Nottingham Station Remodelling Progress

[LTJ87]

I was in Nottingham at the weekend, and after months of the station being surrounded by scaffolding, I could finally see the progress in remodelling the station.

The scaffolding has now been taken down and the station exterior looks so much better. Walking out of the station through the pathway to the main exit you can see significant progress in the remodelling of the former taxi rank. The new glass roof also makes a significant difference and fills the area with natural light.

Sadly, I didn't have a camera, but you can see progress from this report:

http://news.experiencenottinghamshire.com/nottingham-station-progress-february-2014/

 

[Chris125]

It's looking fantastic, there's a regualarly updated thread on Skyscrapercity for anyone interested.

Chris

 

[CallySleeper]

Yes Nottingham is looking great. Now the scaffolding has come down from the front, the renovation work to the stone looks really good. The new glass frontages too. The old porte cochere is looking taking shape but for me, the highlight at the moment is the old ticket hall which has had a repaint, and the glass (throughout the station really) in the roof has been replaced so it looks a lot brighter and airier. I think the ticket office won't be returning to it's old spot but across the hall, where WHSmiths was. Also there is talk of the buildings on the north side of the station which weren't accessible previously, and whether they will now be accessible and if so, what for. Of course it'll be interesting to see what the new southern concourse is like and what it'll be used for.

The project is on track to complete in the next month or two. All in all, very exciting
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There's also quite an interesting article here

 

[edwin_m]

Passed through an hour or so back at the tail end of a heavy shower. Several wet and slippery patches under the canopies on platform 1.

 

[Mugby]

I imagine the new booking office will be very much reduced in size from what it was before.

 

[CallySleeper]

I imagine the new booking office will be very much reduced in size from what it was before.

You'd have thought that, but going by what I've seen/read I wonder if they've tried to extend it south, into the new concourse

e: if i'm wrong then it''ll be very disappointing!
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From what I've seen so far, the new booking hall doesn't look like it'll be much smaller than the old one, but bigger than the current temporary offering. I estimate around half a dozen counter positions, I.e. not including space for machines, which I assume they will put in the halls.

Not sure what they're doing with the old hall, retail space I've heard. Remember the old customer service desk near the platform 1 lift? That's gone, behind which were two sets of double doors which I can't as far as I can tell be used by the public.

 

[LTJ87]

On a related note, it's good to see the long-proposed Unity Square development opposite the station is to go ahead which will significantly improve the surrounding area compared to what is there at present.

www.nottinghampost.com/120-bed-hote...e-Nottingham/story-20805138-detail/story.html

Though, it's a tad concerning the council has had to agree to occupy 50% of the development!

 

[High Dyke]

They still won't alter the sign on Platform 5 that directs you straight on to find the lift (into the public no/go area) instead of turn left (to the other side of the staircase). I've given up complaining...!

 

[FrankOwen]

When I see was working on the blockade I got off of the tamper to have a ****** and a tech approached me to tell me that the entire job was being filmed via a camera on a bridge so it could be condensed into a 2 minute film. Has anyone seen it or knows where it can be found?

 

[IKBrunel]

only seems to be 2 videos on youtube of construction timelapse, this one of multistorey:
http://youtu.be/YkyOFxP8Gns
and this one of bridge slide
http://youtu.be/ChmupqO2o8s

 

[CallySleeper]

The new ticket office taking shape. It's about the same size I reckon of the current arrangement, not including all the ticket machines which I assume will return to the main hall. Not sure why there is the big glass box in the foreground.

I assume this is the extent of the 'public' area, and rooms to the left of the picture are all offices.

 

[edwin_m]

I take it this is the area formerly occupied by Smiths, photographed from the dispersal bridge on the way to platform 7. It was still mostly screened off when I passed by during the week but the distinctive roof trusses were visible.

I believe the new building that links to the car park and tram stop will connect to what used to be the car/taxi area to the left of the background of this picture, so if there are offices to the left of here they won't be very big. Probably plenty of room for staff accommodation in the platform buildings and at the platform 1 end of the dispersal bridge where I saw a door open leading to some stairs up. Back at the platform 7 end there seem to be more doors through to the new building but I think these will be emergency exits, as I believe the barriers stay where they used to be so the dispersal bridge is in the paid area.

 

[Mugby]

Am I correct in thinking that the area occupied by the old ticket office is to become an M&S Simply Food?

