York station Lowther Terrace (Holgate) exit

yorkie · 13 Mar 2024

This sign now appears at York station:

(click on the image to see it full size)

Station Road Exit Closure
For the safety of cyclists and all station users, the exit route from the station is only permitted via the station concorse or Queen Street slip road.
This is due to the Station Road exit now being a one-way system and entry only.
Traffic is nly allowed to use the one-way route when entering the station car park and bike park facilities

I don't mind the Station Road exit being closed, and indeed the title of this sign means it should be irrelevant to me, but I decided to read on anyway, but this just made me more confused.

The sign is unclear regarding whether they are also closing the Lowther Street exit; it doesn't explicitly say the Lowther Street exit is being closed, so I assume it isn't, but the wording is very odd, as if it isn't being closed, then the sign could be read as being contradictory.

Does anyone know if the Lowther Street exit is due to close at any point? Some of us would need to allow several more minutes to get to the station if it does get closed unexpectedly, so it would be useful to know in advance!

RailUK Forums

800001 · 13 Mar 2024

yorkie said:
This sign now appears at York station:
View attachment 154186
(click on the image to see it full size)

I don't mind the Station Road exit being closed, and indeed the title of this sign means it should be irrelevant to me, but I decided to read on anyway, but this just made me more confused.

The sign is unclear regarding whether they are also closing the Lowther Street exit; it doesn't explicitly say the Lowther Street exit is being closed, so I assume it isn't, but the wording is very odd, as if it isn't being closed, then the sign could be read as being contradictory.

Does anyone know if the Lowther Street exit is due to close at any point? Some of us would need to allow several more minutes to get to the station if it does get closed unexpectedly, so it would be useful to know in advance!

My only thoughts are it could be in connection with the multi story car park work? I would think Lowther Street exit would be closed as part of that.

unlevel42 · 14 Mar 2024

Lowther Terrace, Lowther Street is a mile away.
NR York Station map is not working
Is it part of the a master plan to focus the bus/taxi/drop off in this area.

yorksrob · 14 Mar 2024

Is the station road exit the one next to The Tap ? If so, that's a nuisance.

YorkRailFan · 14 Mar 2024

yorksrob said:
Is the station road exit the one next to The Tap ? If so, that's a nuisance.

No, its the exit on the other side of the station that's on the other side of Platform 1 with an exit into the station car park on the South end of the station with a ramp up to Lowther Terrace which leads to Holgate Road.

This is quite annoying for me, this is the exit/entrance that I use all the time to access the Station. Guess I'll just have to walk down Tadcaster Road, Blossom Street and then down Queen Street to the main entrance.

sturmey_archer · 14 Mar 2024

The Lowther Terrace exit was open yesterday, but signs said that it would be closed from Thursday 15th (today).

This is nowhere near any building works, but I suppose if you cycled to the station this way, you would be cycling into oncoming one-way car park traffic, just as you get to the end of Platform 1... this seems like an OTT way to manage that risk though, and will inconvenience a lot of people

themiller · 14 Mar 2024

sturmey_archer said:
The Lowther Terrace exit was open yesterday, but signs said that it would be closed from Thursday 15th (today).

This is nowhere near any building works, but I suppose if you cycled to the station this way, you would be cycling into oncoming one-way car park traffic, just as you get to the end of Platform 1... this seems like an OTT way to manage that risk though, and will inconvenience a lot of people

The next Thursday 15th is in August! There’s nothing like being accurate.

185 · 14 Mar 2024

Disgraceful behaviour. A substantial amount of public money was used to build the Lowther St ramp & exit in 2011... it is very popular and any nonsense argument about one way traffic in a car park could have quickly been resolved with a cyclists dismount sign. Given the mess with the ticketing on the East Coast, with stupidity like this, it's not unreasonable to suggest the problems are within the LNER management, people wandering in from other industries or graduate schemes with little understanding of & unwilling to learn how to run a railway.

YorkRailFan · 14 Mar 2024

185 said:
it is very popular and any argument about one way traffic could have quickly been resolved with a cyclists dismount sign

There is a cyclists dismount sign on the platform opposite Platform 1, although many choose to ignore it.

