Bath Spa station - improvements, incidents (merged topics)

[whole diary]

[bobm]

Changed trains there today.  I'm pretty sure the sign inside the new lift for Platform 2 says it is on Platform 1!

[the void]

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.

And how can it be FGW^▸ (First Great Western)'s decision to 'cash in on land' when it's not FGW's land to cash in on in the first place.

[Tim]

Bath does like to moan doesn't it.

The new arrangements are certain an improvement on the old, but is was unfortuante that one of the lifts was out of order after being in action for only a few days.

Work is progressing slowly at Bath, but the quality of it appears to be high and when it is finished it will look fab.

[mfpa]

It is certainly slower to get from platform 2 to the pavement, now that the ramp is blocked off and we have to troop down the new steps at the speed of the slowest.

[Tim]

It is certainly slower to get from platform 2 to the pavement, now that the ramp is blocked off and we have to troop down the new steps at the speed of the slowest.

Really?  The new system is much quicker for the vast majoprity of people, not least because they ahve doubled the staircase capavity and the numebr of exit ticket gates which removes too previous bottlenecks.  The ramp was only quicker if you were one of teh few people parked there. 

[mfpa]

It is certainly slower to get from platform 2 to the pavement, now that the ramp is blocked off and we have to troop down the new steps at the speed of the slowest.

Really?  The new system is much quicker for the vast majority of people, not least because they ahve doubled the staircase capavity and the numebr of exit ticket gates which removes too previous bottlenecks.  The ramp was only quicker if you were one of teh few people parked there. 

The increased number of exit gates means that once you actually get down the stairs there is less of a bottleneck at the bottom.

The new staircase being through a narrow doorway and not hugely wide itself, coupled with the old staircase now being labelled as no exit, means there is not much more staircase capacity for exiting.

Even if you are quick off the train and first onto the stairs, it is still not as quick to reach the pavement as it was down the ramp. This extra minute (or less) makes the difference between catching the bus about to leave the bus station or missing it.

In my experience, under 5% of those using the ramp at the times I arrived back in Bath were parked there.

[JayMac]

From the Bath Chronicle:

Station lift breaks down as monitoring period is extended

One of the lifts at Bath Spa railway station broke down at the weekend.

This time it was the one on the Bristol-bound side of the station, where a trial period to test whether a controversial new lift system is working correctly has been extended by a week.

Transport campaigners had been fighting to persuade rail officials to allow extra time for the system to bed in before the removal of a 19th-century ramp on the London-bound side.

The new lifts at the busy station broke down in their first week of operation, although the one on the Bath-bound side has since worked without a hitch.

The ramp which it is replacing had been due to be demolished after just a fortnight ^ a period which campaigners said was too short to prove that the lifts were safe and efficient.

There has also been concern about the size of the lifts, installed as part of a refurbishment programme by rail operator First Great Western.

The fortnight ran out at the weekend but the lifts will be monitored for another full week.

A FGW^▸ (First Great Western) spokesman said the firm apologised for Saturday's problems with the Bristol side lift, but pointed out that ramp access would remain on that side.

He said it was too early to say whether this would lengthen the trial period again.

Meanwhile, the line between Bristol and Weymouth through Bath and Bradford on Avon could be designated a community rail service.

The move, which will be the subject of a consultation exercise involving the Department for Transport, would mean more direct local influence over the planning and running of services.

[Brucey]

the Bath-bound side

[Chris from Nailsea]

Indeed: perhaps using the terms 'platform 1' or 'platform 2' is also beyond the scope of a journalist? 

[Tim]

the Bath-bound side

If you are getting off the train at Bath, ALL the platforms are for Bath.   

[devon_metro]

Bath Spa is bi-direction, so technically both platforms are for Bristol and/or London 

[JayMac]

From the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

Airport-style metal detectors are to be used to screen passengers arriving at Bath Spa station.

Police said the equipment, which will be in place on Friday, will screen visitors arriving in the city for knives and other weapons.

Officers from British Transport Police said they would also send passengers that arrive at the station "obviously drunk or rowdy" back home.

Sgt Richard Durnford said the operation was to ensure the city was safe.

"The whole point is that you've got people coming from far and wide to come to Bath to have a nice time," he said. "Some of them are coming armed with knives, coming with drugs, and already drunk and disorderly. We're going to be sorting them out before they even get a chance to set foot on the streets of Bath."

Sgt Durnford said officers would use their "discretion" to profile passengers to be screened.

A sniffer dog will also be on patrol to search for any drugs brought into the station.

[Brucey]

What a great idea ... inform people what you'll be doing beforehand and they'll be sure to turn up with a knife or just travel to/from a different station

Couldn't one choose to opt out of this?  I wouldn't think that simply being at a railway station would be reasonable grounds for a stop and search?

[bobm]

There does seem to be a particular problem with rowdy behaviour at Bath Spa.  Three times I have been on the last London train from Penzance in recent weeks.  It calls at Bath Spa shortly after 22:00.  Each time groups of "well oiled" men have got on and caused problems before getting off at Chippenham or Swindon.  Not seen any evidence of knives but there have been various forms of anti social behaviour ranging from swearing, smoking and turning off the saloon lights to running up and down the aisles and verbally abusing the train crew.

[vacman]

OMG^▸ (Oh My doG ) I know the BTP^▸ (British Transport Police) are useless at best but telling the world that you'll be doing an op like this is just, well, dohhhhhhh!