First Capital Connect rebranding King's Lynn station as "British Railways"

[whole diary]

[Worcester_Passenger]

Another thank-you to Paul for a detailed description. One question - what have you moved on to doing now?

Meanwhile, Paul does mention Birmingham Moor St, which got a very nice refurb. But it does remind you what a dreadful colour scheme the old GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) used for its stations.

[paulmeenan]

OK, round two...the whole truth from the horses mouth. Yep that's me in the picture speaking with Michael portillo, he was very nice and loved the fact we ad-hock begged borrowed etc for the job to come together..

Currently I actually left FCC^▸ (First Capital Connect) in beginning of January but stayed on to ensure completion of the works, this meant juggling the new job and this.. It was also an unpaid last 5 months of the job for me...however I am now working for the docklands light railway as the electrical and mechanical asset engineer. It's cool... I like the hours and they gave me time to complete Lynn.

Staff at Lynn are indifferent bunch some nice, some...unique. I would advise not taking what the station manager has to say much as he was a pain in the proverbial, had no passion or interest in the works to his shame...wouldn't engage with locals and now will spend all his time taking all the credit when people visit, as he tried when he told Portillo the paint scheme was from the great anglia railway...luckily MP^▸ (Member of Parliament) saw through his evident lack of knowledge...

Point of interest for you all..the work would and should have been delivered much quicker if it wasn't for me...........confronting and sometimes fighting with Network Rail to get additional monies to spend on what was needed....! They really were not interested , I had to give them no choice but to be interested which meant getting up in there faces at time..!

Ironically the route MD who I went through 2 on the Job said the works were better than reading stations recent works... And that he wished all projects were delivered like this... They would have some chance of that.. Structure just isn't there to allow indifferent and passionate projects to be tailored like that..

I would always be available to chat and give advice on what we did and how we did the works.. It's a story and a year and bit of my life I lived and loved a job despite the negative and naysayers... I know live in hope that the staff will take pride in and look after the works.. But I doubt it somehow..

I will try to post before and after pics if I can

[Chris from Nailsea]

Again: thank you for posting that excellent update on your project, Paul. 

[paulmeenan]

how it used to look like

[paulmeenan]

how it looks now

[SDS]

Wheres the old Network South East sign gone? Im sure some local enthusiast would pay top dollar for that.

[JayMac]

Bloke in the dark jacket appears not to be able to make up his mind:

"Hmm... shall I buy a ticket or get some passport photos?"

Also, what a motley selection of machines. 

[Brucey]

Bloke in the dark jacket appears not to be able to make up his mind:

"Hmm... shall I buy a ticket or get some passport photos?"

Also, what a motley selection of machines. 

Maybe he is wondering if the cash really is free

[Rhydgaled]

Wheres the old Network South East sign gone? Im sure some local enthusiast would pay top dollar for that.

Somebody probably has, but maybe not somebody local. There's a shop in Newport (probably not the Newport you are thinking of) that appears to get hold of the odd station sign from all over the place. I've never gone for a closer look, so I'm not sure if they are the real thing or replicas, but I've seen ATW^▸ (Arriva Trains Wales (former TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company))) 'Swansea' signs and, if I recall correctly, others from London and South East stations (possibly London Underground), outside when I've passed the place.

I didn't have time to have a good look arround Birmingham Moor Street when I was there, but I liked what I saw. From the few pictures I've seen of the revamped Kings Lynn, they seem to have done quite a good job there too. Such a shame my closest station wasn't given the heritage treatment, I thought it had serious potential but even the conservation area didn't save it from serious destruction of character.

[SDS]

The Newports I was thinking of were Newport Gwent and Newport IOW. I suspect the local Station Manager has either liberated it or in spite disposed of it.

Also I'm curious as to why Portillo opened it, would have thought having the chairman of the local Users Association or say the local MP^▸ (Member of Parliament) (Member of Parliament) or even Chris Green!

[onthecushions]

I imagine that the commemorative plaque from NSE^▸ (Network South East) days was in respect of HM QE the QM's visit on 28/07/1992, to mark the completion of a ^200k station upgrade and the completion of the 25kV electrification. She also named unit 317.361 "the KL Festival". Full electric services began on 24/08/1992 with the local MP^▸ (Member of Parliament) naming another 317/2.

If this is so, then, even if the plaque needed resiting, it should have stayed in the concourse.

If anyone important from NR^» (Network Rail - home page) or the TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company) is reading this, I hope they will follow the matter up.

Saddened,

OTC

Source: Modern Railways 1992: September p497, October p565.

For link to picture of  tablet see:

http://www.networksoutheast.net/nse-survivors3.html

(No 54 Kings Lynn)

[paulmeenan]

Don't be sad...

Third update.. The network southeast plaque is not gone, far from it.. Taken down by myself to reapr walls, polished and restored and relocated to our heritage wall display. I would nt dare take it down and get rid of it. The new plaque was to go next to it but others decided on its position..

A point of note the wagn station signs were taken down and are stored in an old BR^▸ (British Rail(ways)) rec room at the bottom of the car park.. If u want any ask the station staff as they have all taken signs and we let any passenger who wanted one have them..

Lastly we wanted royalty to do a formal event as prince Charles loved seeing the work progress, but thanks to my colleagues in network rail never being able to give a straight answer we didn't know a exact date to complete the extras.. So FCC^▸ (First Capital Connect) comms team cooked up michael portillo, he was lovely, really cared and knew his railway..quite fitting as he has done a lot to champion rail recently and had a lot of fans at the event..

[SDS]

So who at KLN would I ask for a station sign? GP?

[paulmeenan]

No it appears the staff have pinched everything that wasn't nailed down... Sorry

[Richard Fairhurst]

There's a shop in Newport (probably not the Newport you are thinking of) that appears to get hold of the odd station sign from all over the place. I've never gone for a closer look, so I'm not sure if they are the real thing or replicas

It's a great shop, and they're the real thing. My Christmas present the other year came from that shop, but wasn't a station sign - it was a lovely picture of the Dyffryn Arms over the hill...

On a related subject, I was interested to see chocolate-and-cream totems being installed at Moreton-in-Marsh this morning - very much like this one. A full King's Lynn-style rebrand for Moreton, or just a bit of GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) local colour?