Bath Spa station - improvements, incidents (merged topics)

[whole diary]

[Timmer]

Lets hope this time they do a better job of the booking hall making it a much lighter environment to be in. I find it funny that it is being revamped so soon and makes you wonder why they bothered if they knew that major work was going to take place at the station a couple of years later.

[Tim]

makes you wonder why they bothered if they knew that major work was going to take place at the station a couple of years later.

I suspect that a lot of this kind of unneccesaary revamp work goes on because it gives the impression that the TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company) is investing in the railway and is cheaper and easier than actually investing in the bits of the railway that matter (track, signals, rolling stock)

[devon_metro]

makes you wonder why they bothered if they knew that major work was going to take place at the station a couple of years later.

I suspect that a lot of this kind of unneccesaary revamp work goes on because it gives the impression that the TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company) is investing in the railway and is cheaper and easier than actually investing in the bits of the railway that matter (track, signals, rolling stock)

Track and signals of course, not being the responsibility of the TOC...

[Tim]

makes you wonder why they bothered if they knew that major work was going to take place at the station a couple of years later.

I suspect that a lot of this kind of unneccesaary revamp work goes on because it gives the impression that the TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company) is investing in the railway and is cheaper and easier than actually investing in the bits of the railway that matter (track, signals, rolling stock)

Track and signals of course, not being the responsibility of the TOC...

... which, IMHO^▸ ('in my humble opinion'), is part of the problem. 

[mfpa]

Are we to surmise that the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page), the Bath Chronicle, and First Great Western have all never noticed that Bath Spa station already has three entrances/exits, including step-free access to both platforms?
 

[JayMac]

A very warm welcome to the forum, mfpa. 

[tramway]

Are we to surmise that the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page), the Bath Chronicle, and First Great Western have all never noticed that Bath Spa station already has three entrances/exits, including step-free access to both platforms?
 

Welcome mfpa.

If I understand your point correctly, I think the commments only relate to the improvement to the lift due to the fact that AFAIK^▸ ('as far as I know') the London platform will eventually lose it's step free access. If memory serves from artists impression of the development of the area the infill that currently forms the ramp and small carpark is being removed back to the original arches which will then be opened up to provide retail outlets and another access route under the line. A large lift is the proposed step free access solution, which is why the good people of Bath are up in arms.

Edit:

Quick mooch on the interweb brought this up.

http://www.southwestbusiness.co.uk/bath/Station-ramp-stay-lifts-work/article-3009259-detail/article.html

[mfpa]

Are we to surmise that the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page), the Bath Chronicle, and First Great Western have all never noticed that Bath Spa station already has three entrances/exits, including step-free access to both platforms?
 

Welcome mfpa.

If I understand your point correctly, I think the commments only relate to the improvement to the lift due to the fact that AFAIK^▸ ('as far as I know') the London platform will eventually lose it's step free access.

Aside from the direct access to platform 2 being downgraded from a ramp to a lift, my understanding is that there will still be three entrances/exits after the revamp - the same number as now. The OP^▸ (Original Poster / topic starter, or Off Peak, depending on context)'s quotes from the BBC and the Chronicle both feature FGW^▸ (First Great Western) appearing to claim that the revamp would increase the number of entrances (from one to three), and neither the Beeb nor the Chronic challenge this.

From the BBC:

Bath Spa railway station revamp is under way

First Great Western said the revamp would see extra entrances added and access to the platforms improved.

From the Bath Chronicle:

New-look station will be completed by next summer

[FGW Spokesman] said the fact that there was only a single entrance and exit to the station meant it got very busy at peak times.

"We'll open up two additional entrances ^ one at the back of the station and one that takes the place of the former Upper Crust shop."

[Phil]

Sorry, nothing to do with the revamp but rather than start a new topic I thought I'd post this here.

Someone or another took a 360 degree photo of bath Spa station and posted it on Twitter (so as far as I'm concerned it's in the public domain)

http://occip.it/pt3y1hsf

Not sure I'd be too pleased if I was the fellow standing behind the camera as it panned round either!

[devon_metro]

Looks like it is a couple of iPhone photos stitched together

[JayMac]

From the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) (24th August 2011):

New entrances at Bath Spa railway station due to open

Several new pedestrian entrances to Bath Spa railway station are due to open at the weekend.

