Air space above railway installations

[Ken H]

Birmingham New St was an early one with the Palisades shopping centre being built above the railway
Later we had the offices above Charing Cross
Then there was the Gerards Cross tunnel debacle.
And of course Man Victoria

is developing above a railway a good idea? It brings in ground rent income I assume, and brings facilities close to the station.

But it provides a dismal environment for the passenger, especially if not all electric. But it keeps the weather of passengers and equipment. But it makes some engineering difficult.

Any schemes that you think would be good?
And any other thoughts.

 

[gordonthemoron]

aren't they intending to do the same over Euston? Cannon Street looks dreadful, Liverpool Street less so, Victoria seems a bit claustrophobic

 

[edwin_m]

Normally it only seems to be worthwhile on the most prime sites in city centres, so I guess the earnings have to be enough to justify the extra cost and hassle. One rather surprising exception is Belper, where the cutting south of the station was decked over many years ago for a supermarket and car park.

 

[randyrippley]

Birmingham New St was an early one with the Palisades shopping centre being built above the railway
Later we had the offices above Charing Cross
Then there was the Gerards Cross tunnel debacle.
And of course Man Victoria

is developing above a railway a good idea? It brings in ground rent income I assume, and brings facilities close to the station.

But it provides a dismal environment for the passenger, especially if not all electric. But it keeps the weather of passengers and equipment. But it makes some engineering difficult.

Any schemes that you think would be good?
And any other thoughts.

Could be worse
Think about Broad St

 

[Bald Rick]

The paradox is that the sites with the highest property values are in city centres, but these sites are almost exclusively at or near very very busy stations where the cost of disruption to the train service and passengers makes any proposal uneconomic.