OrphanAnnie 296 Posted February 14, 2016 Report Share Posted February 14, 2016 Barriers have recently been up at Stoke Railway station, so if you want to meet someone off a train or wait with them to see them off you can't! There is no access to the platforms unless you have a travel ticket, so no access to the buffet, toilets or waiting rooms. Or if you are running late and want to pay on the train you can't either. The only place to wait is by the ticket office. This led to me think if platform tickets are going to be resurrected? I'm sure there was a machine on Midland Station for getting a platform ticket, think they were about 3d? Do trainspotters still exist - wouldn't they have used platform tickets? I know there are some train aficionados amongst Nottstalgians, can you tell me? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
FLY2 10,108 Posted February 14, 2016 Report Share Posted February 14, 2016 Platform tickets were 1d in the 60's and I remember buying them if it was impossible to gain free access. As for today, I'm clueless I'm afraid. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ValuerJim 277 Posted February 14, 2016 Report Share Posted February 14, 2016 Recently changed trains at Birmingham New Street, en route from Manchester to Melton Mowbray. To change platforms requires the ticket to be inserted into the automatic barriers on exit, which has the effect of cancelling the ticket, so it will not open the gate to the next departure platform! They have to have staff at the gates to let you through; how stupid is that? 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Smiffy49 590 Posted February 14, 2016 Report Share Posted February 14, 2016 I think the policy of barriers at stations varies from place to place and even from hour to hour from what I have read in the railway press recently. I can see that some people try to board trains without paying so this is a possible solution to prevent that. However, I have found that even if you book a seat it is no guarantee that someone will not be in it when you get there. During a recent trip ftom Scotland it was announced that all booked seats were invalid due to a problem with an earlier train. This meant standing for the best part of three hours before a seat became vacant. The platform ticket issue also extends to some of the preservation lines too it seems.... I appreciate that lines run by volunteers have to generate cash by whatever means they can but..... Some weeks ago I took my Dad (who is in his mid nineties) to the GCR at Loughborough as he wanted to buy some books and DVDs from the station shop. We had travelled on the train before, so this was just a visit to have a browse, a cup of tea and also a bite in the buffet shop. Although this was mid week and there were not too many people around, we were asked to purchase platforms tickets even though we explained that we had only gone there to buy things from the shop and buffet. My Dad is understandably not very good on his feet and he also had negotiate the steep steps in both directions. It was only afterwards doing this that someone near the ticket office told us there is a lift! Surely if someone is only visiting the GCR to purchase things they should not have to buy a platform ticket. Even the supermarkets give you your money back for parking if you but goods from them. Over at Wirksworth they do not have this policy and people can wander the platforms and browse the bookshop free of any charge. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
catfan 14,793 Posted February 14, 2016 Report Share Posted February 14, 2016 Exit barriers at Lincoln Station too. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Merthyr Imp 729 Posted February 14, 2016 Report Share Posted February 14, 2016 The majority of medium-sized and larger stations have automatic ticket barriers now. I must say - #3 - I haven't come across any where you have to go through them to change platforms though. It wasn't the case the last time I was at Birmingham New Street, although that was about 6 months ago and it was still in the middle of rebuilding. Re old trainspotting days, yes - used to have to buy them at Grantham. Cost was 2d around 1961. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted February 14, 2016 Report Share Posted February 14, 2016 I even remember buying platform tickets. As regards seat reservations, here your name and station you embark in is displayed.. nobody sits in them. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tim in the North East 200 Posted February 14, 2016 Report Share Posted February 14, 2016 In the early 1960s platform tickets on British Railways were 2d - but one exception was the extra large tickets issued at Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndroblllantysiliogogogoch station on the Holyhead line in Anglesey where they cost 3D. I bought one in 1963 and sold it on eBay 50 years later for a good return on my investment! 3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
StephenFord 866 Posted February 14, 2016 Report Share Posted February 14, 2016 Yes, I changed at Birmingham New Street last week, travelling from Leicester to Shrewsbury. I innocently and wrongly came up the escalator at the east end of the station, and find that you cannot even reach the other east end platforms without going through a ticket barrier and back again. The whole concourse area appears to have been carved up into sections divided by transparent panels so that you only discover when you reach them that there is no way through without turning round and finding a ticket barrier. They've taken I don't know how long faffing about with that abortion of a station, and its a bigger obstacle course now than before they started. (End of rant.) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
DJ360 6,730 Posted February 15, 2016 Report Share Posted February 15, 2016 It was previously possible to get onto pretty much any platform at Liverpool Lime St without a ticket, but now it's getting more awkward. Also, they now direct all alighting passengers out at one end. Worst of all though is that the cash machines are 100 yards back up towards the Virgin Pendolino access, which is a bit of a PITA. Col Quote Link to post Share on other sites
firbeck 859 Posted February 15, 2016 Report Share Posted February 15, 2016 I know I've published these pics before, but for those that haven't seen them, just part of my collection:- They were generally quite happy to let you on to Nottingham Vic for a session of trainspotting, but it was frowned upon at Nottingham Midland as it was at Grantham in later years. 6 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
