Birmingham New Street named as Britain’s worst railway station

[editor]

Birmingham New St has officially been ranked as the UK's worst station. No surprise there then. It's a horror.

http://www.urban75.org/blog/birmingham-new-street-named-as-britains-worst-railway-station/

 

[editor]

And look how it once was:

 

[TruXta]

It's pretty grim, but my least favourite train station ever is without a doubt London Bridge. Talk about a mess.

 

[Crispy]

Both stations are currently being massively overhauled (although New Street not so much - it's a new concourse and a lick of paint, but the platforms will still be dark and narrow, and the limited number of tracks through the tunnel will continue to restrict capacity)

 

[farmerbarleymow]

The new concourse area is a lot better than the old, and once finished it will a huge improvement. But yes, the major constraint is the platform level. But if they make them lighter and with better signage (which is absolutely shit at the moment), then it won't be a bad station to use.

I agree with the habit of replatforming trains at the last minute. That pisses me off a lot, as I use the station every day.

 

[SpookyFrank]

It may be the worst station in the country but it's still the best thing in Birmingham, because it's where you go to get out of Birmingham.

 

[SpookyFrank]

That blog cites St Pancras as the best station in the country. It's pretty magnificent but somebody needs to sort the signage out because it's a fucking nightmare trying to find the right platforms for non-Eurostar trains.

There are also far too many expensive food outlets and nowhere to buy a sandwich and a cup of coffee that wasn't made by a quote unquote artisan. You can buy a new handbag or some ornaments, but can you buy a paper or a packet fags? No, those are far too common for St Pancras.

 

[stuff_it]

And look how it once was:

You've missed out the new bit. It's like a cross between The Krypton Factor and Logans Run.

 

[editor]

You've missed out the new bit. It's like a cross between The Krypton Factor and Logans Run.

I like that description and have added it to the piece

Any photos knocking about?

 

[stuff_it]

I like that description and have added it to the piece

Any photos knocking about?

None of my own. Could probs jgfi.

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

Both stations are currently being massively overhauled (although New Street not so much - it's a new concourse and a lick of paint, but the platforms will still be dark and narrow, and the limited number of tracks through the tunnel will continue to restrict capacity)

The platforms will be a lot brighter, as they will all have "light wells" bringing (some) natural light down there. The narrow platforms can't be changed though and the bottleneck problems (which is what causes all the last minute platform changes) won't go away either.

 

[stuff_it]

Some good ones of it's current state here:

 

[stuff_it]

Pick the "wrong" time of night (it varies), and you can get all the way up this new tunnel before realising that you're actually the furthest from the way out that is physically possible.

 

[stuff_it]

Loveley...

 

[mr steev]

You've missed out the new bit. It's like a cross between The Krypton Factor and Logans Run.

It is completely different to how it was isn't it. The couple of times I've been there since it's been done up and I had no idea where I was or which exit was which and I've been using that station for years.
It took me a while to find a timetable until I noticed people swiping big digital screens. It was like something from the future.
As bees says, there's not much that can be done with the platforms. But at the end of the day you only stand on them for a few minutes before getting on a train. The upstairs is a huge improvement (well, it will be once it's finished)

 

[SpookyFrank]

The new main entrance is also in the one teeny bit of Birmingham city centre that isn't utterly hideous.

Taking account of this fact, they've elected to make the new entrance...utterly hideous.

 

[8ball]

Loveley...

That really needs a couple of eyes and some teeth painting on it.

 

[stuff_it]

That really needs a couple of eyes and some teeth painting on it.

It's a good job that they didn't make it vertical instead of horizontal.

 

[mr steev]

Loveley...

Tbf, it isn't finished yet and will look something like this.

 

[8ball]

Tbf, it isn't finished yet and will look something like this.

Still needs the eyes and the teeth.

Is the orifice meant to be some kind of screen?

 

[mr steev]

Is the orifice meant to be some kind of screen?

I guess so... so there's opportunity for an animated mouth

 

[8ball]

I guess so... so there's opportunity for an animated mouth

<Commissions the manufacture of 2 massive googly eyes>

 

[SikhWarrioR]

Birmingham's New Street Railway station named as worst in the UK agreed but London's Euston station is a close second in my opinion

 

[Crispy]

Birmingham's New Street Railway station named as worst in the UK agreed but London's Euston station is a close second in my opinion

The concourse is ok, if a bit small, but the platforms are grim.

"Worst" is tricky to pin down though. I mean, there's loads of stations out there that are just a car park and a bus shelter, a mile from the center of whatever town they're named after. Just cos millions of people don't ever see them, doesn't mean they're bad stations...

 

[editor]

Interesting to note that the station which was deemed second best for cleanliness, signage etc was the one that looks like it's been left untouched since Edwardian times with nice big clear GWR signs.

http://www.urban75.org/railway/birmingham-moor-street-station.html

 

[blossie33]

I think the concourse is a great improvement. Hopefully the platforms will look better when it's finished but there is nothing much they can do about the narrowness I think.

Brum centre is such a mess with them doing the tramlines. I understand they have now laid some of the track? Will be up in a couple of weeks so I'll have a look then.

 

[editor]

Tbf, it isn't finished yet and will look something like this.

That is pretty awful.

 

[blossie33]

Moor Street's a great little station, shame they moved the old steam train.

 

[mr steev]

That is pretty awful.

I dunno. I thought that when they built the new Selfridges, but in reality it's pretty cool. Artist's impressions never look like the finished version. We'll have to wait and see I guess

 

[editor]

I dunno. I thought that when they built the new Selfridges, but in reality it's pretty cool. Artist's impressions never look like the finished version. We'll have to wait and see I guess

I liked Selfridges from the start, but this just looks, well, weird.