Nailsea & Backwell Station

[whole diary]

[JayMac]

'scuse reflections. It were a sunny day on Friday!





And talking of the sun. Made it nigh on impossible to see the 'departures' screen without getting neck ache or being blinded.

But, nice to see both TVMs^▸ (Ticket Vending Machine) in working order and accepting cash!

[vacman]

TVM^▸ (Ticket Vending Machine) accepting cash? you sure?

[JayMac]

Well. The coin and note slots weren't taped over and there was no notice saying 'cards only'.

Paging CfN?

[Chris from Nailsea]

Chris from Nailsea says:

That's my whole effing point! 

Those two TVMs^▸ (Ticket Vending Machine) don't have their coin or note slots taped over; there is no notice saying 'cards only'; there are notices suggesting that those machines are emptied of cash regularly - but the pure and simple fact of the matter is that those machines do not accept cash, and have not done so for well over a year now.

Please, for the sake of my sanity, read my previous posts where I have laboured this point, in the vain hope that FGW^▸ (First Great Western) would take notice and make it clear that

the ticket machines at Nailsea do not contain cash!

[JayMac]

In the words of Michael Winner:

Calm down dear!

 

I've got a nice bottle of Rioja here. I'll save you a glass!!


And humble apologies for not re-reading the rest of the thread 

[bobm]

This seems to be very much a FGW^▸ (First Great Western) thing.  At Twyford the machines have the slots taped over (and a notice to the effect it is card only) while five miles down the road at Wokingham (SWT^▸ (South West Trains)) the machines do take cash - and even appeal for 5p pieces to keep the change stock up.

[Ollie]

This seems to be very much a FGW^▸ (First Great Western) thing.  At Twyford the machines have the slots taped over (and a notice to the effect it is card only) while five miles down the road at Wokingham (SWT^▸ (South West Trains)) the machines do take cash - and even appeal for 5p pieces to keep the change stock up.

Is that all of the TVM^▸ (Ticket Vending Machine)'s at Wokingham? Or just ticket hall?

From what I recall, Wokingham has 5 TVM's 3 of which are locked up at night and then one near the 20min bays and another on the Reading bound platform.

[bobm]

Certainly the one on the Reading bound platform does take cash and is accessible 24 hours a day. Can't remember whether the one on the other side takes cash. As an aside I know at least one of the ones outside Bracknell takes cash too.

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the Bristol Evening Post:

Community gives station a makeover

Nailsea and Backwell railway station has been given a makeover ^ with a little help from local schoolchildren.

Shelters at the station have been repainted and the staircase and platform surface have been repaired.

The car park and the embankment have been tidied up and foliage at the station has been cut back.

New poster cases have been installed on platform one to display artwork by students from local schools.

Flower planters will also be installed this spring.

The work was carried out by Severnside Community Rail Partnership, First Great Western and North Somerset Council. Much was done by the Probation Service Community Payback scheme.

Severnside Community Rail Partnership chairman, Keith Walton, said: "We are very pleased at the positive response to the community- based improvements we have been able make to provide a safer and more friendly environment."

[TheLastMinute]

Update on the ticket machine saga at Nailsea & Backwell:
Today, a large team of contractors were on site, removing the surviving ticket machine from the footpath under platform 1 and re-installing it, together with another brand new machine, at the bottom of the steps to platform 2.

Both machines were up and running this evening, offering sales by cash or card.  While they have not yet been installed, I understand shelters will also be fitted.

However, CCTV^▸ (Closed Circuit Tele Vision) will not be a feature.  Apparently, while CCTV was installed (at a cost of £5,000) at Worle (in response to the attack on a passenger who challenged youths vandalising the ticket machine there - see http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=3800.0), there is no money available now to install it at Nailsea.  It's part of a 'development plan', but no timescale is known.

Now, pardon me if I'm missing the point here, but if FGW^▸ (First Great Western) are prepared to install two ticket machines, each costing £20,000, isn't another £5,000 for CCTV protection for such an investment worth including?

So, just to sum up: in the past two days, FGW have installed a shelter, which has achieved nothing in terms of improving reliability of the machines; and their failure to install any CCTV coverage means that the attack(s) on the screens will probably remain unsolved - with no record of the identity of the offender(s) / index number(s) of any vehicle(s) / specific time(s) of the offence(s).

