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NewSt Station 2015

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For a couple of videos and BBC News items

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birmingham-34294028

The video says the toilets are free. I just thought they had not got round to fixing the turnstyles when I was there yesterday.

If you are changing trains between the low numbered platforms 1-5 and the high numbers 6-12 you need to use the lifts or escalators at the B end of the platform because if you use the lifts or escalators at the A end you will have to pass through the ticket barrier out on to the concourse and back in through another set of barriers. The old division between the North Western one side of Queens Drive and the Midland on the other lives on even today!
 
As an 'Out of Towner', can someone please clarify the name of the new station?

Looking at the lovely photographs I note the platform sign reads; WELCOME TO BIRMNGHAM NEW STREET, yet the name over the station reads GRAND CENTRAL. (not very original).

Eddie
 
100% better.
I was little disappointed with the roof just being some kind of fabric, you could see the creases.
 
norfolk brummie said:
As an 'Out of Towner', can someone please clarify the name of the new station?

Looking at the lovely photographs I note the platform sign reads; WELCOME TO BIRMNGHAM NEW STREET, yet the name over the station reads GRAND CENTRAL. (not very original).

Eddie
Click to expand...

The name of the station is Birmingham New Street. The shopping centre above is Grand Central
 
DavidGrain said:
Hope this link works because it might be a restricted site
https://angles.atkinsglobal.com/3760-station-masterpiece?utm_medium=SocialSignIn&utm_source=LinkedIn

It is the project managers account of the work to build the new station
Click to expand...
Thanks, the link works for me. The video of showing the building with 5 years work compressed into 5 minutes was fascinating. ...
encouragement.png
 
I have a friend who is a train manager and works into Birmingham New Street from time to time. I will sound him out for his and his passengers opinions of the new station (not the shopping area).

The features that interest me are the reflective surfaces. Given that high rise buildings in London, with reflective surfaces, have caused some serious issues I wonder if this will happen in Birmingham or have precautionary measures been taken to avoid these issues.
 
guilbert53 said:
Does everyone know NEXT weekend (25th - 27th September) is a special "Birmingham Weekender" event ?

All sorts of things going on all over the city, far too many to list here.

See this web site here for more details, and you can also download a 48 page document from the web site to read more about it.

https://www.birminghamweekender.com/
.
Click to expand...


Yes I know, but won't have time on Thursday or Friday to pop along to Grand Central, and will only have Saturday or Sunday to check it out (like I popped to the new station concourse yesterday lunchtime).
 
norfolk brummie said:
As an 'Out of Towner', can someone please clarify the name of the new station?

Looking at the lovely photographs I note the platform sign reads; WELCOME TO BIRMNGHAM NEW STREET, yet the name over the station reads GRAND CENTRAL. (not very original).

Eddie
Click to expand...



The station is still officially called Birmingham New Street Station.


Grand Central is the new name for the shopping centre that surrounds the new concourse (including a massive John Lewis). It replaces The Pallasades (which no longer exists any more).
 
I was very impressed by the concourse - so very much more cheery than before, though not much real difference down below. Noticed that already someone was having to be employed (partly) to scrape that diabolical American invention of chewing gum off the floor after only one day, and thought my waistline was rather exaggerated standing on the concourse in the BBC news!
 
If any one if thinking of going on Thursday just a note you will be put into barriers https://www.flickr.com/photos/dofartshavelumps/21438619300/in/dateposted/


mikejee said:
I was very impressed by the concourse - so very much more cheery than before, though not much real difference down below. Noticed that already someone was having to be employed (partly) to scrape that diabolical American invention of chewing gum off the floor after only one day, and thought my waistline was rather exaggerated standing on the concourse in the BBC news!
Click to expand...
 
After seeing the NEW New Street station on National TV, and being aware that I am originally from Birmingham, I have already had two friends say that they "Like the new GRAND CENTRAL station". As suspected, I can see confusion on the horizon.

Eddie
 
Hi Dereckw
As you say does it really matter ,whether its central or new street to us brummies Iam sure it will always be New St Station
just like Dudley road Hospital to some others its the city hospital by others
and like the old general later became the childrens Hospital and so as bordesly green then was now the Heartlands
I Myself refere to the old names as i am most of us old brummies will do
only people outside brum will say birmingham central i recokon along with the educated and middle class ones from out of birmingham ,
Best wishes Astonian,,,,
 
I believe the railway network and particularly those that travel on trains will still know and refer to the place as Birmingham, New Street.

Conversely the above ground shoppers will use the GC appellation I guess.
 
I never remembered which was the Pavilions and which was the Palisades so to me they will always be the shops above New Street Station.
 
I guess that most of us who remember going to the old Lewis's and saying I'm off to Lewis's will be saying exactly the same with the new one,not off to Grand Central.
 
It looks like we have returned to the original 1846 name for New Street Station when Curzon Street Station was known as Birmingham Station and Birmingham built after Curzon St was known as Grand Central.
 
derekw said:
I guess that most of us who remember going to the old Lewis's and saying I'm off to Lewis's will be saying exactly the same with the new one,not off to Grand Central.
Click to expand...

Lewis's and John Lewis are not the same. John Lewis used to be a department store just in Oxford Street whereas Lewis's was based in Liverpool with stores in Manchester, Birmingham and other cities. In Oxford Street Lewis's owned Selfridges. John Lewis is a workers' cooperative owned by its employees who also own Waitrose.
 
I only use New Street station.I don't shop in the city centre,its become a faceless dumping ground of glass and steel and boring design,they don't know what bricks and mortar is,they ought to be concentrating on the run down suburbs where the real problems lie.
 