AY1975 · 14 Mar 2024

YorkRailFan said:
No, its the exit on the other side of the station that's on the other side of Platform 1 with an exit into the station car park on the South end of the station with a ramp up to Lowther Terrace which leads to Holgate Road.

This is quite annoying for me, this is the exit/entrance that I use all the time to access the Station. Guess I'll just have to walk down Tadcaster Road, Blossom Street and then down Queen Street to the main entrance.

Do you mean the exit adjacent to the National Railway Museum? Or the one by the Royal Mail sorting office?

sturmey_archer · 14 Mar 2024

(my mention of Thursday 15th was my error)

Lowther Terrace gates expected to be shut until late 2025!!

YorkRailFan · 14 Mar 2024

AY1975 said:
Do you mean the exit adjacent to the National Railway Museum? Or the one by the Royal Mail sorting office?

No, I mean the exit on the South end of Platform 1. Go past the First Class Lounge and Enterprise on your right and walk down the platform opposite Platform 1. You come out into the Station's main Car Park, on the other side of the car park there is a ramp which takes you up to Lowther Terrace. Take a right and you come out on Holgate Road.

D6700 · 14 Mar 2024

Thank you for posting a photo of that notice - I cycled through there twice yesterday, but didn't see it, as I was rightly keeping my eyes focussed on avoiding any people/bikes/cars at the right-angle junction. As it happens, I would have used it twice this evening, too!

Whilst there is and will be work taking place variously, that is a very long time for a complete closure, forcing cyclists to use what is unquestionably a very dangerous route along Blossom Street - particularly when heading away from the city towards Holgate Road.

At this point in time, there is no genuine justification in closing the route. Those responsible for this are not acting responsibly, as they are significantly increasing the danger to cyclists.

I suspect this closure has been done as a result of a risk assessment. If so, it would perfectly illustrate just how flawed they can be, by not taking into account external factors.

800001 · 14 Mar 2024

185 said:
Disgraceful behaviour. A substantial amount of public money was used to build the Lowther St ramp & exit in 2011... it is very popular and any nonsense argument about one way traffic in a car park could have quickly been resolved with a cyclists dismount sign. Given the mess with the ticketing on the East Coast, with stupidity like this, it's not unreasonable to suggest the problems are within the LNER management, people wandering in from other industries or graduate schemes with little understanding of & unwilling to learn how to run a railway.

Work to build a multi story car park starts imminently, that will require the vast majority of the car park to be closed, hence, which is why I assume the Lowther Ramp is being closed!
Has anyone asked the LNER station managers about why it’s closed? Or questioned there social media team who could find out an answer?
If someone asks them, then comes back here with an answer, that will save an awful lot of speculation about why it is being closed, and why for so long.

class 9 · 14 Mar 2024

AY1975 said:
Do you mean the exit adjacent to the National Railway Museum? Or the one by the Royal Mail sorting office?

It's here, circled in yellow.

yorksrob · 14 Mar 2024

YorkRailFan said:
No, its the exit on the other side of the station that's on the other side of Platform 1 with an exit into the station car park on the South end of the station with a ramp up to Lowther Terrace which leads to Holgate Road.

This is quite annoying for me, this is the exit/entrance that I use all the time to access the Station. Guess I'll just have to walk down Tadcaster Road, Blossom Street and then down Queen Street to the main entrance.

I must admit, I've not been on that side much.

D6700 · 14 Mar 2024

I can confirm the gate is now shut - and that the resulting diversion is a horror show...

YorkRailFan · 4 Apr 2024

Gates have now been closed on the Lowther Terrace entrance to York Station and are likely to remain so until late 2025.

