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NewSt Station 2015

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I noticed that there was another new entrance, half way down Stephenson Street.

So you don't have to enter under the giant eye!
 
No problem. It could do with refurbishment, external cladding maybe, to fit in with the new look station.
 
Yes Brumgum very surprising it hasn't been snapped up. And agree it would be a perfect location for a hotel. But maybe it's just too big. There must be negative features which have prevented it from being re- let like noise, cost, adaptability etc. Maybe it would need a major injection of money

The reflective steel cladding is brilliant. Makes everything look very Gaudi ! Love it. Viv.
 
Vivienne14 said:
Yes Brumgum very surprising it hasn't been snapped up. And agree it would be a perfect location for a hotel. But maybe it's just too big. There must be negative features which have prevented it from being re- let like noise, cost, adaptability etc. Maybe it would need a major injection of money

The reflective steel cladding is brilliant. Makes everything look very Gaudi ! Love it. Viv.
Click to expand...
Don't think it's too big as the precedent has already been set with the large office block on Corporation Street becoming a Staybridge Hotel..
https://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=1463075
Apologize for going slightly off thread:bi_polo:

Transformed..
https://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=1463075&page=9
 
You can see what it looks like from New Street / Corporation Street. With the Midland Metro works (currently Severn Trent works)

 
The picture of New St is somewhat startling. Artist's views are not always very like real life, but this one looks a bit like the poster for a horror film - "The station monster emerges from it's cave"
 
Sue, Continue along the platform to the new escalators where there are both up and down escalators. If you take the old single escalator you will still come into the old part which is work in progress.
 
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 Bromsgrove 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.
 
Radiorails said:
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.
Click to expand...

I can't say I've studied the plans to give an honest appraisal etc but at least natural light will be abundant on the concourse and the job is only half complete at the minute. I only travel through Moor Street and Snow Hill and they're always spotless in comparison.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgz0IBvT6iA
https://www.newstreetnewstart.co.uk/construction-progress/photo-gallery.aspx
Bit of an update here..
 
A video here of what's open at present..
[video=youtube;5iLmhIeKrnc]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5iLmhIeKrnc[/video]
 
I use New Street on numerous occasions every month and I can't think of any natural light other than the entrance/exits.
 
Used the new shopping centre that is obviously New St station. For the second time we were directed to the wrong platform by the departure board. Saw a virgin train come in on platform 1, suspected it was ours ...dashed over from 2, found the departure board had been changed at the last minute.
The awful smell of diesel still hangs round the platform...still it is more important to build shops I suppose, to enhance the travelling experience. As a showcase to Birmingham this almost matches B'ham airport where you have to walk a mile from the plane to immigration where the staircase is never working and half the time the automatic passport control isn't. we wonder why people look on Manchester as the real second city.
 
In a partial reply to Alan (Radiorails), whilst I agree with much of his comments, I have to say that in 1854 New Street station was built in low lying marshy ground having the advantagbe that it swept away some of the worst slums in the city. Because of this lowlying nature much of the station is below street level which is why smoking was prohibited there before the present laws came into effect because it was classed as an "underground" station.
 
Thank you David for the historical background. I never liked the pre 1960's New Street, much preferring Snow Hill, being a wholly biased Great Western aficionado. :biggrin:
If we travelled to London or the Bristol direction it was always the GWR/BR(W) route we took either from Solihull or Snow Hill. New Street was our point of departure for The Potteries. At the risk of starting a 'flame war' I will mention that the GWR/Western region locos and stock always seemed far cleaner than those of the LMS/Midland region. Travelling through so many of Britain's industrial cities and areas (when we had them :disillusionment: ) would be a fair explanation for that.

Most of the publicity I have seen detailed here does deal with the "upstairs" facilities such as shops, walkways and so on and I have to say it looks impressive but I do have my concerns about the "mirror" effect that other nearby building occupants might be subjected to. The platform zones can definitely be improved, that is without doubt, hopefully some "colour" will be added to make the place more comforting to the eyes.
 
I hope they train their staff a bit better when it is complete. A week ago when visiting with my mother (her in a wheelchair), a pimply youth who was giving "assistance"
with boarding put us on a train going to York instead of to Reading (when you are being directed by supposedly knowledgeable people you do not look to closely yourself). Luckily I noticed the old Metro-Cammell factory flying by, resulting in an unscheduled stop at Tamworth station, which I had never visited before (and probably won't ever again).
 
Radiorails said:
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 Bromsgrove 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.
Click to expand...

One of the selling points for HS2 is that it will take more "inter city" trains OFF the existing routes, making more room for "local" trains to get in and out of stations like New Street.

The trouble is that HS2 has been badly promoted, seeming to say that its only advantage was getting to Birmingham 20 minutes quicker, and as one comedian said "who wants to get to Birmingham 20 minutes quicker".

Its MAIN advantage is freeing up spaces on the existing west coast main line and other lines for local trains.
 
mikejee said:
I hope they train their staff a bit better when it is complete. A week ago when visiting with my mother (her in a wheelchair), a pimply youth who was giving "assistance"
with boarding put us on a train going to York instead of to Reading (when you are being directed by supposedly knowledgeable people you do not look to closely yourself). Luckily I noticed the old Metro-Cammell factory flying by, resulting in an unscheduled stop at Tamworth station, which I had never visited before (and probably won't ever again).
Click to expand...

as you know mike i knew about this mishap..most unfortunate...it should not happen to any passenger really but to a carer with his 99 year mom in a wheelchair is quite honestly disgraceful

lyn
 
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