Travel

What do you think of the plans for New Street?

Chris
Looks remarkably futuristic, I was thinking just the other day though how Brum could do with some more traditional, red-brick architecture though. Birmingham seems to have very little in the way of old buildings now (though obviously the futuristic look is a marked improvement on most anything built in the 60s!).

Mike Birmingham
Looks totally awful! Like the debris of a flying saucer! Its more platforms & track thats needed not a 21st century Pompadou centre!

Matt, Cheltenham
With my gilfriend and friends living up north i use this station alot and its good to see something is finally being done to sort the place out !!!

Daniel Whitehouse
This needs to be done now, its something that honestly they should have thought about when the Bullring was being built. The station is an eye sore both internally and externally, if they started it a few years ago it might have been ready for 2012. But I still think they need more tracks even Manchester has 18, but because of where the station is the amount of tracks can never be changed so really they can make the station look amazing which it will but in the long run it won't improve anything in terms of congestion, platform alterations, cancellations things that are always occuring at New Street.

John Kirk
Very pleased that work is going to start.Hope it is more of a station than a shopping centre. Combining the two was never a good idea in practice.The design will complement the nearby Bullring, and have echoes of the original 1850s building with all that glass. This building is very important for the 90% of passengers for whom this is their only impression of Birmingham. Most people going through Birmingham do not get off. When they see this station they may want to, as opposed to the existing monstrosity where arrival is more like being down the pit !

Lindsay Slater
This just doesn't fit in with the heritage of Birmingham.

Edward Danzey
It will be nice to have a New Station. But when will people realise that the amount of platforms is going to remain the same.Should have built another station at Curzon Street as well..

pete
WHAT A WHASTE OF MONEY WHEN 2.4 MILLION PEOPLE ARE UNEMPLOYED AND PEOPLE ARE LOSING HOUSES AND CANNOT AFFORD FOOD

andrew
it looks brillant! I cannot wait for this to be built, Birmingham is really showing just how and why its the Second City.

Paul Smith
What's the point of investing and updating the City Centre when the gateway to it is still stuck in the 70's?! So yes this is excellent news! However what a shame it's taken so long to even get to this stage. Typical of a Government funding dept that appaears to give preference to projects south of the border. Will we have to wait this long for the also well needed Metro line to be extended from Snow Hill to the NEC / B'ham International??!! 25 minutes to get to Wolverhampton from Snow Hill. where else can you do hat a peak times? Come on Mr Brown, dig a little deeper, widen your vision and give Birmingham a transport network that does what it says on the tin.

Alan
Great news that the New Street refurb is under way, it is a horrible construction at the minute and it will be a pleasure to use a new bright airy station. The old New Street wasn't much of a welcome for visitors of Birmingham, hopefully the new station will show visitors what a great city this is from the off.

Martin
Am very happy to hear about this. New Street station has to be one of the most depressing sites in a city that has revitalised and reinvented itself.

Mike Westley
Does this increased capicity come from extending platforms ? does the revamp budget include finance for diverting local passenger services through Moor Street / Snow Hill via new Bordesley viaduct ?

Adam
Finally.! Birmingham really needs it. Manchester's Piccadilly station looks so much better then Birmingham's. A new station for a up and coming city.!

Mr Andrew Clarkson
this is fantastic news for all those commuters that are welcomed daily to a grim,outdated,under-invested train station that is the heart of a city like birmingham is,the shear lack of ideas from a local authority like birmingham city council, that just pipe dreams it's way ahead, and with too much burocratic interference and that wastes valuable revenue. Then there's the government that over the past ten years, that has failed constantly to listen to all those people that use the station, day in and day out, who just want a railway station to be proud about,and also why, and where all mega funding projects, all arrive in the south -ie- st pancras station which the government invested and spent £1 billion plus of tax payers money, and where birmingham has to wait years and years, just to recieve less that half that amount to begin it's own dream.