Passengers are furious with the development, claiming that the closure will add an extra 20 minutes onto their commutes, and cyclists saying that they will be forced to travel through ‘accident black spots’ to reach the station.Earlier this month, Holgate councillor Kallum Taylor shared on his X (formally Twitter) account that Cllr Kilbane and three Holgate councillors had met with LNER reps to discuss the issue and find a solution that would work better.After this meeting, LNER agreed that they would attempt, under review, to keep the gate open and clearly divert people travelling from there (not heading to the station) via the new exit to Queen Street. In addition to this, City of York Council and LNER have agreed to write to each other formally to confirm responsibility for risk on their pieces of land. As of yet, this has not been implemented.

An spokesperson for LNER said: "We appreciate feedback being shared as we continue to work with our partners on the York Station Gateway project, which will transform the area.

“Due to the increase in construction work around the car park and for the safety of all station users, the pedestrian gates at the end of the long stay car park have been temporarily closed as we explore other options.“Once delivered, the York Station Gateway project will significantly improve access to the station for everyone, ensuring that all visitors and customers have a special, warm welcome as they arrive in York."

Key York cycle route closes its gates for the next 18 months

The Lowther Terrace route in and out of York Station will be closed for the next 18 months as part of the Station Gateway development.

www.yorkpress.co.uk

Some positive news on the story I suppose, keep pressuring local Councillors and LNER will be the way to get news and improvements.

800001 · 4 Apr 2024

YorkRailFan said:
Key York cycle route closes its gates for the next 18 months

The Lowther Terrace route in and out of York Station will be closed for the next 18 months as part of the Station Gateway development.

www.yorkpress.co.uk

Some positive news on the story I suppose, keep pressuring local Councillors and LNER will be the way to get news and improvements.

Even walking how does it take an extra 20 minutes to walk around and along Blossom Street?

yorkie · 4 Apr 2024

YorkRailFan said:
Key York cycle route closes its gates for the next 18 months

The Lowther Terrace route in and out of York Station will be closed for the next 18 months as part of the Station Gateway development.

www.yorkpress.co.uk

Some positive news on the story I suppose, keep pressuring local Councillors and LNER will be the way to get news and improvements.

LNER aren't too bothered about bad press; the east coast franchise has a long history of authoritarianism/nannying and the current LNER management are very much in line with that longstanding attitude.

However they are under a lot of pressure, and I hope they can be made to relent. It's an absolutely disgraceful and unjustifiable position to take; they are attempting to eliminate a miniscule risk and instead create a far greater risk just beyond the boundary of their little empire.

They have also locked the door near platform 1. I will edit this post to include a photograph of the door in due course. That said, this is very minor compared to the closure of the Lowther Terrace gate, but it shows how nannying LNER truly are.

I don't see how LNER have the right to unilaterally impose these closures; who do they think they are?

Hopefully sufficient people will keep piling on the pressure.

800001 said:
Even walking how does it take an extra 20 minutes to walk around and along Blossom Street?

It doesn't take as long as that. For a resident living very close to the gate on Lowther Terrace to get to platform 1 is probably 15 minutes walk.

But it's an unpleasant walk compared to going direct. It's far worse when cycling; the route from the cycle parking to Lowther Terrace involves multiple conflicting movements with traffic, including multiple right turns. It's not quite so bad when going to the station, as you keep turning left, but is still very unpleasant.

I wish someone could hold LNER to account; their behaviour over the last few years has been utterly disgraceful in so many areas.

I did rate David Horne as a leader and he does do lots of good things, but his reputation has been tarnished lately and rightly so.

HST43257 · 4 Apr 2024

I heard there was an issue relating to the car park new one way system put into place as part of the early works. Supposedly a hit/near miss between car and bike/person.

I’m not happy about it as it lengthens my commute but if it’s supposedly safer then that’s the situation.

yorkie · 4 Apr 2024

HST43257 said:
I heard there was an issue relating to the car park new one way system put into place as part of the early works.

This doesn't really make sense because cars can still go past the locked gate; there is no conflict at the gate.

HST43257 said:
Supposedly a hit/near miss between car and bike/person.

However someone has pointed out numerous conflicts on the roads around the alternative route. I can't remember if it was in this thread or in the Press; I will dig it out later and quote it.

And we are not talking near misses but actual collisions.

