Weymouth station disapointment

[whole diary]

[WSW Frome]

Weymouth station and immediate area have actually been upgraded in recent months. The front of the station has been remodelled with a new public space and history boards. The car parking has been reorganised and the platform canopies have been repainted and ?reglazed where required. A cafe also operates in the station which last year was a much newer innovation. The former quay branch nearby was made into a linear park (although not to the original glamorous plan!). This mostly involved Dorset Council funding although NR^» (Network Rail - home page) and SWR^» (South Western Railway - about) probably contributed. The final change has been erection of a new fence and gate on the car park side to prevent access out of hours. I always found it surprising that open access prevailed until now when trains were parked overnight. 

The toilets do seem to be permanently shut now which is disappointing but due to the anti-social behaviour experienced in the past. Although I have not visited the station very late in the evening (recently) I do believe it is staffed until close of play (ie after midnight)  but you need to seek out the staff in their little office to the left of the ticket office area when viewed from the platform. A sign indicates "customer help etc."

I have not visited the station for a few weeks so it is possible that some of the above is not accurate but I have been a regular visitor over many years.

 

 

[grahame]

Weymouth station and immediate area have actually been upgraded in recent months ...

You're right.  The old tramways track has been gentrified into a walkway with interpretation signs.  The frontage of the station has indeed been redone.  But that's not much help when the station building is closed from (?) mid afternoon on a sunny summer Saturday, with passenger for trains having to find their way around the side of the building to the back gate.

Yes, there *is* a shiney new high fence with gates around the back, and no doubt they are closed after the final train.   Staff member? - yes, you are correct that there's a train dispatcher (if not his official title, the role he has playing) in the office off to one side of the station building.  It was not obvious to me that he was available to help people and the office has no windows through which you can see someone inside. And when the main building is closed, the only way to see the departure board is to squint road to see it.

Yes, things have been done.  It could be so vastly improved by having a departure screen displaying next trains as passengers enter through the (!) back gate, and having the member of staff spend his time between dispatching obviously available and approachable to customers.

[grahame]

Not exactly top of my list of disruptions but

15:28 Weymouth to Gloucester due 19:03

Facilities on the 15:28 Weymouth to Gloucester due 19:03.
Disabled toilet facilities are not available.

Looks like a personal accident waiting to happen for someone who needs an accessible loo. Up-thread advice to people wanting to use the loo at Weymouth Station has been "use the toilets on the train" ... Oops.