked contrast to some of the local lines in and around Bristol. Frankly the state of Bedminster and Parson Street stations is embarrassing. Weeds are growing on the platform ends and the stations have become a magnet for graffiti vandals.

On the down relief line at both Parson Street and Bedminster stations paper, cigarette ends and beer cans have been left to mount up on the track beds.

There are problems too at Lawrence Hill and Stapleton Road stations. The ends of the platforms there are also covered with weeds. And the ends of Stapleton Road station nearest Temple Meads are deteriorating through lack of maintenance.

There are similar issues on the Severn Beach line despite its success in attracting more than one million passengers each year.

I recently travelled from temple Meads to Severn Beach and back and the train was well used. But once again I came across the problems of vegetation being left to become overgown. I noticed this particularly at Severn Beach station where weeds are growing out of the platform. And there is grafitti daubed on walls, buildings and bridges along the line,.

Why is it that First Great Western and Network Rail do not keep local stations in a reasonable condition. It should be a matter of pride for them to keep these stations in a good state of repair.

David Wood, Rail Maritime and Transport Union, Bristol
Written in a personal capacity