[From the Huddersfield Daily Examiner, May 13th 2013
TICKET barriers are expected to be brought into use at Huddersfield railway station within weeks.
The barriers have been placed in the main concourse at the busy station ready for installation.
And a local railway expert believes they will be of help to passengers – cutting anti-social behaviour and speeding up access times.
Transport expert Prof Paul Salveson said:
“In general they are likely to be a good move.
“Ticket barriers restrict access to the platforms and that means a reduction in anti-social behaviour.
“There have also been complaints at Huddersfield station from passengers who have been held up by staff checking for tickets.
“Many travellers through no fault of their own have been unable to buy tickets on trains from stations such as Marsden and Slaithwaite and end up in long queues alongside those with tickets.
“Those with valid tickets will be able to get through the barriers much quicker.”
But he said station staff will still have to be on duty at the barriers as they will not be able to accept every form of ticket.
Kirklees Council gave the go-ahead to First TransPennine Express for the new barriers earlier this year.
The planning decision was necessary because the historic railway station is a listed building.
Now the new barriers have been delivered and will be installed in the coming days, ready for use in early June.
They will install seven gates inside the newly-revamped main entrance of the station, meaning passengers will have to have tickets before getting on to the platforms.
Those getting off trains at Huddersfield will also need tickets to exit the station.
Wider gates are planned to allow access for customers with additional needs, such as wheelchairs, prams, luggage trolleys and cycles.
There are currently no fixed barriers at the station, but rail companies do use temporary barriers and staff to check tickets.
Many other stations in the area, notably Leeds, have had ticket barriers in use for some time without any major problems.
Members of SHRUG representatives met with officers from TfGM and Metro on 19th March 2013, as a follow-up to a previous meeting in September 2012.
Items discussed included
Full notes of the meeting can be found here.
Notes of the meeting between SHRUG & TfGM 19 March 2013
Present: members of Greenfield Rail Action Group, Friends of Mossley Station and SMART, Stephen Clark (TfGM) Roy Chapman (TfGM), James Nutter (Metro)
SC outlined current situation:
expected completion by 2016.
From 2016:
From 2018:
Planning Future Services & Franchising
Planning of future services will be dependent upon track-access requests made between train operating complanies (TOCS) & Network Rail (Rail Regulator will intervene to resolve disputes). Which TOCs will depend upon the franchising process. DfT & northern PTEs will work together to set the franchise requirements.
[A subsequent announcement has been made to the effect that the existing Northern and Trans-Pennine franchises will run until 2016, not 2014.]
Working Assumption
SC reported that there were no ‘firm plans’ as yet for services beyond 2014. SC explained that TfGM were making the following working assumption, working towards the ‘ultimate goal of getting the timetable right for the route from 2018’:
– up to 8 paths per hour with local services = 2tph throughout the day from as early as possible (but unlikely before 2018)
SC pointed out that actual TT is dependent on those specifying the franchise – DfT, Northern PTEs (TfGM) & subject to treasury approval)
The Northern Hub Plan is for 6 TPEs per hour.
It was noted the additional Victoria – Newcastle train will run from December, 2014 crowding the already crowded line even further.
We did not get any further trying to identify where these would fit to come closest to a 30 min interval at each station.
Maintaining Link to Victoria
SC said that if it is possible to maintain the connection of a service into Victoria they will do so but it is too early to say whether this will be possible at this point in time.
SC confirmed that there is no practical issue of one of the services from the west via Victoria, planned to terminate at Stalybridge post-2018, continuing to Huddersfield. Such a service would need to wait at Stalybridge to be passed by an express service. Felt the timetable interval at Stalybridge only needs 3 or 4 minutes between the all-stations train and the following express but Network Rail may hold the local for up to 8 minutes at Stalybridge (as they do now at Stalybridge and Huddersfield) if the express is running late. This would also apply if all-stations train was to/from Piccadilly so is not an argument against Victoria. This would need to be tested however at the timetable planning stage. (Stalybridge can be a passing point in both directions).
SC reported that the view of TfGM was that this should be kept as an option.
It was queried whether the dual-directional line at Stalybridge Station provided on Platform 3 was being used at all to avoid current delays for local trains.
There was also discussion about other passing places – Diggle & Marsden.
Skip-Stopping Services 2016-2018
SC re-stated that in the interim period 2016-18 it will not be possible to maintain an all stations service during the core part of the day whist that service is run by diesel-powered rolling stock. Post-2018 with an electric service an all stations service is possible.
SC confirmed that it was assumed that the skip-stop services will go forward to Leeds and originate/terminate at Piccadilly.
SC stated that it was the view of TfGM that the operator (successful franchisee) will need to consider how they will manage the requirement to double-back with a skip-stop service pattern.
SC reported that the Network Rail delivery date of ‘December 2018’ for stage 2 of the works is vague.
Peak Services
We mentioned concern to maintain (if not improve) the current level of peak services in the interim period and beyond. SC confirmed that he could not see a problem with utilising the freight paths for peak services – as happens currently.
Stephen Clark agreed the 43 minute gap in the morning peak hour service into Victoria needs to change.
We asked about the impact of the 5th TPex service (from December 2014) running from Liverpool-Newcastle via Victoria on peak services – SC did not have any information on this.
When asked about peak, evening and weekend services SC confirmed that planning work on the peak services is not expected in the Northern Hub Programmes Board for another 12 months.
Electrification Work
The work is to be carried out in two phases: west of Stalybridge & east of Stalybridge. We expressed the view that work should be carried out in such a way to minimise disruption and the use of bus-substitution by running services up to turn-backs – e.g. Marsden and Diggle.
SC did not have information on the timetable for engineering work. It was queried whether there had been negotiations with Oldham Council about bridge work in preparation for the electrification. (STOP PRESS – Oldham Council have confirmed subsequently that discussions have taken place)
Moving Forwards
SC asked us for involvement giving suggestions and a range of options for
We agreed it would be useful to have a further meeting in June 2013 once the announcement had been made on the re-franchising timetable.
Those frustrating times spent standing on a railway station platform watching as your “delayed” train suddenly disappears from the departure board without warning may be coming to a rather welcome end.
By 2015 the UK’s National Rail Enquiries (NRE) service intends to provide an “intelligent” data feed of real-time rail information to departure boards around the country.
To which we at SMART can only reply:
“What’s a departure board?”
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