Rugeley Trent Valley station - it should be staffed!

[IanPooleTrains]

Now this is a sore point for me and I want you guys to be honest with me about this

Now for all of you that don't know it, Rugeley Trent Valley is a little through/terminus station on the heart of the London Midland Network from London Euston to Crewe and also is the terminus station for trains from Birmingham New Street.

Now there have been many times where trains have been late or delayed and the automated little female voice tells you this information but then, there is the debacle of The Chase Line.

Whenever there is a problem on The Chase Line, they decide to terminate trains at Hednesford and everyone at RTV thinks the trains come down, no announcement that they are cancelled.

Take tonight for an example:

Me and my brother, Simon Poole on the railforums, got off the last train from Crewe at 1933 and were stood at RTV waiting for the 1942 service to come down. We waited until 1950 and went to use those annoying little yellow box things and they said it would be there in five minutes. We waited until 2000 and used that box again to be told this time that the train was delayed and they didn't know when it was going to be there but was assured it would come through to RTV and not terminate at Hednesford. We waited and the rain came down heavy and we used the annoying box again and it said 38 minutes late and saw a train coming.

We asked the conductor if he was the 1942 and said that this train was the 2035 service, the 1942 had been cancelled t Birmingham New Street.

You might have read that and ask what is my point?

My point is that there are stations on the London Midland Network that get worse service than Rugeley Trent Valley. Stone, Alsager, Kidsgrove, all of these stations are staffed and they get less services than Rugeley Trent Valley and yet we get nothing.

It is at times like this that you shouldnt have to rely on a little yellow box that gives out a voice that doesn;t understand what you are saying sometimes and ou need staff on a station to help you out. Yet they won;t staff it because it is not considered to be an 'intermediate station'.

Sorry London Midland, get it sorted!

Thus conludes my rant!

 

[Ibex]

You're in the same boat as Lichfield Trent Valley, where Cross City's will be terminated at the City or Four Oaks and nobody knows any different.

It shouldn't be happening in this day and age. The LM C.I.S has a (pretty basic) feature which will automatically cancel the return workings of trains that are cancelled.

If the next Chase line service has been terminated at Hednesford it should have been shown as cancelled for the onward stations, and automatically show that return working as cancelled (as it knows the unit to form it hasn't gone up there in the first place).

If that's not happening I'd suggest that's some sort of fault that the company need to look into. As far as your point about staffing goes, it's a fair point but they'd just argue that the help point operator will give you the same information as any member of staff being based at the station, thus leaving it unstaffed.

 

[Simon Poole]

There's ann petition started to get Rugeley Trent Valley staffed

http://www.petition.co.uk/staffed-rugeley-trent-valley-railway-station

 

[IanPooleTrains]

You're in the same boat as Lichfield Trent Valley, where Cross City's will be terminated at the City or Four Oaks and nobody knows any different.

It shouldn't be happening in this day and age. The LM C.I.S has a (pretty basic) feature which will automatically cancel the return workings of trains that are cancelled.

If the next Chase line service has been terminated at Hednesford it should have been shown as cancelled for the onward stations, and automatically show that return working as cancelled (as it knows the unit to form it hasn't gone up there in the first place).

If that's not happening I'd suggest that's some sort of fault that the company need to look into. As far as your point about staffing goes, it's a fair point but they'd just argue that the help point operator will give you the same information as any member of staff being based at the station, thus leaving it unstaffed.

Your point is faair

BTW, Lichfield Trent Vallet is staffed believe it or not.

 

[thefab444]

Judging by the staff LDB, the 1942 RGL - BHM was not officially cancelled, and it is still showing as Delayed. I suspect this explains the lack of announcements/help point information.

 

[duffman82]

I honestly think there isn't enough services to warrant it to be staffed, theres no demand after rugeley town.

 

[IanPooleTrains]

I honestly think there isn't enough services to warrant it to be staffed, theres no demand after rugeley town.

