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Moor Street Station

I did look at the original post which showed the artist's impression from the front view and it looked to me as if the façade and the present historic buildings on the concourse would be retained. The artist's impression shown above from a different angle looks to me as if the façade might be extended in keeping with old one. You have to remember that all the buildings beyond the concourse although in keeping with the 1914 building are all new buildings erected by Chiltern Railways when they refurbished the station or by Centro when they reopened the line to Snow Hill and built the present platforms 1 & 2 as previously the Snow Hill line did not go through Moor Street Station.

The 'one station strategy' is a new term to me as I have been trying for several years now to convince people that the HS2 station will not be in Curzon Street but next door to Moor Street. Curzon Street is the name given to it by Andrew Adonis who was the transport secretary in Gordon Brown's government. I even attended one of the Metro Mayor hustings before the mayoral election and when someone said that you would be able to get a tram from New Street Station to Curzon Street, I pointed out that a tram would require you to change at Bull Street so it would be quicker to walk.

There is one point on which I do agree and that is that the walking routes between New Street and Moor Street do have to be improved.
 
I have been trying for several years now to convince people that the HS2 station will not be in Curzon Street but next door to Moor Street.

The station is going to be a long station and some of it will run alongside Curzon St.

And while the "front" entrance to the HS2 station will be next to Moor St station I understand the station itself will also have an entrance half way along the station, alongside Curzon Street (near the Woodman pub), where the station crosses over New Canal Street.

I also understand that the trams that run from the city centre will drop people off in New Canal Street, near the entrance in the middle of (and underneath) the station.

I think for historic reasons I like the idea of it being called Curzon Street station, as that was the name of the original station in Birmingham when it first came up from Euston in London.
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I have knocked together this little image below showing where the station sits in relation to Curzon St and New Canal Street. David, I am sure you are aware of all this, others many not of course.

Note this is NOT the finished design for the station, just an example of what it could look like.
132715
 
thanks ell that is what i thought...i think jonobs post 153 stating that there are plans to demolish moor st could have just been a typo error..certainly hope so :rolleyes:

lyn
Looks alittle more than a face lift on a Grade 2 listed building, not forgetting previous transgressions by our City Council, John.132716
 
Thanks John for posting that.

We can now see some of the rubbish that the journos pump out in the news media. Of course we all prefer the picture of the front of the station compared with the picture of the side of the station but we are never going to see the viaduct arches at the side in the second picture replacing the Edwardian front of the station in spite of what the report says.
 
This is a more reliable report. I have copied it as I cannot just give a link as it is a subscribers only access website. Taken from The Business Desk West Midlands. The picture below shows the view of the existing side of the station with the new entrance near Park Street.

Moor Street’s ‘once-in-a-generation’ transformation plans unveiled
Moor-Street-1-e1552894617985-500x333.jpg

News
March 18 2019
http://www.thebusinessdesk.com/westmidlands/news/2027487-new-images-of-‘once-in-a-generation’-transformation-of-train-station-unveiled?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=WestMidlands_22nd_Mar_2019_Weekly#comments


New images of plans to transform of Birmingham Moor Street station have been revealed by West Midlands Rail Executive.

New platforms to cope with an expected rise in passenger numbers feature in the concepts for the redevelopment, alongside links to New Street station and HS2 services at the proposed Curzon Street terminus.

The plans also include options to more than double the size of the concourse from 910 sq m to 2,000 sq m and introduce two new platforms.

New platforms will, alongside other network infrastructure improvements, allow extra services to stop at Birmingham Moor Street from across the region, under Midlands Connect’s Midlands Rail Hub proposals to increase rail capacity to and from the East Midlands, Hereford, Worcester and the South West.

Moor-Street-2-300x169.jpg
Passenger numbers at Moor Street are expected to grow from seven million to 12 million a year by 2043, with further increases expected as a result of the Midlands Rail Hub and the arrival of HS2 in 2026.

The plans include an iconic new transfer deck with access to every platform and links to a new footbridge taking passengers directly to HS2 services from Curzon Street via a new public sq

There are also several options to improve pedestrian access between Moor Street and New Street, including a direct route via St Martin’s Queensway; new steps and a ramp at Swan Passage, adjacent to the new Primark development; and a new ramped route from Rotunda Square to New Street Station.

A second entrance to the south of the station is proposed to improve passenger flow, avoid overcrowding and create better access to the revitalised Digbeth area and proposed £1.5bn Smithfield development.

These initial concepts – developed by West Midlands Rail Executive in collaboration with Transport for West Midlands, Midlands Connect, Network Rail, HS2 Ltd, Chiltern Railways, West Midlands Railway and Birmingham City Council – is the first stage of a long-term plan to transform Moor Street.

Moor-Street-3-300x169.jpg
The artists’ impressions were designed by architecture firms Grimshaw and Glenn Howells Architects, who also worked together on designs for HS2’s Curzon Street Station.

