Birmingham New Street - Please Reassure Me!

Buggles

Never been BNS station. I have to changed there and will have just under 30 minutes to change (I've deliberately chosen a time that will give me the longsest time to change). I'm terrified of getting lost (will be on my own). (First time on a train) I have to go from platform 9b to 5b. Is this easy???

beckythemadcow

Find the stairs on the platform and at the top, you should see the stairs to go down to 5 (+5b), if you can't see them, there will be staff to point you in the right direction. Takes 2 minutes (without a heavy case).

Hermia

It's not that big a station and there are signs everywhere. There are also TV screens showing the arrivals and departures so you can check that your train is on time etc.

cabbage

From the platform walk up the stairs and you will be in a busy corridor. Platforms are in number order and are signposted a or b. It feels confusing when you get off the train and it's busy but once u walk upstairs it all becomes plain and easy. Will only take you a few minutes to transfer to the next platform

dzug1

What takes time is negotiating the crowds rather than the actual distance. 30 minutes is ample - wait for the crowd from your train to subside and make your way to the footbridge - go up, over and down and you are there.


http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations/sjp/BHM/plan.html?rtnloc=BHM might help

Buggles

Thanks for the replies! It does sound simple enough I was getting myself into a bit of a panic

McAzrael

The a and b at New Street are just the ends of the same platform (platforms 9 and 5 in your case) and they use them when it's a short train parked at one end.

Check the screens on the bridge linking the platforms for your train, because they do switch around which platforms they send the trains to. On all of the platforms there are screens showing where the next train goes to with all the stops listed. There are plenty of staff around (on the bridge and the platforms) to help.

jamespir

just watch out for the monsters that hide at the bottom of the stairs theyve been know to eat people

station aint that big

robpw2

jamespir wrote: »

just watch out for the monsters that hide at the bottom of the stairs theyve been know to eat people

station aint that big

thats no way to talk about the brummies lol

Buggles

Oh they have monsters in Brum do they? lol! I'll be careful to keep an eye out for them. Thanks so much guys, I really appreciate it.

Inforapennyinforapound

As has been hinted at already:When you get to the top of the stairs you will be in a long corridor affair with all the platforms signposted from that corridor.Make sure that 5b is still the platform you need by viewing the tv screen adjacent to the stairs for platform 5 because sometimes the train you need might actually be departing from a different numbered platform.
You will have plenty of time.