Overnighting at stations

[Devonman2014]

Hi

Just a quick question as I'm planning an all line with photting and spotting are you still allowed with a valid ticket to travel to stay on stations overnight after last planned service has left ?

Thinking of rugby, Stafford, Crewe, Doncaster , York so all major stations ....

Or do you get turfed off till next morning as happened to me at Waverley a few years back :-/

 

[yorkie]

Hi

Just a quick question as I'm planning an all line with photting and spotting are you still allowed with a valid ticket to travel to stay on stations overnight after last planned service has left ?

Thinking of rugby, Stafford, Crewe, Doncaster , York so all major stations ....

Or do you get turfed off till next morning as happened to me at Waverley a few years back :-/

It depends on the station, but I'd expect you to be asked to leave after the "last" service - if there is one - has left.

However some stations, e.g. York, do not really have a "last" service as there are trains arriving/departing during the night (though there are some big gaps), so it stays open.

By the way this thread was posted in the wrong forum, so I've moved it. Alternatively the Stations & Infrastructure forum would have probably been OK

 

[crehld]

Hi

Just a quick question as I'm planning an all line with photting and spotting are you still allowed with a valid ticket to travel to stay on stations overnight after last planned service has left ?

Thinking of rugby, Stafford, Crewe, Doncaster , York so all major stations ....

Or do you get turfed off till next morning as happened to me at Waverley a few years back :-/

I really wouldn't want to spend the night at Crewe station

I can't speak for the other stations, but there are plenty of budget hotels (Travelodges and the like) in and around the industrial estate only a 10 min walk from Crewe station, and rooms can go for around £20 to £30 when booking in advance.

 

[fishquinn]

Crewe would be quite dull overnight, unless you just wanted sleep, in which case it is great because of the sofas!

 

[fowler9]

Crewe would be quite dull overnight, unless you just wanted sleep, in which case it is great because of the sofas!

Manchester Piccadilly will let you stay overnight. Holyhead will although I can't imagine why you would want to. Ha ha. If you really have to overnight somewhere check out Hostelworld.com. It works better abroad because the cost of land, property etc. in the UK. is insane. I got £15 a night in a nice place in Wroclaw in a private room with telly and wi fi. Am looking at £35 a night in a dorm in the UK later this year with nothing.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Am looking at £35 a night in a dorm in the UK later this year with nothing.

Ouch. YHA is usually cheaper than that, and while YHA hostels can be a bit samey and clinical you do know what you're going to get, a reasonable but basic bed for the night for next to nothing.

Neil

 

[fowler9]

Ouch. YHA is usually cheaper than that, and while YHA hostels can be a bit samey and clinical you do know what you're going to get, a reasonable but basic bed for the night for next to nothing.

Neil

This is YHA. Albeit it is in Ambleside so a popular destination. It is for a beer festival in Keswick early June. We tried to book too late for our usual hostel which isn't much cheaper. Accomodation in the UK away from the big cities is a bit pricy, it still is in the cities. The Ambleside hostel is going to cost the same as two nights in a NZYHA hostel in Mount Cook Village for two nights. New Zealand is expensive, but by comparison not as expensive for accommodation.

 

[Techniquest]

Why on God's green Earth would you want to do all-nighters like that on an all-nighter?! That should be the last resort of desperation, trust me it's not any good at York overnight. Nor is Leeds! York is even worse as it's super open and very, very cold at night no matter what time of year it is!

Manchester Piccadilly's usually OK, but again it gets very very cold quick!

Preston, Carlisle and all the rest aren't any good overnight either.

Besides, I'd go with using my ALR to do some sleeper journeys! Yes you have to make reservations on the Cally Insomny but it's so much better than all-nighting it. Still exhausting mind, so I do also recommend booking in advance and getting some cheap accommodation if you can as you'll be a lot better off!

 

[crispy1978]

it's not any good at York overnight. Nor is Leeds! York is even worse as it's super open and very, very cold at night no matter what time of year it is!

York is horrendously cold in the height of summer. Such a cold station, despite it being under a roof!

 

[fowler9]

York is horrendously cold in the height of summer. Such a cold station, despite it being under a roof!

Of course it is cold, being under a roof doesn't make it warm. It is completely open at either end.

 

[Techniquest]

York is horrendously cold in the height of summer. Such a cold station, despite it being under a roof!

I did it on a winter's evening IIRC, horrible experience!

