Acocks Green Station Update

I've just dropped by the consultation session on lift installation planned for Acocks Green station and I can now add an artist's impression of what you will see from the roadside. Two caveats on this - firstly, the facing is brick in this picture, which has been ruled out of the finished article on the grounds of cost (CENTRO are cutting back as well). Secondly, the pitched roof style is much more in keeping with the design of the station rather than the curved design shown in the other artist's impression - although the design drawings have a third plan - a flat roof with a fall to allow water to run off.

There is also the point that the photo on which the design is based is taken from a low angle on the opposite side of the road, minimising the visual impact from this quarter view. From the design drawings, the top of the towers are slightly above the level of the pitch roof of the two "wings" of the station building, but not above the height of the central pitched roof. In reality, the only visibility of the towers is going to be from station/car park level or from the brief quarter views approaching the station along Yardley Road - they will be invisible from the front of the station.

The walkways are glazed and uncovered, to ensure visibility and the whole arrangement is covered by CCTV cameras to improve security - so much as we can expect since the station staffing was slashed.

The towers are available in a range of colours - the grey has been chosen as a relatively unobtrusive colour for the flat metal facing. While I was there, there were certainly mixed views over the design, although most people who attended seemed to think that the addition of lifts was the most important aspect of this development. I've asked that CENTRO look at fitting the pitched roof shown on the top picture, as this would chime nicely with the existing roof of the station and they have undertaken to look into that. It is a particularly affordable solution, as the towers are largely pre-fabricated and can be installed with the minimum of track possession required. The height allows clearance of existing trackside lighting, but also for any potential future electrification of the line.