Broken escalators at Birmingham New Street

[PHILIPE]

Just an escalator story at New St some years ago. I was ascending up when a bloke in front just stepped off immediately at the top and started looking around, obviously for directions, so I just had to push him out of the way.

 

[SephenWorceste]

At least three out when I passed through about a week back. Not very good. I have seen lifts broken too. I hope it is just teething problems.

Best wishes, Stephen

 

[dvboy]

The escalators at p6/7b (both ways) and 4/5b (down) have been switched off for at least a fortnight now. I know some repairs have taken place as there have been posters up at the escalators that are due to be repaired. Last week one at 2/3a was repaired in the late evening, and trains used the 'b' end only.

There are still issues with capacity. One escalator at each end of the plaform is totally inadequate. You only need to alight from a train during the morning peak to see that.

Just an escalator story at New St some years ago. I was ascending up when a bloke in front just stepped off immediately at the top and started looking around, obviously for directions, so I just had to push him out of the way.

This happens a lot and it's why there are crowd control staff at the top and bottom of all escalators now during the peaks. There are often problems with people waiting to go up blocking the path of those coming down. I wouldn't hesitate to use the stop button in this instance.

 

[dvboy]

Birmingham New Street station: 54 escalators need repairs

Fifty four new escalators were installed as part of a £650m renovation of Birmingham New Street station
Every escalator at a Birmingham railway station needs to be repaired, rail bosses have said.
Fifty four new escalators were installed as part of a £650m renovation of Birmingham New Street station.
Network rail said a "major component" of the machines was failing and two were out of action.
Independent users group Rail Future said the situation was "idiotic". Network Rail said the manufacturer was paying for the repairs.
The redevelopment of the station is due to be completed in September.
The work will also see the shopping centre above the station refurbished.
Named Grand Central, it will feature about 40 shops, including the flagship John Lewis store and 20 restaurants.
Rachel Groves, from Network Rail, said it was "doing everything" it could to fix the escalator faults as soon as possible.

BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birmingham-32493056

 

[Geezertronic]

It is an idiotic situation but as long as the manufacturer repairs the faults at no further cost to the project and it is a definite solution, then you can't ask for much more than that.

 

[Blindtraveler]

I hope that similar penalties will be levied upon the cut price shonky supplier responsible for installations at the likes of EDB where they have also had major issues!

 

[Deerfold]

It is an idiotic situation but as long as the manufacturer repairs the faults at no further cost to the project and it is a definite solution, then you can't ask for much more than that.

So long as it's a long-term solution. If they're going to keep breaking and going out of use it's not so good if they keep being repaired.

 

[ADRboy]

It is an idiotic situation but as long as the manufacturer repairs the faults at no further cost to the project and it is a definite solution, then you can't ask for much more than that.

Yep. They've acknowledged there's an issue, what's being done and who is to blame. Fair play.

Just hope the manufacturer can get them sorted quickly.

 

[dvboy]

The Navigation Street exit is being re-opened temporarily on 3 May, this is apparently to reduce overcrowding. I suspect it's also to reduce strain on the escalators as well.

 

[Blindtraveler]

Lucky it wasnt demolished, or is it being kept as a Fire Escape?

 

[BestWestern]

Let's hope these installations are only inadequate mechanically, and not also structurally!

 

[CharlieSpotted]

Lucky it wasnt demolished, or is it being kept as a Fire Escape?

As I understand it, It's going to re-open fully when the station is finished. It's been extended over platform 12 and will have a new exit on Hill Street, as well as the one on Navigation Street.

 

[the sniper]

Lucky it wasnt demolished, or is it being kept as a Fire Escape?

It has been used by London Midland staff as a train crew only route to the platforms. The LM mess room is opposite the entrance on Navigation Street.

It'll be interesting to see what the public make of that bridge, particularly when there's been heavy rain. The Platform 12 extension is a particularly impressive piece of infrastructure... There are also steps up from Platform 1 now, but I don't know if they'll be considered suitable for public usage.

 

[40129]

Not convinced that the stairs to 10/11 and 12 are particularly suitable for public use at the moment. Very narrow and with nice spongy mats on the bridge for several hours after it rains

 

[Blindtraveler]

Slightly randem and off topic question - how many lifts and escalaters were wripped out during the rebuild, how old were they, did they work better or worse than there replacements and when were they last renewed?

