Help Network Rail find out about Walkden !

Network Rail are currently running an online survey to find out what people think of railway stations and how to improve them.

It asks questions such as what you think of your local station and what facilities you would like to see there. Needless to say, the more people that complete the survey for Walkden the better our chances of making it into the improvement programme that Network Rail are planning.

Please take 15 minutes to visit Action Stations and complete the survey.

PS You will also be entered into a Prize Draw for an Annual Season Ticket or cash equivalent !

Renovated roof revealed

The renovated Booking Hall roof

The scaffolding has been removed from the station now and the renovated roof can be seen in all its glory.

Thanks to the clean, new skylights and repainted lower walls the Entrance Hall, and Booking Hall, and Upper Stairway are all brighter, cleaner, more welcoming, and weather proof.

Thanks to Network Rail and their contractors for a grand job, and a special thank you from FOWS for taking care not to damage the plants in the flower beds during the course of the works.

The brighter Entrance Hall

“All change” at Walkden …

Freshly painted stairway walls and a new roof make very welcome improvements to Walkden station

October has arguably been the best month for Walkden station since FOWS was launched in February 2007, with numerous, sizeable improvement projects coming to fruition.

Firstly the roof renovation is nearly complete and looking infinitely smarter than the old roof. The new roof should be water-proof again, so the water damage caused by leaks onto the stairways should become a thing of the past.

After Network Rail rejected our initial request to repaint the stairway walls (arguing this was the responsibility of Northern Rail) we were delighted when the decision was reversed and the whole length of the stairway and Booking Hall walls were freshly painted. The results are a vast improvement on the grubby, stained walls we had before.

The long-awaited tannoy system is also nearing “go-live” too, and may even be working by the time you read this. Having a local tannoy will enable staff to inform passengers of delays without having to close the Booking Office to walk up to the platform.

For a more detailed review of the station’s improving condition, check out our latest station condition report.

And FOWS are doing their bit too … pending a council funding decision today we hope to have winter plants installed in the gardens very soon.

FOWS at the GMITA Transport Seminar

FOWS attended a seminar at Manchester Town Hall this week organised by GMITA. There were interesting presentations from other Friends groups in the area (FRECCLES, Handforth and the award-winning Friends of Glossop), Network Rail, GMITA, ACORP and Northern Rail.

As well as manning a small display on FOWS’ achievements at Walkden, it was a great opportunity to share ideas with friends, and build up our relationships with the rail industry.

Our representatives have come back with some great ideas picked up from other groups and we’ll be trying to get some of them off the ground shortly !

Our thanks to Network Rail for station painting

Repainted walls and handrails at Walkden

Hats off to Network Rail who have repainted the stairway walls at Walkden as part of the roof repair project.

The walls of the stairs and booking hall had not been painted for many years and had become dirty and stained, while the red paint on the handrails was peeling and flaking away.

As our picture shows, the shiny new walls and handrails are a great improvement and give the station a much more inviting appearance. And from the way passengers rounded on kids suspected of recent graffiti damage to the station, the bright and clean walls are well appreciated by station users too !

As we understand the situation from previous discussions, repainting of the walls is the responsibility of the train operating company (Northern Rail). Network Rail’s decoration work is therefore even more appreciated as it was not their responsibility to tackle the job anyway.

The newly-retiled station roof at Walkden

The roof repairs, which started in August, are nearly complete and most of the scaffold will be removed this weekend, putting an end to some local kids’ dangerous use of it as a climbing frame.

Away from the public areas of the station Network Rail have installed a floor in a disused room which should provide lots of useful storage space for staff.

Pillar as good as new !

Freshly painted pillar on platform 1

Thanks to Northern and Network Rail for fixing the first pillar on the Manchester platform which has been over-flowing and corroding since the canopy was repainted last summer.

The freshly painted pillar looks great and we’re delighted the water damage to this part of the station’s fabric has been staunched.

FOWS make the case for Walkden with Transport bosses and planners

Our Chairman Peter Aust has sent this report of his meeting with transport “top brass” and politicians – another example of how FOWS works, often behind the scenes, to secure improvements for Walkden station.

FOWS Chairman Peter Aust meeting Shadow Transport Minister Stephen Hammond MP

Hello Friends, On Monday last in my capacity as Chair of FOWS I attended a seminar at Manchester Town Hall entitled ” The Future of Rail in the North. The Speakers were Stephen Hammond MP, Shadow Transport Minister Edward Timpson MP,Crewe & Natwich Councillor Ian Macdonald, Vice Chairman GMITA Paul Plummer, Director, Planning & Regulation, Network Rail It was ably chaired by TV Presenter Andy Crane.

There were plenty of discussions about the Manchester Hub (not just about Manchester) that is a major bottleneck on the rail network that negatively impacts on rail services for the whole of the North of England and the proposal of a high-speed line from London to Glasgow, which would include a stop at Manchester. It was fortunate that Cllr Iain Lindley who was in attendance highlighted to the panel the importance also of the issues concerning local rail stations such as Walkden, yes! Walkden got a mention!!

I had the chance to meet a few of the top brass and spread the word about FOWS, Tom Wadsworth, Communications Manager of Network Rail, Emma Pemberton-Eccles, Public Affairs Manager Network Rail and even a quick word and a photo opportunity with Stephen Hammond, MP, Shadow Transport Minister.

Pillar repairs

Judging by the cones and “Men At Work” signs clustered around its base, the first pillar on the Manchester platform is being repaired by Network Rail.

The gutter that runs down the interior of this pillar has been blocked for some time, causing rainwater to overflow onto the platform and stream down the pillar’s exterior. It should have been unblocked (as the others were) when the canopy was repainted last summer, but for some reason this pillar was overlooked

FOWS have been reporting the problem in our monthly reports to Northern Rail for the last year, and Northern have been chasing the station owners Network Rail on our behalf.

We’re delighted the work is under way and would like to thank Northern and Network for taking action to preserve the fabric and appearance of the station.

Mind your step

The problem of pigeon mess on the platforms has been getting worse throughout the year and some areas are so bad they probably present health risks – as well as being generally unpleasant for passengers of course.

FOWS have raised the issue with Northern Rail several times but we haven’t heard of any plans to deal with it yet.

Roof repairs are underway

 Network Rail’s contractors have made a good start to the roof repairs at the station as these photographs show. Smart new tiles and flashing (made from plastic, so hopefully less vulnerable to thieving) are being laid on the main station roof, and old, rotten material is being removed from all sections.

Network Rail promised they would take care not to damage the flower beds and they have been as good as their word, for which FOWS are truly grateful.

Unfortunately the local know-nothings haven’t been so considerate and have been tearing up the foam wrapping that is supposed to make the scaffolding less dangerous to station users. British Transport Police are keeping a close eye on the problem and hopefully the culprits will soon tire of their game.