Sheffield Station - Checking Tickets

I had fun and games on my journey to l**ds today, trying to run the gamut of the "revenue protectionistas"!

you mean people doing the job they are employed to do?? Gee bet that was great fun for you

Damned if they do nothing, damned if they do

.Let em whack the fares up substantially to cover the lost revenue and i'm sure you'd be amongst the first to moan.

BTW, prior to this bridge being built (less than 4 years ago) how did you manage??

Can anyone provide a link as to where public money was spent on the building of the bridge? It's been mentioned on here and on the other thread, but I can't seem to find reputable data on it.

BTW, prior to this bridge being built (less than 4 years ago) how did you manage??

I barely managed. It was with tremendous difficulty, actually. It involved massive and inconvenient detours, and having to guage about an extra half-hour on my journey to the station.

can anyone tell me how the platform ticket will work please as when my boyfriend or friend visits i meet them on the platform and see them off again

ps doesn't anyone find it strange that the companies can draft in such massive numbers for an excercise like this, yet plead utter poverty when asked to provide sufficient numbers of staff for day-to-day running, and efficient issue of tickets etc?

How is it strange? These employees are permanent members of staff, they travel on trains and block different stations at different times. Just becuase you dont see them every day at Sheffield doesn't mean they magically disappear! Tomorrow they might be in Manchester. Or Liverpool. Or on your train.

And when do the train companies plead poverty? Links please. I certainly know my company doesnt plead poverty, we have plenty of conductors and RPAs and are hiring more all the time.

can anyone tell me how the platform ticket will work please as when my boyfriend or friend visits i meet them on the platform and see them off again

You ask a member of staff for a platform ticket. Or you say your goodbyes on the concourse.

I've since found out (I think!) that these 'revenue protection inspectors' are on commission and have targets.

You "think" wrong. At least as far as my company is concerned. Our guards are on commission, the RPO/RPA's aren't.

The footbridge was partly paid for by public money, so is therefore a public walkway. East Midlands Trains don't have the right to block people from using that walkway. I'm going to contact Private Eye and ask them to look into this because I suspect East Midlands Trains will be breaking the law by installing these ticket barriers. Should be interesting........

Will yolu please povide me a link to prove this? It keeps getting quoted time and again, but nowhere can I find details.

Oh, and don't you think EMT have looked into whether they have the rights to block the walkway?

Will yolu please povide me a link to prove this? It keeps getting quoted time and again, but nowhere can I find details.

Oh, and don't you think EMT have looked into whether they have the rights to block the walkway?

Hell knows where that info is coming from, but I thought the station improvements/upgrades were paid for by Network Rail

Hell knows where that info is coming from, but I thought the station improvements/upgrades were paid for by Network Rail

I'll be honest, I have no idea. I just know that about a year ago someone mentioned it was partly paid for by the public. This statement has been quoted time and again but never verified.

If it was paid for by the TOC's and Network Rail, I can't see that anyone would be able to stop EMT closing the walkthrough if they so wished. If it was publicly funded, it's a whole different ballgame.

Would just like to know the truth.

Surely it doesn't matter who paid for/owns it as the walkway won't be blocked?

I'll be honest, I have no idea. I just know that about a year ago someone mentioned it was partly paid for by the public. This statement has been quoted time and again but never verified.

If it was paid for by the TOC's and Network Rail, I can't see that anyone would be able to stop EMT closing the walkthrough if they so wished. If it was publicly funded, it's a whole different ballgame.

Would just like to know the truth.

Okay I've done a little hunting round the internet to see what I could find.

The station footbridge extension formed part of what has been called the "Sheffield Station Gateway Project", the "Sheffield Station and Sheaf Square Gateway Project" or the "Sheffield Midland Station Masterplan". It is quoted as costing £50m, although this article on the council website says £52m. Note however that this £50m/£52m is for the entire station refurbishment, Supertram footbridge and Sheaf Square redevelopment, not just the Supertram footbridge.

This article quotes the £50m figure and has the line

"Sheffield City Council, South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive, Midland Mainline and Network Rail, who have all contributed to the project, will also present the Under Secretary for Transport with a large framed photograph of the Station and Sheaf Square for her to take back to the Department for Transport."

The Sheffield Council annual report 2002/03 discusses the project in sections 4.0 - 4.10 and includes the line:

"The Board concurred with the decision of the Cabinet but had a number of concerns relating to the Station improvements and invited representatives of Midland Mainline to attend a meeting to discuss those issues."

If the council could call Midland Mainline representatives to a meeting on the project, that suggests that they at least had some say/stake in it.

Then there is the council's Local Transport Plan Submission 2003. In Appendix 1 under the "THE LTP PROCESS" heading are the lines

"Work is underway or completed on each of our committed major schemes. The preparation of our provisionally accepted major schemes will allow work to start during 2004 on the Barnsley Interchange, the Cudworth & West Green Bypass, the A638 QBC in Doncaster; Sheffield Station "Gateway" project; and possibly A631 West Bawtry Road, Rotherham."

This article outlines £504m investment in the Yorkshire and Humber regions from the Department of Transport. It has the lines

"This is in addition to other major transport projects which are helping to tackle congestion and improve transport around the region, such as:

* The £50m Sheffield Station Gateway regeneration project opened in spring 2007."

This article on the Government Office for Yorkshire and the Humber site has a section under the heading "Rail" that says

"No specific new measures but a number of improvements have since been implemented in the study area:

the £12m Sheffield Station masterplan including the reconstruction of the platform areas and the creation of an improved interchange with the Sheffield Supertram;"

This article shows that C. Spencer built the Supertram footbridge extension.

This parliamentary report has the section [my bold]

"(a) Are there examples of planning in such areas where the rail industry does not have a direct interest in the land?

Sheffield Midland station and its approaches form a key part of the Masterplan for the development of the city centre. We are working with Railtrack, Midland Main Line, South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive, Sheffield City Council and Sheffield One on this project. Investment would include improved access for pedestrians between the station, the city centre, the bus station and Sheffield Supertram. The Masterplan approach means that the whole city centre environment is considered together, regardless of land ownership. The area covers a variety of land ownership, including the station, the railway administrative offices at Sheaf House, and other railway land. Apart from providing improved access to and from the station, the Masterplan will produce a better environment in the city centre, and particularly around the station."

This letter on the Sheffield Green Party website is interesting because it suggests that former council leader Jan Wilson is against the current ticket barrier scheme. The letter mentions a demonstration outside the station on April 21st, although I've not been able to find any press coverage on whether this demonstration happened or how large it was.

This article starts off with the line

"The transformation of Sheffield Station is on track with the announcement of a £12 million plus grant from the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) today."

It later has the lines

"[strategic Rail Authority Chairman] Richard Bowker said: "This is the largest single RPP award ever made by the SRA and will make a significant difference to the five million people who use the Sheffield station every year.

"I am pleased that the partnership between the SRA, SYPTE, Sheffield City Council, Network Rail and Midland Mainline is working for the benefits of passengers.""

This parliamentary report has the line

"The expected cost of the works programme at Sheffield station works is approximately £9 million (subject to the normal "factoring" that takes place at the completion of such schemes)."

This letter from the Managing Director of Midland Mainline to the Office of the Rail Regulator has the line

"It is also disappointing that whilst S.R.P. at Sheffield is commented on, there is no

reference at all to the Sheffield Masterplan – a partnership between the Local

Authority, P.T.E., Railtrack and Midland Mainline that has been working for over

15 months on developing a very large scheme for the station."

Although there's nothing in these links about the respective amounts, if you put them all together it does suggest that the Supertram footbridge extension was partly public funded and partly private funded.