Liverpool Street's open cesspit
 

Greetings.

I often take the train between Liverpool Street and Stratford and have
noticed that at the former station the higher-numbered platforms reek of
decaying human excrement. Apparently the tracks in question serve as an
open cesspit for waste flushed from the train toilets.

This surprises me; surely in this day and age it is possible to build train
toilets which either use septic tanks, or whose flush mechanisms can be
disabled while the train is at a station. Are there no local or national
laws or regulations concerning the construction of train toilets, and the
dumping of human waste in indoor train stations? Perhaps the problem is
purely cosmetic rather than a public health issue, but in that case
couldn't the station at the very least apply some deodouriser to the
affected tracks? I have been in pit toilets which smelled better than
those platforms.

Regards,
Tristan

--
_
_V.-o Tristan Miller Space is limited
/ |`-' -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- In a haiku, so it's hard
(7_\\ http://www.nothingisreal.com/ To finish what you

Liverpool Street's open cesspit
 

On Dec 15, 11:55*am, Tristan Miller
wrote:
Greetings.

I often take the train between Liverpool Street and Stratford and have
noticed that at the former station the higher-numbered platforms reek of
decaying human excrement. *Apparently the tracks in question serve as an
open cesspit for waste flushed from the train toilets.

This surprises me; surely in this day and age it is possible to build train
toilets which either use septic tanks, or whose flush mechanisms can be
disabled while the train is at a station. *Are there no local or national
laws or regulations concerning the construction of train toilets, and the
dumping of human waste in indoor train stations? *Perhaps the problem is
purely cosmetic rather than a public health issue, but in that case
couldn't the station at the very least apply some deodouriser to the
affected tracks? *I have been in pit toilets which smelled better than
those platforms.

There aren't any specific regulations on the, erm, dumping. There are
regulations on construction, which mean that all new trains with
toilets for the last 20 years have retention toilets.

Unfortunately, the long-distance trains running out of Liverpool
Street - loco-hauled mk3s and 317s - are 30 and 25 years old
respectively, and hence discharge onto the track. When they expire,
they'll be replaced by trains which don't.

--
John Band
john at johnband dot org
www.johnband.org

Liverpool Street's open cesspit
 

On 15 Dec, 13:09, John B wrote:
On Dec 15, 11:55*am, Tristan Miller
wrote:





Greetings.

I often take the train between Liverpool Street and Stratford and have
noticed that at the former station the higher-numbered platforms reek of
decaying human excrement. *Apparently the tracks in question serve as an
open cesspit for waste flushed from the train toilets.

This surprises me; surely in this day and age it is possible to build train
toilets which either use septic tanks, or whose flush mechanisms can be
disabled while the train is at a station. *Are there no local or national
laws or regulations concerning the construction of train toilets, and the
dumping of human waste in indoor train stations? *Perhaps the problem is
purely cosmetic rather than a public health issue, but in that case
couldn't the station at the very least apply some deodouriser to the
affected tracks? *I have been in pit toilets which smelled better than
those platforms.

There aren't any specific regulations on the, erm, dumping. There are
regulations on construction, which mean that all new trains with
toilets for the last 20 years have retention toilets.

Unfortunately, the long-distance trains running out of Liverpool
Street - loco-hauled mk3s and 317s - are 30 and 25 years old
respectively, and hence discharge onto the track. When they expire,
they'll be replaced by trains which don't.

Not quite 20 years. The 321s must have been introduced later than
that, and still flush on to the tracks.

Liverpool Street's open cesspit
 

On Tue, 15 Dec 2009 05:34:52 -0800 (PST), MIG
wrote:

Not quite 20 years. The 321s must have been introduced later than
that, and still flush on to the tracks.

The most recent stock with dump-on-the-track bogs is, I'd think, the
early-1990s Class 158.

Or do the Network Turbos have such bogs?

Neil

--
Neil Williams
Put my first name before the at to reply.

