Blackpool North: The most unfriendly station in the country?

[_toommm_]

The new edition of "Today's Railways UK" has just arrived, after an interval during which the Platform 5 offices had been closed. I turned to the letters page and, what do I see, ANOTHER letter about Blackpool North under the heading "The contrasting attitudes of station staff", the contrast being with Liverpool Lime Street. Once again it's the female station supervisor with a hostile and patronising attitude who is singled out. Who is the appropriate person at Northern to whom a complaint should be addressed? I expect Nick Donovan wouldn't reply. I don't live near Blackpool but would be willing to write, quoting all the letters in magazines and comments on this forum. Perhaps I could include a suggestion that this person be transferred to Chathill, where she won't be troubled by passengers!

Don’t transfer her to Chathill! The platforms are 110% more dangerous there than Blackpool - she’ll only allow you onto the platform 10 seconds before departure, plus most people using Chathill are enthusiasts. I reckon she’ll struggle even more there

 

[MotorcycleAlan]

Who is the appropriate person at Northern to whom a complaint should be addressed?

Having been on the receiving end of inappropriate and insulting language at the station, I think any "complaint" should come from anyone with first-hand experience, rather than, with respect, someone who has not, I assume, been there? Simply saying "I have read about all these people" and making a complaint feels rather odd to me.

 

[Vespa]

Been to Blaclpool North a few times I couldn't understand the door locking thing especially in the summer, a clear health and safety issue. it's like a greenhouse, a lot of stations don't do this.

There must be a complaint procedure about this stupidity.

 

[onlinespotting]

I reckon they train the staff at the ticket barriers at Euston, then when fully trained they get sent to Blackpool North (just a joke before anyone mentions its different tocs)

 

[ashworth]

I haven't used Blackpool North for at least 5 years now, but I used to stay with friends near there every summer and make use of a 7 Day North West Rover. The main issue I always had with the barrier staff at Blackpool North was always getting them to accept that my 7 Day Rover ticket would not go through the barrier. I tried every day morning and evening to explain politely to the barrier staff that my ticket wouldn't be accepted. They wouldn't listen and insisted that I tried it. When it got towards the end of the 7 days and even on the 13th or 14th time of trying they still wouldn't listen to me and continued to rudely shout at me to put my ticket through the barrier. When it wouldn't work there was no apology and they begrudgingly let me through. Rather than being someone travelling with an valid rover ticket I was made to feel more like a fare dodger. I've never experienced this at any other station as usually I am treated in a very friendly way when barrier staff see that I have a 7 Day Rover.

 

[Hughby]

Ever so slightly Off Topic but I just realised that the jigsaw I'm currently doing is of a Blackpool station. A little research suggests this is probably the old Blackpool Central (no details are given - the title of the jigsaw is 'Summer Showers'!).

 

[CD]

I haven't used Blackpool North for at least 5 years now, but I used to stay with friends near there every summer and make use of a 7 Day North West Rover. The main issue I always had with the barrier staff at Blackpool North was always getting them to accept that my 7 Day Rover ticket would not go through the barrier. I tried every day morning and evening to explain politely to the barrier staff that my ticket wouldn't be accepted. They wouldn't listen and insisted that I tried it. When it got towards the end of the 7 days and even on the 13th or 14th time of trying they still wouldn't listen to me and continued to rudely shout at me to put my ticket through the barrier. When it wouldn't work there was no apology and they begrudgingly let me through. Rather than being someone travelling with an valid rover ticket I was made to feel more like a fare dodger. I've never experienced this at any other station as usually I am treated in a very friendly way when barrier staff see that I have a 7 Day Rover.

I've not been to Blackpool North since the 1980s, sad to hear nothing has changed there.

 

[Class195]

Ever so slightly Off Topic but I just realised that the jigsaw I'm currently doing is of a Blackpool station. A little research suggests this is probably the old Blackpool Central (no details are given - the title of the jigsaw is 'Summer Showers'!).

View attachment 79198

That is definitely Central. Enjoy the jigsaw.