I like so many others have spent the past few days admiring our new toy especially the atrium which was long overdue.

Back in 1907 Birmingham born Architect William Joseph Haywood produced a scheme for a new New Street station which incorporated a grand entrance from the Hill Street end leading into large hall lit by natural light from above the alignment of which later became the Queens Drive.

He essayed his ideas with drawings and designs in a small booklet entitled "The Development of Birmingham" of which the Library of Birmingham has a copy hidden deep at back of the left hand "press' cabinets on the top floor.

Haywood was a busy lad as can be seen from his wiki page at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Haywood_(architect)

https://images.birminghamhistory.co.../userpics/10449/New_Street_station_1908-1.jpg

https://images.birminghamhistory.co.../userpics/10449/New_Street_station_1908-2.jpg

https://images.birminghamhistory.co.../userpics/10449/New_Street_Station_1917-3.jpg
 
derekw said:
I only use New Street station.I don't shop in the city centre,its become a faceless dumping ground of glass and steel and boring design,they don't know what bricks and mortar is,they ought to be concentrating on the run down suburbs where the real problems lie.
Click to expand...
Which "they"? The "city" are selling everything they ever owned, they, I would imagine, can't afford the interest they owe on the money they borrowed to build the library.
 
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Tahoma, Calibri, Geneva, sans-serif]Personally I'm looking forward to seeing the atrium. I doubt there's much that could have been done with the subterranean platforms except brighten them up. And that seems to be what they've done. But having an airy atrium and more inviting place to wait/arrive/leave from has to be good. The 1960s building was never that, too cold and soulless. Hope when I next visit it lives up to all the hype. Viv.[/FONT]
 
Viv;

The subterranean platforms that I remember from the 30/40/50's (steam engine days). were the most depressing dark, smoke filled, dirty areas of any station I recall (except for Liverpool Street, London). Of course, we accepted that simply because that was the 'norm'.

I absolutely agree that, although not yet physically visited, the new platforms must seem like a brand new world of light, clean, healthy, and smoke free zones, not just for the younger generation, but most certainly for us 'older folk', who remember the 'old' New Street station. It now appears to be a joy for anyone departing, or arriving.

Eddie
 
No new platforms, today 24th Sept, lighting slightly better, some temporary, lot of netting and wrapping, can only get better.
 
Yes, the old 1950's New Street Station was rather grim and dirty. I worked there in the office in 1957/58 and had great times exploring the platforms and waiting rooms especially in the winter where you could always find a cheerful fire going even though the rooms were dull and sparse. Spent a lot of my lunch hours reading in these Waiting Rooms. The steam engines were amazing especially the special passenger trains like the Duchess types, etc. Time cannot erase the memories of going on to the platforms and seeing these engines being prepared for their journey's. After years of steam engines though the station was grimy and worn out. It had served it's purpose. The next edition had some merit but not a lot in my opinion. I have yet to visit the latest version.
 
I suppose when we go through our memories of the smoky and dingy 1950s/1960s New Street Station we are really thinking of our younger days.

Today the trains and are sleek and fast and almost glide into the stations with the drivers sitting down in their cabs at controls which can take the train effortlessly anywhere on the system. In the 'old days' the steam engine bringing in the train gave off heat as it passed, you probably looked to see if it was a 'namer', the drivers and firemen had to work hard on certain sections of the line.

The old carriages with the side corridors and separate compartments were probably wasteful of space but nicer than the central gangway carriages of today, and were ideal for writing novels about mysteries on trains. I can't quite imagine the film 'Brief Encounters' set in a nice shiny railway station with sleek modern trains ... you can't even lean out of a window to wave goodbye ... but never mind ....

I got rather nostalgic on the forum way back in 2012 ....
oldMohawk said:
Looking at the photo again I feel the same. In the early 1960's I remember often catching the night sleeper trains to Glasgow, a 'British Rail' cup of tea and a biscuit, then tucked up in bed, to wake up in Scotland next morning. I seem to remember some verse mentioning 'crossing the border bringing the cheque and postal order'. I don't think they write verse about the trains of today, and today's trains are so fast they maybe don't have sleeper trains.
oldmohawk
Click to expand...

I loved those sleeper trains and the picture I was nostalgic about ... and look at the catering !
new_st_steam.jpg


The (new) New Street Station does look better, safer, and much more efficient ...
friendly_wink.png
 
oldmohawk:

Love your comments, and photograph. Of course, the poem you refer to is by John Betjman, as you are now probably aware. I think it was called THE NIGHT TRAIN, or something like that. However, what I wanted to say is that New Street station runs into Euston, where there is now a petition to rebuild the old Gothic Arch entrance to the station.

There is also a wonderful statue of John Betjman that now adorns St. Pancras, which station, and façade, he fought hard to keep. There is a lot to be said of tastefully combining some of the great Victorian railway architecture with the most modern designs, and St. Pancras is a supreme example.

Eddie
 
norfolk brummie said:
oldmohawk:

Love your comments, and photograph. Of course, the poem you refer to is by John Betjman, as you are now probably aware. I think it was called THE NIGHT TRAIN, or something like that. However, what I wanted to say is that New Street station runs into Euston, where there is now a petition to rebuild the old Gothic Arch entrance to the station.

There is also a wonderful statue of John Betjman that now adorns St. Pancras, which station, and façade, he fought hard to keep. There is a lot to be said of tastefully combining some of the great Victorian railway architecture with the most modern designs, and St. Pancras is a supreme example.


Eddie
Click to expand...

Not correct, Eddie. The lines quoted by oldMohawk were written by Auden, not Betjeman. They were commissioned by the Post Office in 1936 for a promotional film - which still looks and sounds terrific, even today.
 
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