Stone and Atherstone have less services per hour than Rugeley Trent Valley and yet they are staffed

 

[duffman82]

Stone and Atherstone have less services per hour than Rugeley Trent Valley and yet they are staffed

http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations/ATH/details.html

Accoring to National rail Atherstone it isn't staffed.

But every time i've been to RTV there's hardly anyone there and theres few that get off the chase line train or london/crewe services

 

[IanPooleTrains]

http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations/ATH/details.html

Accoring to National rail Atherstone it isn't staffed.

But every time i've been to RTV there's hardly anyone there and theres few that get off the chase line train or london/crewe services

But do you justify that Stone has less services that RTV, is staffed, has less passengers on or off and therefore meas that RTV should be treated the same?

 

[ralphchadkirk]

But do you justify that Stone has less services that RTV, is staffed, has less passengers on or off and therefore meas that RTV should be treated the same?

I'm sure if you payed for it, then LM would be happy to do so.

Would you be happy if your tickets went up to pay for it?

 

[duffman82]

But do you justify that Stone has less services that RTV, is staffed, has less passengers on or off and therefore meas that RTV should be treated the same?

Stone isn't staffed either.

 

[the sniper]

Wouldn't RTV need an actual station building before LM can consider staffing it?

 

[IanPooleTrains]

First of all duff, I know i was tired and a little ticked off but I certainly saw a London Midland worker come out of a little booth and he saw the train away

Secondly, ralphchadkirk, if it makes things better, yes!

 

[tbtc]

There's ann petition started to get Rugeley Trent Valley staffed

http://www.petition.co.uk/staffed-rugeley-trent-valley-railway-station

Have any of these petitions ever achieved anything?

(other than getting people's hopes up)

 

[IanPooleTrains]

Wouldn't RTV need an actual station building before LM can consider staffing it?

And that is just a swipe!

I am not saying employ several staff because that is ridiculous

Lichfield Trent Valley managed with one person in a little booth/building that looks like it was made from Ikea so why shouldn't RTV?

 

[tbtc]

I am not saying employ several staff because that is ridiculous

Lichfield Trent Valley managed with one person in a little booth/building that looks like it was made from Ikea so why shouldn't RTV?

To satisfy what you want, you don't just want it to have staff, but you want it to have staff until nine (?) at night?

Most staffed stations only have staff until lunchtime/ teatime (especially as few tickets are sold after that time, so there is less need for employees on site). Is the station really so busy at nine at night to justify someone on a tenner an hour? Rail staff don't come cheap...

 

[the sniper]

I am not saying employ several staff because that is ridiculous

I didn't say you were.

Lichfield Trent Valley managed with one person in a little booth/building that looks like it was made from Ikea so why shouldn't RTV?

Seriously though, to even assemble a shed like that nowadays would take a not inconsiderable amount of planning, funding, site preparation and construction.

 

[Darandio]

Seriously though, to even assemble a shed like that nowadays would take a not inconsiderable amount of planning, funding, site preparation and construction.

Plus 2-3 years of health and safety risk assessment. All of the above comes to tens of thousands before the Ikea box even arrives!

 

[TomJ93]

Especially when making an entrance on Livery Street for Snow Hill is a task for Centro to do legally

I understand where you are coming from, but LTV doesn't even have displays! Would an improved PIS system satisfy you? If it were to provide all the necessary information?

Realistically in a time of cut backs and axings I can't see this happening, forgive me if I am wrong, but hasn't Chase Line funding been cut already?

Tonight at Coventry the station was very busy and only one member of staff was at the window, this is a major intercity station! Staffing levels are going down, and I think they will continue to do so.

 

[IanPooleTrains]

To satisfy what you want, you don't just want it to have staff, but you want it to have staff until nine (?) at night?

It's actually 23:13 the last train into Trent Valley but we'll let's that go!
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Realistically in a time of cut backs and axings I can't see this happening, forgive me if I am wrong, but hasn't Chase Line funding been cut already?