Liverpool Street's open cesspit
 

"Tristan Miller" wrote in message
...
Greetings.

I often take the train between Liverpool Street and Stratford and have
noticed that at the former station the higher-numbered platforms reek of
decaying human excrement. Apparently the tracks in question serve as an
open cesspit for waste flushed from the train toilets.

This surprises me; surely in this day and age it is possible to build
train
toilets which either use septic tanks, or whose flush mechanisms can be
disabled while the train is at a station. Are there no local or national
laws or regulations concerning the construction of train toilets, and the
dumping of human waste in indoor train stations? Perhaps the problem is
purely cosmetic rather than a public health issue, but in that case
couldn't the station at the very least apply some deodouriser to the
affected tracks? I have been in pit toilets which smelled better than
those platforms.

Regards,
Tristan

Plat.2 at Victoria is the same, after the Orient Express has been in on a
Thursday night its disgusting down there.

I seem to remember someone telling me a while ago that he had been working
at Paddington cleaning turds from plastic sheets laid in the 4' on some
platforms to stop "effluent" from contaminating the ballast, and I do recall
seeing some black sheets in the 4' when I had to collect some paperwork from
the MDU a couple of months ago.

james

Liverpool Street's open cesspit
 

jamesd1974 wrote:
"Tristan Miller" wrote in message
...

I often take the train between Liverpool Street and Stratford and
have noticed that at the former station the higher-numbered
platforms reek of decaying human excrement. Apparently the tracks
in question serve as an open cesspit for waste flushed from the
train toilets.

Plat.2 at Victoria is the same, after the Orient Express has been in
on a Thursday night its disgusting down there.

Presumably all these trains are still displaying 'do not flush in stations'
notices as well...

People just don't care though.

Paul S

Liverpool Street's open cesspit
 

Neil Williams wrote:
On Tue, 15 Dec 2009 05:34:52 -0800 (PST), MIG
wrote:

The most recent stock with dump-on-the-track bogs is, I'd think, the
early-1990s Class 158.

Or do the Network Turbos have such bogs?

No - 16x/36x/46x are all CET.

Liverpool Street's open cesspit
 

"Paul Scott" wrote in message
...
jamesd1974 wrote:
"Tristan Miller" wrote in message
...

I often take the train between Liverpool Street and Stratford and
have noticed that at the former station the higher-numbered
platforms reek of decaying human excrement. Apparently the tracks
in question serve as an open cesspit for waste flushed from the
train toilets.

Plat.2 at Victoria is the same, after the Orient Express has been in
on a Thursday night its disgusting down there.

Presumably all these trains are still displaying 'do not flush in
stations' notices as well...

People just don't care though.

When you've got to go, you've got to go! It'd be rude to leave a floater,
so it's only polite to flush.

Liverpool Street's open cesspit
 

On Dec 15, 8:36*pm, (Neil Williams)
wrote:
On Tue, 15 Dec 2009 05:34:52 -0800 (PST), MIG

wrote:
Not quite 20 years. *The 321s must have been introduced later than
that, and still flush on to the tracks.

Really quite surprised by that, given that they're just a later build
of 319s with a different front end.

The most recent stock with dump-on-the-track bogs is, I'd think, the
early-1990s Class 158.

Yes, actually I did/should know that, as I knew that SWT converted its
fleet by adding retention tanks.

--
John Band
john at johnband dot org
www.johnband.org

Liverpool Street's open cesspit
 

On 16 Dec, 22:47, John B wrote:
On Dec 15, 8:36*pm, (Neil Williams)
wrote:

On Tue, 15 Dec 2009 05:34:52 -0800 (PST), MIG

wrote:
Not quite 20 years. *The 321s must have been introduced later than
that, and still flush on to the tracks.

Really quite surprised by that, given that they're just a later build
of 319s with a different front end.

I was kind of surprised a few years ago when I first noticed it.

Mind you, they were plugged as something very new and special before
they were introduced, and turned out to be 317s with a sexier front.