Mark A
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« Reply #18 on: July 05, 2022, 06:25:47 pm » |
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A bit of a riff on St Erth station, in its new role as park and ride.
'Reasons' yesterday gave me the opportunity to change from the branch onto the 18:00 London train at St Erth at the end of yesterday afternoon, and the junction station's new role as park and ride certainly needs quite a lot of admin, even with the modest sized ( and moderately rammed) 2 carriage St Ives train.
The overall impression was that the branch is thoroughly capacity constrained - not sure how this is working for long distance rail passengers as they'll be at risk of being displaced by the park and ride people.
First up, St Ives... there wasn't much opportunity to buy a ticket *from* St Ives as the ticket machine was flakey, a queue attempting to purchase, and in any case the machine didn't seem to know about railcards. Once on the train, there was no space for the train crew to come through and check tickets.
Once at St Erth, the accesses between the bay platform and the up main platform being for the most part closed off with tape, either single use or barrier tape, the returning park and ride people were channeled through the station building and, for the people heading for the down-side car park, back on to the platform and over the bridge - at the entrance to which there was a sign that said hopefully "No queueing on the bridge" - not sure how that was meant to work.
The very few people heading for the long distance connecting train were able to head in the same direction and discover the remaining exit(s?) to the up line platform of their own acccord. When the park and ride people had passed, the entire end of the station behind the buffer stops was taped off to send any one else up the ramp. (The cafe there appears to have been a victim of covid, which is a pity as it would now have far more passing trade perhaps with their landlord requiring a greatly increased rent)
All this needed the prescence of I think at least 2 staff to manage things.
The levels may well favour a step-free underpass, someone has probably considered one and then baulked at the cost of such structures in the UK▸ .
A notice states that for anyone unable to use the overbridge, GWR▸ will provide a complimentary taxi, presumably between up and down platforms.
So, St Erth is much busier - though possibly, the fare box has suffered a hit as a result, and also, two carriages on the branch in July doesn't match the numbers presenting.
After the ride on the branch, I do now know the words to the following nursery rhyme:
"Row, row, row your boat, gently down the stream. If you see a crocodile, don't forget to scream.'
Mark
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