Author Topic: I hadn't realised that Brum New Street was being refurbed  (Read 21467 times)


Kim

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Re: I hadn't realised that Brum New Street was being refurbed
« Reply #76 on: 01 May, 2015, 02:31:23 pm »
Possibly as a result of escalator fail...

Quote from: @NetworkRailBHM
Navigation Street Bridge, will temporarily open UFN, Sunday 03rd May to help with crowding @VirginTrains @LondonMidland @crosscountryuk

https://twitter.com/NetworkRailBHM/status/594032479939534849

(That's the old back entrance.)

Kim

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Re: I hadn't realised that Brum New Street was being refurbed
« Reply #77 on: 31 May, 2015, 11:02:46 pm »
I haven't watched this yet, but Mordor Central features in this week's episode of The Wrecking Crew:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b05xj1vh/demolition-the-wrecking-crew-episode-3


ETA: And now I've watched it, I can say that the Mordor Central bits are at ~18:30, ~34:30 and ~56:00.  If you just want to see the atrium rather than robotic concrete-gnashers, skip to 56:00.

Vince

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Re: I hadn't realised that Brum New Street was being refurbed
« Reply #78 on: 05 June, 2015, 11:12:47 am »
It reminded me of the farming pod in Silent Running.

A 1970 look at the future seems appropriate for New Street.
216km from Marsh Gibbon

Kim

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Re: I hadn't realised that Brum New Street was being refurbed
« Reply #79 on: 16 June, 2015, 11:50:29 pm »
I can confirm the installation of ~60 Sheffield stands in the murky gloom of the drop-off area.  They're awaiting some concrete to anchor them in place, so aren't ready for use, but it's an improvement.

I can also confirm general chaos inside the station, as the molishers begin to open up the new areas and the escalators halt and catch fire.  They're brought in extra people in orange hi-vis to tell confused passengers where to go, but they don't actually know anything beyond "Platfrom n?  That way.".

Re: I hadn't realised that Brum New Street was being refurbed
« Reply #80 on: 17 June, 2015, 08:31:14 am »
Actually now I pass through the station on a weekly basis with my bike and possessions for a week I've noticed that the folks in orange do actually do something useful. They make able bodied gits walk to the other side of platform 9* so I can get the bike in the lift otherwise it's a scrum where I never manage to get down to the platform because captain my lifes more important that you is trying to push past a man with two panniers and a bike who is trying to squeeze onto a lift.

Mind you last week an old dear with a walking frame barged me out of the way (actually like physically pushed into me), and said I had to let her on first because she was disabled, I'd only been queuing for 10 minutes mind you so not that long really.

* platform 9 has no escalator at the moment, so you can either go down to 8 then use the navigation street footbridge or use the stairs at the other end of the platform, most people opt for bugger that i'm getting the lift despite being told.
Somewhat of a professional tea drinker.


Kim

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Re: I hadn't realised that Brum New Street was being refurbed
« Reply #81 on: 18 August, 2015, 02:23:48 pm »
Mordor update:

I went through there a couple of times this weekend, and note the molishments of this fully armed and operational railway station are continuing apace.

The Eye Of Sauron by the Hill Street entrance was running test patterns, and I noticed the blue screen of no video signal had an uneasy brain-melting intensity to it.  Not so much that it was insanely bright (it was), but that it was unnaturally monochromatic.  Felt like staring at a UV light, without the inability to focus.  No good can come of it, I say.

In other news, I noticed they'd installed a video screen running a short animation warning people not to get injured on the escalators at the top of some of the escalators.  That should fix it.

And flipping the back wheel of my Brompton under in order to better fit in a semi-crowded lift instigated a discussion of James May amongst my fellow lift-mates, who were presumably Clarkson fans.  I was asked what it turned into.   ???

Re: I hadn't realised that Brum New Street was being refurbed
« Reply #82 on: 18 August, 2015, 03:04:18 pm »
I noticed on Monday morning that all the walkways had shrunk in the area past the (still) non operational ticket barriers, this is owing to the fact you could now see sunlight through the glass roofed bit in the atrium, which I will admit is nice.

It's still carnage on the platforms with idiots and big cases standing in the door ways so you can't get off the trains, and until they remove the plastic wrap and hoardings it'll continue for a bit. mind you the dirty fat wheel of my tourer emerging tends to get them to move pretty sharpish.
Somewhat of a professional tea drinker.