Now, I'm sorry if I'm beginning to sound like Victor Meldrew, but this is my money, as a fare-paying passenger, that FGW are wasting ... 

... and again, this morning, both machines had been attacked, with their screens smashed:

Unfortunately, devon_metro, there is no CCTV covering these machines - previous posts in this topic suggest that FGW didn't want to spend £5,000 on it, as they'd apparently prefer to spend rather more money repairing these machines, whenever they're attacked.

Well Chris, it's only taken 29 months but with the installation of a new CIS^▸ (Customer Information System) and CCTV system at Nailsea & backwell, common sense has, at long last, prevailed!

Cheers,
TLM

[Chris from Nailsea]

I know: see

At NLS this morning, there were four Telent vans, one Network Rail one, and - rather bizarrely - a motorway maintenance one, all with their attendant orange clad engineers swarming all over the station.

It appears they are installing the full kit of new CIS^▸ (Customer Information System), PA^▸ (Public Address) and CCTV^▸ (Closed Circuit Tele Vision) on both platforms: I shall check tomorrow whether there's a different voice on the PA on platform 1 for you, Louis94. 

Chris. 

[Ollie]

Chris how is the footbridge at Nailsea doing, apparently it was reported (by a customer) as being unsafe? I didn't hear what the outcome was though.

[TheLastMinute]

From the North Somerset Times:

Appeal for ramp at Nailsea and Backell Station

A MOTHER-of-two from Backwell is appealing for a ramp to be installed at Nailsea and Backwell Station as she is unable to get her pushchair up the steps without help.

Satoko Black often uses the train but says she cannot get her pushchair up and down the steps unless a passer-by gives her a hand.

She said: ^I use the train regularly, commuting to Weston twice a week. I have to take my bike so I can cycle to Weston College. I am pregnant and I am unable to get my bike onto the platform without assistance from a passer-by, if there is one.

^I also have a one-year-old daughter and I cannot get my pushchair up and down the steps. This is therefore preventing me from accessing public transport.^

After just two weeks of talking to passengers at the station, Satoko has collected more than 294 signatures on a petition requesting an access ramp.

The determined mum has sent the petition to Network Rail, which owns the station, and First Great Western, which leases the station from Network Rail.

Satoko said: ^This shows that there is strong public feeling to improve the station at Backwell for all users.

^The current service does not meet the needs of the customers. The accessibility to platform one is discriminatory and not accessible to those who are disabled, elderly or a person with a pram or bicycle.^

Satoko is one of many residents desperate to see a ramp installed at the station. In 2008 the Times reported how members of Backwell Access Group were appealing for a ramp so people with wheelchairs can access the trains.

There is currently no ramp on the south platform so disabled passengers have to get off at Bristol on their return journey and catch a taxi. Disabled passengers must also warn train operators a day in advance of when they will be travelling.

A spokesman for First Great Western said: ^We have looked at the logistics of disabled access for Platform 1, and have made a submission to the Department for Transport, however it should be noted the cost of installing a ramp at Nailsea and Backwell would be very high.

^For customers who may require help on the train or at their destination station we can arrange assisted travel by calling 0800 197 1329.^

Cheers,
TLM

[Chris from Nailsea]

Chris how is the footbridge at Nailsea doing, apparently it was reported (by a customer) as being unsafe? I didn't hear what the outcome was though.

Ollie, in my considered opinion, the footbridge at NLS is one of the safest around: I use it, every time I travel from NLS, and I really can't see what the possible concern may be.

CfN. 

[smokey]

This seems to be very much a FGW^▸ (First Great Western) thing.  At Twyford the machines have the slots taped over (and a notice to the effect it is card only) while five miles down the road at Wokingham (SWT^▸ (South West Trains)) the machines do take cash - and even appeal for 5p pieces to keep the change stock up.

Last time I was at Warwick Station (Chilten operated) some poor sole brought a TVM^▸ (Ticket Vending Machine) ticket for ^6 something with a ^20 note, however the change was all in 5 pence coins.