The BBC’s Maggie Philbin, the host of this years ‘Future of Station Design’ conference, describes Birmingham New Street Station as ‘embarrassing’.
She says that when one travels to a city the first image they are met with is that of a dismal and bleak train station. This is subsequently their very first and very last impression of a city.
Resolvedly, numerous influential individuals in the transport industry are attending a conference to be held at the London Museum of Transport entitled The Future of Station Design on the 29th of April 2010.
According to Maggie ‘it is both eye-watering and bewildering as to why a change has not been made already’.
Birmingham New Street Station
One of the stations being discussed is Birmingham New Street, which Maggie describes as “horrendously embarrassing compared with the way the rest of the city has been modernised in recent years as well as in comparison with stations such as St. Pancreas and Manchester Piccadilly”.
Whilst Maggie may not believe that the station is a “true reflection” of the city, in some cases it is in fact the only impression that many commuters experience of Birmingham when using the station simply to transfer onto a different train.
Unfortunately, the outmoded state of Birmingham New Street station is not an isolated case. There are in fact 150 train stations to be discussed at the conference with contemporary design ideas that will not only modernise the stations but will allow them to become substantially more ecological.
Time for a change
Maggie’s involvement stems from a ‘vested interest as a commuter as well as a journalist’.
Angry at the way stations have ’slowly decayed over time’, Maggie is concerned about the ‘lack of coordination, safety and poor service that the stations often offer’ with the poignant image of ‘tumbleweed slowly roaming the hallways of the station’ used to describe them.
Maggie also states that change will only occur ‘with a serious will to change the status quo that we have over time come to accept’.
It is clear that this ‘change’ will be slow to harness and the renewable energy devices set to be installed will not simply provide for the entire stations energy uses. Despite this, Maggie is certain that a difference can be made and that the reduction of its carbon footprint is attainable.
In addition Maggie has stated that ‘inexpensive solutions need to be capitalised’ suggesting that the conference will provide elegant solutions to energy problems with the technology that the world already has to offer.
Economic viability
The one major concern of this issue lies in the financial, with refurbishments costing thousands of the taxpayers money, it is a concern that the people of Birmingham will share if New Street Station is to be modernised.
In response to this concern, ideas have been offered to alleviate the taxpayers including notions of government investment in partnership with businesses and organisations in the transport industry.
The underlying message that the conference wishes to convey, according to Maggie, is that of a “positive growth in the right direction towards making a change that is ultimately not a difficult one”.
Those involved in the project are hoping for its completion to be in 2014.
