Keeping up with station redevelopments

[daccer]

I am not in the UK and use forums such as this one to keep abreast of developments on the network. It strikes me that we are in a bit of a 'golden' age for stations with massive investment being made across the board. Some of these are for huge sums of money over several years. It is hard to keep up with it all sometime.

Therefore I thought maybe we an have a thread which just outlines what is going on at the moment with regards to stations. This can outline work that has been completed, is ongoing or is planned. We can also discuss building works for new stations. I think we will all be surprised by quite how much investment is being made into this once neglected area.

 

[wintonian]

Reading is the biggie this Easter with it being practically shutdown, resulting all sorts of weird and wonderful things like buses from Winchester to Didcot Parkway I noticed yesterday.

Lots of stations down here having new footbridges with lifts installed to increase accessibility

Waterloo now has a new send level balcony to improve circulation areas, i.e. the main concourse.

Work has started at Brighton from what I saw yesterday to reduce overcrowding.

and just so I can have a moan more and more toilets in the NSE area are having barriers fitted necessitating people to pay-as-they-go. :-x

 

[Andrewlong]

Wokingham on the Reading to Waterloo line is being rebuilt - replacing the awful portacabin structure with something a little more substantial. Platforms along the line are being extended to cope with 12 coach trains though I have no idea when they will be introduced.

Kings Cross is being redeveloped and the awful entrance at the front is disappearing.

Paddington is changing with coming of Crossrail through most of it is underground!

 

[wintonian]

Wokingham on the Reading to Waterloo line is being rebuilt - replacing the awful portacabin structure with something a little more substantial.!

Expect a SWT standard shelter with seats then!

Seriously though I don't suppose there's any hop of someone deciding to do something about Litchfield TV is there? It couldn't get any worse IMO.

 

[swt_passenger]

Expect a SWT standard shelter with seats then!

However if you took the trouble to check out the plans you'd quickly realise it was a proper station building...

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

All the Liverpool city centre underground stations are being renewed, though the structures don't seem to be changing.
They are being done sequentially so that only one station will be out of use at any one time, generally for 3-4 months.
Central (low and deep levels) is finished, James Street P3 is done and they are finishing off P1 (reopening 22 April).
They then move on to Lime Street, and finally Moorfields.
The main benefit is to brighten up the interiors and get rid of the black platforms/brown walls.
There is a lot more going on behind the scenes (eg replacing all the electrical gear) bringing them up to modern underground statndards.

 

[wintonian]

However if you took the trouble to check out the plans you'd quickly realise it was a proper station building...

I was being flippant, so didn't realise detailed research was required for such a comment.

 

[BananaRepublic]

St. Pancras - finished a few years ago,
Kings Cross - almost finished,
London Bridge - complete rebuild underway,
Blackfriars - complete rebuild nearly complete,
Paddington - re Crossrail,
Reading - major rebuild underway (halfway through),
Birmingham New St. - complete rebuild above the platforms,
Plus loads of smaller projects including complete rebuilds.

Euston - Complete rebuild and expansion planned under the HS2 proposals.

 

[RichmondCommu]

and just so I can have a moan more and more toilets in the NSE area are having barriers fitted necessitating people to pay-as-they-go. :-x

But surely this isn't such a bad thing if the revenue generated helps to provide clean toilets rather than something that stinks of you know what!

 

[Geeves]

Manchester Victoria's new roof construction starts properly next week.

Also Salford Crescent is currently closed while they demolish the old bridge and stairs, plus install the new bridge and station building at road level.

 

[mr_moo]

But surely this isn't such a bad thing if the revenue generated helps to provide clean toilets rather than something that stinks of you know what!

That's a big 'if' though. All too often they seem to be horrid, broken and dirty. Clapham Jn is a good example. A huge station with tiny toilets, often broken and often dirty. 30p.

Then there are goo dexamples of the opposite: Redhill, for example. Small but this is fine for this size of station. Usually clean and working fine, and free!

 

[wimbledonpete]

There are new canopies going up on platforms 9/10 and 11 at Clapham Junction. The one on platforms 9/10 is a green glass structure echoing the new builds elsewhere on the station and is a replacement for one destroyed in WWII. At the moment though it's looking like it's only going to shelter a portion of the platform width, unless they're going to do something clever. The one on platform 11 is a straightforward extension of the existing canopy in the same style.

