Ordeal of family travellers passing through railway station

I THOROUGHLY support the Yorkshire Post’s campaign to encourage investment in the transport infrastructure in our region and in efforts to attract visitors to Yorkshire. I do, however, wonder if we are sometimes our own worst enemy.

My husband and I visited Leeds with two of our grandchildren. We used the train from Wakefield Westgate to Leeds City Station and then went by taxi to the Thackray Medical Museum.

What was, overall, a very enjoyable day was totally overshadowed by our experience on arrival at Leeds.

As it was lunchtime, we ate at the McDonalds outlet on the station concourse (which we have used before very successfully). Not unexpectedly, at the end of the meal, the children required toilet facilities.

We made our way to where we knew they were in the store only to be told they were no longer available, as they had been removed to make space for extra seating, and we should use the toilets on the station. On finding these, we discovered that they can only be accessed via a turnstile which requires 30p in exact money.

Although I did have 60p to pay for the two children, I did not have the correct change. There was a change machine but with a large Out of Order notice. I was pleased to see there was a woman attendant but completely shocked when she assured me that she was not allowed to give change.

She did allow the children to use the facilities when it became clear that the alternative would be to allow them to relieve themselves on the floor. I cannot express how angry this experience left me feeling.

I have contacted McDonalds who explained that this outlet is owned by a franchisee who has made the decision to remove the toilets and I can only say that he/she will never get our custom again. Similarly, I have e-mailed Network Rail, who manage the station, but they have not bothered to reply.

We have recently returned from a holiday in Spain where we travelled by train into and out of the new station in Malaga where the toilets are both spotless and free.

I shudder to think what foreign visitors must sometimes think of this country.

From: Coun Elizabeth Nash, Leeds City Council, Leeds.

WHILE I do support the high speed rail link from London to the North, I can quite understand people’s frustrations of crowded local trains and dismal local stations. However, if the high-speed rail link bid is unsuccessful, it does not then guarantee that money will be spent on rail facilities locally.

Last week I had the pleasure of visiting the new Hepworth Gallery in Wakefield. It was absolutely splendid and I congratulate Wakefield Council in obtaining a facility which will not only be a delight to its own citizens but also will draw visitors from all over the country, Europe and the world, visitors who will spend money locally as I did.

I decided to travel on the regular train from Leeds to Wakefield Kirkgate Station which is just around the corner from the Hepworth, but what a broken down dump Wakefield Kirkgate Station is!

The station front is potentially an attractive old stone building but has been allowed to deteriorate. The platforms and canopies are just depressing. The station walls are covered in soot and dirt. First impressions count and Kirkgate Station should be the gateway to a magnificent facility. Unfortunately, the provision of rail services is fragmented in this country.

Although Kirkgate is a busy station with many trains stopping there, the train companies have no say on the quality of stations. And those train companies will probably not be the ones providing the high speed rail.