It has but The Chase Line isn't the only station that uses Rugeley Trent Valley

 

[Darandio]

I cannot even see how it could possibly pay for itself, looking at the last recorded PPA on the knowledge base that is Wikipedia.

I am sure there are dozens if not hundreds of stations that are getting multiple times the passenger throughput of this station yet have no staff so why does this station become so important?

 

[martinsh]

there are stations on the London Midland Network that get worse service than Rugeley Trent Valley. Stone, Alsager, Kidsgrove, all of these stations are staffed and they get less services than Rugeley Trent Valley

Stone and Alsager are unstaffed - Alsager since the 1960s !!
Kidsgrove is staffed but has a much better service than RTV.

RTV = 3 departures per hour
Kidsgrove = 6 departures per hour (3 TOCs)

Please try and get your facts right

 

[TomJ93]

Ian, Bedworth has more passengers I believe and it has one service each way per hour, I guess RTV probably isn't too far up their to do list.

 

[Greenback]

Have any of these petitions ever achieved anything?

No

To satisfy what you want, you don't just want it to have staff, but you want it to have staff until nine (?) at night?

Most staffed stations only have staff until lunchtime/ teatime (especially as few tickets are sold after that time, so there is less need for employees on site). Is the station really so busy at nine at night to justify someone on a tenner an hour? Rail staff don't come cheap...

You won;t see any staff at Llanelli after lunch. The only staff that are there in the morning are the person in the ticket office. Much as I would liek the station to be staffed all day, even I conced that they would be a luxury in the evening.

It's actually 23:13 the last train into Trent Valley but we'll let's that go!

How many people would actually need the assistance of any staff in the evening? Most people at Llanelli (for example) who are in the station at night are just getting off the train and going home!

 

[ian959]

Based upon my travels through the station during my last visit to the UK, I would have to say that spending the money to staff RTV would be a total waste of money.

 

[tbtc]

It's actually 23:13 the last train into Trent Valley but we'll let's that go!

So you want the station staffed until half eleven each night? Pay me £10/£15 an hour and I'd dot he job (given the passenger numbers at that time of night), but where is the money going to come from for that?

Should all stations in the country be staffed until the final departure/arrival of the night, or just your local one?
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

You won;t see any staff at Llanelli after lunch. The only staff that are there in the morning are the person in the ticket office. Much as I would liek the station to be staffed all day, even I conced that they would be a luxury in the evening

It sounds nice to have all stations fully staffed all day long, but realistically few tickets are sold after lunch (up and down the country), few people need assistance... there are other things to spend money on.

Hey, maybe under Mr Cameron's Big Society we should all volunteer to staff stations until midnight?

 

[Crossover]

I have to say I agree with the majority.

I have been to RGL (correct code) on occasions when things have been all OK and when things haven't.

The occasion when it wasn't was back in October on one of the many Chase line screw up days (when there problems on both the Chase from RGL to Walsall, and another onwards to BHM) - the boards on the platform said they were cancelled, and the automated annoucements said similar and to use the coaches (admittedly the details were sketchy and possibly not entirely accurate but it did the trick) with coaches waiting in the car park. I think the problems had only occured maybe within 30 mins of us getting to RGL (given the confusion of the coach drivers and the fact that there was actually a train waiting at Hednesford) and things seemed well in order with enough information given.

Now, pay someone to be at the station (after building a lean-to shed first) and I doubt they would have been able to supply any more information and if the PIS system hadn't updated, they probably wouldn't be able to give much more information anyway.

 

[WL113]

In an ideal world all stations would be staffed. This would improve security, would provide jobs and would increase the revenue collected. In the real world of course this will not happen. Everything on the railway must be paid for, decisions on what to provide are dictated by business cases. No business case, no station buildings and no staff.