 

[LE Greys]

Even Stevenage finally has decent platforms with herringbone cobbles. The hoped-for canopies have not appeared, but 'bus shelter' waiting rooms have. I'm sure canopies would have been more effective on the open sections, but they might well have cost more.

 

[Rhydgaled]

A few from Wales, not sure if you are already aware of these:

• Swansea (High Street) station has had a substantial refurbishment
• Plans for refurbishments of Aberystwyth and Llandudno were delayed, due to EU funding issues I believe, but I think the problems have been resolved so work may start at Llandudno within the next year
• An additional platform and refurbishment is planned for both Cardiff Central and Cardiff Queen Street I believe
• As we speak the line between Swansea and Llanelli is closed allowing for redoubling works, as part of this Gowerton station is having the second platform reinstated and a new footbridge, with lllooonnnggg ramps, has been put up (at least two other Access-For-All footbridges have gone up around Wales too).
• The Fishguard branch has been effectively reopened (to local passengers) and Fishguard & Goodwick station has reopened.

It's not all good news though. Before the extra trains were announced, Fishguard & Goodwick station, though closed, was beutifully characterful. Then the wonderful, but falling apart, station building was demolished. Despite a company called Heritage Designs apparently working on the replacement station building, the reopened Fishguard & Goodwick has lost all of its character (the timer cladding on the building is the wrong size, the roof is angular-corragated metal like the industrial estate opposite and the layout of windows is wrong, at least on the rail side, and that's just for starters). Additionally, the new 'station building' is not open to the public, so there are no facilities making the station unsuitable for bus/rail interchange, yet it's opening caused the buses to be diverted away from the much-better-equiped Fishguard Harbour.

 

[455driver]

Wokingham on the Reading to Waterloo line is being rebuilt - replacing the awful portacabin structure with something a little more substantial. Platforms along the line are being extended to cope with 12 coach trains though I have no idea when they will be introduced.

Probably not in our lifetime!

The Windsor and Weybridge lines are being extended for 10 coach trains, the Readings will still be 8 coach trains formed of 450s with the first class reinstated.

 

[Jordy]

Don't forget about Nottingham!

 

[MidnightFlyer]

That's a big 'if' though. All too often they seem to be horrid, broken and dirty. Clapham Jn is a good example. A huge station with tiny toilets, often broken and often dirty. 30p.

Then there are goo dexamples of the opposite: Redhill, for example. Small but this is fine for this size of station. Usually clean and working fine, and free!

I'm inclined to agree. In fact the worst toilets I've ever been in (on railway premises) were at Richmond station, and I had to pay 30p for them! There were very little lighting, rubbish and god only knows what else everywhere and the mirrors were so heavily vandalised you couldn't see your own reflection Mind you, it's probably getting on a year since then, so it may have improved in the last 12 months. Like you say as well, some of the best ones are free. Paying does by no means whatsoever indicate that they are better facilities.

 

[Andrewlong]

Probably not in our lifetime!

The Windsor and Weybridge lines are being extended for 10 coach trains, the Readings will still be 8 coach trains formed of 450s with the first class reinstated.

Reading to Waterloo services are already 8 coaches. I thought they were going to 12 coaches in the future ?

 

[wintonian]

But surely this isn't such a bad thing if the revenue generated helps to provide clean toilets rather than something that stinks of you know what!

Not in my opinion.

Personally I consider my purchase of a rail ticket to cover not just the costs associated with conveyance (the train itself, track, guard, driver etc.) but also associated extras like waiting rooms, station personnel where applicable, information screens, heating etc.

To suddenly start charging for the use of such 'inclusive' extras where they were once available free to users of the railway, is akin to a hidden fares rise and is worryingly smiler to the Ryanair model, which if developed further on the railway could lead to passengers having to pay extra for the use of waiting rooms for example.

As I often don't have the change/ refuse to pay I increasingly find myself doing on of the following:-

• Crossing my legs until the train arrives, assuming it will have at least 1 working toilet.
• Interchanging at a diffrent station where I know there are either fee toilets or public one nearby.
• Leaving the station and utilising a local pub/ cafe.
• Or just waiting till I get to my destination.

 

[jopsuk]

Peterborough is going to undergo a fairly major remodelling soon

 

[swt_passenger]

Reading to Waterloo services are already 8 coaches. I thought they were going to 12 coaches in the future ?

