Evesham station.

[markskoda]

The booking office closes at 12.40 p.m. except on Saturdays when it closes at 12.35 p.m. The waiting rooms are locked at the same time and passengers have to stand in the cold and wind for the rest of the day. I believe that First Great Western run this farce so I shouldn't be too surprised. It's still quite busy for the rest of the day. The puzzled look on a group of Japanese visitors said it all as they tried various doors.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

I wouldn't really call it a farce. As far as I can see, there is only one booking office clerk at Evesham station, and as far as I know, all station buildings must be locked when station staff aren't not present, so there's not really a lot that could be done without extending staffing hours, which no TOC around the country seems keen on doing.

 

[Harlesden]

Evesham - small population, only 22,000. Very irregular train service with waits between trains varying from 40 minutes to 2 hours. Most users would be commuters hence no need for a PM booking office facility. Grand total of 32 trains per day Monday-Friday

 

[MidnightFlyer]

Just noticed Evesham's station usage has gone down like a led balloon overt the past 5 years. 203,000 users last year, but from what I have seen it is a very busy station. By the sound of it some outdoor waiting facilities wouldn't go amiss! I don't really think it should matter about number of trains per day etc, it should be based on passenger demand. Aviemore is similar to Evesham in quite a few senses, yet the station there is staffed for longer.

 

[Class172]

MP for Mid-Worcestershire (Droitwich Spa/Evesham), Peter Luff, is asking residents of his constituency to have a say on the requirements for the next GW franchise must have; he asks for an hourly service from London to at least Worcester with 1tph, in order to increase usage and bring business into the area.

 

[Driver Bob]

The booking office closes at 12.40 p.m. except on Saturdays when it closes at 12.35 p.m. The waiting rooms are locked at the same time and passengers have to stand in the cold and wind for the rest of the day...........

It is not good retailing or PR. TOC's will quote that a customer can buy a ticket on the train but that does not guarantee customers.

As an example, I was at Stroud one weekday afternoon when the station was unmanned. A day when every shop in town was open for business..... including travel agents! A lady had arrived to purchase a ticket in advance for her daughter to go off to university at Aberdeen. She was not impressed that not only could she not spend her money but also her daughter would be catching her train at an unmanned station.

She was not on the internet. Somewhere like a third of the population are not on the internet. So what did she do? She went to book her daughter on to National Express coaches. Perhaps a potential customer lost from the railway for life?

Bob.