Identify the trip?

[whole diary]

[grahame]

Out of FGW^▸ (First Great Western) territory today.   Pictures from the place I started, each change, and my destination.  Can anyone give me my complete journey?

[Worcester_Passenger]

I can get the second half of the journey, but I never venture south of Birmingham Moor St, so I can't place the origin and the first change (is it Tyseley?).

But after that you've been to Smethwick Galton Bridge - that's the High Level platform, with a cunning 'to platforms' sign that misses out P4.

And then to Wolverhampton - that's the far end of the Birmingham-end bay.

And thence to Lancaster.

[ChrisB]

No - Warwick Parkway (subway) & Birmingham Moor Street platform 3

[grahame]

Correct - Warwick Parkway to Lancaster changing at Birmingham Moor Street, Smethwick Galton Bridge and Wolverhampton.

[thetrout]

I got Smethwick Galton Bridge but only because of the sign reflecting in the window of that Class 323

My guess for Lancaster was also way out. I initially thought Durham as they track layout is fairly similar. But eventually discounted it after realizing the platforms were asymmetrical, There was an over bridge and the station was in VWC Colours.

[Worcester_Passenger]

I go to Moor Street occasionally - but never as far as platform 3!

[grahame]

Looking back on the day ... what incredible changes we've seen over the years on a journey like this.
 
Warwick Parkway is a new station, with that passageway (famously?) being utilised by Chiltern Trains to provide cost effective access to a northbound platform when a quotation from the infrastructure owner was much higher ... so perhaps this is a benefit of a longer franchise.

Birmingham Moor Street - at one time down to a two platform terminus - now has 4 (or 5?)  platforms, and is a through station once again, with new northbound services.   And what was once a rundown station is now smart and alive

Smethwick Galton Bridge is a new 4 platform station, where two lines both with frequent (at least twice an hour) services call on both.   Again, busy; seeing it on a Saturday and so with a  whole lot of occasional / new users, there is perhaps a call for better signage to help people find their ongoing platforms, and indeed the station exit (which is above the high level!).    Could also do with some tuning of the announcements on platform 3 which were telling us "stand back, fast train approaching" just after the fast train had gone through!

Wolverhampton - a bit vague here, but I think that at least one of the easterly platforms is new ... and it's also great to see busy, hourly electric (mainly!) trains up to the North West and on to Scotland.  Such an improvement on the days of Voyagers running routinely under the wires all the way all day from Birmingsham to Scotland, and a separate London to Wolverhampton service.

Lancaster.  And there's an extra platform there too. Still one platform face without a track, and no WiFi connection anywhere in the station (well - not in Costa, and not to the knowledge of the Costa staff).

We've had many improvements over the years in our own part of the country, and indeed many more are underway ... and I look forward to the day where just about every station that I change trains at has come forward significantly since the low point.   Platform 4 has returned at Swindon.   Trowbridge needs a buffet, and at both Chippenham and Westbury, the trackless platform faces could really do with additional tracks.    That's not just "wouldn't it be nice if" ... there are operational, robustness, and traffic growth reasons which are no longer pie in the sky!

[Worcester_Passenger]

Wolverhampton has indeed got a new platform over the far side of the station. And a new footbridge to get there. A question for the techie members of the forum - why are all new footbridges so tall? There's an extra flight of stairs here, and on the one at Reading.

But what is completely absurd about the new footbridge is the 60 meters of open platform between the platform canopy and the (enclosed) footbridge. Was there a plan to rebuild the main buildings that somehow never happened? Or do railway architects want the passengers to get wet?

Wolverhampton is sometimes touted as being an easier place for interchange than Birmingham New St. That's true northbound, where everything shares the same platform. Less so southbound, where the Virgin train from Scotland will sit at the far platform for 20 minutes, while everything else uses the middle island platform.

As a place for interchange, Smethwick Galton Bridge is pretty useless to/from the Worcester direction (it may be better if you're travelling from the Warwick Parkway direction). It's only the Birmingham - Wolverhampton stopper that calls there.

And moving from one platform to another is complicated. From P4 (the Wolverhampton - New St platform) to P1 (Snow Hill - Kidderminster) is 16 steps up to P2, along P2, another 16 steps up to the footbridge, across the foot bridge, and 16 steps down to P1. Or there's a Cluedo-like secret lift.

[Surrey 455]

I did wonder if you used a "Great Escape" from London Midland but I can now see that Lancaster is not served by them.

[grahame]

I did wonder if you used a "Great Escape" from London Midland but I can now see that Lancaster is not served by them.

Unusually for me, I used advance fares ... I had to be in Lancaster before the first connection from Melksham, thus the early morning drive to Warwick, and by the time I came back the fares had dropped for the evening.  I did have an hour or two to wait in Lancaster rather than just hopping on the next train, but I booked with a safe margin.

[Rhydgaled]

But what is completely absurd about the new footbridge is the 60 meters of open platform between the platform canopy and the (enclosed) footbridge. Was there a plan to rebuild the main buildings that somehow never happened? Or do railway architects want the passengers to get wet?

I've read of similar complaints about Newport (the big one in South Wales) station. Railway architects also seem to have a habit of wanting to trash the appearance of stations with listed building protection with new features that are not in keeping. At Aberystwyth, the are going to build an odd looking modern canopy on the outside of the Cambrian Railways building (although after objections they have toned the new canopy down, it is still not great), and Shrewsbury has a refurbishment plan that doesn't look in keeping (although in that case I'm probably more concerned that the waiting room on the island platform, already too small, is to be reduced in size). The latest issue of Modern Railways however has a frightening artist's impression that tops them all (apart, perhaps, for the loss of the station building at Fishguard & Goodwick, although that was protected by a conservation area rather than listing). This would put the grand frontage of Cardiff Central inside a huge class box with a wavy roof that reminds me of Tesco-Havant. Not acceptable.

Talking of unacceptable station 'improvements', I saw the other day that the gent's toilets at Haverfordwest had been refurbished. Good, I thought, until I entered the cubicle. Apart from the fact it was plummed into the drainage system, it essentially was a stainless steel bucket (no toilet seat). Dreadful. Also dreadful is Whitland, a junction station with almost no shelter from the wind and very little in the way of facilities (nearest toilets are the public toilets about 3-5 minutes walk away, and are similar to the disapointment at Haverfordwest station), although it does have passenger information displays now. It is all very well knowing there is half an hour wait for the train but with no waiting room to retreat to it can get rather unpleasant in windy conditions.