Great Western Coffee Shop

Hello, I have a question about platform 1 at Maidenhead and I hope someone here might know the answer.

As part of the refurbishment work, platform 1 had work done to it.. A step free access to the car park was installed (I think).. However, this is only for platform 1, and platform 1 is still usually locked (unless a train is stopping there which is infrequent).  Can anyone explain that to me?

Also I thought they might have taken the opportunity to do something to the boarded up buildings on platform 1, if platform 1 is to be used? But they havent.. I'd love to know why..

Or maybe platform 1 was just improved and extended so that the people over on the other platforms have a nicer view? ;)

It is, I think, to allow FGW to stop HST's at Maidenhead as part of the evening commuter service, crossing trains from the Down Main to Down Relief effects the Up Main and could mean that trains that have destinations via the Berks & Hants lines will have to cross back from the Down Relief to Down Main again.  I don't think Plat 1 is really meant for normal day time use unless the relief lines are closed

which does make me wonder even more about the step free access to the car park that they appear to have installed from that platform... Since it won't really be used much... if at all..

A couple of views of Platform 1 at Maidenhead (photos taken on 30/10/2008) :

(http://www.raildocuments.org.uk/oct08photos/301008maidenhead1.jpg)

(http://www.raildocuments.org.uk/oct08photos/301008maidenhead3.jpg)

I think it will have a regular evening service or two stopping on that platform from the December timetable - perhaps the level exit to the car park will be brought into use then? At the moment it does all appear to be a bit of a white elephant, although useful for engineering work alterations and other problems that might make the usual platform unavailable.

As for the building, I assume it was a cost issue that they weren't refurbished into a nice waiting room. The shelter on the platform does look a bit silly now that it's full length. The only other reason might be on H&S grounds, i.e. the structual integrity/asbestos etc.?

Well I hope that the use of Platform 1 will encourage either (a) the opening of the exit directly into the carpark or (b) the Shoppenhangers exit to be open of an evening - It's a real pain to disembark from platform 1 and then have to walk all the way through the station, through the front car park, under the bridge and up the hill.

Platform 1 had to have step free access it is a requirement of the DDA all new builds have to be compliant.  NR have be granted a lot of money in CP4 and indeed in CP3 to retro fit step free access to make rail travel DDA compliant. So white elephant or not it had to be built

It wasn't a 'new build' as such though was it? Just an extention to a existing platform. Would the DDA rules still have to apply?

Yes as it was not just a simple refurb but a major enhancement

Given it was built under DDA requirements does it have to be open all the time or only when a disabled person turns up?

This would be fine provided that it was know a disbaled person was on the train. What happens if a train usually booked 3 is routed via 1 and has a disabled person on board. It's bound to happen sometime what with point & siganl failures and engineering work.

A real headache for FGW.

I arrived on platform 1 this evening, and this is the first time I've noticed (I'm obviously not very perceptive), that arriving on that platform, means that, once down the steps, you arrive outside the new ticket barriers that have been installed.. That just does not make sense to me...

So to get to the main station exit/taxi rank, you have to enter the station through the barriers and then exit at the other end through more barriers.. Tonight the barriers at both ends were open, so we could all get in and out easily, but also meant that  no one had their tickets checked..

I just wondered what the thinking behind this was if anyone happens to know?