Sunderland railway station



EDGE said:
With WFH being part of the new normal is the overall demand for business train journeys going to be maintained.
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It's not just about the business side of it. If the Council's vision is for people to live and work within the city, then surely part of the Council's plan is to increase tourism into the city.

I'm not sure how or when they might achieve this, but there has to be a solution to even just upgrade the station and it's entrances, to make it more public friendly.
 
It’s an absolute dump and a blight on the town, the escalator hasn’t worked for ten month and even before that it was on and off. Neither the council or network rail want to know. I’m amazed and annoyed the council don’t push for this to be sorted as in their contract of commitment, in short it’s a scandal. The council leader likes his picture in the paper with his hard hat on and hi viz, but problems like this he is invisible.
 
The Falcon said:
It’s an absolute dump and a blight on the town, the escalator hasn’t worked for ten month and even before that it was on and off. Neither the council or network rail want to know. I’m amazed and annoyed the council don’t push for this to be sorted as in their contract of commitment, in short it’s a scandal. The council leader likes his picture in the paper with his hard hat on and hi viz, but problems like this he is invisible.
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do the council not want the station improved?
I understood they recently bid for funding for it and have had numerous plans drawn up. The issue appears to be that network rail aren’t interested.

Weiterleitungshinweis

www.google.co.uk
 
Darlington, Middlesbrough and even Horden got funding for improvements (Horden was a new halt). Darlington is getting 2 more platforms and Middlesbrough is for station improvement. But the Tees Valley do have a Tory mayor.
 
James said:
It'll still need a business case to justify the investment though I'd have thought. Tbf a new entrance and ticket hall probably wouldn't cost the world and would likely suffice to bring it up to standard. It is a total clip at the minute.
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I think they also need to do something at track level. I’m not sure what but even if it looked and felt more along metro station standard it would be better than what it current is. But agree that even a new ticket hall with perhaps a decent cafe would be Sufficient. Sunderland station is never going to be something like Newcastle, York or even Darlington Station.
 
Osklen said:
do the council not want the station improved?
I understood they recently bid for funding for it and have had numerous plans drawn up. The issue appears to be that network rail aren’t interested.

Weiterleitungshinweis

www.google.co.uk
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Network Rail are only really interested if there is an opportunity for Retail within the station. In Sunderland's case that is currently less than nil.
 
Or Well George said:
Network Rail are only really interested if there is an opportunity for Retail within the station. In Sunderland's case that is currently less than nil.
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Yeah I imagine so, and probably limited retail interested in the current market and with the limited number of national rail services going through it.
 
SAFCTEES said:
It’s been neglected for years and it’s clear to see! An embarrassing first impression of our city
Middlesbrough are updating their station. We’re being left behind... again
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Even little stations around the country are getting funding for new or replacement lifts, lighting and station information boards upgrades. You would think the authorities who share the responsibility for the station could access funding even for these items.
Osklen said:
Yeah I imagine so, and probably limited retail interested in the current market and with the limited number of national rail services going through it.
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Agreed, but it is very easy to pop into the likes of M&S for food in city centre prior to catching a train.
 
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Upgrade the ticket office lasses anarl, what a bunch of sour faced, bitter, miserable taste they are.

While they’re on demolish everything from Specsavers back to Holmeside and make a nice big open station.
 
Or Well George said:
Even little stations around the country are getting funding for new or replacement lifts, lighting and station information boards upgrades. You would think the authorities who share the responsibility for the station could access funding even for these items.

Agreed, but it is very easy to pop into the likes of M&S for food in city centre prior to catching a train.
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very true, although we assume M&S will stay of course. Hopefully it does!
 
I’m pretty sure Nexus own the station, rather than Network Rail. (Network Rail I think only actually own about 8 stations across the country and these are the massive ones eg Kings Cross). Most stations are operated by a franchisee.
Additional connections could be added through the rail franchise system - the whole point of the franchise is* that the most profitable services underpin less profitable ones.
(*there are a whole range of other considerations too, e.g. subsidy require from operator or premium paid by it).
I did write to my MP (Julie Elliott MP) in 2018 asking whether she would push for Sunderland to be added to the CrossCountry franchise when it came up for renewal, so that Sunderland could have direct connections to, for example, Edinburgh and Leeds (these would be add-ons to existing services to/from Newcastle in the same way that Virgin East Coast added a connection to SUN to attack Grand Central)....

I didn’t even get a reply from her office.
 
Is it the responsibility of the council??
PhilY said:
(Network Rail I think only actually own about 8 stations across the country and these are the massive ones eg Kings Cross). Most stations are operated by a franchisee.
Additional connections could be added through the rail franchise system - the whole point of the franchise is* that the most profitable services underpin less profitable ones.
(*there are a whole range of other considerations too, e.g. subsidy require from operator or premium paid by it).
I did write to my MP (Julie Elliott MP) in 2018 asking whether she would push for Sunderland to be added to the CrossCountry franchise when it came up for renewal, so that Sunderland could have direct connections to, for example, Edinburgh and Leeds (these would be add-ons to existing services to/from Newcastle in the same way that Virgin East Coast added a connection to SUN to attack Grand Central)....

I didn’t even get a reply from her office.
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If nexus own the station it will explain why the station is a mess as they spend f*<K all in Sunderland
 
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Or Well George said:
Even little stations around the country are getting funding for new or replacement lifts, lighting and station information boards upgrades. You would think the authorities who share the responsibility for the station could access funding even for these items.

Agreed, but it is very easy to pop into the likes of M&S for food in city centre prior to catching a train.
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We’ve got fairly new information boards tbh. Lifts work it’s the escalators that’s been a problem since it was installed. Personally, if I’d paid for them, I’d have made the manufacturer replace them.
 

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