Yes, I do like Moor Street. I often end up transferring between the two and the contrast is noticable.
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What is the most dismal un-passenger friendly large railway station in UK
- Thread starter Ken H
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Yes, I do like Moor Street. I often end up transferring between the two and the contrast is noticable.
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God I hate that tunnel between them. Feels dangerous.
Happily I have moved further north and have no business in the midlands any more.
I only use them occassionally, but I'd move through the tunnel fairly quickly at night.
Every time I visit the West Midlands, I always think what a fitting terminal classic Snow Hill would have made to the current transport system, had it only survived a couple of decades longer.
ChiefPlanner
Established Member
Mornings only - calmer stuff in the evening for Cobham man (or woman) - Glasgow Central used to play generic local(ish) music - heavy on the accordian bands !
ChiefPlanner
Established Member
A disaster - which seems to have led to a fall in patronage.
It's a shame it never lasted to the opening of the Eurostar terminal in that case !
LNW-GW Joint
Veteran Member
Lime St is a nicer place these days, but the remaining DMUs are spoiling the look already by dropping oil sludge on the new track in the station.
There's still the disparity between the pleasant south shed (no barriers) and the grimmer north shed (full gateline).
Class 68s will soon be rumbling away in the station, too, but hopefully we'll soon be rid of the class 185's asthmatic wheeze.
There's still the disparity between the pleasant south shed (no barriers) and the grimmer north shed (full gateline).
Class 68s will soon be rumbling away in the station, too, but hopefully we'll soon be rid of the class 185's asthmatic wheeze.
Steamysandy
Member
As a Scotsman I remember my mother and I being entertained at Waterloo by a selection of the best Scottish accordion music one afternoon at the beginning of October1970.
Another vote for Birmingham New Street.
Outside it's basically a giant mirror so if the Sun is at a certain angle then you're blinded walking towards it.
Inside the impressive bits are where you avoid if you're changing trains unless you want to go through at least 2 sets of ticket barriers and follow a non-intuitive route to the platform you want.
Outside it's basically a giant mirror so if the Sun is at a certain angle then you're blinded walking towards it.
Inside the impressive bits are where you avoid if you're changing trains unless you want to go through at least 2 sets of ticket barriers and follow a non-intuitive route to the platform you want.
what end are they planning the 68 to be. if its at the Newcastle end night not be too bad.
Scotland the Brave and Highland Laddie ?
47271
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I think for gloomy pigeon and weed infested dilapidation combined with a totally dysfunctional sprawling platform layout, then Perth takes some beating, some of the others suggested in this thread are rank outsiders by comparison. Some platforms are on tight curves whilst the main northbound Highland Main Line one is at completely the wrong height. All are miles away from each other making any attempt at changing trains a long, cold dingy walk.
I agree that the staff are some of the best on the network, and the main entrance area is fine now that the new Costa has opened. But the rest, dear God.
I encourage anyone who never experienced the 1950s to get along to Perth to take a look around, I imagine that this very much what the decade looked like.
I agree that the staff are some of the best on the network, and the main entrance area is fine now that the new Costa has opened. But the rest, dear God.
I encourage anyone who never experienced the 1950s to get along to Perth to take a look around, I imagine that this very much what the decade looked like.
Steamysandy
Member
Exactly and even more.We were returning to Barnes where we were staying while on holiday
Still better than the subterranean dystopia of Birmingham New Street.
Excellent. They should revive the practice
Either end apparently but the direction of the majority of the 'test / training' trains so far does suggest Class 68's always at the west end of the train.
Manchester Oxford Road is amazing architecturally. And it allows you to catch an eastbound train before the hoards get on at Pic.
bramling
Veteran Member
London Bridge post rebuild. The concourse area is vastly improved, but the platforms are awful - especially on a cold rainy windy day as I recently found out to my discomfort. The old station was must better. Reading is similar too - spot a pattern here?!
bramling
Veteran Member
Blackpool North would be fine if it was kept as it is but changed to becoming completely unstaffed!
I'm sure I read somewhere that it was in pretty poor structural condition by the time of demolition. Whether it would have survived another 20 years without falling down of its own accord must be open to question.
On a similar note though, Nottingham Victoria must have been a far more fitting station for the city than the Midland station.
I dislike Liverpool Street. Dingy platforms, insufficient seating and nowhere warm to wait unless you're eating (and quite often the eating places are full as they are very small). I often also exit the tub station by a strange exit that means the platforms are behind rather than in front of me which I find really confusing until I twig.
St Pancras domestic stations are pathetic. I also think the main train shed was ruined by the refurbishment - the partitions and low flat extension ruin the awesome perspective of the original train shed. I remember just wandering around it for an hour or so a few years before the work started. It was run down and needed a lick of paint but it took your breath away.
Paddington is just a disaster zone aside from the impressive train shed. That awful ramp down from Praed Street and the congested and confused Lawn.
Stratford and Finsbury Park also high on my dislike list. Fortunately I only rarely need to use either of them.
