Lack of welcome and information at Truro Station

[whole diary]

[chuffed]

I changed at Truro yesterday en route from Newquay to Falmouth. I was searching out bus info at the station and found no maps of the city, no onward journey posters and only found out that the bus stops were 100 yards along the road from the entrance. Even that was no help, as all it gave were departures to the bus station or the electronic gizmos sahowing Treliske P&R^▸ (Park and Ride). Now as someone who had not visited Truro for more years than I care to remember, this was totally unhelpful and put me off so much, that I abandoned plans for today to go to the organ recital in the Cathedral at lunchtime.
At the other end of the scale, the station at Falmouth Docks had information boards and signs,to the extent that nothing could have been clearer. If this had been a football game it would have been Falmouth Docks 10 Truro 0 !

[old original]

Didn't you ask someone?

[LiskeardRich]

This is a case of not looking very well I'm afraid Chuffed!      

There is a very large map of the city as you exit the station on the left before you get to the road that crosses the level crossing.
The near side of the road only has bus times to the bus station because that is the only destination. Crossing the road to the timetable on the opposite side would have found you the times for Penzance, St Ives, Camborne (via 2 "back road" routes), Newquay (via Perranporth and St Agnes), and Porthtowan as a minimum and all destinations in between.

The downside at Truro is its spread over quite a space where as Falmouth Docks is in a Cul-de-Sac so impossible to miss. Although at Truro all is within 10 metres of the entrance hall.

The black notice board seen on street view here shows a map of the city

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@50.2637761,-5.0630296,3a,75y,18.64h,100.5t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sNPeYIJ2hEhfO-LDUwkgIXQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

[chuffed]

OK, point taken. Altho, when I asked the staffer on the gate, his reply was one word..'Outside'. It may well have been true, but it wasn't exactly helpful!

[LiskeardRich]

OK, point taken. Altho, when I asked the staffer on the gate, his reply was one word..'Outside'. It may well have been true, but it wasn't exactly helpful!

Whilst correct in his answer agreed it's not helpful. I guess if he can't leave his post he could have directed you to someone who could help you better.

[PhilWakely]

The near side of the road only has bus times to the bus station because that is the only destination. Crossing the road to the timetable on the opposite side would have found you the times for Penzance, St Ives, Camborne (via 2 "back road" routes), Newquay (via Perranporth and St Agnes), and Porthtowan as a minimum and all destinations in between.

Is there a clear notice on the near side of the road that states 'across the road for services to...........'?

[froome]

Out of interest, as a general rule, who is responsible for putting up info like this - GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) or the local council? (and yes I know the two should be working together but I suspect that doesn't always happen as well as it could).

I assume that as the station will be owned by GWR any info that does go up would need their permission anyway?

[LiskeardRich]

The near side of the road only has bus times to the bus station because that is the only destination. Crossing the road to the timetable on the opposite side would have found you the times for Penzance, St Ives, Camborne (via 2 "back road" routes), Newquay (via Perranporth and St Agnes), and Porthtowan as a minimum and all destinations in between.

Is there a clear notice on the near side of the road that states 'across the road for services to...........'?

I haven't paid that much attention as to whether there is a sign, but thinking logically if on one side of the road all the services are inbound to the city centre, then outbound services would be on the opposite side. These things that might be clear as day to a regular traveller aren't clear to an infrequent user.

[Chris from Nailsea]

I assume that as the station will be owned by GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) any info that does go up would need their permission anyway?

The railway station at Truro is owned by Network Rail, but managed by Great Western Railway. 

[Chris from Nailsea]

Out of interest, as a general rule, who is responsible for putting up info like this - GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) or the local council? (and yes I know the two should be working together but I suspect that doesn't always happen as well as it could).

I assume that as the station will be owned by GWR any info that does go up would need their permission anyway?

The station operator is required to provide certain information, mostly about the station and train operation, and there's a common national format "information about the area" poster which is usually provided; I'm not sure if that's a franchise requirement on GWR, more general, or something that's generally done because it's sensible.    That latter poster is highly stylised and standardised, and is a nightmare to keep up to date as it lists onward destinations and bus stops and routes.

The local council has - to my knowledge - no obligation to provide a welcome or information at stations, though in my view it's a good idea for them to do so.

Where a poster goes up on Network Rail property that's leased to a train operator as part of a franchise, some form of agreement is necessary.   And the hardware, etc, necessary needs to be vandal proof to avoid it getting chucked on the line, or have any risk of getting blown there in bad weather.   Content needs to be in the interest of the train operator.

Outside what can be quite narrow confines, Network Rail owns the track and surrounds, and an agreement would need to be reached with them for posters / displays on their land.

The boundary from Network Rail to leased-from-Network-Rail to council owned public highway can be an interesting one to research ... once you're off the railway land and onto the council, there's a different story.  Very interesting, away from signs, where the boundary goes across the middle of a series of car parking spaces that you want remarking!

There's a lot of knowledge on Community Rail lines and on Community Rail stations as to whom to ask about what and to help bring partners together.   The map at http://www.projectmapping.co.uk/Resources/ACoRP%20summary%20map%20v3.pdf will help you identify your local Community Rail partnership if you have one.

... and, in the case of Truro, that would be the Devon & Cornwall Community Rail Partnership. 

Without wishing to 'drop him in it', so to speak, you may find that one of our members here can be of significant help - RichardB. 

[Adelante_CCT]

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@50.2637761,-5.0630296,3a,75y,18.64h,100.5t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sNPeYIJ2hEhfO-LDUwkgIXQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

Looks like Grahame's typing 

[Chris from Nailsea]

Oh, I say: it's not that bad! 

Seriously, I think the following link to the scene outside Truro Station should work. 

[LiskeardRich]

Oh, I say: it's not that bad! 

Seriously, I think the following link to the scene outside Truro Station should work. 

Yes it does, The black board centre of shot has a full size map on the station entrance side, and a collection of A4 local notices on the level crossing side.

[chuffed]

And a fat lot of good to someone who came out of the station entrance and turned RIGHT ...as I did.

[Chris from Nailsea]

Fair comment - you would indeed have missed it, as shown here.