HST43257 said:
I’m not happy about it as it lengthens my commute but if it’s supposedly safer then that’s the situation.

It's not safer; I refer you to @D6700's post. LNER are attempting to eliminate a tiny risk and, in it's place, create a far bigger risk just beyond the boundary of their little empire.

The risk assessment carried out by LNER was purely about reducing risk on their patch; the overall risk with their ridiculous scheme is clearly an order of magnitude greater.

Some people at LNER can't see the bigger picture; this would be a problem at many companies, but clearly narrow mindedness is welcome at LNER. Or maybe they are well aware of the bigger picture and are deliberately placing people at greater risk, but I would assume they aren't that sadist, so I will assume they are merely ignorant and incompetent.

DerekC · 4 Apr 2024

It would not have been beyond reason to create a cycleway all the way along the side of the car park nearest the railway, then make a way through the fence next to the access point at the western end of the car park and use a small slice of the spare wedge of operational land (with suitable fence) for 30 metres to come out through a new hole in the wall onto Cambridge Street. In fact that would be a good permanent arrangement, separating pedestrians and cyclists from the need to cross the car park.

yorkie · 4 Apr 2024

DerekC said:
It would not have been beyond reason to create a cycleway all the way along the side of the car park nearest the railway, then make a way through the fence next to the access point at the western end of the car park and use a small slice of the spare wedge of operational land (with suitable fence) for 30 metres to come out through a new hole in the wall onto Cambridge Street. In fact that would be a good permanent arrangement, separating pedestrians and cyclists from the need to cross the car park.

Yes, that would be good. Even just some steps at Lowther Street would help reduce conflicting movements (there is no good reason why that wasn't done, other than purely saving money). The arrangements before the closure were not ideal, but tolerable, but this closure really makes cycling to & from the station rather unpleasant.

Since the closure, I've noticed fewer bikes parked at the station than usual; this may be partly explained by the school holidays but I do wonder if some people are being put off. I don't really have a suitable alternative, so just have to put up with it.

LNER seem to be doing their best to try to make people like me reconsider our decisions not to become car drivers; this is just the latest in a long series of decisions by the company. Sadly the DfT thinks LNER are wonderful and of course much of what LNER do is at the DfT's request or in keeping with DfT thinking.

Having visited numerous other European countries, it is very depressing to come back on LNER (or, even if not travelling with them, putting up with restrictions imposed by them at stations)

LNER's mascot being ostensibly about "freedom" is on the verge of downright trolling by the company.

HST43257 · 4 Apr 2024

yorkie said:
This doesn't really make sense because cars can still go past the locked gate; there is no conflict at the gate.

However someone has pointed out numerous conflicts on the roads around the alternative route. I can't remember if it was in this thread or in the Press; I will dig it out later and quote it.

And we are not talking near misses but actual collisions.

It's not safer; I refer you to @D6700's post. LNER are attempting to eliminate a tiny risk and, in it's place, create a far bigger risk just beyond the boundary of their little empire.

The risk assessment carried out by LNER was purely about reducing risk on their patch; the overall risk with their ridiculous scheme is clearly an order of magnitude greater.

Some people at LNER can't see the bigger picture; this would be a problem at many companies, but clearly narrow mindedness is welcome at LNER. Or maybe they are well aware of the bigger picture and are deliberately placing people at greater risk, but I would assume they aren't that sadist, so I will assume they are merely ignorant and incompetent.

I completely agree that there’s no sense to it as there’s alternative routes avoiding the car route, but that’s just what I’ve heard

yorkie · 4 Apr 2024

HST43257 said:
I completely agree that there’s no sense to it as there’s alternative routes avoiding the car route, but that’s just what I’ve heard

I've not heard this but I don't doubt you; a near miss on LNER's patch will be deemed by the company to be more serious than actual collisions on the diversionary route; that's the sort of company LNER is.

YorkRailFan · 4 Apr 2024

yorkie said:
But it's an unpleasant walk compared to going direct. It's far worse when cycling; the route from the cycle parking to Lowther Terrace involves multiple conflicting movements with traffic, including multiple right turns. It's not quite so bad when going to the station, as you keep turning left, but is still very unpleasant.