 

[185143]

Crewe would be quite dull overnight, unless you just wanted sleep, in which case it is great because of the sofas!

Manchester Piccadilly will let you stay overnight. Holyhead will although I can't imagine why you would want to. Ha ha. If you really have to overnight somewhere check out Hostelworld.com. It works better abroad because the cost of land, property etc. in the UK. is insane. I got £15 a night in a nice place in Wroclaw in a private room with telly and wi fi. Am looking at £35 a night in a dorm in the UK later this year with nothing.

Coming in to catch the WAG the next morning? Good for me to know that HHD will. Piccadilly is too close for me, I'd just get the last Liverpool and come home!

 

[crispy1978]

Of course it is cold, being under a roof doesn't make it warm. It is completely open at either end.

Yes I know that - it's the coldest station I know; that was my point!

 

[455driver]

I did an overnight at Stafford many years ago, we asked the staff if it was okay to stay once the station was closed and they agreed as long as we stayed in a certain area on a certain platform, very nice and busy, but that was back in the mid 90s.

Nowadays they are more likely to want you off the station when its closed though.

 

[CallySleeper]

Caergybi was great for overnights ten years ago. It got worse when
1. The overnight (01.50 Birmingham) train was pulled
2. As was the 08.55 Dun Laoghaire HSS
3. The comfortable rows of seats were replaced with less comfortable metal ones with arm rests!

 

[fowler9]

Yes I know that - it's the coldest station I know; that was my point!

Sorry mate, didn't mean to sound a nark. It isn't a station I would like to spend the night. Even as a scouser I would choose Piccadilly every time.

 

[D6975]

Overnights in Summer are worse because you're dressed for summer, naturally. So when it gets chilly at night you haven't got extra clothing and suffer as a result.

I've done overnights at Carlisle in December and January and been just fine because I was expecting it to be cold and prepared for it, thermals, gloves, 2 pairs of socks, layers etc - toasty..

 

[LowLevel]

We never let people stay overnight on the station as they got in the way of cleaning and maintenance work, meant we had to leave the doors unlocked as a fire escape letting the tramps in and had to do the full DfT mandated security procedure all night. Far too much hassle unfortunately now.

 

[DarloRich]

If you are on an ALR just get the blooming sleeper and get some actual kip. Don’t waste your time & money hanging about the stations over night. Nothing interesting happens. Keep on the move and get best value from your ticket.

 

[fishquinn]

If you are on an ALR just get the blooming sleeper and get some actual kip. Don’t waste your time & money hanging about the stations over night. Nothing interesting happens. Keep on the move and get best value from your ticket.

Although it does cost extra to get a berth according to RailRover. It doesn't state how much extra though...

If you travel in a sleeper berth you must pay the appropriate additional supplement.

 

[Hadders]

But you don't have to get a berth. You could always sit in the seated carriage which is no additional charge is you're on an ALR.

 

[bb21]

If you are on an ALR just get the blooming sleeper and get some actual kip. Don’t waste your time & money hanging about the stations over night. Nothing interesting happens. Keep on the move and get best value from your ticket.

I totally agree.

Doing an ALR should be about enjoyment, not suffering.

I also think that one should get home at least once every three days to have a proper rest.

 

[postye]

I totally agree.

Doing an ALR should be about enjoyment, not suffering.

I also think that one should get home at least once every three days to have a proper rest.

I agree with BB21, when I planned my ALR last year I split things up so I got a decent nights sleep at home every 3/4 days and did a hotel & a sleeper on each segment.
This also has the benefit of only carrying a small amount of clothing to cart around in the backpack

 

[Redonian]

Rugby is closed 02:00 -05:00 so no chance there.

 

[55013]

I've never really been one for overnights, but I did do a couple back in the day and they do stick in the memory.
I remember doing one at New Street
Dossing on a BRUTE at the end of the platform, waking up as an 81 roared past was a thrill, the screeching of the nearby rats, less so.
In the early 80s I did one at Leeds, but that was because my mates and I had been to see The Angelic Upstarts (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angelic_Upstarts) and missed the last train back home.
Everyone should do an overnight, it's character building

 

[CarltonA]

Paddington is also cold at night. As any large and fairly open station would be I expect. I got there after midnight and managed to buy a ticket but had missed the last train. The next one was at about 05:30. BTP kept coming round and turfing people out but as I had a ticket for that day I was allowed to freeze in the station instead of outside with the ticketless dossers. This was over thirty years ago however.