New Street's £500m plans revealed

[jd]

New Street's £500m plans revealed

Multi-million pound plans to transform Birmingham's New Street Station have been unveiled.

It has been dubbed one of Britain's top eyesores in the past, but the makeover could change all that.

On Thursday a £500m plan for the station, called Birmingham Gateway, was announced by Network Rail.

Clicky

(This bit is only here 'cos the board software said my message was too short... *rolls eyes*)

 

[AlexS]

It still says nothing about making the platforms more light and airy!

But then, I'm also in two minds about whether I want the station to change - it's got it's downsides, sure, but it's also been part of many happy memories for me too, and I've even grown to like it a little, it's got a busy, bustling atmosphere. Moor Street station looks fantastic now (the bit that's done) and is nice and authentic, but because of the way we have changed in the years since it was in that state, it no longer feels like a proper mainline station to me, more like a slow little timewarp.

 

[nutter]

I prefer the current NS as most people feel uncomfortable, then again I enjoy been interviewed for a job because other people are nervous (strange I guess). I like NS because there is a busy atmosphere that reminds me of Victoria when I was a little tot and used to get exited by anything even slightly connected to the railways. I still like going past old sidings with old wagons in them because it reminds of the good old days when I couldn't see out of the windows cause I was so short.
It won't happen any way, someone will find out a way to make funding more difficult to get and the whole scheme will be abandoned.

 

[Ascot]

Got the actual developemt documents if anyone wants them?

 

[matt]

Got the actual developemt documents if anyone wants them?

They would be interesting. Could you forward them to me please. Address is in my profile

 

[Techniquest]

I like the current New Street myself. Even though it can be a nightmare to get from one platform to the other, the platforms themselves dark and miserable, there's something about NS that makes it special.

 

[Bonnie Prince Charlie]

Imagine the disruption to trains

 

[Ascot]

Imagine the disruption to trains

We can cope, just send the Liverpool services direct to Northampton via all the local stops between Wolverhampton and Cov. ATW to do the Wolverhampton to Shrewsbury all stops. Wolverhmapton to Stafford via Bloxwich. Leave Virmin as they are and knock off the Hereford to Nottingham and leave it as Hereford to Birmingham. Stan Air services all stops to Leicester. Sorted really just as long as Jounior doesn't hop on the signal box.

 

[Max]

I guess this may make it something like Leeds, which anyone has to admit was a massive improvement! I've only been to New Street once, and found it grotty, outdated and dingy. However, I did quite like it, it certainly felt like a bustling mainline station

However, in my opinion, a refurbishment is probably needed, and that glass roofed atrium certainly sounds impressive

I have similar feelings to my local main station in Hull. We've all moaned about it for years in my family, and it is now about to undergo a huge refurbishment, starting with the demolition of the awful 70s office block on the front in April. However, I will be sad bits go, like the current booking office, which will be demolished. It brings back many memories for me.

 

[Aureol]

I always look forward to my next visit to Birmingham New Street, I think it's a great station and wouldn't want it to change at all TBH.
As FGWFan said, there's something about it that makes it so special and that could be lost if it is renovated.

Would it be done in the same way as Sheffield, by closing of different parts alternately?

 

[andrewmay]

Although from the viewpoint of most commuters using Birmingham New Street it needs a refurbishment and I would agree but I am pleased to see that other people feel the same way as I do about the station. I visit the station alot and for me it has many memories and I will miss the old look and feel of the station if it is refurbished.

Mentioned on BBC's Midlands Today news program was the fact that this refurbishment would enable more passengers to use the station but capacity for trains will stay the same. Also mentioned was that some of the funding for the refurbishment may be provided by introducing a congestion charge style system in a region of Birmingham. Sounds worrying to me!

 

[jd]

The thing is that New St sometimes has to be closed during the peaks for a while due to it being dangerously overcrowded. Despite our feelings towards the station, the needs of pax comes before enthusiast's sentiments. IMO this refurb is badly needed, and is very overdue.

Perhaps some new platforms really are needed though. For example, are the avoiding lines through the middle of some platforms really used much? Why not remove them and add and extra platform? Why not remove the stairs from platforms 1 and 12 and make the bays at platform '0' and '13' into through platforms? We really do need more train capacity, it is pretty much at capacity now - if a train is delayed, all the other trains are shuffled around with platform alterations because the schedule is so tight. Any rebuilding really does need to cover the need for extra train capacity too.

 

[AlexS]

I have a friend that uses New Street every day in the peaks, and has done for the past fews years, and it hasn't been closed since the mid - late 1990s.
--- edited ---
Oh, and it's not the platforms that are a problem - there are never totally full platforms at New Street, it's the station approaches that aren't large enough to cope with the volumes of trains.

 

[Techniquest]

True that, especially around Proof House and that area. The approaches are the bottlenecks for sure. But p0 and p13 would be a good idea, if not for now but certainly earmarked for future additions or done now for service expansion.

 

[HSTfan!!!]

*books ticket to New Street to cover it before it changes* I've been through there and I always find it an intriguing place personally, ok it looks grotty and outdated but there is a real buzz to the place as mentioned before.