Seeing people cycle down Queen Street gives me the shudders, it's horrific. I always avoid it.

York Queen Street Bridge in #York will be closed to all vehicles, pedestrians, and cyclists from 19 - 22 April 2024. The LNER long stay car park will also be closed.

https://twitter.com/LNER/status/1777274687015342488?t=Z9wEtBAm1EjCiI9L-cuWwA&s=19

Well that will be a huge inconvenience to those who previously used Lowther Terrace and now use Queen Street. The only way I could think of is if one goes over Micklegate and past the Council Offices to come out on the other side of the station.

HST43257 · 8 Apr 2024

YorkRailFan said:
Well that will be a huge inconvenience to those who previously used Lowther Terrace and now use Queen Street. The only way I could think of is if one goes over Micklegate and past the Council Offices to come out on the other side of the station.

Alternatively the Cinder Bridge route has a cycle path at the ROC end, for those in Holgate/Acomb area. However the bridge is awkward and Wilton Rise (the road leading to it) is in major disrepair after they decided to make it private.

LowLevel · 8 Apr 2024

They do seem to have lurched down an interesting "safety" avenue of late. They unilaterally shut off platform 3's long face at Grantham last year having decided that having been that way since at least 1972 it was now intolerably unsafe to have passengers use it with 5 car Azumas stopping at the far end, having previously done it with 9 car HSTs with slam doors and 225 sets, which has caused plenty of problems with EMR effectively now unable to use the platform for their 3 car 170s.

At least they're not just picking on one station, I suppose.

D6700 · 8 Apr 2024

YorkRailFan said:
Seeing people cycle down Queen Street gives me the shudders, it's horrific. I always avoid it.

https://twitter.com/LNER/status/1777274687015342488?t=Z9wEtBAm1EjCiI9L-cuWwA&s=19

Well that will be a huge inconvenience to those who previously used Lowther Terrace and now use Queen Street. The only way I could think of is if one goes over Micklegate and past the Council Offices to come out on the other side of the station.

Whilst I much prefer the Lowther Terrace gate route, I don't mind going via Queen Street bridge when heading to the station - although I had to use it in the middle of the day a week ago and the traffic was mostly in gridlock, as the pedestrian crossing is now far busier than previously because of the closure of both the footpath on the station side of the road and the route through the car park. With standing traffic and road signs placed in the short section of cycle lane, progress was frustratingly slow.

From the link within the Twitter post, I see the closure of Queen Street is repeated a week later, too.

Since the station car park will be closed over those weekends, presumably because the work taking place will prevent access to and egress from it, I see little reason not to re-open the Lowther Terrace gate during those times, at absolute least.

HST43257 said:
Alternatively the Cinder Bridge route has a cycle path at the ROC end, for those in Holgate/Acomb area. However the bridge is awkward and Wilton Rise (the road leading to it) is in major disrepair after they decided to make it private.

I use the bridge over the avoider every day going to/from work and cycle down Wilton Rise on the way home. As you suggest, the city side of the bridge is hard work with a bike, whilst that road is one of the worst I've experienced, with deep trenches, rather than mere potholes! Despite that, it is safer than using Blossom Street to get to Acomb.

When going to the station, I've been cycling via Blossom Street, whilst on the way home I've recently been carting my bike up the station footbridge steps, then down the other side and onward via the route you describe. The temporary cycle and footpath at the back of the station has a wonderful surface - a massive contrast with Wilton Rise!

yorkie said:
a near miss on LNER's patch will be deemed by the company to be more serious than actual collisions on the diversionary route; that's the sort of company LNER is.

The results of any accidents involving cyclists on Blossom Street are far more likely to be catastrophic than anything that could happen in the car park, even if a near miss was to translate into an actual accident.

It really does feel like we are being thrown to the wolves. The irony, is they probably think they are doing the right thing, when, in reality, they couldn't be more wide of the mark!

York station Lowther Terrace (Holgate) exit

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