If the new ticket office occupies the former Smiths space then it's regrettable because the majority of passengers approach from the city side and will have to cross the whole concourse to reach it.

 

[edwin_m]

People from the tram or the car park will approach the other way, and I think some of the bus stops will also move to the front of the station instead of down towards Broadmarsh.

 

[harry42]

Made me laugh, read this in Nottingham Post a few weeks back now:

Nottingham Station: You will be able to connect with any mode of transport (except horse!)


So...I made a list:

Tram Yes
Train Yes
Bus Yes
River (At a bi push...suppose you could drag your narrow boat down to the Trent)
Cycle Yes (Citybike scheme or summin)
Walk One would assume yes
Air Well you could take a skylink direct to EMA.
Helicpoter Huh...Trent Bartons 22 to Tollerton AIrfield?!

Then I thought about space hopper and canoe.

All in all, thought this was an amusing if a tad misleading headline!

 

[edwin_m]

Made me laugh, read this in Nottingham Post a few weeks back now:

Nottingham Station: You will be able to connect with any mode of transport (except horse!)


So...I made a list:

Tram Yes
Train Yes
Bus Yes
River (At a bi push...suppose you could drag your narrow boat down to the Trent)
Cycle Yes (Citybike scheme or summin)
Walk One would assume yes
Air Well you could take a skylink direct to EMA.
Helicpoter Huh...Trent Bartons 22 to Tollerton AIrfield?!

Then I thought about space hopper and canoe.

All in all, thought this was an amusing if a tad misleading headline!

There's a canal just next to the station with frequent narrow boats passing on a nice day. I've even seen canoes there!

 

[LowLevel]

The glass box will be for evenings for security reasons - the new in vogue thing is glassless ticket desks rather than windows for daytimes.

 

[CallySleeper]

The ticket office will move back to it's final home on 31st March, according to EMT.

Also, the gates will be in use from 2nd April, though if the space is open (which you assume it will be) from 31st March there should be no reason why they could in theory be back in use from that date.

Work on platform 1-3 island is almost done. The southern concourse I wouldn't imagine will be open just yet, same for the new retail units in the old porte.

Also, it's good to see all the old analogue clocks back in use, including the one in the tower though they will all need changing again this weekend anyway so unless they're timed electronically I don't see why they didn't just wait...

clicky 1 clicky 2

 

[Mugby]

I arrived in Nottingham on a train from Lincoln a couple of weeks ago, it terminated on the new Platform 4. From there I had to cross to get the Derby train, a two car unit which was waiting at the extreme east end of Platform 3. It seemed an awful long walk, the remodelling may have provided more capacity but not always so convenient for passengers.

 

[CallySleeper]

I'm also under the impression that Nottingham now has plenty of information screens, more than enough!

 

[edwin_m]

The new screens have started working in the last few days, including some in the former taxi area which are big enough to show a good number of departures without the irritation of flipping between page 1 and page 2. Conversely many of the screens that were working last week have now gone blank including most of the platform ones, and there are stickers on them saying this is due to commissioning the new communication systems. The barriers were powered up but not operational yesterday with technicians working on them (they are the same barriers that were there before).

This week also the "wheelchair" entrance at the front has been re-routed through the retail unit in the old ticket office, then through what will be a staff area behind it, past a lift and stairs to emerge through a doorway onto the P1 end of the distributor bridge. None of the retail units shows any sign of being occupied, but I guess they don't want to let the shopfitters in while the whole area is still a building site.

 

[Smudger105e]

I arrived in Nottingham on a train from Lincoln a couple of weeks ago, it terminated on the new Platform 4. From there I had to cross to get the Derby train, a two car unit which was waiting at the extreme east end of Platform 3. It seemed an awful long walk, the remodelling may have provided more capacity but not always so convenient for passengers.

I did a day trip today, Beeston to Skegness. The Beeston to Nottingham train (Ex Matlock I think) terminated in platform 4. I had to catch the Skegness train from Platform 2. It is a very long walk, and I reckon alternative access could be justified. Definitely an issue for people with mobility issues, particularly as the lifts are even further away than the footbridge.

http://www.eastmidlandstrains.co.uk/Global/Pages from EMT New Station Map v4.pdf

The new screens have started working in the last few days which are large enough to show a good number of departures without the irritation of flipping between page 1 and page 2. Conversely many of the screens that were working last week have now gone blank including most of the platform ones, and there are stickers on them saying this is due to commissioning the new communication systems. The barriers were powered up but not operational yesterday with technicians working on them (they are the same barriers that were there before).

