Program of Station improvements

[Waverley125]

We've recently had talk from both Andrew Adonis and Richard Branson about station improvements. Adonis focused on lack of services and poor atmosphere at stations, while Branson wants to modernise older stations to make them easier to use.

With the recent setting up of the 'stations champions', will we finally see a proper programme of station improvements, to go along with HS and wires? Obviously some stations, such as Birmingham New Street and Euston are going to get refurbishments already, but there are obviously more than need doing, as they are architecturally shocking, poorly designed and unfriendly. So where should be top of our list?

personally, I'd like to see big improvements at:

Stafford
Peterborough
Dundee
Birmingham Snow Hill
Bradford Interchange
Leeds (main concourse only)
Sunderland
Hartlepool
Leicester
Wakefield Westgate
Wakefield Kirkgate
Crewe
Southampton Central
Portsmouth & Southsea

 

[daccer]

basically anything that was modernised under BR need to get ploughed under and redone. The 60's and 70's were a disaster and much was lost.

The difficulty is finding the happy medium between preserving heritage features and providing modern facilities for passengers. I think St Pancras has moved this on to a new level and hopefully Kings Cross will continue this trend. I hope the current penchant for removing 60's "temporary" additions continues. I know Kings Cross is having the horrible temporary building removed and also the outside of Lime St is also beng tidied up. By and large the Victorians got it largely right and returning buildings to as near to their original states seems a good idea.

Continuing this theme I hope Crewe and Manchester Victoria can be tickled up whilst not loosing their old features. Crewe in particular needs decluttering and the 60s additions taking away.

Also it is surprising how a station can look unloved if it has platforms out of use. I dont know if Halifax is having its out of use platform put back into use but i think it would help the ambience of the station if it did. Same goes for Hartlepool and March station also suffers from the same problem.

I think that the next five years will see the railways recapture some of the glory years wit the amount of investment going in. I hope that the stations get their fair share and we see some of them returning to their former glories

 

[Waverley125]

bringing platform 1 & the main station building back into use at Halifax would be a superb improvement, agreed.

Also Rochdale, which should hopefully see some change under the Metrolink extension.

Just thought of Victoria as another one that needs doing, as Eastern side could use a tidy up. But taking the office block down, along with the ones at Charing Cross, Cannon Street, Liverpool Street and Fenchurch Street will be damn difficult.

Also, throughout west yorkshire, the demolition of the wooden board platform stations such as Bramley and their replacement with proper stations with station buildings-that sort of cheapskate construction only damages the image of the railways, and attracts vandalism.

 

[First class]

Compared to the rest of Network Rail owned stations, Liverpool Lime Street is pretty rubbish and underdeveloped internally.

Platforms 1-6 are appalling. It's so gloomy

I don't really think Network Rail should run this station. Would be much better suited to London Midland or Northern.

 

[Aictos]

Peterborough certainly should be done with new platforms - all bidirectional of course except the existing bay platform, a new footbridge if possible with lifts to all platforms.

Oh and a gateline with proper revenue staffing say from 0600 to 2100 which means there's staff available for both peaks.

 

[daccer]

at the moment I am aware of work currently being undertaken at Rotherham, Filey, Halifax, Shotton, Derby and Kings Cross plus soom roof repairs at Paddington. I also think Shrewsbury has a little work going on also

Plans are in place for Birmingham News St rebuild and also Edinburgh Waverley major work plus some work at Reading during the remodel and I think Newport is also getting some work this year.

I know the Euston rebuild has been put back a little due to finance. Man Victoria's rebuild seems to be getting smaller by the day and Crewe also.

What I am interested to know is what about all the other schemes that have been mooted. Stafford, Luton, Northampton, Peterborough and Bedford have been spoken about as has Nottingham and Harrogate. A lot of the WCML stations modernised in the 60's are looking very tired and if New St is worthy of a remodel what about Coventry and Wolves.

Lastly my vote for bleakest station - Severn Tunnel Jnctn - apparently getting a spruce up during the trackwork this year.

 

[t0ffeeman]

Liverpool Lime St was always a Regional Railways station during the 90s ,never Intercity so probably suffered from that. Also it has only recently been a Network Rail managed station, so yes, would need a bit of work done.

 

[Waverley125]

i think that these projects need to stop being seen as one-offs. Sure, big stations will only get done once in a while, but we have over a thousand railway stations in Britain!

Particularly with regard to Bramley, it shouldn't be difficult to put in 2 concrete platforms with tarmaced or paved surface, two rudmentary brick shelters with doors that shut, and a ticket machine on both platforms. For larger stations, a building with a ticket office e.g. New Pudsey

As for peterborough, it needs new buildings on all platforms, resignalling to provide bi-di operation on all platforms, and a new platform on the existing up avoiding line. All EC trains can then run through (what will then be) platforms 4 and 5, with 1 given to Terminating FCC trains and 2 & 3 to longer FCC services & lincoln services. Platform 6 should be built with two loops (a la cambridge) as none of the units that use it fill up even half it's length, so XC & EMT trains can approach it from both north & south.

 

[DaveNewcastle]

. . . and any thoughts about which stations we definitely DO NOT want to be "modernised/improved" but left exactly as they are?
I'll start with Totnes.

 

[Waverley125]

Castle Cary, Temple Meads, York, Newcastle Central, Stirling, Durham, Darlington, Grantham, Knaresborough, Hexham just for starters.

 

[Mojo]

Temple Meads does need improvements! A proper concourse with better ticket sales facilities and more circulating room are planned with the 'Plot 6' redevelopment.

