Lovely Lamposts or Tidier Stations?

Post Reply
chason
Posts: 242
Joined: 14:24 Friday 22nd July 2016
Location: Bromsgrove

Lovely Lamposts or Tidier Stations?

Post by chason » 09:36 Thursday 7th November 2019

I notice that, although the lamps are still quite new, West Midlands Trains have been repainting dozens of lampposts in and around Bromsgrove railway station in their company colours. Actually, the orange on the posts looks much better than the awful yucky yellow livery on their trains but you do just wonder whether the time and money doing this is well spent when they seem incapable of running to their own timetable with multiple cancellations and delays of late. Also I would have thought clearing the foliage and litter in and around their stations should be a much higher priority.

TimBrown
Posts: 1280
Joined: 05:59 Monday 4th July 2016
Location: Worcester

Re: Lovely Lamposts or Tidier Stations?

Post by TimBrown » 05:34 Saturday 9th November 2019

chason wrote:
09:36 Thursday 7th November 2019
I notice that, although the lamps are still quite new, West Midlands Trains have been repainting dozens of lampposts in and around Bromsgrove railway station in their company colours. Actually, the orange on the posts looks much better than the awful yucky yellow livery on their trains but you do just wonder whether the time and money doing this is well spent when they seem incapable of running to their own timetable with multiple cancellations and delays of late. Also I would have thought clearing the foliage and litter in and around their stations should be a much higher priority.
A similar situation happened at Shrub Hill about twelve months ago, when the painters arrived and just painted the already good upright furniture up to say eight feet from the ground. When I asked why they hadn't tackled the underside of the canopies which were, and still are, in a dreadful state with cracked and rotten woodwork and ancient dirty peeling cream paint when everything else is orange, grey and black, I was told that the canopies are the responsibility of Network Rail whereas the station doors, canopy supports and lamp standards are maintained by the TOC! Probably explains why the track, bridges and walls of so many stations are covered in weeds and Buddleias.

The TOC's waste money changing colours to suit their image whilst Network Rail doesn't seem to have sufficient resources to maintain their building maintenance responsibilities; they do however manage to keep the track itself and ancient signalling semaphores in good working condition - at least in this area.

chason
Posts: 242
Joined: 14:24 Friday 22nd July 2016
Location: Bromsgrove

Re: Lovely Lamposts or Tidier Stations?

Post by chason » 09:16 Saturday 9th November 2019

Makes no sense at all though but is infuriating to regular pa

chason
Posts: 242
Joined: 14:24 Friday 22nd July 2016
Location: Bromsgrove

Re: Lovely Lamposts or Tidier Stations?

Post by chason » 09:27 Saturday 9th November 2019

Makes no sense at all though but is infuriating to regular passengers who are getting a pretty rotten service of late. Shrub Hill of course has suffered from years of neglect and needs lot spending on it. Bromsgrove is brand new and just doesn't need attention at the moment so pity they can't spend the money on where it would do most good. Heaven knows what painting the lamposts there has cost. There was a cherry picker in the car park so they seem to have managed to do above head height as well!
T'here must be hundreds of lamposts around the car parks, on the approach roads and on the station, all of them new so a scandalous waste of money.

TimBrown
Posts: 1280
Joined: 05:59 Monday 4th July 2016
Location: Worcester

Re: Lovely Lamposts or Tidier Stations?

Post by TimBrown » 11:38 Saturday 9th November 2019

chason wrote:
09:27 Saturday 9th November 2019
Makes no sense at all though but is infuriating to regular passengers who are getting a pretty rotten service of late. Shrub Hill of course has suffered from years of neglect and needs lot spending on it. Bromsgrove is brand new and just doesn't need attention at the moment so pity they can't spend the money on where it would do most good. Heaven knows what painting the lamposts there has cost. There was a cherry picker in the car park so they seem to have managed to do above head height as well!
T'here must be hundreds of lamposts around the car parks, on the approach roads and on the station, all of them new so a scandalous waste of money.
The only good thing to come out of the repainting of the canopy support stanchions is that the lighter grey, orange and white colours are much more visible to those with poor eyesight than the previous black and dark grey used by London Midland.

I believe that the Dutch National Railway owned Abellio who run West Midland Trains are having problems finding staff following the company's attempts to change employment conditions of drivers and guards with much harsher disciplinary regime. Obviously no proof of this - interested in hearing the views of other enthusiasts!

Post Reply

Return to “Trains”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 14 guests