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Meeting colleague at Birmingham New Street

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BanburyBlue

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Hi all,

I'm meeting a colleague in Birmingham in a few days time. We have a meeting in Birmingham City Centre, and they've never been to Birmingham before, so I said I'd meet them at Birmingham New Street. I've never really got my head around the new New Street layout, so I'm not sure the best place to meet them, or indeed which way to send them.

They will be arriving at 10.04 on the Avanti West Coast service from Blackpool to London Euston. According to RTT, it will arriving at platform 2. So...
  • Can I actually meet them at the top of the stairs/escalators at platform 2?

  • If not, where could I meet them, and is there any specific signage they should be following?

  • Is the back entrance still open, and what is this called so I can ask them to avoid it?
Many thanks
 
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Bletchleyite

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Easiest way is probably to look at the map for the name of a specific well known business that is in a fairly prominent place (e.g. Pret a Manger) and meet outside that.
 

185

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Whatever platform you arrive on, I'd recommend you both walk to the 'B' (ie West) end of the platform, THEN go up the escalators. You will both be on the same common upstairs lounge area, which is before the ticket barriers... the WH Smith or the Coffee shop are good meeting points in this area. Do note, if you go up in the 'A' end of the platforms you may be in different bits behind numerous barriers.

Otherwise, as Bletch mentions above, Pret Manger is dead centre of the station concourse, and another handy meeting point albeit after the barriers.
 

Bletchleyite

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Whatever platform you arrive on, walk to the 'B' (ie West) end of the platform, THEN go up the escalators. You will both be on the same common upstairs lounge area. The WH Smith or the Coffee shop are good meeting points. If you go up in the A end of the platform you may be in different bits behind numerous barriers.

Just meet outside the barriers. I'd say outside Pret is the most obvious place to find, it's large and it's in the middle.
 

PeterC

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Make sure that they understand, what you may think is common terminology may be jargon to them. I once had a blazing row with the former MrsC as she didn't know the difference between the forecourt and the concourse.
 

BanburyBlue

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thanks all - doesn't help that i've never met this colleague before face to face, so I have no idea what they look like.

I used to have this great map of the new New Street layout, but I can't find it anywhere.
 

fgwrich

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Easiest way is probably to look at the map for the name of a specific well known business that is in a fairly prominent place (e.g. Pret a Manger) and meet outside that.
There's a Wasabi right in the middle of the main concourse / under the big bubble roof / close to the departure screens which I would suggest might be better. It's bright green and white so not so difficult to miss!
 

Bletchleyite

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There's a Wasabi right in the middle of the main concourse / under the big bubble roof / close to the departure screens which I would suggest might be better. It's bright green and white so not so difficult to miss!

The Pret I'm talking about is right next to it. I suggested Pret because it's a better-known brand, but if the colleague is more likely to know Wasabi then by all means that!
 
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Another vote for Pret (or Wasabi, which is next door) - right in the middle of the atrium in front of the screens. A lot of people use that as a meeting place.

1653648599335.png
 

Class800

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thanks all - doesn't help that i've never met this colleague before face to face, so I have no idea what they look like.

I used to have this great map of the new New Street layout, but I can't find it anywhere

Ensure you have a phone number or your work Teams account on your phone to send a message to the colleague
 

trentvalley

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Remember there is another Pret on the ‘B’ end concourse so need to be explicit in which one
 

Dr Hoo

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thanks all - doesn't help that i've never met this colleague before face to face, so I have no idea what they look like.

I used to have this great map of the new New Street layout, but I can't find it anywhere.
Can you not exchange photographs between your phones?
 

BanburyBlue

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So tell them to avoid the Navigation Street Exit. Head for Grand Central and Bull ring exit. Can I take it that the aforementioned Pret and Wasabi on on the same level as the top of the escalators from platform 2? If this is the case I'll be fine.
 

Nottingham59

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#

Send them this photo (taken from Google Streetview). There are three clear roof domes in a line above the main shopping area. The Pret is under the middle one.

1653662202805.png
 

Dr Hoo

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The Google pic is quite helpful but out of date. John Lewis closed (during Covid, I believe).
 

Halish Railway

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In the Pret area specifically there seems to be a lot of homeless people begging (although a lot of them are actually just grifters). Caffè Nero is on the other side of the station, above the eastern ends of Platforms 11 & 12 and is a bit more peaceful and near to an exit.
 

gc4946

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I'm meeting a former schoolmate who I haven't seen for many years this Friday 5th August arriving New Street at 1248 off the 0945 CrossCountry train from Bournemouth.
He rarely travels on a train and has been nursing an ankle ligament injury.
I rarely use New Street and unsure where best to meet him considering his circumstances.
I've suggested standing near the ticket barriers, have already exchanged mobile numbers and prepared a sheet to hold up alerting my presence.
EDIT: are platform tickets still available because I can then meet him off the arriving platform?
 
