Toilet charges scrapped at major rail stations – but you’ll still have to pay to pee in Sheffield

Network Rail announced yesterday that charges to use public toilets at  London Liverpool Street, London King's Cross and Edinburgh Waverley were being scrapped.

However, there are no plans to drop the 30p charge customers on the concourse at Sheffield station have to pay to use the facilities – although there are free toilets in other parts of the station.

Network Rail has made toilets at all its stations free – but Sheffield isn’t managed by the rail firm, with East Midlands Trains taking charge of the premises.

A spokesman for EMT said: “All stations in the UK are owned by Network Rail but many are managed by train operators, as is the case with Sheffield, which is managed by East Midlands Trains.

“There are currently no plans to change the current arrangements in place at Sheffield but it will be kept under review.”

The spokesman said that it was only on the concourse where customers are charged for using the toilets and that rail customers have access to free toilets on station platforms.

She added: “The 30p charge in the concourse toilets is to help reduce the risk of vandalism or vagrants using the toilets as we have had previous issues with this.

Previously, some Network Rail toilets charged up to 50p per person.

Network Rail said it wanted to put "passengers first" and help make their journeys "a bit more hassle-free".

In 2017 it was revealed that the public sector body had made £41m in 10 years from toilet charges.

The latest figures show Network Rail-run stations across the UK made £3.1m from toilet charges in 2017-18.

Other stations run by Network Rail - including Birmingham New Street, Manchester Piccadilly and Glasgow Central - have already scrapped toilet charges.