State of Portsmouth and Southsea Station

[whole diary]

[grahame]

From The News

Calls to clean up ‘grubby’ Portsmouth city centre

CALLS have been made to clean up the ‘appalling’ state of a filthy railway station delivering thousands of people into the city each day. Portsmouth City Council has hit out at Network Rail and South Western Railway for the current condition of Portsmouth and Southsea station, saying its state is ‘detrimental’ to the look of the city.

Portsmouth and Southsea station was originally a terminus ... then a slope was added up to high level platforms that burst through the front of the station was added to allow the extension to Portsmouth Harbour.  I've not been there for a very long time indeed in a a "look mode" but I'm pretty sure that the terminus platforms have shrunk back, leaving a station which had been part-mashed around multiple times to meet needs rather that being a total design.

[CyclingSid]

Must admit I don't often see the front, but part of the problem is the area round the station has been redeveloped and its original context has been lost. Basically the main building is a nice piece of Victorian railway architecture, the addition to the high level platforms looks like a typical 60's bit of railway building (not architecture). I can't remember what it looked like before.
Most of my journeys, over 60+ years, have been through to Portsmouth Harbour. But it is apparent that Portsmouth and Southsea is one of those stations that has not been "shrunk" well because of declining traffic, Eastbourne is another example.

[grahame]

Must admit I don't often see the front, but part of the problem is the area round the station has been redeveloped and its original context has been lost. Basically the main building is a nice piece of Victorian railway architecture, the addition to the high level platforms looks like a typical 60's bit of railway building (not architecture). I can't remember what it looked like before.
Most of my journeys, over 60+ years, have been through to Portsmouth Harbour. But it is apparent that Portsmouth and Southsea is one of those stations that has not been "shrunk" well because of declining traffic, Eastbourne is another example.

Searched for the upper platform rebuild - it was 30 years ago.

From https://www.portsmouth.co.uk/lifestyle/heritage/mourning-the-loss-of-the-old-1-7174832

Between 1988 and 1990 there was a complete rebuild of the high-level platforms at Portsmouth and Southsea station. The whole of the old wood and iron roof was demolished and a new one installed.

Looks like the extras when connected to the Victoria elements are looking tired.

Other links with (old) pictures

https://www.aboutmyarea.co.uk/Hampshire/Portsmouth/PO6/Days-Gone-By/Memories-of-Portsmouth-Central/129615-Old-Photos-of-Central-Portsmouth

http://www.starzina.com/Starzina%20Z%20Railways%20Portsmouth.htm

The "shrinkage" you mention is ironic.   Passenger numbers are now at record highs (not sure if Portsmouth and Southsea could be an unusual exception) - but efficiently is so much higher that facilities can be much less, even though traffic is much more.

[paul7575]

There were some 1980s? prefabricated shops across the concourse hiding the bay platforms from view until a few years ago,  but since their removal it is far more open.  I don’t think the position of the buffers has changed.   I believe the two remaining bay platforms get far more use all day now, the route to them always seemed to be a bit of an afterthought, even before the gateline was added I felt the passenger flows were designed primarily to get from the entrance to high level, you had to double back behind or squeeze past a toilet block to get to P3/4.   I’m not at all sure but I think there’s another relatively modern brick block containing a redundant lift shaft - maybe Post Office related?

I think the gateline orientation could and should be completely revised now that there is more room on the concourse; as the timetable changes gradually come in there’ll also be more SWR^» (South Western Railway - about) services leaving from the bays.

I see the Portsmouth News report refers to a “complete rebuild of the platforms”, but to the best of my knowledge it was only the buildings and roof, the island platform is the same narrow badly curved platform it always was...

Paul