Lack of seats at railway station

On June 3rd my wife and I were to catch the 6-35am train to Preston.

We arrived at the station by taxi about 6-10am. As I am disabled and have to use crutches I thought I would wait for the train seated in the waiting room. The station was all locked up and apparently devoid of staff so there was no access to the waiting room. There is no seating provided on the platform so we had to stand and wait, as had another elderly passenger.

About 6-20am a member of staff came and unlocked the entrance door to the waiting room, my wife approached him and asked if we could wait inside seated as I was disabled. In a brusque voice she was told: “We’re not open.” The door was then closed and locked and the person vanished through an internal door marked ‘Staff Only’. Ill-mannered to say the least.

As trains started running before 6am naively I would have presumed the station would have been open. Maybe the member of staff was late but we had to stand until the train arrived, thankfully on time.

I can fully understand the buildings being secured during the night while there are no staff present but not locked when services are running.

On our return to Burnley that same day I was very impressed at the new but yet to fully open Manchester Road Station, but what a pity they couldn’t take a row of seats up to Central.

I have contacted Northern Rail twice by e-mail twice regarding this event but as yet have not had any response.

I doubt we shall use the train again.

G. Sweetman

Langfield, Worsthorne