Glasgow Central High Level listed building consent application

[Frankton Junct]

Network Rail submitted planning application 22/00942/LBA to Glasgow Council for "Removal of signage and installation of digital/wayfinding signage".

The proposal seeks to rationalise and modernise current signage within the station by removing small format adverts (primarily poster boxes) and roof-hung wayfinding cubes and replacing them with digital freestanding signs which will be positioned at key points around the concourse and provide wayfinding, customer information touchscreens, railspecific and general advertising screens. The proposal is part of a wider project within Network Rail’s managed stations to enhance customer experience and provide up-todate information on train services.

It appears that they will remove the static poster boxes at the Hope Street entrance used to display the advertised timetable. Is this the end of the timetable poster in stations?

 

[Baxenden Bank]

Network Rail submitted planning application 22/00942/LBA to Glasgow Council for "Removal of signage and installation of digital/wayfinding signage".



It appears that they will remove the static poster boxes at the Hope Street entrance used to display the advertised timetable. Is this the end of the timetable poster in stations?

So, let me be negative and hazard a guess.

Instead of fixed signs which always point the way, you get a digital screen which scrolls between directions, adverts, NR self congratulation and other 'well being' messages. Oh, and it will probably be audible too, just to add to the hell that is the modern railway experience. Remember the Kings Cross hologram [and thread]?

Like the scrolling departure displays which show guff about 'beam' or 'it's wet' instead of what you actually want to know, like the train destination, it's calling points etc.

 

[takno]

Presumably the plan is to replace the platform numbers with a dialog box saying "please upgrade Windows 98" in order to confuse Russian spies

 

[Carntyne]

So, let me be negative and hazard a guess.

Instead of fixed signs which always point the way, you get a digital screen which scrolls between directions, adverts, NR self congratulation and other 'well being' messages. Oh, and it will probably be audible too, just to add to the hell that is the modern railway experience. Remember the Kings Cross hologram [and thread]?

Like the scrolling departure displays which show guff about 'beam' or 'it's wet' instead of what you actually want to know, like the train destination, it's calling points etc.

If you have a look at the planning app, the directional signage is above the digital screen.

 

[Cantab26]

At a risk of sounding pedantic (this is my specialist field), this is not a planning application. Rather, it is an application for listed building consent.

Part of the rationale is that by consolidating signage and advertising space it will result in less visual clutter and enhance understanding of the significance of the heritage assets i.e. the station.

At least, that’s the theory!

 

[Deepgreen]

I was at Rannoch a few weeks back and there is not a single timetable poster there - the CS electronic panel apparently holds the information but it was out of service! With very patch mobile signal, why on earth not provide a reliable fixed timetable, or do they think the WHL in winter is a turn-up-and-go service?!

 

[jopsuk]

So, let me be negative and hazard a guess.

Instead of fixed signs which always point the way, you get a digital screen which scrolls between directions, adverts, NR self congratulation and other 'well being' messages. Oh, and it will probably be audible too, just to add to the hell that is the modern railway experience. Remember the Kings Cross hologram [and thread]?

Like the scrolling departure displays which show guff about 'beam' or 'it's wet' instead of what you actually want to know, like the train destination, it's calling points etc.

why be ngative and hazard a guess when you could simply click through, see the documents, and find out that you're wrong?

these are the platform end units (the screens will show adverts, no speakers)



the way finding units:



do I like these? Nah. Doesn't seem great, and the way finding ones seem like clutter. Are they as bad as people have immediately decided they will be? No.
Meanwhile @Frankton Junct this clrealy shows that the timetable boards are not slated for removal - they would be highlighted in red if they were.

 

[BahrainLad]

What on earth is the point of a USB charging point?

 

[trebor79]

Don't see what's wrong with the wayfinding cubes. Out some new screen in by all means, but why remove perfectly good and easy to use signage?

 

[Falcon1200]

With very patch mobile signal, why on earth not provide a reliable fixed timetable, or do they think the WHL in winter is a turn-up-and-go service?!

Timetable posters are indeed useful, and should be provided, however I'm not sure anyone would arrive at Rannoch hoping to catch a train without having previously checked when they run !

 

[Snow1964]

Why do they have to paint the bottom of the units in a different colour (grubby grey) to the bricks they stand in front of, don’t these things come in any RAL colour, surely with a listed building should be trying to be sympathetic to what’s there.

 

[AlastairFraser]

What on earth is the point of a USB charging point?

Useful for people who use e tickets, or are interchanging beyond the barriers.

 

[nlogax]

These just look like an iteration of BT Street Hubs, formerly InLink wifi kiosks that line the streets of London and NY. The USB charging sockets in those see plenty of use.

 

[tomuk]

It's an application to fit advertising screens around the station pure and simple, the wayfinding bilge is a fig leaf.

JCDecaux is the world's largest Out-of-Home advertising company, reaching relevant audiences in over 80 countries.

 

[Frankton Junct]

At a risk of sounding pedantic (this is my specialist field), this is not a planning application. Rather, it is an application for listed building consent.

Part of the rationale is that by consolidating signage and advertising space it will result in less visual clutter and enhance understanding of the significance of the heritage assets i.e. the station.

At least, that’s the theory!

As a non-planner, an application for a Listed Building Consent is a type of planning application. However, to be clearer I edited the title of this thread.

I am in favour of de-cluttering stations but I am not sure that the installation of animated advertising screens achieves this objective.

 

[jopsuk]

It's an application to fit advertising screens around the station pure and simple, the wayfinding bilge is a fig leaf.

oh indeed.

with the removal of the hanging "cube", I wonder if there is a structural issue with it or whether the maintenance of it is becoming too expensive?

 

[Baxenden Bank]

It's an application to fit advertising screens around the station pure and simple, the wayfinding bilge is a fig leaf.

Exactly, large screens for advertising 'justified' by placing a thin band of 'wayfinding' information on top. Where bus shelters are provided, the shelter is 'free' to the council along with the reverse side of the advert panel. Installation, repairs and maintenance are the responsibility of the advertising company. Or that least that used to be the case.

I wonder how much revenue the advertising will generate compared to the costs of running the station.

 

[jopsuk]

they would no doubt argue that the net advertising space is roughly the same as old poster boards and a leaflet rack are going.

But then the screens aren't going in the same place.

 

[takno]

they would no doubt argue that the net advertising space is roughly the same as old poster boards and a leaflet rack are going.

But then the screens aren't going in the same place.

Yeah. Nice out of the way boards on the walls as compared with large illuminated screens, potentially with moving images on them, unavoidable at the entrance to platforms. It's a really cheap trick to compare square footage