FLY2 10,108 Posted February 15, 2016 Report Share Posted February 15, 2016 Notts Vic was without doubt the friendliest station that I ever encountered, and that's not favouritism because it was my personal favourite. It emanates from the old GC days when I presume there was a fantastic family atmosphere. Everyone seemed to muck in, and as the old saying by Richard Hardy goes. "We'll do our best with what we've got " and they definitely did. I was always treated politely , hence there was never any messing about when there. Although it had gone downhill since 59, it was always busy and interesting. July 62 I left school and never set foot in the place again. Such a sad demise of a once magnificent railway system. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Merthyr Imp 729 Posted February 15, 2016 Report Share Posted February 15, 2016 Due to change at Birmingham New Street tomorrow on the way from Leicester to Cardiff. I'll see how I get on. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MargieH 7,602 Posted February 15, 2016 Report Share Posted February 15, 2016 We've just got back from dropping our daughter off at Peterborough train station to get a train to Skegness, changing at Grantham. There was totally free access on to all the platforms - you just walked straight through. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
benjamin1945 16,165 Posted February 15, 2016 Report Share Posted February 15, 2016 We nearly crossed paths then today Margie............spent the night in Peterborough........and travelled back the pretty way through Northants and Leicestershire. Stopping at the 'Country Lounge Café Bar' in Morcott...........for a lovely Breakfeast. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MargieH 7,602 Posted February 15, 2016 Report Share Posted February 15, 2016 But would I have recognised you, Benjamin? I can't go accosting all the suave gentlemen I see and asking them if they're from Nottingham, can I? Pleased you enjoyed your journey home and the breakfast. We journeyed home the way we had come - over little fen roads and then carefully along the Ramsey Forty Foot Drain. But we did lunch at Sainsburys in Ely and very nice it was too... 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
benjamin1945 16,165 Posted February 15, 2016 Report Share Posted February 15, 2016 AH AH Margie but i would have recognised you and Paul,.............same goes for a few others on here,............after a quick hello,..you'd know me....... 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Merthyr Imp 729 Posted February 16, 2016 Report Share Posted February 16, 2016 As said, I travelled from Leicester to Cardiff via Birmingham today, but wasn't able to give the arrangements for changing platforms a completely fair trial as my son decided he wanted to visit the Ian Allan Bookshop so we exited the station initially. I should mention we had separate tickets for the Leicester - Birmingham and Birmingham - Cardiff journeys. When we returned for the Cardiff train, though we did find ourselves on what, despite the rebuilding, I could still identify as the old link between the platforms (where the toilets and café used to be), and as far as I could see in a quick look there was access to all platforms from it. In other words you could get between platforms without having to go through barriers. I suspect it may depend which set of escalators you use to go off the platforms. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ValuerJim 277 Posted February 16, 2016 Report Share Posted February 16, 2016 We had a single through ticket, because we were delayed on a journey last New Year - 2014/15 - and claimed our refund. Normally I spend an hour or two investigating split-ticketing. It's great fun, and there are substantial savings to be had. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Merthyr Imp 729 Posted February 17, 2016 Report Share Posted February 17, 2016 Normally I spend an hour or two investigating split-ticketing. It's great fun, and there are substantial savings to be had. That's correct. It does vary though - we're going to Manchester next month, and I tried several permutations for splitting the tickets (e.g. Cardiff - Shrewsbury, Shrewsbury - Manchester, etc, etc) and there was no saving to be found. In fact, in this particular instance it turned out to be cheaper to get a ticket for the full journey of Merthyr Tydfil to Manchester, as that was exactly the same cost as just Cardiff to Manchester. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
catfan 14,793 Posted February 17, 2016 Report Share Posted February 17, 2016 I love travelling on trains but the fares are too expensive & very complicated to work out. Pity. 3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ValuerJim 277 Posted February 17, 2016 Report Share Posted February 17, 2016 There was a very interesting article in one of the modern railway mags recently. A guy wanted to travel from Nottingham to Holyhead, and discovered that by splitting at Llanfairfechan he could save £50.00 or so. The train only stops at Llanfairfechan by request. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Merthyr Imp 729 Posted February 17, 2016 Report Share Posted February 17, 2016 Fares aren't always expensive if you're able to book in advance. My son and I (admittedly with a Family Railcard) travelled from St Pancras to Leicester yesterday for a total of £17.45. A few more examples - in December, on another of our trips out the two of us went from London Euston to Manchester for a total of £17.00. Last October we went from Exeter to London Waterloo for just £20, and last August, although I haven't made a note of the exact sum, we were able to go from Birmingham to London Marylebone for less than £10 for the two of us - amazing value, and although it may have taken a little longer than the Virgin Trains service to Euston it was still only two hours. It can vary of course - we never seem to get any bargains going from Cardiff to London! - and I think it often depends on what time of day you travel. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bubblewrap 3,815 Posted February 17, 2016 Report Share Posted February 17, 2016 #21 As I don't drive If I wish to go anywhere on my own it has to be by public transport. Bus is free(have bus pass) train using a senior rail card can be cheap "IF" you know what you are doing(for longer trips book in advance) Loughborough - Newark £8 25 with railcard 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
TBI 2,351 Posted February 17, 2016 Report Share Posted February 17, 2016 On the subject of trainspotting, I see the Flying Scotsman is set to travel through Notts next month, on it's way to the NRM. http://www.nottinghampost.com/Flying-Scotsman-set-steam-Nottinghamshire/story-28750779-detail/story.html Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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