 

[Jamesrob637]

I can't say I've found BP North to be any worse or better than any other station I've experienced recently. My last visit was a warm but not hot day in September 2019 and I was allowed on to the platform a few minutes before my train departed. I was on Northern 10p tickets (hope these make a return post-COVID-19!) so they definitely worked in the barriers both ways. The previous visit was after an all-day drinking session around Lancashire in August 2018 so I can't remember much about the return! I would have likely been on a Lancashire Day Ranger then. I think this worked in the barriers.

 

[185143]

I haven't used Blackpool North for at least 5 years now, but I used to stay with friends near there every summer and make use of a 7 Day North West Rover. The main issue I always had with the barrier staff at Blackpool North was always getting them to accept that my 7 Day Rover ticket would not go through the barrier. I tried every day morning and evening to explain politely to the barrier staff that my ticket wouldn't be accepted. They wouldn't listen and insisted that I tried it. When it got towards the end of the 7 days and even on the 13th or 14th time of trying they still wouldn't listen to me and continued to rudely shout at me to put my ticket through the barrier. When it wouldn't work there was no apology and they begrudgingly let me through. Rather than being someone travelling with an valid rover ticket I was made to feel more like a fare dodger. I've never experienced this at any other station as usually I am treated in a very friendly way when barrier staff see that I have a 7 Day Rover.

I too have used the same ticket at Blackpool North, on the evening of the 7th day. Asked to be let through as I knew it wouldn't work anywhere, but was politely refused and told to put it in the barrier. Sure enough it didn't work and I was then let out.

 

[Elecman]

Ever so slightly Off Topic but I just realised that the jigsaw I'm currently doing is of a Blackpool station. A little research suggests this is probably the old Blackpool Central (no details are given - the title of the jigsaw is 'Summer Showers'!).

View attachment 79198

Yes that’s definitely the old Blackpool C3ntral

 

[38Cto15E]

I must admit to having a chuckle when I received this months Railway Magazine with one page headlined The Awkward Squad and a picture of Blacpool North taking half a page.
Whilst I am not a fan of Blackpool North I must say that the lunchtime Avanti West Coast to Euston has been available to board at least 30 minutes before time when I have travelled, a good job as it takes me awhile to walk to First Class.
Skeggy, what would it have been like with all the Bashers in the 80's when the Jolly Fisherman 20's were in full swing?

 

[Vespa]

Has anyone from Northern senior management ever explained or defended the actions of its staff on this forum?Enthusiasts are completely different from the hens,stags and weekend drunks etc. As for security risk would a terrorist politely ask a member of staff to take fots etc? No they'd mingle with a crowd so as not to draw attention. It's about time that Northern openly responded on here! (Bet they don't though)

Many moons ago I worked with people who does terrorist threat assesmrnt
Potential terrorists tend to blend in, they don't draw attention to themselves and usually work in teams for mutual support and back up if one recce or attack fails.

To be honest Blackpool is not a priority target, Blackpool North staffs are just bunch of self important anals part of station staff culture, if they ever come up to me, I'll just tell them my security clearance is higher than theirs if they try to pull security on me.

 

[onlinespotting]

I remember when they were remodelling BPN a massive queue on a Sunday morning ,we were queued up like the biggest post office you can imagine at platform 3, the train was announced as platform 4 but when they opened the doors was actually at platform 7. All hell breaks loose like a reverse version of the euston scrum at rush hour.

 

[geoffk]

The latest "Today's Railways UK" has a letter from a Northern manager, apologising for the hostile reception given to the writer in the previous issue and saying that this is being investigated. He says "enthusiasts are welcome on the platforms" then goes on the list the "processes" that must be followed, including signing in and out. I suppose that's some progress. Anyone know more?

 

[Ashley Hill]

He says "enthusiasts are welcome on the platforms" then goes on the list the "processes" that must be followed, including signing in and out. I suppose that's some progress. Anyone know more?

It will be interesting to find out the response from the platform staff at this request!

 

[Class195]

The latest "Today's Railways UK" has a letter from a Northern manager, apologising for the hostile reception given to the writer in the previous issue and saying that this is being investigated. He says "enthusiasts are welcome on the platforms" then goes on the list the "processes" that must be followed, including signing in and out. I suppose that's some progress. Anyone know more?

