RUI Worst Station of the Year
 

As IE has recenly announced that Greystones was station of the year and gave themselves a big pat on the back about it we think that you, the customers, should nominate your worst station.

We expect compitition to be fierce, and we will, of course, present a certificate and small prize to the station master of the winning shambles with accompanying press wallahs a la Michael Moore Style....

Please note, in the interests of fairness we cannot include Boombridge.

However, Pearse Toilets are IN!!

Off ye go...............

Howth Junction and Donaghmede because of the trek you have to take to get to the platforms.

Drogheda, because there is no digital displays for the next train due, and announcements are very rare so when there are no staff manning the booth (late in the evenings) you are on your own about what train to get on and what platform.

Connolly, for the ridiculous trek you have to make to the commuter platforms. It should also gain honourable mentions for lethal platform tiling and poor and misleading information.

Got to be Pearse

1. Roof is in a horrible state, needs lots of glass and a total repaint
2. Toilets need I say more the worst I've ever seen
3. Booking office area is a horrible mess
4. What is it with the doors into the station?
5. The lighting on the platforms is exceptionally poor
6. Horribly outdated signage to the platforms
7. Can't pay with plastic despite being the 2nd busiest station in Ireland
8. Only DART station not to have the yellow line with the textured concrete
9. The funky steps on a slope on the northbound platform

Don't forget the PA in Pearse which would have had Allied code breakers during the war scratching their heads trying to decipher what is being said.

I presume that Broombridge, Cherry Orchard and (latterly) Clondalkin are hors de concours.

Pheonix Park station because nobody uses it, its name is misleading and nobody could get on a train during rush hour if they wanted to use it.

Don't forget the toilets! One occupied, one with a broken lock, one with no paper and the last with a seat used as a urinal. Then you go to the information desk to complain and you see how mankt that area is as well.

It's a very close call between Pearse and Connolly for me, for previously-mentioned reasons.

Although you can use cards in the vending machines in Pearse.

Did I hear somebody say Cherry Orchard???? Also, what about Portarlington despite the new platforms.

how about seperate awards for major stations and minor stations

Pearse for the major
woodlawn for the minor - picture the scene - the sunday evening train to dublin - the busiest of the week - one solitary person on the platform at woodlawn

Major station

Staffed minor station

Unstaffed Halt

Cherry Orchard, Broombridge and Clondalkin won the prize too many times so are out of the running to give a level playing field. All three are being demolished soon enough

Could also have most disappointing station after refurbishment

Im going to go for Connolly as worst major station as I would use it more than Pearse. Reasons being toilets, customer services and cleanliness.


Worst unmanned halt, does Mosney count?

And then Portmarnock for worst manned minor station. Appalling access and minimal facilities eventhough it was renovated a few years ago. I know they are awaiting pp for a multi story car park but for the numbers that use it - its very poor.

Harmonstown. The entrance is hidden, halfway down a lane way between 2 housing estates. The track is in a large trench along this stage. The platform walls and embankments have always been hideous. This was made worse by the adding uf very unsightly reinforced poured concrete wheelchair ramps. The old ramps were too steep for modern standards. Most other stations got lifts (albeit they are more expensive to run). They could have splashed out for some kind of stone, redbrick or composite cladding for the concrete. Every wall has now been coated in a horrible light orange colour. This station is very unusable at night due to it's layout, darkness and location.

On the positive side. There was a lot of shrub planting done a few months back. However, this was only because of serious complaints by various local politicians amid cries of unfairness compared to the south side equivalents (as far as Blackrock anyway)

Killester comes a close 2nd for the same reasons. It's entrance location is a little better though.

For next year, I think RUI should make a serious attempt to really find out which is the worst (under various categories) and release the results to the media on the same day as Irish rail release there farcical results. I bet you Newstalk would be interested in the Idea. The Newstalk/RUI awards :) Have a drum roll & fanfair when calling out the winner.

Heres some categories suggestions (feel free to add more)
Worst Station (Dublin)
Worst Station (Elsewhere)
Lease Manned Station
Worst Accessibility
Worst Higene
Least Attractive
Best Hidden Station
etc

I was playing a match up in 'Tarf a few weeks back and got off at Killester and made the short journey to Castle Ave.

I could not find my way back to the DART afterwards :o

definatly dont think greystones deserved to have won the best station award...i mean if that's the best one, it makes me wonder how bad the rest the stations are on the network! some ugly white container on stilts was delivered by truck to greystones yesterday aswell..they had a crane lift it onto its base, i'm presuming its something to do with the re-signalling project? dont think there were any planning permission notices for it though!

That be a SSI/CBI interlocking thingy, Maynooth line has a few of them.

I was in Greystones last Saturday and apart from the obligatory best station entry requirement of the floral display I can't say much good about it. A fortune was spent on it on 2002. Still platform 2 is not accessible, the toilets are locked and the platform display has never worked.

It satisfies the 'functional' needs of station but isn't anything to get excited about.

Docklands and Adamstown don't appear, obviously failing the entry requirement of the hanging baskets, Thurles despite a serious rebuild got nothing despite the unrebuilt station being a frequent winner, so modern clean and efficient is a negative

I think the northside darts are all pretty poor especially as they are in a post refurb state.