Newcastle Central Station security

[Bullhead]

Neither ATOC nor "BR" operates booking offices, though I can understand the confusion, as I think ATOC still owns the rights to the former BR double arrow symbol.

Thatcher well and truly fragmented this industry.

Thatcher stayed clear of that particular piece of folly. It was actually John Major.

[hq1hitchin]

I think BR still legally exists as a name, but that's about it. The government kept the legal rights to the iconic double arrow sign as denoting a railway station but virtually all stations are, I believe, owned by Network Rail with the majority being leased to, and operated by, the TOCs. However, Network Rail operate all the large London stations bar St Pancras and M'bone and many of the large stations outside London (e.g. Lime St, Leeds City, Edinburgh Waverley, Glasgow Central and Bham New St) but only for facilities etc. and not the selling of tickets or despatching trains (except at New St and Gatwick where NR staff despatch trains). They don't operate Reading, Cardiff, York, Sheffield, Newcastle or Glasgow Queen St. Everybody with me so far?

I think we should be grateful that railway staff manage to make it all work, despite the useless set up we've been lumbered with!

Incidentally, who owns Network Rail? ha ha

[Bullhead]

The residual British Railways Board (see http://www.brb.gov.uk/) still owns the estate of non-operational ex-railway land and structures, which it will sell off unless there is the possibility that it may have some railway use in the future.

Network Rail operate all the large London stations bar St Pancras and M'bone

Network Rail now operates the domestic portion of St.Pancras too - it was annexed after the completion of the high speed line to Ebbsfleet and the Chunnel.

[hq1hitchin]

Thanks, Bullhead - didn't know that had happened. The bit that has all the architectural charm of a carport? I presume FCC operate the bit downstairs, Kings X Thameslink - so that's three operators? Oh, deep joy. Oh, not forgetting LUL - that makes it four ha ha

Must say, though, the restored Pancras is absolutely magnificent, a real gem. People now come in off the street just to have a look round, not like the old days when you couldn't get out of the place quick enough. Bring back a few Class 45s and those truly awful RR DMUs, that will soon change the atmosphere....

[Bullhead]

I remember some years ago The Observer ran a survey, asking people to nominate their favourite buildings in the UK. The winners were Durham cathedral and St.Pancras station.

I think I voted for Lindisfarne castle (in my humble opinion, perfect in every respect, including the furniture) and St.Pancras.

[hq1hitchin]

Lindisfarne Castle? Splendid place, went there once during a cycling holiday in that part of the world. Somwhat oddly, I remember they had a Sinclair C5 in the castle!

St Pancras is a station of great beauty, to be sure, but I remember seeing about 1/2 inch of crud hanging down from the contact wire on the OLE above where ye olde HST engines used to be started up. The whole place looked neglected, there were semi - derelict offices galore (the old Silverlink BOP was a kip - they soon moved to some portacabins on the old parcels deck at Euston) and there were doors downstairs that we daren't open in case the druggies or similar undesiros were on the other side.

Did get shown round the then mothballed hotel once by a LCR architect, that's some place - would love to be able to afford a pad there when it's finished....

[60041]

This problem of fare evasion is huge, I know of someone who travels regularly from Alnmouth to Newcastle and boasts that he has never bought a ticket in 3 years. Last year, my wife and I got the train from Musselburgh into Edinburgh on 3 occasions. The first time we did it, I was trying to work out how to use the ticket machines, and a man waiting started to laugh and said "I wouldn't bother if I were you, no-one around here does". By the time the train arrived at least 25 other people were waiting, and not one had bought a ticket. On the train, the guard/ticket inspector walked through asking for fares and was ignored by everyone. The same thing happened on the other trips that we made.
I recently traveled from Sheffield to Kiveton and was unable to get a ticket before I got the train, so asked the Guard for one when I got on, and he seemed almost put out that he had to bother selling me one. No-one else on the train was checked, and people joining at un-staffed stations were not checked.
You would almost think it was a deliberate act to keep the revenues down to justify a reduction in services.

[hq1hitchin]

Lots of twisters or potential ones out there 60041. Imagine trying to board a bus with no ticket! The railways are themselves to blame, to a certain extent, with taking away staff from stations and doing away with ticket barriers and so on but, looking back wasn't there a famous case where one of the BBC 'Brains Trust' team was lifted in the 40s for not having a ticket west of Salisbury? In modern times, I think the then chairman of P&O also had a few problems in obtaining a ticket!

In your case, have passed it on so let's hope 'Federal Agents, acting upon information received....'

[silver fox]

Imagine trying to board a bus with no ticket!

You want to try the streetcars in York/Leeds and now Sawansea.

In York, the on board ticket machines (correct change required) broke down, and it was free (So I went for a ride, but it took so long it got back to the station, and I got off)

You have to buy a ticket on board or a week or month one before hand at a shop/ticket machine.

But so many wern't they brought in conductors!

[hq1hitchin]

Not a chance round here - Stagecoach and Newbury Bus don't let you on that easy - mind you, they do shut down by 7 pm!