Barriar in station

Is it true that station will be discussing putting barriar for everybody going in and out of the station? what will happen to taxis, I think fair sistem is to make barriar for taxis also. Many station drivers not happy but I think it will be fair for all taxi driver in Sheffield.

I think there is a meeting in the offing to discuss plans for the general public's use of the station area but nothing to do with taxis as far as I understand. This article appeared in the Sheffield Telegraph and seems to involve a ticket barrier rather than for car parking or for taxis.

Minister brought into station barrier row

Published Date: 23 April 2009
By Peter Kay
TRANSPORT Minister Lord Adonis is to be brought into the row over the proposed installation of ticket barriers at Sheffield railway station.
He will be pressed to use his influence to help scrap the highly controversial scheme when he visits the city to discuss a series of local transport issues.

East Midlands Trains say the gates are needed to deter fare dodging, but protesters say they would prevent the station being used as a through route by pedestrians between Park Hill, Norfolk Park and the city centre.

All political parties in Sheffield oppose the barriers - but a row erupted this week after Lord Adonis was accused by local Liberal Democrats of "snubbing" the city on a nationwide tour of the country's rail network to see for himself the service provided to "ordinary fare paying passengers".

The Lib Dems said it was especially "frustrating" that he was missing an opportunity to meet opponents of the proposed ticket barriers on his five day tour.

Cabinet member for transport Coun Ian Auckland said: "Given that Sheffield and South Yorkshire has always been the poor relation when it comes to rail investment, I'm disappointed that we have been snubbed by the Labour Minister."

He added: "It's particularly frustrating as if the minister had taken the opportunity to come through South Yorkshire he could have seen for himself why we need to keep the station open to allow through access."

But Attercliffe Labour MP and rail campaigner Clive Betts said: "As Coun Auckland well knows, far from snubbing Sheffield, Lord Adonis had already committed himself to coming on a special visit to Sheffield in the near future to meet both MPs and city council representatives."

Mr Betts said that if Coun Auckland thought that getting Lord Adonis to travel through Sheffield station on his nationwide tour was a good substitute for a proper meeting to discuss real issues, "he needed his head looking at".

Sheffield station is tops - minister

http://www.thestar.co.uk/news/Sheffield-station-is-tops-.5217631.jp

Published Date: 30 April 2009
By Mark Hookham
GORDON Brown's rail minister picked Sheffield Midland as his favourite station during a five-day tour of the nation's rail network.
Lord Adonis was initially criticised after an itinerary sent to journalists detailing the stations he was stopping at during his tour of Britain failed to mention Sheffield.

Local councillors accused him of "snubbing" the city and said it was "frustrating" that he
had missed the opportunity to meet opponents of plans to install ticket barriers in the city's station.

But it has now been revealed the minister made a last minute alteration to his schedule and did visit the station on the third day of his tour, after catching a train from Manchester.

Writing in his online "diary", he said: "I decided I had the time to go onto Sheffield.

"The TransPennine line included three long tunnels, the longest Totley at over three miles, as the train winds through the stunningly beautiful Hope Valley before joining the Midland mainline at Dore and running north-east into Sheffield.

"Apart from this final stretch the line speed never rises above 70mph, which makes the term Trans-Pennine Express a bit of a misnomer, although the service is greatly improved in recent years."

He heaped praise on Sheffield station, calling it a "real delight".

He said: "It has been beautifully restored and has excellent retail and waiting facilities for passengers - open to a reasonable hour in the evening, unlike my recent experience at Southampton Central station.

"After three days of station visits, I have a rank order of major stations. Sheffield is at the top, Birmingham New Street and Southampton Central are not."

Lord Adonis went on the UK rail tour in a bid to experience rail travel from the perspective of an ordinary fare-paying passenger. He travelled around 2,000 miles on some 40 trains.

The £50 million Sheffield Station Gateway Project was officially opened by transport minister Gillian Merron two years ago.

David Young, South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive's director of customer experience, said: "It is particularly pleasing that having travelled throughout the UK over several days Lord Adonis should choose Sheffield Station as the highlight.

"It is a testament to all the hard work we and our partners put in to transform it and its surroundings into an attractive gateway to the city."

Oh dear, someone got wrong end of the stick eh? Fairway old pal, you might do well to pay more attention.