Goring and Streatley Station - facilities and improvements (merged topic)

[whole diary]

[john_boler]

The Mobility Issues Group for Goring and Streatley (MIGGS) has been making representations to all who will listen, but especially FGW^▸ (First Great Western), Network Rail and the DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) to instal lifts when the footbridge is rebuilt at Goring and Streatley station as part of the electrification programme. The latest salvo was fired in the House of Commons on 24 April 2013 when Henley MP^▸ (Member of Parliament), John Howell presented a petition collected by MIGGS.You can view the actualit^ here:

http://www.parliamentlive.tv/Main/Player.aspx?meetingId=12999&st=18:01:33.0770000

It begins at 6:28:09

[Chris from Nailsea]

Thanks for posting that interesting information and link, john_boler, and welcome to the Coffee Shop forum! 

[eightf48544]

Very interesting, Goring and Streatly like Taplow seems to be unmanned for most of the day therefore would the lifts only be available up to 13:00 each day (not Sunday)?

I started a thread on this in Frequent Posters Club about unmanned stations and lift opening times,  but it didn't start a debate.

I made the comment that Docklands has unmanned lifts at it's unmanned station open all the time and that in this case was Twyford more bandit country than East London.

 

[john_boler]

See "Accessible train station design for disabled people: a code of practice", published by the Department for Transport", November 2011 edition, at https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/3191/accessible-train-station-design-cop.pdf. This implies that an acceptable standard for the availability of assistance in the event of emergency is two hours. This is well within the capability of a technician based at either Reading or Didcot, both of which are staffed 24 hours a day.

[paul7575]

I started a thread on this in Frequent Posters Club about unmanned stations and lift opening times,  but it didn't start a debate.

I didn't really think there was anything else to debate.  SWT^▸ (South West Trains)'s current practices already made it clear that there is no fundamental problem with having lifts at unmanned stations.

Paul

[john_boler]

Goring and Streatley station now has a fully accessible toilet. The new toilet, along with fully modernised ladies^ and gents^ toilets, was formally opened for use on 12 March by John Howell, MP^▸ (Member of Parliament) for Henley. The ^disabled^ toilet is the first of a number of accessibility improvements planned by First Great Western and Network Rail, the most important of which is passenger lifts, to be integrated into a new footbridge, due for completion in the summer of 2015. The latest forecast is that the lifts will be completed by late summer or early autumn. The accessible toilet is fitted with a ^Radar^ lock that can be opened by any disabled traveller in possession of a Radar key.

[john_boler]

On 12 March John Howell MP^▸ (Member of Parliament) unveiled an orientation plaque at Goring and Streatley station. The plaque is intended primarily to help long distance walkers and other pedestrians arriving at the station, many of whom use Goring and Streatley as the railhead for exploring the Thames Path and Ridgeway national trails and the Chilterns and North Wessex Downs areas of outstanding natural beauty, all of which meet at Goring river bridge. The picture shows Dave Martin (right) accepting the plaque on behalf of First Great Western from John Howell, MP for Henley.

[Surrey 455]

For a moment I wondered why there was a London Transport roundel on the map then I scrolled to the right and saw it was an arrow.

BTW^▸ (by the way) why is the map dated 2009?

[Chris from Nailsea]

Thanks for posting that update, john_boler! 

Compared with some such facilities which I have seen also described as 'fully accessible', that one seems positively palatial! 

[Chris from Nailsea]

Was it presented by Network Rail in 2009, and it's taken this long to mount it somewhere suitable, possibly?

Isn't that Patrick Hallgate, of Network Rail, top right in the first picture?

[lordgoata]

Probably the case Chris, there was a bit in Goring Gap magazine about it, but I forgot what it said now. Does amaze me though, if it has taken 6 years to install, that they decide to do it right now in the middle of all the engineering works they are doing to the station with the new bridge etc! Would have made much more sense to put up up when everything was finished and have it as part of the opening of the new station/lifts etc.

[stuving]

With Google's assistance, I found this letter to the parish council (on their web site) that fills in those missing details:

As the Council will be aware, Network Rail is about to embark on construction of a new
footbridge at Goring and Streatley station.

This is a formal request for the Council to make available its Network Rail orientation plaque
for incorporation into the new bridge or erection nearby.

The plaque is currently held in the Council store room. Whether the plaque would, indeed,
be incorporated into the new station works would be for Network Rail and/or First Great
Western to decide. The purpose of this request is to clear the way for me to ask them, on a
personal basis, to do so. An alternative would be for the Council to make such a request
direct to Network Rail; in which case I should be happy to suggest a helpful contact.

The Council^s records will show that the plaque was a gift made by Network Rail to the
Council on behalf of residents of Goring in recognition of the patient way that residents had
tolerated the inconvenience caused by reconstruction of the High Street rail bridge in 2006.
The plaque was designed locally and commissioned and paid for direct by the Council, using
the money gifted by Network Rail.

Planning permission was granted in December 2009 for the plaque to be erected on the
station forecourt but the works have not so far been executed.

That letter was written last September by - unsurprisingly - one John Boler.

[Surrey 455]

I hope there haven't been any road layout changes during that 6 year wait

[IndustryInsider]

I hope there haven't been any road layout changes during that 6 year wait

Don't think there's any road layout changes, but the railway line has been 4-tracked in the intervening years... 

[lordgoata]

Don't think there's any road layout changes, but the railway line has been 4-tracked in the intervening years... 

LOL^▸ (laughing out loud) 

Actually, there is one error I can see, if you plan to visit the Food & Drink symbol at the bottom by the note indicating the B4256, you'll be sadly disappointed as its a derelict building now. STIG continue their irritating anti-Tesco tirade, leaving the village with this lovely eyesore for the past 12 months, and who knows how many more for the future .... but I digress