They can start by educating the staff. It's no good the manager apologising for their behavior.

 

[alistairlees]

Staff at Blackpool North were rude in the mid 1980s. The same pointless queuing on a crowded and too hot concourse. Followed by a mad dash for the train at the last minute; even if it had been there for a while. And staff who would absolutely not tolerate any one who tried to do something else. It made for a very miserable experience.

 

[Vespa]

Rotate all the staff out of the station, split them up.

Put in from top to bottom all new staff with a more friendlier customer focussed attitude.

That should sort it

 

[Class195]

Rotate all the staff out of the station, split them up.

Put in from top to bottom all new staff with a more friendlier customer focussed attitude.

That should sort it

I agree with the above. Some of the same faces I've seen at BPN have been there years and are clearly institutionalised with these bad practices.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

Rotate all the staff out of the station, split them up.

Put in from top to bottom all new staff with a more friendlier customer focussed attitude.

That should sort it

I agree with the above. Some of the same faces I've seen at BPN have been there years and are clearly institutionalised with these bad practices.

I too agree

 

[mpb56125]

They're in the local paper. Report in the link.
https://www.lancs.live/news/lancashire-news/nhs-worker-slams-blackpool-train-18583770.amp#referrer=https://www.google.com&amp_tf=From %1$s

An NHS worker has called out a train station which he says refused to give him access to a defibrillator as he was trying to save a man's life.

Jonny Spiers, 23, was trying to stabilise a man who had collapsed on the pavement in the High Street on Saturday (July 11), when he asked for the help of passers-by.

He says he requested that two other members of the public go and retrieve an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) so he could revive the man.

But he claims the train station refused to hand the AED over, saying that it couldn't be removed from the premises.

 

[thealexweb]

That does not surprise me one bit. With the odd exception every single member of public facing staff at that station are very poor.

Would any survive if they had to re-apply for their jobs every franchise change?

 

[Vespa]

Since I live 40 minutes drive from Blackpool, more often than not I preferred to drive there if on a day out, I have some free parking spots that I can use in preference to facing miserable staff at Blackpool North.

 

[yorkie]

The latest "Today's Railways UK" has a letter from a Northern manager, apologising for the hostile reception given to the writer in the previous issue and saying that this is being investigated....

I predict very little will change, though I'd like to be proven wrong

They're in the local paper. Report in the link.
https://www.lancs.live/news/lancashire-news/nhs-worker-slams-blackpool-train-18583770.amp#referrer=https://www.google.com&amp_tf=From %1$s

This behaviour is consistent with the poor level of behaviour I would expect from them, sadly.

 

[ChrisC]

That does not surprise me one bit. With the odd exception every single member of public facing staff at that station are very poor.

Would any survive if they had to re-apply for their jobs every franchise change?

I have had many years experience of the rudeness of the staff at the barriers at Blackpool North. Over the years you cannot believe the rudeness of some of them when I have been staying with friends in Blackpool and using a 7 Day North West Rover. They just would never accept that it wouldn’t go through the barrier and regularly shouted at me to put it through. However, not all of the staff at Blackpool North are rude. I have always found those in the ticket office extremely friendly and very helpful.

 

[kevconnor]

I can imagine the default defence from the offending staff would be their behaviour is measured based on the worst of behaviour that have to deal with from punters visiting the resort during peak summer. out of curiosity does anyone have any examples on the railways of where the station staff are able to handle similar crowds and other passengers in a more measured manner?

 

[yorkie]

I can imagine the default defence from the offending staff would be their behaviour is measured based on the worst of behaviour that have to deal with from punters visiting the resort during peak summer....

That'd be a terrible excuse that I wouldn't be able to get away with, so neither should they.

 

[pdeaves]

does anyone have any examples on the railways of where the station staff are able to handle similar crowds and other passengers in a more measured manner?

Cardiff Central after any event at the Millennium stadium, for one. Queuing systems not just for one train but people often having to wait for the next one. Also crowds segregated out according to destination (rather than 'everyone to Preston' at Blackpool).

 

[InOban]

Or watch Inside Central Station on BBC iPlayer.