A revamp to the 170-year-old station will see a "restoration of a number of historic architectural features".

As part of the scheme, new entrances will be opened at the west and south sides of the station.

Sarah McManus, from First Great Western, said there would be "at least a 50% reduction" in congestion in the ticket office because of the changes.

In the next few weeks, scaffolding on the front of the station will be taken down where the canopy has been cleaned and windows re-glazed.

Other improvements planned at the station include new toilets and outside there will be improved drop-off points and additional parking spaces.

A goods lift is also being converted to passenger use.

[JayMac]

From the Bath Chronicle (25th August 2011):

Car and cycle parking at Bath Spa railway station is being moved as part of a controversial shake-up which will remove a ramp and create new entrances.

The changes to Brunel's 19th century station are part of the latter stages of the SouthGate development and aimed at creating more space and improving accessibility.

New lifts to both platforms are being installed to replace the access ramp to the London-bound platform, although this will not be removed until the new arrangements for disabled people have bedded in.

There has been opposition from some users who say the ramp should have been preserved and that the lifts ^ which each have a capacity of eight ^ will not be able to cope with demand.

The work is also creating two new entrances to the station and new facilities for cyclists, while the project will eventually lead to the opening up of vaults for commercial use.

The lower south car park closed last week, while the north ramp car park will shut on Sunday.

Pay-and-display passengers will have to use the SouthGate centre car park, where there will be a designated area for rail commuters, while drivers using the Apcoa Connect pay-by-phone service will have to use the upper south car park, although they have been warned that a new traffic management system will cause delays there.

Cycle parking on platform 2 was removed last week and all cycle storage is being relocated to an area behind platform 1.

The new entrances, lift and stairways will open on Sunday.

First Great Western managing director Mark Hopwood said: "The current station layout has served customers at Bath very well since it was built 160 years ago. The growth in passenger numbers in recent years means we've had to look carefully at what our customers need for the next 160. We will have tripled the number of exits to the station, installed new stairways and lifts to both sides of the station, and moved secure cycle storage off the platforms to create more space and reduce congestion. The work to the station, as well as the wider regeneration the SouthGate Partnership are doing around it, will be a fitting gateway to the city for a very long time to come."

The firm says the changes should reduce passenger congestion around the ticket office, and that the ramp will be removed at some point in the next year.

Councillor Paul Crossley, leader of Bath and North East Somerset Council, welcomed the improvements, saying: "The council has been committed to the completion of the Bath Spa station as part of the wider transport facilities to create a modern bus-and-rail interchange at SouthGate. The opening of the initial stage of the station moves the project one step closer to the achievement of a modern, welcoming arrival point for the city."

But one rail passenger said: "I've just seen one of the new lifts. There isn't room for a cat, let alone room to swing one."

[inspector_blakey]

The ridiculous fuss over the 'removal of the disabled ramp' at Bath Spa appears to have reared its ugly head again, this time in Her Majesty's Daily Torygraph.

First Great Western's decision to cash in on land at Bath Spa station has, according to critics, made life almost impossible for those who are confined to a wheelchair.

For decades it was possible to reach the platform by car. But now the ramp, which was built by Brunel, has disappeared to pave the way for a multi-million pound redevelopment scheme.

It is the latest in a series of moves by a company dubbed ^Worst Great Western^ by its customers.

et seq

It's a sloppy article (no mention of what the other moves in the supposed series are, and some of the writing is frankly illiterate), but it seems to have been whipped up by a certain M*re Tr**n L*ss Str**n. Or Tony Ambrose, as MTLS^▸ (More Train Less Strain) is otherwise known.

It seems fairly telling to me that the only person complaining about the changes in the article is Ambrose himself. Does that mean the journalist didn't bother to approach any groups representing wheelchair users for comment, or does it mean that none of them had any objections I wonder?

I'm still none the wiser as to how anyone can spin the provision of lifts as a retrograde step compared to a circuitous route through a car park and up a steep ramp for disabled access, especially for wheelchair users on their own.

[JayMac]

I agree. A shoddy article. The Torygraph seem to be on a bit of an anti-rail bent at the moment, recently laying into rail staff travel.

I dread to think how the *ahem* good folk of Bath are going to react when the leccy stuff starts going in through Sidney Gardens....

[inspector_blakey]

First the fencing and now the knitting...