# Birmingham new street station



## wtfftw (Nov 26, 2015)

Where's the thread? Or are there just casual mentions?

Anyway. It's alright innit? I like the bright bit with the roof bit.


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## bi0boy (Nov 26, 2015)

It's here Birmingham New Street named as Britain’s worst railway station

And I haven't seen it but I'm sure it's shit. It's still just a shopping center on top of some underground platforms isn't it?


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## Pickman's model (Nov 26, 2015)

it's best seen from a train as it recedes into the distance imo


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## wtfftw (Nov 26, 2015)

bi0boy said:


> It's here Birmingham New Street named as Britain’s worst railway station
> 
> And I haven't seen it but I'm sure it's shit. It's still just a shopping center on top of some underground platforms isn't it?


Thank you! I obviously can't work the search even tho I do try.

There's a nice open expanse. And a model of the station which presumably won't be a permanent fixture.


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## neonwilderness (Nov 26, 2015)

wtfftw said:


> Anyway. It's alright innit? I like the bright bit with the roof bit.


I don't think machine cat would agree 

I've not been since they finished it, but it used to be a right dump


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## quimcunx (Nov 26, 2015)

I was there a couple of months ago and did think it was going to look better than on previous train changes, once it's finished.  I only remember it being very low lit, sooty, tunnelly and oppressive before.


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## machine cat (Nov 26, 2015)

neonwilderness said:


> I don't think machine cat would agree
> 
> I've not been since they finished it, but it used to be a right dump


I was there last week and there wasn't a bin or ashtray outside  to put my fag out 

Another reason to hate NS


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## beesonthewhatnow (Nov 26, 2015)

It's a pretty good job, considering what they had to work with.

Platform level won't be finished for another year though.


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## Smokeandsteam (Nov 30, 2015)

Pickman's model said:


> it's best seen from a train as it recedes into the distance imo



Nah. Other way round. Best seen as the train brings you into it and away from other places e.g. London.


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## Smokeandsteam (Nov 30, 2015)

They've done a good job above ground. But there is no added capacity as a result of the upgrade - not for one additional train- and the platforms haven't been changed. 

The Council and their 'partners' seem obsessed with the centre of the city at the expense of inner city areas and poor outlying areas. Their transport strategy is a classic case in point - new station and tram in the centre, nothing for the rest of the city.


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## beesonthewhatnow (Nov 30, 2015)

Smokeandsteam said:


> They've done a good job above ground. But there is no added capacity as a result of the upgrade - not for one additional train- and the platforms haven't been changed.
> 
> The Council and their 'partners' seem obsessed with the centre of the city at the expense of inner city areas and poor outlying areas. Their transport strategy is a classic case in point - new station and tram in the centre, nothing for the rest of the city.


The platforms have/are being changed, but there is another years worth of work down there still to go.

As for capacity, they were always stuck on that. There is simply nowhere to put extra tracks in and out.


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## Smokeandsteam (Nov 30, 2015)

beesonthewhatnow said:


> The platforms have/are being changed, but there is another years worth of work down there still to go.
> 
> As for capacity, they were always stuck on that. There is simply nowhere to put extra tracks in and out.



It's not about needing extra tracks as far as I understand it - it's that the station and it's platforms are at full capacity. 

The wider point I am making is that large parts of the city still do not have a train/tram service and public transport consists entirely of unreliable buses on heavily congested roads. Most parts of the city still don't have proper cycle routes either. 

The money spent on the station and the tram (almost £1 Billion) addresses none of that.


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## beesonthewhatnow (Nov 30, 2015)

Smokeandsteam said:


> It's not about needing extra tracks as far as I understand it - it's that the station and it's platforms are at full capacity.
> 
> The wider point I am making is that large parts of the city still do not have a train/tram service and public transport consists entirely of unreliable buses on heavily congested roads. Most parts of the city still don't have proper cycle routes either.
> 
> The money spent on the station and the tram (almost £1 Billion) addresses none of that.


Yes the station is at capacity and the only way to increase that would be more platforms and more tracks in and out. But where would they go? The station is stuck underground with nowhere to go.

The trams are being extended - there will eventually be routes down into digbeth and one down broad street to Five Ways and potentially beyond. Will all take time though.

As for the roads, look around - there is a huge program currently underway at many of the major pinch points to ease congestion. This work is quite often why it's so congested


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## Smokeandsteam (Nov 30, 2015)

beesonthewhatnow said:


> Yes the station is at capacity and the only way to increase that would be more platforms and more tracks in and out. But where would they go? The station is stuck underground with nowhere to go.
> 
> The trams are being extended - there will eventually be routes down into digbeth and one down broad street to Five Ways and potentially beyond. Will all take time though.
> 
> As for the roads, look around - there is a huge program currently underway at many of the major pinch points to ease congestion. This work is quite often why it's so congested



On the station as I understand it the need is for more platforms and yet a major and costly redevelopment to the station ignored this a) because HS2 will provide the extra capacity in due course (a debatable point to put it mildly and even if it happens not for another 15/20 years) and b) because the preference was to focus on retail space. 

Digbeth and Broad Street/Five Ways will get a tram line by 2020 (I think). The cost of linking up the centre - Snow Hill, Bull Street, New Street has been £128 Million. By way of comparison Manchester has just extended its tram by 9 miles and put in an extra 20 stops for £400 Million. Their tram has over 90 stops, 15 lines and covers huge swathes of the city and surrounding districts/towns. We have a line to Wolverhampton and soon the centre linked up (when it'll probably still be quicker to walk!)

As for the 'roads programme' if you can understand the 'plan' you are doing better than me!


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## Pickman's model (Nov 30, 2015)

Smokeandsteam said:


> Nah. Other way round. Best seen as the train brings you into it and away from other places e.g. London.


don't care where the train's going as long as new street left behind


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