No, it's currently only planned (but expected to be confirmed probably by next March) to provide ten car platforms between Virginia Water and Earley, to be done during CP5. You may be possibly thinking that extending the 'Southern' platforms at Reading to 12 car is a sign of the near future, but it has been done for engineering convenience at that location only, not because it is planned to introduce 12 car trains on the route generally.

As it has turned out, the 12 car platforms have allowed for a 6 tph service over the last few days during the blockade, with FGW and SWT services sharing the same platforms at times.

 

[SF-02]

Bristol Temple Meads is having the Brunel Shed changed back into terminating platforms for the electric trains rather than the car park it became and currently is.

 

[Cherry_Picker]

A small one from the home counties, but Seer Green & Jordans is currently having it's platforms extended. I believe it is to accommodate eight coaches, but I'm not 100% certain.

 

[Skimble19]

Even Stevenage finally has decent platforms with herringbone cobbles. The hoped-for canopies have not appeared, but 'bus shelter' waiting rooms have. I'm sure canopies would have been more effective on the open sections, but they might well have cost more.

Could do with kicking Pucinos (or whatever they're called!) out of the old waiting rooms though if the canopies aren't going to be extended.. There just isn't enough covered space on the platforms, which is increasingly obvious during times of disruption in the evening, when the coffee shops lock up (despite there being hundreds on the platforms..). Agree the platforms are much better though - waiting for these rumoured passenger lifts to appear now!!

 

[LE Greys]

Could do with kicking Pucinos (or whatever they're called!) out of the old waiting rooms though if the canopies aren't going to be extended.. There just isn't enough covered space on the platforms, which is increasingly obvious during times of disruption in the evening, when the coffee shops lock up (despite there being hundreds on the platforms..). Agree the platforms are much better though - waiting for these rumoured passenger lifts to appear now!!

We're all waiting for that!

Puccino's isn't worth going to anyway, the barrier staff will usually let you out and Golden Bean on the bridge are both better and cheaper. They still have waiting rooms down by the old lifts, under the booking office, so 50% have survived.

 

[ntg]

Finsbury Park is undergoing some major changes - platforms lengethned for 12 car trains, disused platofrm 1 being rebuild and lengethened, and I think there's more to come like lifts and a footbridge.

 

[Aictos]

Peterborough is going to undergo a fairly major remodelling soon

Soon? It's already underway as the concourse has already been finished as well as the road layout at the front of the station.

They're well underway with building the new platforms, as well as demolished the old waiting room on Platform 3 in order to get on with building the new platform face for the Up Fast with temporary stairs in use.

All in all, exciting times for Peterborough

 

[AlexS]

Leicester has had the porte cochére out the front of the station renewed with a rebuilt taxi rank and circulation area that might also gain some retail stuff at some point. The ceiling in the concourse has been rebuilt and a 3rd entry arch has been reopened. The loading bay of the former parcels office at the rear of the station has been rebuilt and reopened to the public as a direct disabled entrance to the station from the car park, with ramps and the former goods lift in use. The platforms have also been repaved and the BR signage mostly removed and replaced. Everywhere pretty much has been repainted and the toilets were also refurbished and new benches provided.

EMT have however made a bit of a bizarre move with replacing the signage at some of their more remote stations. They appear to have set the signmakers to replace everything that was already there, regardless of vintage, like for like.

This has led to the bizarre scenario in Oakham where there is a brand new East Midlands Trains corporate sign advising you that 'The British Railways Board blah blah byelaws etc etc'. I'm not even sure if the byelaw in question is even the right one anymore since the previous sign that has been reproduced was a good 30 years old at the very least.

 

[Cletus]

East Croydon has a lot of work going on, there's a £20M scheme in progress, I'm sure there are other forum members with more knowledge.

 

[GatwickDepress]

That's a big 'if' though. All too often they seem to be horrid, broken and dirty. Clapham Jn is a good example. A huge station with tiny toilets, often broken and often dirty. 30p.

Then there are goo dexamples of the opposite: Redhill, for example. Small but this is fine for this size of station. Usually clean and working fine, and free!

30p is an awfully precise amount too. I've taken to taking a 377 southbound and using the facilities onboard instead of the toilets at Clapham if relief is urgently needed.