Unfortunately I can't see Rugeley Trent Valley being staffed any time soon. The Chase line services have just been reduced and the termination of the Birmingham-Stafford services at Trent Valley killed the Rugeley-Stafford market stone dead. Trent Valley is too far from the town centre for people to walk to and the connections between the Cannock line trains and the Euston-Crewes is not always reliable. The commuters have gone back to the 825 bus.

If anything it would make more sense to develop Rugeley Town station, it has a large car park which is easy to drive in and out of. Trent Valley on the other hand has very limited parking and the junction with Station Road is absolutely lethal when driving out of the station, there are blind bends both ways. There is certainly an argument for staffing the Town station, revenue would definately increase if a ticket had to be bought before accessing the platform. It is certainly by far the busier station of the two.

For too long Rugeley has been the poor relation to Hednesford and Cannock on this line. Trains are still being terminated at Hednesford if they are running a bit late. The information screens dont usually work and the help points are either not working at all or a few hours behind. Passengers often shout up to the signalman for information, with moaning to follow if they don't like the answer, which isn't fair on the bloke.

Rugeley Trent Valley was staffed until 1974, with very grand station buildings and an extensive goods yard. All this was taken away and the station became a halt. It was to be many years before services increased again.

 

[IanPooleTrains]

In an ideal world all stations would be staffed. This would improve security, would provide jobs and would increase the revenue collected. In the real world of course this will not happen. Everything on the railway must be paid for, decisions on what to provide are dictated by business cases. No business case, no station buildings and no staff.

Unfortunately I can't see Rugeley Trent Valley being staffed any time soon. The Chase line services have just been reduced and the termination of the Birmingham-Stafford services at Trent Valley killed the Rugeley-Stafford market stone dead. Trent Valley is too far from the town centre for people to walk to and the connections between the Cannock line trains and the Euston-Crewes is not always reliable. The commuters have gone back to the 825 bus.

If anything it would make more sense to develop Rugeley Town station, it has a large car park which is easy to drive in and out of. Trent Valley on the other hand has very limited parking and the junction with Station Road is absolutely lethal when driving out of the station, there are blind bends both ways. There is certainly an argument for staffing the Town station, revenue would definately increase if a ticket had to be bought before accessing the platform. It is certainly by far the busier station of the two.

For too long Rugeley has been the poor relation to Hednesford and Cannock on this line. Trains are still being terminated at Hednesford if they are running a bit late. The information screens dont usually work and the help points are either not working at all or a few hours behind. Passengers often shout up to the signalman for information, with moaning to follow if they don't like the answer, which isn't fair on the bloke.

Rugeley Trent Valley was staffed until 1974, with very grand station buildings and an extensive goods yard. All this was taken away and the station became a halt. It was to be many years before services increased again.

I stand and applaud you sir on some of these points, although I might need to knock some sense into you comparing Rugeley to Cannock

And for all those knocking what I say, you pay attention to what this man says in the third paragraph and then say we don't need something done about this

 

[Greenback]

So you want the station staffed until half eleven each night? Pay me £10/£15 an hour and I'd dot he job (given the passenger numbers at that time of night), but where is the money going to come from for that?

Should all stations in the country be staffed until the final departure/arrival of the night, or just your local one?
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---


It sounds nice to have all stations fully staffed all day long, but realistically few tickets are sold after lunch (up and down the country), few people need assistance... there are other things to spend money on.

Hey, maybe under Mr Cameron's Big Society we should all volunteer to staff stations until midnight?

I would like to see station sstaffed until 1800 or 1830 wher epassenger figures demand it. I think there are too many part time stations! I also recognise that this is not going to be at all feasible, especially at the present time!

I stand and applaud you sir on some of these points, although I might need to knock some sense into you comparing Rugeley to Cannock

And for all those knocking what I say, you pay attention to what this man says in the third paragraph and then say we don't need something done about this

Are you in favour of developing Rugeley Town or staffing Rugeley Trent Valley?

Either way, there is no money about at the moment for any of these ideas!