Guy

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Re: I hadn't realised that Brum New Street was being refurbed
« Reply #83 on: 18 August, 2015, 03:15:31 pm »
...you could now see sunlight through the glass roofed bit in the atrium...

Every day is skool day. I didn't kno you could get sunlight in Brum
"The Opinion of 10,000 men is of no value if none of them know anything about the subject"  Marcus Aurelius

Kim

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Re: I hadn't realised that Brum New Street was being refurbed
« Reply #84 on: 18 August, 2015, 07:06:12 pm »
It's still carnage on the platforms with idiots and big cases standing in the door ways so you can't get off the trains, and until they remove the plastic wrap and hoardings it'll continue for a bit.

I don't think that's likely to improve the platforms substantially.  They're just not big enough for the throughput of the station (and it's only going to get worse in future, unless perhaps HS2 eases the load).  I'm hoping that the new lifts will make things much better for those who need them, but the bottlenecks where people alighting are in conflict with those queuing to board will remain.


I didn't kno you could get sunlight in Brum

It's a funny orange colour.  And isn't in any danger of reaching platform level at Mordor Central.

Re: I hadn't realised that Brum New Street was being refurbed
« Reply #85 on: 18 August, 2015, 08:49:06 pm »
Mrs B & I alighted at Mordor Central on Saturday. It's changed a lot since I was last there, but the platforms are still deeply buried, & I don't see any way to change that short of nuking from orbit & starting again.

Ah well. At least there's a decent art gallery a short walk away. Too many pre-Raphaelites, but you can't have everything.
"A woman on a bicycle has all the world before her where to choose; she can go where she will, no man hindering." The Type-Writer Girl, 1897

Re: I hadn't realised that Brum New Street was being refurbed
« Reply #86 on: 26 August, 2015, 10:24:07 pm »

Oh FFS! Not only will it be covered in advertising, but the Eyes of Sauron will be giving us boys adverts and girls adverts.

https://www.facebook.com/midlandstoday/videos/10153545626399761/

Cudzoziemiec

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Re: I hadn't realised that Brum New Street was being refurbed
« Reply #87 on: 26 August, 2015, 10:31:37 pm »
I've seen a video of that technology being used in Russia to change adverts when police approached the screen. It was advertising something illegal (nothing terribly dodgy, but something illegal to advertise in Russia, can't remember what) and had been programmed to recognise police insignia. In essence it's no different and probably a lot less sophisticated than the advertising in your browser. Still, I hate all those huge LED screens whatever they're advertising, they're way too bright. As I think I've said before, they make me come over all "Doc Sarvis". Fortunately they're still rare here (oodles of them in Poland though).
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

Re: I hadn't realised that Brum New Street was being refurbed
« Reply #88 on: 26 August, 2015, 10:40:20 pm »
I've seen a video of that technology being used in Russia to change adverts when police approached the screen. It was advertising something illegal (nothing terribly dodgy, but something illegal to advertise in Russia, can't remember what

Yeah, I saw that: I think it was tasty Spanish food that it was advertising to everyone else!


Kim

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Re: I hadn't realised that Brum New Street was being refurbed
« Reply #89 on: 26 August, 2015, 11:25:23 pm »
Oh FFS! Not only will it be covered in advertising, but the Eyes of Sauron will be giving us boys adverts and girls adverts.

We need to subvert it with a [insert collective noun] of cardboard policemen.  Or policewomen.  Actually, have you ever seen a cardboard policewoman?  I wonder if the recruitment process is discriminatory...

Cudzoziemiec

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Re: I hadn't realised that Brum New Street was being refurbed
« Reply #90 on: 26 August, 2015, 11:38:35 pm »
Nah, what you need is a group containing equal numbers of policemen, policewomen, male and female burglars. The burglars in stripy masks with swag bags, obvs. That'll fuck with its algorithms!



Or of course it might just mean it plays four different adverts, one after the other.
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

Kim

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Re: I hadn't realised that Brum New Street was being refurbed
« Reply #91 on: 18 September, 2015, 02:51:48 pm »
http://www.theguardian.com/business/gallery/2015/sep/18/birmingham-new-street-station-in-pictures

I think the exterior has had a polish, for that spaceship from Flight Of The Navigator look.

Observant readers will notice that they've mis-spelt 'Mordor'.

