Without starting a new topic, can I just add that that the station staff at New Street are unfailingly helpful, particularly so when you consider the difficult circumstances in which they are working. It would drive me mad if I had to spend all day there!!
Last week I transited through New Street and needed to change platforms from where my Hereford train had arrived, to platform 7a for a northbound XC service to Derby. One escalator was out of use, not broken I think, but rather oou as part of the rebuild, and a queue was forming at the lift from the concourse to platform 7. Station staff were using their initiative by taking groups of the "able bodied" passengers down an escalator, then directing us to what I think is a new footbridge at the very northern end of the station. Up and down twice, and hey presto arriving on platform 7 !!
I was getting worried that arriving at 11-09 from Hereford, and departing at 11-30 to the north was looking tight given the distance needed to change platforms, and seek out the toilets, but with this most helpful intervention from the staff I made it with a couple of minutes to spare.
(One issue I have, is the dreadfully inadequate provision of toilets at new Street, hopefully this will change on completion of the rebuild)
However, otherwise, well done to all the staff concerned in such difficult circumstances!
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