 

[Aictos]

As for peterborough, it needs new buildings on all platforms, resignalling to provide bi-di operation on all platforms, and a new platform on the existing up avoiding line. All EC trains can then run through (what will then be) platforms 4 and 5, with 1 given to Terminating FCC trains and 2 & 3 to longer FCC services & lincoln services. Platform 6 should be built with two loops (a la cambridge) as none of the units that use it fill up even half it's length, so XC & EMT trains can approach it from both north & south.

1. Peterborough doesn't need new buildings on all platforms other then new ones on the new platforms when they do get built.

2. All platforms are already bi directional already so no need to do that work!

3. There is no up avoiding line, only the though fast lines, the though Stamford lines on platforms 4 and 5 and the though slow lines on platforms 2 and 3.

4. The new platform shouldn't be built in that location but rather build two more bay platforms with one near to the current platform 5 and one near to the ends of either the current platform 2 or 3.

5. I do agree on this though, the current platform 5 should have a crossover like Cambridge.

 

[Waverley125]

oh come on mate, peterborough station is horrible. The main concourse is a piece of 60s brutalist crap, platform 3 has a glorified bus shelter. only 4/5 has anything approaching decent passenger facilities.

Fine, through fast line then. It's the up main line and it avoids the platforms.

A northern bay where the postal sorting depot is might be a good idea to serve EMT stoppers. There's no need for a bay near 5 as there's no terminating trains coming in on that side. Doing so would also require major widening of the platform.

Why not build the new up main platform backing onto what is now platform 3? There used to be a platform there, and it's the logical place for one to go.

 

[OMGitsDAVE]

Hartlepool is absolutely disgusting. Basically, Northern have invested in a new ticket office & waiting room, but left the HORRIBLE roof on, they have also invested in a "shutter" which is closed after the last GC arrives heading for Sunderland. Eventually, this will have to be kept open till atleast 11PM, as the final GC will arrive at 10.30PM.

As you can see, the roof is rusted, the old second entrance (right) is closed off. I think it would be better if they opened the second platform, allowing two trains at once (as they normally have trains waiting) and then finally building a bridge or expansion of some sort to cross the rails.

THIS shows the new ticket office, then you walk out to "that".

 

[jopsuk]

Peterborough Platform 5 gets terminating trains- the Liverpool Street via Ipswich service.

 

[Waverley125]

which runs once every two hours, and is often cut back at Shenfield.

 

[DaveNewcastle]

Perth station is another which has some spectaular architecture (victorian gothic stonework, fantail ironwork on the canopy, and THAT clock), but much of which desperately needs some attention - the west canopy looks as if it might just blow away or crumble into dust!

I don't know if the operational features are appropriate to the current needs of passengers or TOCs - tho I see that the lift on the main platforms/concourse is out of action - but it would be a great loss if the station was "modernised".
Pics at http://www.railbrit.co.uk/location.php?loc=Perth (clock is about 2/3rds down)

Hartlepool is absolutely disgusting.

Agreed!
Its astonishing that the Teesside Develoment Corporation (while it existed) spent so much on the marina and left the station to crumble and rot! Can anyone explain?

 

[thelem]

Wikipedia mentions various redevelopment of the concourse at Brighton, but doesn't give any sources. Does anyone know any more?

 

[OMGitsDAVE]

Agreed!
Its astonishing that the Teesside Develoment Corporation (while it existed) spent so much on the marina and left the station to crumble and rot! Can anyone explain?

As far as i know, the TDC spent money on the Marina for the Tall Ships Race 2010 - before we were announced as the host. Now, Hartlepool Council is building a transport interchange of buses, coaches, taxis & trains - but they still need to do te station!

 

[Waverley125]

Perth's one of those stations that needs a little TLC as is. Unfortunately some stations e.g. Bradford Interchange, need wholsesale demolition and rebuilding. The loss of Exchange is, for me, one of the biggest acts of railway vandalism in British history. The fact we allowed Euston, Leeds City, Exchange & St Enoch to be demolished in that way is nothing short of appalling.

 

[winks]

Portsmouth & Southsea is not too bad but that horrible dated red has to go!! Fratton is the pitts too but I believe NR and SWT are upgrading the station with a new lift and I believe, refurb'd Coffee shop. At last.

 

[Waverley125]

Lord Adonis also made a good point in his piece about station facilities, and not being able to get a cup of tea at Southampton at 8pm. I was coming home from Crewe (football) back in March, and couldn't get a coffee or bite to eat at 6:30 while waiting at Nuneaton. The main waiting room was also closed, which was a blow as i had an hour's wait for my train, so ended up catching an earlier on to leicester to wait there.

 

[jdtaylor]

Well, Stevenage could do with passenger operated lifts, the lifts are so nearly there, they just need automatic doors, and an audio unit, and they'll be fine. Adding to that, Harlow Town by the sounds is going to have adjustments made, so customers can use the lifts there without the need for staff as at present they go through a staff area, why, and the Managment agree with me, the lifts weren't refurbished to open the public footbridge side is most puzzling.

I do want lifts and footbridge improvements at Whittlesford Parkway as the footbridge is a disaster at least Audley End's getting them. Also Letchworth is completely disabled inaccessible, as nobody can bother to getting around to getting the lifts replaced even when I believe the local council's offered money towards this!!!

 

[yorksrob]

Perth's one of those stations that needs a little TLC as is. Unfortunately some stations e.g. Bradford Interchange, need wholsesale demolition and rebuilding. The loss of Exchange is, for me, one of the biggest acts of railway vandalism in British history. The fact we allowed Euston, Leeds City, Exchange & St Enoch to be demolished in that way is nothing short of appalling.

Amen to that! particularly regarding Bradford Exchange. I'd also say the demolition of the Southern Railway booking hall at Hastings was a pretty underhand act of vandalism. With a view to future projects, wouldn't it be possible to redevelop London Bridge without desmolishing the LB&SC trainshed? I'm sick of stations being turned into underground car parks.