Birmingham New Street the worst UK station?

[bramling]

Given that we have since established that the person was coming from Snow Hill, the most logical route is an almost ‘bee line’ from the plaza in front of Snow Hill Station, across the Cathedral churchyard (aka Pigeon Park) to the top of Temple Street, down to New Street (the street) and straight ahead again into Lower Temple Street. The entrance to New Street Station is literally at the bottom of this short pedestrianised street, on the far side of Stephenson Place. You can see the doors whilst standing at the New Street crossing!

I really don’t know what more The Railway can do to help some people.

I think the issue was they thought it was some run-of-the-mill shopping centre, not the city’s main railway station. Having looked in they didn’t think it was the station, so kept searching around.

I can kind of see why. When I first encountered it after having known the old station fairly well, for some reason I just couldn’t get my bearings. Just didn’t like it for some reason.

 

[NCT]

As far as railway stations hidden in shopping centres go, Birmingham New Street is nowhere near as egregious as some Polish examples.

 

[bramling]

Liverpool Central is a deep underground station, and a bit of a dated-feeling one at that, but it's easy to navigate and the wayfinding is good, aided by Merseyrail's nice simple service pattern. It's very well located for (as the name suggests) central Liverpool. There are decent facilities including toilets and nearby shops. Other than the general dinginess I really struggle to find any major fault with it.

I wouldn’t say there’s much wrong with it most of the time, however when it’s very busy the Link island platform is a problem. If you use it any other time apart from in the high peak or perhaps during certain events then it’s perfectly decent, and has the advantage that it’s well sited and laid out logically.

 

[NCT]

That said, I do think there is a distinct lack of National Rail symbols / totem poles from the main sightlines, as well as 'station entrance [arrow]' signs.

Put this this way, if this were a TfL station there'd be a few large roundels hanging off the side of the building or on totem poles.

 

[xotGD]

On the whole use of three letters abbreviations thing, I have just seen a post elsewhere referring to BHM - Black History Month.

Context is everything!

 

[BuhSnarf]

I think everyone can work out that BNS stands for Birmingham New Street.

Sometimes the pedantry astounds me!

 

[Harpo]

Yes, it may have a touch more lighting but I still find it dark, horrible and cramped.

The photo in post #211 perfectly illustrates the grim lived experience of New Street. To arrive into that at the A end and then need to fight your way through the crowd to reach the B end to change via a single escalator. It is not a station designed for the user.

 

[yorksrob]

Ah, the old Birmingham New Street/BNS/Barnes discussion.

There's nothing new in the world

 

[E94]

It’s not the worst. The diesel fumes at platform level are unpleasant but the rest of the station is perfectly usable and the toilets are clean.
I had to change there on a journey between the south west and Manchester. On the outward journey it would have been cross-platform, but I popped up to the lounge to get some breakfast. On the return I had to change from platform 3 to 11, but exited the barriers to find something to buy for dinner.
In my opinion, the facilities are better than Bristol Parkway, and the passageways less congested than Temple Meads.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: Yesterday at 17:06 ==

It’s not the worst. The diesel fumes at platform level are unpleasant but the rest of the station is perfectly usable and the toilets are clean.
I had to change there on a journey between the south west and Manchester. On the outward journey it would have been cross-platform, but I popped up to the lounge to get some breakfast. On the return I had to change from platform 3 to 11, but exited the barriers to find something to buy for dinner.
In my opinion, the facilities are better than Bristol Parkway, and the passageways less congested than Temple Meads.

Manchester Victoria OTOH was a nightmare.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Manchester Victoria OTOH was a nightmare.

And still is. Horrid dump of a station.

 

[yorksrob]

And still is. Horrid dump of a station.

I've no idea what OTOH means, but apart from the dieselly subterranean platforms, Victoria is a decent station IMO.

 

[JamesT]

I've no idea what OTOH means, but apart from the dieselly subterranean platforms, Victoria is a decent station IMO.

On The Other Hand. It’s a pretty common internet abbreviation.

 

[yorksrob]

On The Other Hand. It’s a pretty common internet abbreviation.

Ah, every day's a school day !

 

[Merle Haggard]

Manchester Victoria is another station that was not that long ago partly open and the covered part had a high glass roof to let daylight in but, once again it became a property development with a low solid roof over the lot. Smaller area now, too - not only where the trams now run, but also reduced on the opposite side.

 

[E94]

I've no idea what OTOH means, but apart from the dieselly subterranean platforms, Victoria is a decent station IMO.

OTOH = on the other hand.

