As someone who never has never lived in Birmingham, although not too far away southwards, I have to be aware of peoples sensitivities about their town.
For me the sad thing about the New Street Station development is that it should have taken place years ago, particularly before the upsurge in train passenger travel. Obviously the high density of services in and out of the station make the rebuilding more difficult to achieve without causing too much disruption to train services.
Last week I traveled north to Yorkshire, returning yesterday. The only slow and slightly delayed part of the long journey from South Devon to York was the part of the journey from Redditch to New Street. I cannot be sure, but I would guess that we were delayed by a commuter train ahead of us. It seemed that only two tracks from the south-west enter the city -a shame they never kept Snow Hill which had more regard for southerners. :biggrin: This contrasts with far more tracks heading north. There does it seems, to me, to be a need for local trains set of track (this seems to be done on other parts of the system); even if it is elevated over the existing ones as space is now long gone for sideways expansion.
I only recall the pre 1960's New Street - it has never been known as a bright looking place, however, the successor to that was appalling but functional.
The 'photos placed in posts on this thread do show a much more pleasing station for users of New Street (cannot say I like the use of the new Grand Central name) but it is not just users and shoppers that will judge the place, it is people like me who travel through it to get to elsewhere who see the more business part of the station. The platform areas look dreadful at present - it did not seem to make any difference in which direction I travelled. I could see some new parts but it was such a bland and uninteresting 'whiteness' - hopefully to brighten up the gloom - but maybe improvements are to be done.
But, sadly I have to say, of the stations that my train stopped at only New Street had lots of litter; my train did stop at fourteen major stations. I accept Sheffield is not as large a station as New Street, and maybe is not as busy, but anyone who has seen that stations rebuilding - full of light and pleasing - can only make a comparison. I think New Streets problems will always be the lack of natural light due to stores, offices and other structures being built over the station concourses and tracks. Whoever initiated that development, many, many years ago has, in my opinion a lot to answer for. Come on Birmingham citizens, do not let Manchester and other northern cities push you out of the limelight.
My post is made in sadness more than criticism.