 

[ssray]

Using the said station almost every day, having noticed that they keep having down esc`s running and up one`s stoped, I informed some of the staff but it seem`s that very few of them relate to the station`s running
It seems that they have no system in place to tell them when one of the esc`s have stopped and have to rely on a member of staff noticing it

On lul we have esc`s running away from platforms, as its easier for people to walk down one than up, also a safety issue

 

[CharlieSpotted]

Slightly randem and off topic question - how many lifts and escalaters were wripped out during the rebuild, how old were they, did they work better or worse than there replacements and when were they last renewed?

Well, I can certainly answer part of this! There were more lifts and escalators, the lifts were much larger, and the escalators definitely, definitely worked better than their replacements.

 

[Parallel]

I used Birmingham New Street once last weekend. The escalator from the platform I used was broken going up to the main concourse.

 

[40129]

Having used New Street regularly for most of my life I would concur that the old escalators were much more reliable than the new ones. Strangely however, I've yet to see any of the new elevators out of service.

Re ssray's comment that LU escalators run away from platforms I was once told that this can only be guaranteed if the escalators concerned are reversible and are regularly reversed. I do wonder whether the new escalators at New Street can only operate in one direction

 

[dvboy]

Here is a summary of the response to my FOI:
https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/escalators_at_birmingham_new_str

BHM has 22 concourse to platform escalators and 18 were in use on 24th
March 2015, the date of the request.

At present, 11th June 2015, all 22 escalators are in working order.

Network Rail plans to install two additional escalators at BHM.

Cost of installation of escalators was refused.

Network Rail entered in to long term maintenance contracts
nationally for Lifts and Escalators with Stannah Lifts Limited and Schindler
Limited respectively. Both contracts started April 2014 and will expire March
2024. Network Rail’s current maintenance spend for lifts & escalators is £7.59
Million (financial year 2014/15). This figure changes annually due to additional
assets, replacement of old assets, and unforeseen circumstances, such as
misuse and vandalism.

818 individual recorded escalator faults at BHM in financial years 2013-14 and 2014-15 (detailed in spreadsheet).

There is a current programme in place for the chain replacement of various
escalators. A end chain replacement is due to complete by 6th July 2015 and B
end chain replacement complete by 21st June 2015. However these dates are
dependent on other VA Works and station operations.

Each current escalator at BHM is calculated to have a capacity of 100
passengers per minute, or 6,000 passengers per hour.

NR don't know how many passengers are actually using the escalators, recorded or estimated.

Amount spent on crowd control at BHM:
Dec 2013 £62,000 (I will reply to check if this should be Dec 2014)
Jan 2015 £36,979
Feb 2015 £15,338
Mar 2015 £70,817

 

[Iskra]

Here is a summary of the response to my FOI:
https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/escalators_at_birmingham_new_str

BHM has 22 concourse to platform escalators and 18 were in use on 24th
March 2015, the date of the request.

At present, 11th June 2015, all 22 escalators are in working order.

Network Rail plans to install two additional escalators at BHM.

Cost of installation of escalators was refused.

Network Rail entered in to long term maintenance contracts
nationally for Lifts and Escalators with Stannah Lifts Limited and Schindler
Limited respectively. Both contracts started April 2014 and will expire March
2024. Network Rail’s current maintenance spend for lifts & escalators is £7.59
Million (financial year 2014/15). This figure changes annually due to additional
assets, replacement of old assets, and unforeseen circumstances, such as
misuse and vandalism.

818 individual recorded escalator faults at BHM in financial year 2014-15 (detailed in spreadsheet).

There is a current programme in place for the chain replacement of various
escalators. A end chain replacement is due to complete by 6th July 2015 and B
end chain replacement complete by 21st June 2015. However these dates are
dependent on other VA Works and station operations.

Each current escalator at BHM is calculated to have a capacity of 100
passengers per minute, or 6,000 passengers per hour.

NR don't know how many passengers are actually using the escalators, recorded or estimated.

Amount spent on crowd control at BHM:
Dec 2013 £62,000 (I will reply to check if this should be Dec 2014)
Jan 2015 £36,979
Feb 2015 £15,338
Mar 2015 £70,817

Over 2 (10%) failing per day on average is pretty awful.

