Management of Reading and Bristol Temple Meads stations - FGW to Network Rail

[whole diary]

[Oxman]

Three areas not mentioned are security, customer assistance and the station control room operation. All are run by NR^» (Network Rail - home page) at Padd. At Reading, security is outsourced (like cleaning), so could easily be transferred. Customer care and the station control room staff are all FGW^▸ (First Great Western) staff so will presumably stay with FGW?

[paul7575]

There's a contact named, to whom I have sent a mildly sarcastic e-mail.

They'll probably turn it off rather than admit they're wrong then?

Paul

[lordgoata]

They'll probably turn it off rather than admit they're wrong then?

Paul

LOL^▸ ('laughing out loud') 

[Chris from Nailsea]

I have now moved and merged a couple of topics into this one here - purely in the interests of clarity and continuity. 

[SDS]

Three areas not mentioned are security, customer assistance and the station control room operation. All are run by NR^» (Network Rail - home page) at Padd. At Reading, security is outsourced (like cleaning), so could easily be transferred. Customer care and the station control room staff are all FGW^▸ (First Great Western) staff so will presumably stay with FGW?

What you have said is correct. All FGW staff will stay with FGW.

[centralman]

Looks like they have been added to the NR^» (Network Rail - home page) site now!

http://www.networkrail.co.uk/bristol-temple-meads/departures-arrivals/

http://www.networkrail.co.uk/reading-station/departures-arrivals/

[Oxman]

Looks like NR^» (Network Rail - home page) have some work to do on their website, at least as far as Reading is concerned. References to toilets in the subway and the "advanced travel sales office" suggest this info was taken off a very old data sheet/web site. Funny though how it is mixed in with references to the new platforms!

Must try harder!

[SDS]

It almost makes me think...


FGW^▸ (First Great Western): Hello NeR, you are aware your taking over management of RDG^▸ (Rail Delivery Group, or Reading station, depending on context) and BRI^» (Bristol Temple Meads - next trains) next month?
NeR: Yeah sure, we will be ready.

March 28th
FGW: Still ready for the transfer?
NeR: Yep

April 1st 00:59.
FGW: Okay its yours in a few mins.
NeR: Okay bring it on.

April 3rd
NeR: ARRGHHH who told us we were taking over management, update the website, but we got no data, arrghh panic.

[Ollie]

Looks like NR^» (Network Rail - home page) have some work to do on their website, at least as far as Reading is concerned. References to toilets in the subway and the "advanced travel sales office" suggest this info was taken off a very old data sheet/web site. Funny though how it is mixed in with references to the new platforms!

Must try harder!

On looking at the facilities page for Reading it looks like it's describing Bristol Temple Meads, no doubt someone more familiar with Temple Meads...Justin/Chris? Would be able to confirm.

[JayMac]

Well, yep. There ain't no subway at Reading any more.

That page does indeed appear to be describing the facilities available at Bristol Temple Meads and not Reading.

http://www.networkrail.co.uk/reading-station/facilities/



Also nice to note that wherever this is, it has an 'advanced' travel sales office. Nothing 'advanced' about the one at Temple Meads as far as I can tell. Uses the same ticket system as the booking hall, and decor wise I'd say it is stuck in the 1990s. 

[Chris from Nailsea]

Good one, Network Rail! 

[paul7575]

Good one, Network Rail! 

Opening the Reading and Bristol pages side by side, they are basically the exact same information.   Someone's obviously stopped editing when they got to the end of the title line...

I have sent some mildly sarcastic feedback...   

Paul

[stuving]

This is a regular criticism of the National Rail site - nearly all recently altered stations are not being updated.   I suspect the contractor who did all the original "Stations made easy" drawings was never given a retainer to deal with maintenance and updates.   

I've also seen criticism that the photos showing access routes etc, mainly provided for those with mobility issues, have no update procedure either...

Well, fancy this! If you go to this page of the Zero Project web site you will find that ATOC^» (Association of Train Operating Companies see - here) put ^Stations Made Easy" in for an award this year. At the Zero Project Conference 2014 in Vienna in February, it was selected as one of 54 "Innovative Practices on Accessibility".

ATOC's submission says, inter alia, this:

CURRENT SITUATION & OUTLOOK

The Stations Made Easy pages are updated on a regular basis to ensure all accessibility-related information is up to date. The online information is much more detailed than anything that existed previously. In order to ensure regular updates and the interactive engagement of disabled passengers, ATOC is currently exploring whether the implementation of a community-based comment and recommendation facility can be developed for each individual station. The set-up of such an interactive community tool would be a starting point for a social media travel network for railway passengers with disabilities in the United Kingdom.

There's a contact named, to whom I have sent a mildly sarcastic e-mail.

Since I am "the public", I'm sure I can pass on the reply I got from ATOC:

Thank you for your e-mail.

There are regular updates of the Stations Made Easy pages. Each year between 150-200 re-audits are undertaken.

There is some additional work currently taking place at Reading station but this is due for a re-audit shortly.

Best wishes


David Sindall
Head of Disability & Inclusion|Association of Train Operating Companies

I have not had a reply to my follow-up...

Dear Mr. Sindall

Thank you for that prompt reply.

I suspect that the minor revisions that are being made are all but invisible to users, while major changes, if not reflected in the map for more than a few weeks, are very obvious. That's unavoidable, and if you see it as a problem perhaps you should address it.

While new pictures may have to wait for a new site visit, the new layout of an upgraded station such as Reading has been known for years - perhaps since the start of Stations Made Easy.  While a lot of work has been done at Reading since the new parts were opened last Easter, this has had almost no  impact on the layout for passengers. Essentially, various platforms have been closed at different times, that is all. So in that sense there is no excuse for any delay at all: the new layout could have gone on-line last Easter. If the layout is entirely new, there is no point in keeping the out-of-date pictures, is there?

Still, I am glad to hear that this will be addressed soon.

Yours truly

[paul7575]

The Reading station info has now been changed, I just had an email response from the chap who fixed it.

Paul

[JayMac]

Network Rail have been busy marking their territory at Bristol Temple Meads. New signage is appearing in NR^» (Network Rail - home page) house colours and the Network Rail logo is now on the entrance doors to the booking hall, as well as in other places.




Did try to get a picture of the entrance doors but the damn things kept opening to let people through!

Sadly, this is one more location from where the 'Rail Alphabet' typeface will eventually disappear. Network Rail's 'NR Brunel' typeface is similar, but not quite the same.

If you have typeface nerdish tendencies like me, then more about Network Rail's 'NR Brunel' can be read here. (.pdf download)