Newport Station - problems, improvements and enhancements (merged topics)

[whole diary]

[Lee]

Passengers travelling to and from Cardiff faced major delays after a fire near the track in Newport spread along 10 houses (link below.)
http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0200wales/tm_headline=rail-delays-after-huge-blaze-guts-row-of-houses%26method=full%26objectid=19588428%26siteid=50082-name_page.html

After severe train disruption yesterday afternoon , the main line re-opened at about 6.50pm with services due back to normal today.

Arriva Trains said four services had been terminated last night with alternative road transport being offered to passengers.

However , the fire had meant many more services were delayed with trains sticking to a 40mph speed limit.

First Great Western warned last night that all lines between Bristol and Newport were closed.

Here are inside views on this problem , and others on the network yesterday (links below.)
http://iworkforfgw.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=16&start=0&st=0&sk=t&sd=a

http://indefenceoffirstgreatwestern.blogspot.com/2007/08/track-problems.html

[Lee]

Bosses at Newport station are paying cabbies ^3 a time to ferry passengers from one rail platform to another (link below.)
http://www.rmtbristol.org.uk/2007/08/taxis_used_to_ferry_passengers.html#more

It is because a new ^5.5m platform , opened last month , does not have a lift for disabled,  elderly or passengers with pushchairs to use.

Network Rail said building a lift now would cause disruption , although there will be one in another redevelopment in time for the Ryder Cup in 2010.

In the meantime it is to provide free taxis as a "goodwill gesture".

The only access to the 270-metre long platform four is either a long walk through a car park or through the station over a footbridge.

But both routes are too difficult for passengers with mobility problems.

"It seems a bit strange if this was a new development that it wasn't thought about." - Disability Rights Commission spokeswoman.

[Lee]

Wales's disability rights commissioner is taking legal advice on whether the absence of a lift breaks the law (link below.)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/south_east/6953760.stm

[martyjon]

Wales's disability rights commissioner is taking legal advice on whether the absence of a lift breaks the law (link below.)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/south_east/6953760.stm

From what I saw in the picture accompanying the article the new platform has a curve on the platform face.

In the past when Devon County Council and the local council serving the area wanted to promote a new station at Kingkerswell on the Torbay Line on the site of the former station at the same location the H & S Executive put a block on it citing the reason that they dont sanction new stations unless the platform faces are straight to give a clear view of the complete train.

Strikes me Double Standards is at work here.

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

Newport station is undergoing a ^22m revamp to give it a space-age feel in time for the Ryder Cup golf tournament.

The 11 month project will see the venue almost double in size with a platform extension to cope with longer trains and an entrance on the northern side. The new look station will be clad in a material developed for the space industry and used on the Eden Project.

Arriva Trains Wales head of stations Peter Northcott said the station would be a "landmark building for the city".

Engineers have begun the work increasing the station's size to 2,100 sq m (22,500 sq ft).

Network Rail claims accessibility and safety are at the heart of the new design, with two new terminals and an additional new entrance to serve passengers from the northern side of the city. A station footbridge will connect passengers to all platforms while the station will also have three lifts, CCTV^▸ (Closed Circuit Tele Vision), a modernised customer information system and new waiting shelters. Both terminals will also have improved ticketing and information points and more shops.

The car park will have an additional 250 spaces and platform four will be extended by 50m (160ft).

The building will be clad in ethylene tetra fluoro ethylene (ETFE). Network Rail said ETFE, originally designed for the space industry, was chosen because it is extremely lightweight compared to glass and will require significantly less steel to support the structure.

In addition, the material provides better insulation than double glazing, does not degrade under ultraviolet light or atmospheric pollution and its non-stick, self-cleaning design means that grime can be easily removed by rain, said Network Rail.

[willc]

Network Rail announcement and artist's impression plus site pics here http://www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk/Content/Detail.asp?ReleaseID=4543&NewsAreaID=2&SearchCategoryID=7

[devon_metro]

What's wrong with Newport as it is. They've just fitted the floodlights at the Cardiff end of the platform, who needs station lights when you've got LED signals!