 

[Cherry_Picker]

Amount spent on crowd control at BHM:
Dec 2013 £62,000 (I will reply to check if this should be Dec 2014)
Jan 2015 £36,979
Feb 2015 £15,338
Mar 2015 £70,817

I'm trying to think why March would have been so high. The December figure is always going to be high because of the German Market attracting huge crowds into the city centre via train (people go there to drink so cars tend to get left at home) but I'm struggling to think of what happened in March to require so much crowd control. I use New Street several times a week and I guess I pay so little attention to what other people are doing there I could have walked past all the crowd control without even noticing them. If I'm in uniform they tend not to even challenge me if I'm walking in a direction that they don't want Joe Public going.

 

[dvboy]

I've asked them to explain this also. Not sure if they will treat this as a separate request.

 

[Kevin_Brum12]

I'm trying to think why March would have been so high. The December figure is always going to be high because of the German Market attracting huge crowds into the city centre via train (people go there to drink so cars tend to get left at home) but I'm struggling to think of what happened in March to require so much crowd control.

Firstly Cheltenham Gold Cup week which is always busy with passengers filling up the Voyagers to go and see the gee gees and usually arriving back at New Street rather lighter in the pocket and worse for wear. There were also a number of local football derbies including two Aston Villa -v- West Bromwich Albion games. Crufts 2015 also took place in early March meaning lots of extra passengers between New Street and International. So plenty of extra custom at New Street.

 

[CharlieSpotted]

Firstly Cheltenham Gold Cup week which is always busy with passengers filling up the Voyagers to go and see the gee gees and usually arriving back at New Street rather lighter in the pocket and worse for wear. There were also a number of local football derbies including two Aston Villa -v- West Bromwich Albion games. Crufts 2015 also took place in early March meaning lots of extra passengers between New Street and International. So plenty of extra custom at New Street.

Yes, I suspect it was mostly because of the racegoers. I remember they put their nonsensical "crowd control" routing in place for a few days, and had a special queuing area for people heading to Cheltenham.

 

[dvboy]

I would expect them to have spent a similar amount in March 2014 though, and they've told me that apart from in Dec 2013, and Jan-Mar 2015, there was no other spend on crowd control since April 2013.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Over 2 (10%) failing per day on average is pretty awful.

Just corrected my earlier post, it's 818 in 2 years not one but that's still at least one per day
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

New Street station escalator faults top 800 in two years
51 minutes ago
From the section Birmingham & Black Country

New Street Station has 22 platform-to-concourse escalators
More than 800 separate faults were found with escalators at Birmingham New Street railway station in the past two years, it has been revealed.
Most were related to a component manufacturing fault, a Network Rail spokesperson said.
Commuter Lee Stanley, who obtained data under the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act, said he became frustrated as the escalators "always seemed broken".
The figures relate to the 22 concourse-to-platform escalators.
The station is undergoing a massive £650m refurbishment, but commuters have faced problems getting between the platforms and the station concourse.
Mr Stanley said: "I was getting frustrated that the escalators always seemed to be broken when I used the station. I tweeted Network Rail every time I came across one that wasn't working.
"I wasn't even going out of my way to find them. I thought if Network Rail aren't going to give me answers I can share with fellow passengers I would try and get them via FOI."
"It's pretty shocking that these escalators were brand new in 2013 and haven't even lasted two years."
Steve Lewis, New Street station manager, said because there are 22 escalators there would always be a high number of faults reported.
"Coupled with a recognised manufacturing fault affecting the new escalators, this number has unfortunately increased even more.
"A programme to replace the faulty part on each of them is well under way, at no extra cost to the redevelopment, in time for the station's full unveiling in September," Mr Lewis said.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birmingham-33075856

 

[Iskra]

Quite impressive that it has made the BBC news. Hopefully it might focus a few minds on solving the problems.

 

[edwin_m]

Quite impressive that it has made the BBC news. Hopefully it might focus a few minds on solving the problems.

If it doesn't then maybe it will be escalated to senior management, who will take steps to solve the problem?

 

[Bald Rick]

It was already at senior management level (Director) before the FOI request.

Sorry for being slightly ranty, but all the FOI request had done is distract those who have been trying to fix it into answering the (really rather long) list of questions, dealing with the various media enquiries, and will now lose this weekend getting answers for the follow ups. I'd be surprised if the relevant project director (a good chum) has done anything else today.

 

[dvboy]

If the station manager had answered my questions directly back in Jan/Feb instead of refusing to, there would have been no need for the FOI. I'm yet to write my blog on the full story but you can read it when I have, although the start of this thread explains it too.