The screens I looked at today seemed rather poor. The left screen was showing the destination of each service, but no intermediate calling stations, and the right hand screens were just displaying 'East Midlands Trains'. I hope the information shown improves when all the systems are up and running.

 

[edwin_m]

When I looked at the big "screen trees" in the outer concourse, the left screen was showing the next few departures and calling points (I think). The right screen was showing about "Subsequent Departures", the last of which was well over an hour into the future. Contrast with, say, the six-line ones on the platforms at Derby which become well nigh useless when a couple of trains are delayed.

Platform 4 isn't very user friendly due to its lack of shelter, but it is no further away than the far end of the other platforms which are unchanged from before the remodelling. The difference is probably that it is used more than the east end of the old platform 4 because it is now a through platform.

 

[edwin_m]

As of today:

The southernmost of the "retail outlets" in the outer concourse is being painted beige and a counter is being tiled in shiny blue. Not sure whose corporate image this is! One of the others has a sign saying it is going to be Upper Crust but no work done on that one and no indication of anyone taking or doing anything to the other units.

I haven't seen the barriers working yet, although they have been switched on for several weeks.

Despite several large signs proclaming it, I haven't found a Cloud wi-fi signal either in the concourse or on the platforms.

An area at the non-entrance end of the ticket office has been walled off with a wooden partition.

Not a single seat anywhere on the unpaid side of the barriers, and the seats on platform 7 are cunningly placed so none of them stays dry in the rain.

 

[duffield]

Not a single seat anywhere on the unpaid side of the barriers, and the seats on platform 7 are cunningly placed so none of them stays dry in the rain.

Seats 'up the top' are (fairly) conveniently provided by the bus stops immediately outside the front of the station (useful e.g. if you are meeting someone and don't want to/can't meet on the platform).

As for P7, there are a small number of 'dry' seats under the tram overbridge... assuming the rain isn't *too* horizontal.

Watch out when sitting on the platform benches. Some of them are strategically positioned to act as pigeon toilets, and possibly due to their diet some of the pigeons are producing something that rather than standing out in stark white actually blends in to the dark benches...

Barriers still not in operation today (although I have seem some confused passengers try to put their tickets through despite them being open!)

At least the 'stinky toilet' problem which was permeating a large part of P6 seems to have gone away!

 

[HowardGWR]

What are these seats made of? During recent trips through the FGW / Arriva area, we were often unable to sit, unless one wanted a frozen bottom on those metal ones with holes in. Occasionally discovering a heritage GWR wooden seat was a joy.

 

[edwin_m]

The southernmost of the "retail outlets" in the outer concourse is being painted beige and a counter is being tiled in shiny blue. Not sure whose corporate image this is!

"Gourmet Bar and Kitchen" according to the sign that's appeared on it since I posted. Any passing gourmets please to note that it's not open yet.
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As for P7, there are a small number of 'dry' seats under the tram overbridge... assuming the rain isn't *too* horizontal.

There was one dry one yesterday morning - the only one someone was sitting on.

The tram bridge is also perfectly positioned to prevent the fumes escaping from the power car on a London HST. But I suppose we can blame the Great Central for that.

 

[HowardGWR]

There was one dry one yesterday morning - the only one someone was sitting on.

But is it metal Edwin?

 

[CallySleeper]

I haven't seen the barriers working yet, although they have been switched on for several weeks.

Despite several large signs proclaming it, I haven't found a Cloud wi-fi signal either in the concourse or on the platforms.

Re barriers: apparently there's a fault with them and they're waiting to be fixed.

Re wifi: ditto

 

[edwin_m]

Re barriers: apparently there's a fault with them and they're waiting to be fixed.

Re wifi: ditto

Thanks for the info.

I noticed the full-height window that used to be between the taxi rank and the travel centre is unchanged from before the refurbishment, complete with double arrow on one pane, despite every other window in sight having been replaced. I've a feeling this dates from before privatisation.
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But is it metal Edwin?

They are the metal ones with some kind of coloured coating in dark blue. They have holes in which I guess are supposed to let the rain drain away. But they don't.