Seriously, the atrium doesn't actually look that bad.  We'll see if it actually leads to a more usable station next week...

Also, it looks like the road chaos on Hill Street (which has been a complete arse, even if you're not following the NCN route) may finally be over: http://www.pushbikes.org.uk/content/ncn5-be-reinstated-hill-street

Re: I hadn't realised that Brum New Street was being refurbed
« Reply #92 on: 18 September, 2015, 03:56:46 pm »
I was there a few weeks ago. Scaffolding, bits fenced off including a big chunk of the road outside . . . .
"A woman on a bicycle has all the world before her where to choose; she can go where she will, no man hindering." The Type-Writer Girl, 1897

Kim

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Re: I hadn't realised that Brum New Street was being refurbed
« Reply #93 on: 18 September, 2015, 04:47:05 pm »
I was there a few weeks ago. Scaffolding, bits fenced off including a big chunk of the road outside . . . .

Yes.  It's been that way for about 5 years now, so is hardly news (see much of this thread).  Exactly what's fenced off changes between visits, like something from Greek mythology.

The news is that it's supposed to be finished and the fencing-off removed on Sunday, with the Exciting! New! Retail opportunities! opening on the 24th.

Cudzoziemiec

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Re: I hadn't realised that Brum New Street was being refurbed
« Reply #94 on: 18 September, 2015, 05:11:06 pm »
http://www.theguardian.com/business/gallery/2015/sep/18/birmingham-new-street-station-in-pictures

I think the exterior has had a polish, for that spaceship from Flight Of The Navigator look.

Observant readers will notice that they've mis-spelt 'Mordor'.

Seriously, the atrium doesn't actually look that bad.  We'll see if it actually leads to a more usable station next week...

Also, it looks like the road chaos on Hill Street (which has been a complete arse, even if you're not following the NCN route) may finally be over: http://www.pushbikes.org.uk/content/ncn5-be-reinstated-hill-street
Grand Central? ?!?!?! I suppose that's the name for the retail opportunity, vaguely railway-related although nothing to do with New St. Or perhaps it's meant to relate to the canal (is there a Grand Central Canal in Brum?). Anyways, it's interesting to see the "original" photo cos it looks like... a railway station.
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

Kim

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Re: I hadn't realised that Brum New Street was being refurbed
« Reply #95 on: 18 September, 2015, 05:15:20 pm »
Grand Central? ?!?!?! I suppose that's the name for the retail opportunity, vaguely railway-related although nothing to do with New St.

Indeed.  http://www.grandcentralbirmingham.com/

I assume it's a homage to the scally-infested retail area adjacent to the station in Stockport.  Or something.


Quote
Anyways, it's interesting to see the "original" photo cos it looks like... a railway station.

Like much of Birmingham, it all went wrong in the 60s.

Cudzoziemiec

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Re: I hadn't realised that Brum New Street was being refurbed
« Reply #96 on: 18 September, 2015, 05:25:47 pm »
First law of retops: try to associate your premises with something more pleasant and somehow more aspirational than mere shopping. An airtight box of air-conditioned aridity dominated by grey concrete and fibreboard? Bluewater. A modest shed in an out-of-the-way location? Grand Central. Etc.
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Kim

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Re: I hadn't realised that Brum New Street was being refurbed
« Reply #97 on: 18 September, 2015, 05:28:43 pm »
Ah, so it's trying to associate it with Not Birmingham.  That makes sense.  :)

Cudzoziemiec

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Re: I hadn't realised that Brum New Street was being refurbed
« Reply #98 on: 18 September, 2015, 05:40:08 pm »
The whole of Birmingham is trying to associate itself with Not Birmingham. West Midlands, innit? Even the sportsball clubs: Aston Villa (posh cars and fancy houses), West Bromwich (dangerously near Brum) Albion (ah, sounds Scottish), Wolverhampton (oh no not Birmingham) Wanderers (even if we were in the West Midlands we wouldn't stay there), etc etc. We'll ignore Birmingham City because that's what everyone does.
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

Basil

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Re: I hadn't realised that Brum New Street was being refurbed
« Reply #99 on: 18 September, 2015, 06:03:43 pm »
I was there this morning.  A lot of the inside has suddenly opened up. (Not the atrium bit though).  It's much nicer than the previous scuttling about in chip board alley ways.
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