[devon_metro]

They all stand near first and subsequently seem to pile in E and then have the cheek to complain it's crowded. Whenever I travel from Newport, I like the double seat at the very back of the TGS. Guaranteed to be empty!

[willc]

Is it too much like common sense to have announcements - as used at Oxford with rather hit and miss results ahead of HST^▸ (High Speed Train) departures to London - or the zones that BR^▸ (British Rail(ways)) Intercity used to have to indicate where people should stand on the platform. Probably too much of an 'old railway' approach...

[IanC]

New-pwert City Council have also drawn up plans to redevelop the Station Yard area by the station.

South Wales Argus Link

[Tim]

What's wrong with Newport as it is. They've just fitted the floodlights at the Cardiff end of the platform, who needs station lights when you've got LED signals!

It is the British way to revamp by demolishing and rebuilding.  Newport is going to have an "Eden project style" plastic roof and lots of curved lines and silver pannels which will be dirty, damaged, vandalised and worn out in a few decades time.   What is wrong with just giving the station a lick of paint, some hanging baskets, and a tidy up?  The money saved could actually be used to provide more train services.  Bath was revamped a year or so ago and it looks more modern now but all it really needed was a deep clean, tidy and paint

[Btline]

I agree. We moan about 30s, 60s and 70s station architecture, and then replace it with another contemporary design that will be hated in 30 years!

Why don't we use traditional designs - guaranteed never to look ugly or be hated? Hmmm...a nice Georgian style building, with GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) style canopies...

[Tim]

Newport is an old station so why not keep it's original style.  Lots could be done to improve its appearance by getting rid of some of the clutter and just tidying it up.  Something is wrong if there is money for a demolition and rebuild but no money to ever paint stations above head height. 

Its not just about design - build quality also matters hugely.  Concrete only looks cheap and nasty because it is cheap and nasty.  In the 60s and 70s we made mistakes with concrete because it was cheap and captured the imagination of architechs.  I fear that we are repeating them today with steel and glass for exactely the same reasons.  Brick and stone just age better. 

[Lee]

From the South Wales Argus:

Talks bid to save Newport footbridge plans

Urgent talks are taking place about the refurbishment of Newport station^s Victorian footbridge after Network Rail warned the city council it may not be ready for the Ryder Cup.

Plans to refurbish the footbridge were part of the ^2.8 million city centre redevelopment scheme, after proposals to build a brand new bridge were scrapped due to a lack funds.

The cash for the Victorian footbridge was provided by Network Rail, the Assembly, and Newport Unlimited, and the council hoped that once the refurbishment was complete the unpopular subway between Devon Place and Queensway could be closed.

But leader of the city council Matthew Evans said Network Rail had informed the local authority that work on the bridge was unlikely to be finished before October 2010 when the Ryder Cup comes to Newport.

High level talks are now under way between the council, Network Rail, the Assembly, and Newport Unlimited to find a solution.

Cllr Evans said: ^Understandably, I was unhappy when I found out there could be potential delays. But I am hoping we can resolve the situation and I sincerely hope we can still achieve a positive outcome.^

He added it was very important to improve access to the city from Goldtops, and that the refurbishment of the footbridge was an "integral" part of wider plans for the city centre.

In February this year, Mr Evans told the Argus the subway under the railway station was an ^embarrassment^ to the city.

Gareth Beer, interim CEO^▸ (Chief Executive Officer) of Newport Unlimited, told the Argus the ongoing talks were of the ^highest priority^, and all options were being explored to get the footbridge fit for purpose and the subway closed.

No one at Network Rail was available for comment.

[IanC]

Whilst using the 'Newsnow' link that can be found at the top of each page, I see that ITV Wales reported on the beginnings of the upgrade that hopefully will be ready in time for the Ryder Cup this year.

ITV Wales Link