Maidenhead station - services, facilities, car parking and incidents (merged posts)

[whole diary]

[johoare]

Just a quick update on this.. Apcoa did finally reply to say that they won't accept complaints via e-mail (!).. They obviously aren't bothered about getting any money from that car park then (which is backed up by a friend I saw on the train today that also parks there and says she hasn't paid for a month or so as they are not checking tickets there currently!).. Network Rail as you might imagine.. appear not to be bothered.. The puddle/lake is still there...

[johoare]

Well.. Having complained to Network rail for a second time on Monday... And having driven/walked through the vast amounts of water this morning.. I was totally flabbergasted to find it all gone this evening..!! I just can't believe it has taken them this many months since my last contact with them to sort it out....

One of the reasons it was also important to get rid of the water (other than any damage to cars) is that when it's cold (like it was today), as cars drove through the water and spread it up the hill to the main road, and that then froze, it was becoming quite dangerous for pedestrians too.

So.. all good...and fingers crossed it is sorted properly which we will find out next time it rains 

[johoare]

There was a letter in the Maidenhead Advertiser on Thursday saying that last time it snowed the car parks at Maidenhead weren't gritted and wondering if they would be this time.. Having been for a walk this afternoon which included passing the station it looks as if no one has bothered again. The letter isn't online yet so I can't post a link to it for now.. I don't know if the letter is factually correct or not but it says that FGW^▸ (First Great Western) have a contract with a company called MITIE to grit the car parks..there is a grit box in the car park but no one has used it (not FGW, APCOA^▸ (Car parking company used at GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) - controlled stations in the area) or MITIE) despite having all weekend with a nearly empty car park to do this

The Shoppenhangers road car park in particular becomes unusable in large parts due to an incline in the car park...

At least I know to leave my car at home tomorrow and walk to the station..

[adc82140]

FGW^▸ (First Great Western) car parks have NEVER been gritted. I did a 360 degree spin in Twyford car park a couple of years ago 

[TonyK]

Walk instead.

If FGW^▸ (First Great Western) do nothing, they are not liable to anyone who meets with disaster in the car park. If they attempt clearance, they will owe a duty of care to their "neighbours", ie those who may be reasonably expected to be affected by their actions. Doing nothing limits the liability

[johoare]

You would think Apcoa would lose money if big chunks of car parks are inaccessible but they really don't seem to be bothered..

[gpn01]

APCOA^▸ (Car parking company used at GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) - controlled stations in the area) won't lose much money because (a) many people hold season tickets already and (b) if someone has driven to the car park in order to go somewhere by train it's unlikely that they'll then turn around and go elsewhere.

[Oxman]

As some one who has shovelled snow in station car parks, gritted them, arranged snow clearance and also gritting by Mitie, I can assure you that it is completely untrue to say that FGW^▸ (First Great Western) does nothing about car parks in winter weather. And having participated in twice daily conference calls to review the status of winter weather precautions, I know for a fact that senior management is acutely aware of its responsibilities.

Every station has a winter weather plan. But it starts with priority areas - platforms, bridges and walkways, and then goes on to car parks and other areas.

Some might think it unreasonable that FGW in its duty of care does not succeed in clearing and gritting every part of its property that is open to the public, at times when others fail to get out of their drives. Others might recognise that this is a tall order - when did your local authority last clear the pavements in front of your house?

I'm retired now, but I still keep in touch. And fatuous statements about FGW's winter weather precautions from people who pretend to know everything but really no very little are deeply offensive to the hundreds of managers and staff who are working hard to keep the railway open and safe.

[NickB]

Just because something is difficult/time consuming/expensive does not mean that it should not be done.

Shoppenhangers carpark is appallingly dangerous and, when weather like this has been predicted days in advance, it should be possible to grit the carpark in advance.  Especially for ^1000 per car per year.  Thats 1/3rd of a million quid per annum for Shoppenhangers alone.

I'll be taking the bus for the foreseeable, but its a shame it'll take some expensive insurance claims to get the car park prepared for use.

[Electric train]

If the car park owner / operator grits and salts the ice in the car park they may have a concern that if someone then has an accident they would be liable, if on the other hand they leave it as snow and ice then it is obliviously hazardous therefore use at your own risk.


or

They have you money in the form of a season ticket therefore why waste money on salt n grit and the staff to apply it when they can use it for the bubbly at the share holders meeting

[johoare]

Might as well remove the Salt container then.. It appears to serve no purpose other than taking up space..

[ellendune]

If the car park owner / operator grits and salts the ice in the car park they may have a concern that if someone then has an accident they would be liable, if on the other hand they leave it as snow and ice then it is obliviously hazardous therefore use at your own risk.

So why are insurers advising churches that they need to clear snow and grit paths or they might be liable?
(Quote from the Church Times Friday 18th January)

[johoare]

APCOA^▸ (Car parking company used at GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) - controlled stations in the area) won't lose much money because (a) many people hold season tickets already and (b) if someone has driven to the car park in order to go somewhere by train it's unlikely that they'll then turn around and go elsewhere.

IF they can't physically park their car.. due to the incline and ice/snow between them and free parking spaces.. they have no choice but to go elsewhere in my opinion?

[EBrown]

If FGW^▸ (First Great Western) do nothing, they are not liable to anyone who meets with disaster in the car park.

Bullsh*t.

Something the HSE^▸ (Health and Safety Executive) sent in 2010 and also features on several county council websites...

It is very unlikely that you would face any legal liability, as long as you are careful, and use common sense to ensure that you do not make the pavement or pathway clearly more dangerous than before. People using areas affected by snow and ice also have responsibility to be careful themselves.

[Chris from Nailsea]

What EBrown posted is quite right: I wouldn't necessarily go so far as to say that it's gospel, but he's quite right.