Victoria has some pretty bits, such as the tiled Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway map. There didn’t seem to be much platform side of barriers apart from a small kiosk, a train service in tatters and some very crowded platforms. My train was due to depart platform 3 for Liverpool. Shortly before time a delayed Northern train pulls in, driver gets out and locks up. Northern train going nowhere and my train now late. I think to myself “Let’s wonder back towards the footbridge incase there’s a platform change “ so did so. 5 minutes later tannoy announces my train is now departing platform 4, so huge rush of passengers over footbridge. Thing was though, platforms 4 and 5 were already full of people wanting to go the other way, and somehow in the chaos, our Liverpool train managed to pick up a handful of passengers for Newcastle!

 

[Merle Haggard]

OTOH = on the other hand.

Victoria has some pretty bits, such as the tiled Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway map. There didn’t seem to be much platform side of barriers apart from a small kiosk, a train service in tatters and some very crowded platforms. My train was due to depart platform 3 for Liverpool. Shortly before time a delayed Northern train pulls in, driver gets out and locks up. Northern train going nowhere and my train now late. I think to myself “Let’s wonder back towards the footbridge incase there’s a platform change “ so did so. 5 minutes later tannoy announces my train is now departing platform 4, so huge rush of passengers over footbridge. Thing was though, platforms 4 and 5 were already full of people wanting to go the other way, and somehow in the chaos, our Liverpool train managed to pick up a handful of passengers for Newcastle!

Indeed it is, but somehow reminds me of a section of ornate, colourful floor mosaic that's all that's left of a Roman villa.

I think it's right to say that the office wall it's on has been unsympathetically cropped at the ends.

 

[Purple Train]

On The Other Hand. It’s a pretty common internet abbreviation.

Thanks for this - I've been reading it as "off [the] top of [my] head" for years and was thoroughly confused!

I think stations with narrow platforms always seem particularly unwelcoming. Sandwell and Dudley and Thanet Parkway spring to mind.

 

[birchesgreen]

Well maybe we should stop using these acronyms, its not like we have to pay by the word.

OTOH it doesn't matter at the end of the day.

 

[Class15]

Dissenting voice, and evidently a minority view, but I like it. Much more preferable than Leeds, Man Piccadilly, Reading, Clapham Jn, or Stratford, as stations of comparable size. Thinking about it, I prefer it over Waverley. (I rarely use Bristol TM so can‘t compare).

(I may have said this before upthread; if so I’m saying it again! Does anyone really think Clapham Jn or Stratford are better stations?)

Stratford is a mess, agreed, with not all the passages getting to every platform, but how is New St better than Clapham? New St and its confusing coloured zones and a, b and c platforms is never ideal for me, and I’ve never had any issue whatsoever at Clapham, where everything is clearly signposted?

 

[Dr Hoo]

Stratford is a mess, agreed, with not all the passages getting to every platform, but how is New St better than Clapham? New St and its confusing coloured zones and a, b and c platforms is never ideal for me, and I’ve never had any issue whatsoever at Clapham, where everything is clearly signposted?

Clapham Junction did worse than New Street in the Transport Focus survey. It hasn’t changed very radically for a long time and the Overground was a fairly logical addition. But it does have real stepping distance problems, minimal toilet facilities, trains for Waterloo and some other places such as Kingston departing from widely separated platforms and congested ticket barriers that tend to lead you to the fairly narrow subway, with no view of the trains.
I’ve come to terms with it but it doesn’t have much appeal as a station. (But some very good frequencies on a lot of lines.)

 

[zwk500]

Stratford is a mess, agreed, with not all the passages getting to every platform, but how is New St better than Clapham? New St and its confusing coloured zones and a, b and c platforms is never ideal for me, and I’ve never had any issue whatsoever at Clapham, where everything is clearly signposted?

The only C platform at New Street is 4c, which is because the bay was carved out of the existing space, renumbering the platforms was too costly, and calling it platform 400 like the germans might would be viewed as too silly by the public. Planning systems use an 'm' subdivision which I think does occasionally get shown on the boards, which is probably the most confusing bit of the subdivision.

If you compare the B/Red end of New Street to the overbridge of Clapham Jn and the A/Blue/Green end of New Street to the Subway of Clapham Jn, on both scores New Street would win hands down. Clapham Jn's platforms are massively thinner (and a lot more wiggly) than New Street. Clapham's Subway is cramped and dark and the footbridge is rickety and goes on for ever over the yard. New street has masses of toilets that are completely free and well-cared for. Clapham's retail offerings are tiny and placed where they could be so you get bumped into by the crowds trying to wait for your food.
Etc.

 

[BuhSnarf]

I've no idea what OTOH means, but apart from the dieselly subterranean platforms, Victoria is a decent station IMO.

I find that Man Vic is a bit of a half and half. The concourse and tram area is really nice, love some of the historic nods.

But the actual through platforms are awful.