I'm wondering when either of these stations had any external
refurbishment done. If I were running Great Northern I would have
erected signs to advertise the 7-day service - I suspect the cost of
doing so would have been dwarfed by the cost of running the weekend service.

Essex Road in particular looks like the station that time forgot - I
can't even tell if the sign over the door is in the colours of the
current franchise holder or some long-forgotten one, but shouldn't it at
least say Essex Road *Station*? The BR sign at the corner is still in
Network Southeast colours, but for some reason is very easy to not see
even when you know it's there. I bet there are people living around the
corner for years who don't even know it's a station, especially if they
moved there after it was expunged from the tube map.

In article , (Basil Jet)
wrote:

I'm wondering when either of these stations had any external
refurbishment done. If I were running Great Northern I would have
erected signs to advertise the 7-day service - I suspect the cost of
doing so would have been dwarfed by the cost of running the weekend
service.

Essex Road in particular looks like the station that time forgot - I
can't even tell if the sign over the door is in the colours of the
current franchise holder or some long-forgotten one, but shouldn't it
at least say Essex Road *Station*? The BR sign at the corner is still
in Network Southeast colours, but for some reason is very easy to not
see even when you know it's there. I bet there are people living
around the corner for years who don't even know it's a station,
especially if they moved there after it was expunged from the tube
map.

Good points. It does have a departures screen over the entrance, though,
something I don't recall seeing at other stations.

At least they put in a separate electricity supply at platform level 40
years ago. The platform lights used to run from the traction supply and dim
alarmingly as each train departed.

--
Colin Rosenstiel

On 2016-02-25 12:01:51 +0000, Basil Jet said:

I'm wondering when either of these stations had any external
refurbishment done. If I were running Great Northern I would have
erected signs to advertise the 7-day service - I suspect the cost of
doing so would have been dwarfed by the cost of running the weekend
service.

Essex Road in particular looks like the station that time forgot -

And Crossrail 2 forgot. It was mooted to stop there but not now. A
shame as it's a really busy junction with lots of bus traffic.

E.

In article ,
(Paul Corfield) wrote:

On Thu, 25 Feb 2016 12:01:51 +0000, Basil Jet
wrote:


I'm wondering when either of these stations had any external
refurbishment done. If I were running Great Northern I would have
erected signs to advertise the 7-day service - I suspect the cost of
doing so would have been dwarfed by the cost of running the weekend
service.

Essex Road in particular looks like the station that time forgot - I
can't even tell if the sign over the door is in the colours of the
current franchise holder or some long-forgotten one, but shouldn't it at
least say Essex Road *Station*? The BR sign at the corner is still in
Network Southeast colours, but for some reason is very easy to not see
even when you know it's there. I bet there are people living around the
corner for years who don't even know it's a station, especially if they
moved there after it was expunged from the tube map.

"The government haven't told us or given us the money to put up a sign
or buy any paint or do anything to improve these stations. We only do
what our beloved paymasters tell us to do."

Yours
TSGN.

Who decided to restore evening and weekend trains on the GNC, then?

--
Colin Rosenstiel

On 2016\02\26 00:19, Paul Corfield wrote:
On Thu, 25 Feb 2016 12:01:51 +0000, Basil Jet
wrote:


I'm wondering when either of these stations had any external
refurbishment done. If I were running Great Northern I would have
erected signs to advertise the 7-day service - I suspect the cost of
doing so would have been dwarfed by the cost of running the weekend service.

Essex Road in particular looks like the station that time forgot - I
can't even tell if the sign over the door is in the colours of the
current franchise holder or some long-forgotten one, but shouldn't it at
least say Essex Road *Station*? The BR sign at the corner is still in
Network Southeast colours, but for some reason is very easy to not see
even when you know it's there. I bet there are people living around the
corner for years who don't even know it's a station, especially if they
moved there after it was expunged from the tube map.

"The government haven't told us or given us the money to put up a sign
or buy any paint or do anything to improve these stations. We only do
what our beloved paymasters tell us to do."

Yours
TSGN.

But wasn't the introduction of the 7-day service a TOC initiative rather
than a government-funded scheme? (Which makes me wonder if they are now
failing to meet their franchise requirement between Finsbury Park and
Kings Cross... surely they are running fewer trains to KX at the weekend
than they promised, or was the 7-day Moorgate plan in their franchise
deal from the start?)

On 26/02/2016 01:26, Recliner wrote:
[...]
I had my pass checked recently on an Overground train -- would the grippers
be TfL or LOROL employees?


Loo roll.

As part of the contract they are incentivised regarding revenue protection.

On 2016\02\26 00:55, Paul Corfield wrote:

All the revenue goes to the DfT directly.


Thanks. Then it's the DfT that should have done something for the
stations, and I apologise to TSGN.

I don't think either station needs, or can justify, major refurbishment.
A few bicycle racks outside with headboards stating that trains run
seven days a week would be enough.

Anyway, how could a station be better than Drayton Park is now ;-p

On Friday, February 26, 2016 at 12:33:17 AM UTC, Basil Jet wrote:
On 2016\02\26 00:19, Paul Corfield wrote:
On Thu, 25 Feb 2016 12:01:51 +0000, Basil Jet
wrote:


I'm wondering when either of these stations had any external
refurbishment done. If I were running Great Northern I would have
erected signs to advertise the 7-day service - I suspect the cost of
doing so would have been dwarfed by the cost of running the weekend service.

Essex Road in particular looks like the station that time forgot - I
can't even tell if the sign over the door is in the colours of the
current franchise holder or some long-forgotten one, but shouldn't it at
least say Essex Road *Station*? The BR sign at the corner is still in
Network Southeast colours, but for some reason is very easy to not see
even when you know it's there. I bet there are people living around the
corner for years who don't even know it's a station, especially if they
moved there after it was expunged from the tube map.

"The government haven't told us or given us the money to put up a sign
or buy any paint or do anything to improve these stations. We only do
what our beloved paymasters tell us to do."

Yours
TSGN.

But wasn't the introduction of the 7-day service a TOC initiative rather
than a government-funded scheme? (Which makes me wonder if they are now
failing to meet their franchise requirement between Finsbury Park and
Kings Cross... surely they are running fewer trains to KX at the weekend
than they promised, or was the 7-day Moorgate plan in their franchise
deal from the start?)

Recommendation to DfT came from London TravelWatch and supported by City of London Corporation, it was in the baseline franchise specification.

Yet another reason why the original Hackney/Chelsea idea
still has merit.

Hackney Downs/Canonbury/Essex Road/Angel/Farringdon/
Russell Square/Googe Street and so on: simple, fairly straight
and linking to other services without over-loading key stations.

On 2016\02\27 09:11, Robin9 wrote:
'eastender[_5_ Wrote:
;154128']On 2016-02-25 12:01:51 +0000, Basil Jet said:
-
I'm wondering when either of these stations had any external
refurbishment done. If I were running Great Northern I would have
erected signs to advertise the 7-day service - I suspect the cost of
doing so would have been dwarfed by the cost of running the weekend
service.

Essex Road in particular looks like the station that time forgot --

And Crossrail 2 forgot. It was mooted to stop there but not now. A
shame as it's a really busy junction with lots of bus traffic.

E.

Yet another reason why the original Hackney/Chelsea idea
still has merit.

Angel/Farringdon/Russell Squa fairly straight

Are you sure about that?