Transport cops spring into action at Walkden

If you’ve travelled through Walkden station at night recently you have probably seen the daily eyesores created by vandals shredding the protective yellow foam that is supposed to wrap around the scaffolding posts.

Earlier this week FOWS asked the British Transport Police for help tackling the problem and their response has been fantastic ! Officers have visited the station most evenings and taken details of teenagers caught climbing on the scaffold, amongst other misdemeanours.

We don’t like to see anyone getting into trouble, but petty vandalism and persistent littering have been the bane of Walkden station for years, spoiling the environment for passengers and staff, and pushing up costs for the railway (and ultimately passengers).

FOWS have repeatedly asked Northern Rail and GMPTE to install CCTV cameras to cut down vandalism and anti-social behaviour at the station, but neither organisation has agreed to take it on.

Merseyrail show the way to secure stations

Congratulations to Merseyrail who have just become the first UK rail company to achieve “Secure Station” status for all stations on their network. This is a tremendous achievement - something people said couldn’t be done, but that has been achieved in just 4 years.

Secure station status means the station has CCTV and a variety of other design features and facilities intended to make the station as safe a place as possible for people to wait.

As users of the Northern Rail network around Manchester will be only too keenly aware, Northern Rail’s own efforts to improve station security lag some considerable way behind Merseyrail’s achievement. Even today no date has been set for installation of CCTV at Walkden.

Read more about Merseyrail’s success on their website News page.

A Sunday morning hangover …

One of our volunteers has been cleaning the station this morning – as he often does – and this is what he found …

“at station 0915 to 1030 cleared a full bag of rubbish. Cleared a Chicken Korma, the contents of someone’s stomach which had been thrown up on the side of one of the planters. Cleaned up as best I could without water.”

“Small firs on Manchester platform look to have been stolen for someone’s garden – I filled the holes with compost.”

Of course the vast majority of station users are decent people who would never dream of stealing public plants or creating such a mess, but what a shame a tiny, selfish minority want to spoil things for everyone else.

FOWS demand CCTV as vandalism continues

The local interchange information poster and case - ruined by vandals.

You may have seen the article in this week’s Salford Advertiser where FOWS called upon Northern Rail and GMPTE to secure Walkden station in the light of continued vandalism and anti-social behaviour at the station.

The picture shows the remains of the “Local Interchange” poster this morning. It’s destruction leaves first-time and infrequent users of the station without valuable information about local bus stops and amenities.

Now that over 95% of Merseyrail’s stations have CCTV and “Secure Station” status, and even idyllic Lake District halts like Staveley and Burneside have CCTV, we are left wondering why on earth a station with a history of problems like Walkden is left unprotected.

FOWS urge station users to participate in TIF consultation

FOWS TIF Leaflet

FOWS volunteers were at the station this morning to hand out leaflets encouraging passengers to “speak up for Walkden !”

We are encouraging all friends and users of the station – whether “for” or “against” GMPTE’s TIF proposals – to register their views on the improvements needed at Walkden station.

Currently the TIF proposals include promises of a Passenger Information System, CCTV and longer trains … if the vote to proceed with TIF is won. 

FOWS welcome any plans for improvements to the station, but we also want passengers to remind GMPTE of all the other improvements - such as a car park, disabled access, Sunday services – that are wanted, whether TIF gets the go-ahead or not.

Northern act to repair vandalism

Our friends at Northern Rail have moved quickly to paint out the recent graffiti at the station, and replacement poster cases are on the way for the ones smashed in the station entrance hall.

FOWS thank Northern for their rapid response, and repeat our appeal for any passengers witnessing anti-social behaviour at the station to call British Transport Police on 0800 40 50 40.

Together we can make the station a safe and smart place for local people to catch the train !

Vandalism continues at Walkden

The mindless vandalism continued this weekend at Walkden with the litter bins being destroyed and poster cases smashed. It’s such a pity as the station was looking at its absolute best for very many years this summer, thanks to Northern Rail and FOWS’s efforts.
The British Transport Police and local constabulary are well aware of the problem and have stepped up patrols in the area.

Read Barbara Keeley’s speech on Walkden and the TIF

The full text of Worsley MP Barbara Keeley’s recent speech, which opened the parliamentary debate on Manchester’s TIF bid, can be read online here.

Ms Keeley eloquently describes the problems at Walkden station in detail, as well as other problems with the inaccessibility and poor provision of public transport in our area.

As Ms Keeley quite rightly says “There is only limited use of rail networks through Atherton and Walkden for commuting into Manchester, because the services are overcrowded and subject to other problems, too. Express trains from Atherton do not stop at Walkden, because of the limited length of the platform. The two-carriage trains that do stop there tend to be full, and 30, 40 or more people are regularly left there in the morning peak hour, because they cannot get on the overcrowded trains.”

“Access to Walkden station is poor. There are two flights of stairs and no lift. The facilities are outdated and the station infrastructure is in urgent need of renewal. There are no car-parking facilities at the station apart from parking in nearby residential streets.”

Ms Keeley’s speech is well worth reading for anyone who has an interest in the TIF bid – which should mean all users of Walkden station ! – and FOWS are very grateful for her continuing fight to secure improvements at Walkden.

Walkden in line for TIF Improvements

This week’s approval of Greater Manchester’s bid for up to £3 billion of investment by Transport Secretary Ruth Kelly could signal significant improvements for Walkden station and trains along the Atherton line.

Walkden is highlighted on GMPTE’s TIF Map for TIF Funded Improvements which FOWS understand to include CCTV, real-time passenger information and improved signage at the station. The Atherton line – along with the Eccles line – is also singled out for additional carriages to ease congestion, although these might quickly be filled by additional passengers using the new proposed Park & Ride facility at Atherton.

Although there is some way to go before the TIF project becomes a reality and the improvements will not be seen for a few years yet, we are pleased that GMPTE have recognised Walkden’s particular need for modernisation in their plans.

Cable and Lead Thieves Hit Walkden

Overnight theft of cables along the Walkden line caused misery for thousands of commuters last Monday as trains had to proceed under safety conditions due to the theft of signalling cable overnight.

And this weekend Walkden station has been hit by thieves who’ve stolen the lead flashing from the station roof, making the roof and joints susceptible to leaking and rain damage.

These attacks cause massive losses and inconvenience to the travelling public – if you see any suspicious activity on or around the railway line please report it immediately to British Transport Police on 0800 40 50 40