Peterborough. Grim. Cold. Shops and cafes shut well before the trains stop making for an unpleasant interchange.
St Pancras domestic stations are pathetic. I also think the main train shed was ruined by the refurbishment - the partitions and low flat extension ruin the awesome perspective of the original train shed. I remember just wandering around it for an hour or so a few years before the work started. It was run down and needed a lick of paint but it took your breath away.
Paddington is just a disaster zone aside from the impressive train shed. That awful ramp down from Praed Street and the congested and confused Lawn.
Stratford and Finsbury Park also high on my dislike list. Fortunately I only rarely need to use either of them.
Peterborough. Grim. Cold. Shops and cafes shut well before the trains stop making for an unpleasant interchange.
Well, it had been closed for a while by the time of its demolition.
There's also a matter of potential neglect.
Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
That rathole will need something doing with it before HS2 opens.
Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
Yeah, Paddington is a bit odd, the ramp in particular - about as fitting an entrance as the old Liverpool Lime St one before the carbuncle was removed.
I used it a few weeks ago and thought the smallish new concourse/ticket office was very pleasant.
AC47461
Member
Stratford gets my vote. Platforms 9-12 have no canopy at all and only a couple of bus shelters and the bridge into Westfield for any kind of shelter which is poor considering the number of people now using them, esp 9-10A. The main subway underneath (the original one) is operating way beyond it's capacity and then when you get to the concourse the barriers are the opposite way round to the way you're asked to walk down it...walk on the left, exits on the right....
Leeds, it gets the job done but that is about it. The concourse wins points for the amount of facilities on offer but if you're making a tight connection there isn't really anything value for money platform side.
Massive jams at the ticket barriers too in the peaks, granted they're meant to be improving this. My number one issue as a regular Platform 17 user is the ridiculous staircase where you basically end up halfway on Platform 16 fighting amongst the Manchester crowds to get your train, the lift gets you out at a much better position but is so slow!
Massive jams at the ticket barriers too in the peaks, granted they're meant to be improving this. My number one issue as a regular Platform 17 user is the ridiculous staircase where you basically end up halfway on Platform 16 fighting amongst the Manchester crowds to get your train, the lift gets you out at a much better position but is so slow!
DavidGrain
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I have mixed views on Birmingham New Street. Even Cross Country produce a leaflet advising you not to change at New Street if you can avoid it. It used to be simple if I was meeting people at New Street, I would tell them to meet me at the barriers. Now there are seven barrier lines so I have to tell them to meet me by the ticket office, but there are pillars there so I have to stand in the way of the passing crowds otherwise they will not see me. And if they leave through the barrier lines facing the Bull Ring they will have to turn back to find the ticket office.
From the time that the rebuild opened, it took the station management three weeks to post notices that most people did not see to tell them that if they were changing trains they would do better to use the B ends of the platforms otherwise they might have to go out through the barriers and back in through another set of barriers.
I agree that the route from New Street to Moor Street is not good. I use the way through the Bull Ring Shopping Centre but that is not sign posted and you have to know where to go up or down floors depending on which way you are going. In the future more people will be using this route to get from New Street to the HS2 station in Moor Street. (If anyone says HS2 station will not be in Moor Street, just look at the map, there is a big hole in the ground where they are building the new station next door to Moor Street Station. Plans issued last week show a new footbridge connecting all the platforms in Moor Street with the HS2 station concourse).
Journey planners persist in advising walking from Snow Hill to New Street but Moor Street to New Street is shorter, although I usually change from train to tram at Jewellery Quarter if I want to get to New Street.
The stainless steel outside walls at New Street are fun for taking selfies! What other station can say that.
From the time that the rebuild opened, it took the station management three weeks to post notices that most people did not see to tell them that if they were changing trains they would do better to use the B ends of the platforms otherwise they might have to go out through the barriers and back in through another set of barriers.
I agree that the route from New Street to Moor Street is not good. I use the way through the Bull Ring Shopping Centre but that is not sign posted and you have to know where to go up or down floors depending on which way you are going. In the future more people will be using this route to get from New Street to the HS2 station in Moor Street. (If anyone says HS2 station will not be in Moor Street, just look at the map, there is a big hole in the ground where they are building the new station next door to Moor Street Station. Plans issued last week show a new footbridge connecting all the platforms in Moor Street with the HS2 station concourse).
Journey planners persist in advising walking from Snow Hill to New Street but Moor Street to New Street is shorter, although I usually change from train to tram at Jewellery Quarter if I want to get to New Street.
The stainless steel outside walls at New Street are fun for taking selfies! What other station can say that.
37047
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I changed trains at Perth for the first time earlier this year - was struck by the size of it relative to how little was there. Definite sense of emptiness and time standing still (somewhat ruined by the appearance of the 170 I was waiting for - looked very out of place).
This seems to be a feature of most stations these days.
Birmingham - concourse is okay but the platforms are still as danky as it was when it was built.
Euston - the same.
St Pancras (MML platforms) - ugh!
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