New Station: Thanet Parkway

Thank you to @SimOnTrains on twitter for use of daytime photo

Sadly this is pretty much where the positives for this station run out... As you arrive on the platform you are met with quite possibly the most dull pair of platforms that have ever been built in Britain! The narrow platforms are made to feel all that much smaller by the soundproof walls that are almost as tall as the platform is wide. The tactile paving is welcome, but the additional paving slabs down the middle will hinder wheelchair & mobility scooter users due to its closeness to the tactile paving.

Earlier today (3/8/23) I had a conversation with @LordOrk who is a Equality & Disability Rights Campaigner and this is what he had to say about Thanet Parkway and it's poor accessability: "Regrettably, NR have again cut costs by treating PRM compliance as a target rather than a minimum standard. Disappointing disabled people have been treated as an afterthought at this new station and will suffer the consequences. For example, it is outrageous a new station has no accessible or changing places toilets, no EV chargers in the blue badge bays, platforms are narrow so wheelchair users and scooter users have reduced turning circles for boarding and their legal right to TUAG has been eroded at this unstaffed station"

The station platforms in total have 10 shelters (2 double up as platform entrance areas). This is good news, but sadly none of the shelters have benches in, there is just perch rails which to be quite frank, are completely useless! There is also no toilet facilities at the station which is a massive oversight. It's not like there isn't space for them!

The station will be served by the Margate to London St Pancras SouthEastern Highspeed services that are run using the class 395 Javelin units. This will be strengthened by additional peak time calls on the London Cannon Street & London Charing Cross services. The last service of the day, the 0051 arrival is to drop passengers off only and as such won't be advertised at the station as a departure. Sadly if you want to catch a train from here to Dover at off peak you are out of luck, which again is a massive over sight! Passengers want options, and by mostly only stopping London services here they have removed such options.

From the station you will be able to travel to:

• Ramsgate (5 minutes travel time)
• Broadstairs (11 minutes travel time)
• Margate (16 minutes travel time)
• Canterbury West (15 minutes travel time)
• Ashford International (31 minutes travel time)
• London St Pancras (70 minutes travel time)

It is rather sad that a new station has got so much wrong, from the initial design right down to the schedule of calling services at the station there has been errors made with this station. This is a station that has been designed to meet the minimum legal requirements, it has done very little to exceed this.

People that are saying it is "fully accessible" are saying that because it meets the design MINIMUM requirements. For example, minimum requirements allow for one wheelchair to be on the platform at a time. If two wheelchairs was to try passing on the platform it would force one of the wheelchairs to the wrong side of the yellow line. How that is not even thought about in the minimum requirements blows my mind!

To sum up: Thanet Parkway is a station that on paper delivers everything perfectly. In the real world it delivers nearly everything poorly. Going forward, the minimum requirements for new stations MUST be more passenger focused and less cost focused. They must also be discussed with people who live everyday with limited mobility.

Thanks for reading.

Until next time.

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