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Dr Hoo

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I'm meeting a former schoolmate who I haven't seen for many years this Friday 5th August arriving New Street at 1248 off the 0945 CrossCountry train from Bournemouth.
He rarely travels on a train and has been nursing an ankle ligament injury.
I rarely use New Street and unsure where best to meet him considering his circumstances.
I've suggested standing near the ticket barriers, have already exchanged mobile numbers and prepared a sheet to hold up alerting my presence.
EDIT: are platform tickets still available because I can then meet him off the arriving platform?
Arrrghhh! NO NO NO!

With six 'main' sets of barriers plus two more on the 'Navigation Street' emergency exit/bridge this a near guarantee that you will never see your friend again as he hobbles from barrier to barrier with you chasing round in circles.

Even meeting on the 'arriving platform' is fraught with ambiguity with A and B ends, typically two lifts, two sets of steps and two sets of escalators as well as the risk of last minute platform changes and crowds of passengers obscuring any line of sight. Frantic messages or phone calls such as "I'm by the stairs" won't have a unique solution/meaning.

You need to agree a unique location at concourse level, 'outside' the barriers. Be aware that some popular brands such as Pret and Smiths have multiple locations or 'faces'.

Personally I would suggest Wasabi in the main central area.

(This where somebody comes along to say that it has been re-branded or re-purposed for the Commonwealth Games or something.)

Best of luck in meeting your friend.
 
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vic-rijrode

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Arrrghhh! NO NO NO!

With six 'main' sets of barriers plus two more on the 'Navigation Street' emergency exit/bridge this a near guarantee that you will never see your friend again as he hobbles from barrier to barrier with you chasing round in circles.

Even meeting on the 'arriving platform' is fraught with ambiguity with A and B ends, typically two lifts, two sets of steps and two sets of escalators as well as the risk of last minute platform changes and crowds of passengers obscuring any line of sight. Frantic messages or phone calls such as "I'm by the stairs" won't have a unique solution/meaning.

You need to agree a unique location at concourse level, 'outside' the barriers. Be aware that some popular brands such as Pret and Smiths have multiple locations or 'faces'.

Personally I would suggest Wasabi in the main central area.

(This where somebody comes along to say that it has been r-branded or re-purposed for the Commonwealth Games or something.)

Best of luck in meeting your friend.
What about meeting under the clock? :)
 

gc4946

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Arrrghhh! NO NO NO!

With six 'main' sets of barriers plus two more on the 'Navigation Street' emergency exit/bridge this a near guarantee that you will never see your friend again as he hobbles from barrier to barrier with you chasing round in circles.

Even meeting on the 'arriving platform' is fraught with ambiguity with A and B ends, typically two lifts, two sets of steps and two sets of escalators as well as the risk of last minute platform changes and crowds of passengers obscuring any line of sight. Frantic messages or phone calls such as "I'm by the stairs" won't have a unique solution/meaning.

You need to agree a unique location at concourse level, 'outside' the barriers. Be aware that some popular brands such as Pret and Smiths have multiple locations or 'faces'.

Personally I would suggest Wasabi in the main central area.

(This where somebody comes along to say that it has been r-branded or re-purposed for the Commonwealth Games or something.)

Best of luck in meeting your friend.

I last visited New Street together with another friend travelling from Manchester Piccadilly in November 2017 and was bewildered with multiple ticket barriers and station exits fortunately went OK.
Given his injury I'll suggest meeting my friend at Wasabi to reduce the risk of confusion between multiple locations of the same stores in the station.
Any other unique store locations within the station?
 

Nottingham59

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The roof of the main concourse area at New Street consists of three enormous clear glass domes in a row. I would suggest the most easily found and unique location is directly under the middle dome.

It's outside all six barriers and (from Google Streetview) doesn't seem likely to be crowded.
1659295430081.png
 

gc4946

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I last visited New Street together with another friend travelling from Manchester Piccadilly in November 2017 and was bewildered with multiple ticket barriers and station exits fortunately went OK.
Given his injury I'll suggest meeting my friend at Wasabi to reduce the risk of confusion between multiple locations of the same stores in the station.
Any other unique store locations within the station?
I met my friend by messaging him that I stood in front of the vertical red post at the entrance to Pret.
It was a good thing that I didn't approach him on the platforms or behind the ticket barriers because XC's service from Bournemouth scheduled to arrive at 1248, didn't arrive until 1328 and that was moved to platform 5 from platform 3
 

Dr Hoo

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Thank you for letting us know.

I am glad that you met your friend without undue difficulty (i.e. besides a 40 minute delay).
 
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