New Street voted the second biggest eyesore in the country

Birmingham New Street station has been voted the second biggest eyesore in the country by readers of Country Life magazine.

The result of the poll, published in November, will come as no surprise to the tens of thousands of people who use the station every day and have long complained about its gloomy, cramped conditions.

A station few love

New Street is the busiest station in Britain outside London, and a major hub for trains across the country. But its buildings are widely regarded as some of the worst of any major station.

The station was rebuilt in the 1960s, when the old Victorian station, with its huge arched roof, was demolished. The new station was built underneath a concrete deck, with the Pallasades shopping centre and a multi-storey car park on top.

The result is a station with little natural light, low ceilings and narrow platforms. Passengers complain that it is dark, confusing and uncomfortable, especially when it is crowded.

Designed for fewer passengers

The station was designed to handle far fewer passengers than it does today. Passenger numbers have grown steadily, and at peak times the platforms and concourse are often packed.

Safety campaigners have raised concerns about overcrowding, and there have been calls for years for the station to be rebuilt or substantially improved.

Plans for change

The city council has backed plans for a major redevelopment of the station, known as Birmingham Gateway. The scheme would open up the station, bring in more natural light and improve access, as well as regenerating the area around it.

But the plans would cost hundreds of millions of pounds, and no funding has yet been agreed. Supporters say the Country Life poll shows how urgently the work is needed.

A contrast with the new city centre

The station's poor reputation contrasts sharply with the transformation of much of the city centre. The new Bullring opened in September, bringing hundreds of thousands of visitors to the city, and the Mailbox and Brindleyplace have become popular destinations.

Many visitors arriving by train get their first impression of Birmingham from New Street, and business leaders worry that it gives the wrong message about a city that has changed so much.

Other eyesores

The Country Life poll invited readers to name the buildings they would most like to see demolished. Concrete buildings from the 1960s and 1970s, a style of architecture that has divided opinion for decades, are regular targets in polls like this.

Birmingham has already demolished several buildings from that era, including the old Bull Ring shopping centre, and there is a lively debate about which others should go, and which should be kept as examples of their time.

For now, passengers at New Street will have to put up with the station as it is, and hope that the plans for a new one finally come to something.