Andy Street, Mayor of the West Midlands, said: “We have big plans for transport in the West Midlands and the expansion of Moor Street is a crucial part of that. Our game-changing plans for HS2 and new metro and rail lines are already driving investment, new jobs and apprenticeships as well as bringing communities closer to those work, training and education opportunities.

“This whole area of Birmingham will be revitalised over the next few years as the world’s largest Primark opens, Curzon Street HS2 station is built, and Moor Street is transformed. This vision for Moor Street will not only provide a better experience for commuters but with two extra platforms, it will set the foundation for the future expansion of rail services.”

Cllr Roger Lawrence, chair of West Midlands Rail Executive, said: “With a second entrance, more space and improved links to New Street Station and the new HS2 Curzon Street station, this vision will offer passengers a much more enjoyable and pleasant experience when visiting Moor Street. The extra platforms will also ensure that Moor Street is ready for extra services following the proposed development of the Camp Hill Chords, as part of the Midlands Rail Hub.”
 
When Moor Street was reopened and renovated, a glass walled 2-level space was created with upper level access to the street, and lower level access to the platforms.

I've often thought it might be used as a transport services centre, or perhaps cycle/outdoor activities hub & retail operation.

Aside from some short-term 'events' it languishes with hints from Chiltern sources, that a tenant is lined up - but no sign of this on the horizon. it certainly isn't well located for a restaurant or another cafe next to the 2 already on the station.

How long has this been sitting empty? 10 years? Should we be getting community rail or other community use in the frame.

By way of linked interest - how did the old underpass across Moor St Queensway line up? This was a residual remaining detail of the adit which ran under Birmingham to facilitate construction of the Anchor telephone exchange under Newhall Street - a detail that I'm interested to find out more about for an idea to deliver an 18-20 platform 'Central Birmingham' station connecting all lines to all platforms, and replacing the Camp Hill chords option, with a flexible & resilient connectivity for all routes, with a station entrance in Temple Row, and a possible second entrance in Victoria Square to disperse the flows from New Street & Snow Hill across the city. If the Moor Street adit exists there may even be an option to link say Colmore Row area to Moor Street with a direct route to trains terminating there.
 
Welcome to the Forum, Tulyar.

If I remember correctly, in answer to Tulyar's question above, the underpass came from the outdoor markets area, under St Martins Queensway to opposite the left frontage of Moor Street Station. You still had to cross a service road in front of the station which dropped down from Moor Street Queensway and turned left to join Digbeth at Park Street where there used to be a pub (?The Ship Ashore?).

Tulyar has mentioned Anchor telephone exchange. If you look at a list of the old telephone exchanges in Birmingham you will not find ANChor listed as that was covered by the Official Secrets Act. When Anchor was being built in the 1950s the works entrance was in Moor Street and the Government cover story for those visible works was that they were testing the ground for the possibility of building an underground railway in Birmingham. Those of you who used the Masshouse carpark under Masshouse Circus, which no longer exists, may remember a a gateway large enough for lorries to pass through in one of the walls under Queensway. I cannot confirm this but there have been suggestions that this was an entrance to the tunnels to Anchor. By the way if anyone does not know where Anchor telephone exchange was sited just think of the Birmingham Assay Office, where it used to be before its recent move and its hallmark.
 
I had never heard of the Anchor telephone exchange.

But it has its own Wikipedia page


Article from Birmingham Post from 2013 here


Article here as well

 
Hardly! Think Telephone House, Newhall Street.
Anchor exchange Location
I was not quoting the exact location, more explaining the significance of the name of the exchange and its approximate location. Telephone House is less than 100 yards from the old Assay Office. For those of us who remember that the Guardian newspaper used to be called the Manchester Guardian, will be interested to know that the similar telephone exchange in Manchester was call GUArdian as it was near the newspaper offices.
 
Moor Street Station has changed over the years and the present facade completed during the first world war is a survivor of those times when the GWR made vast improvements to their services, rebuilt stations and new railway track. That it is suggested that the facade be replaced may need an application to Historic Britain concerning the merits of preservation.

It may be a once in a generation transformation. Yet it must be remembered that there has already been one transformation that saw the build of Selfridges, and the new road that actually cut through and removed the 1914 goods shed complex at Moor Street. The old Music Hall building has also recently gone. So it is an area of definite change.
 
thanks for that heartland...i will be most surprised if the facade of moor st is incorporated into the new look station i think it will be demolished...city planners do not have much time for historical buildings etc...tragic

lyn
 
The artist's impressions which everybody looks at shows the new Park Street entrance to Moor Street Station. If you look at the left side of the picture the old Edwardian façade appears still intact. In fact I think it might be extended across platforms 1 & 2.
134967
 
So, if the plans go through, lyn, your, and our, worries on the frontage are resolved
 
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