Birmingham New Street Station is situated in the heart of England's second city. The ticket area is large and airy with plenty of seating, shops and cafes, much as any large train station.

When you pass through the ticket barrier (which is always manned) you find yourself on a long concourse. To get to each platform you must go down a flight of steps that leads from the concourse. Each set of steps is numbered the same as the platform it leads to. From one of the 12 platforms at New Street, you can catch a train to almost anywhere in the country. It is one of the largest train stations in the country and thousands of passengers pass through it each day.

Unfortunately the station is not really designed for passengers! Changing platforms is a nightmare. You are standing on platform 6 waiting for your train, which is on time according to the electronic boards. Another 30 minutes and you'll be home having a nice cup of tea - dream on! A muffled announcement over the Tanoy System "the train now pulling in to platform 8" is the train you need. Woe betide if you've got shopping or luggage.

You dash up the thirty or so stairs to the concourse hope you are going the right way for platform 8 run down the thirty or so steps to platform 8 just in time to wave to the passengers on your train. I understand that there are lifts on the platforms (I must have sleep walked past them) but I have only actually seen one lift and it is nowhere near the platforms or concourse.

You can do just about anything at Birmingham New Street Station, shop, eat, book a holiday, it just best if you can avoid catching a train there. When you arrive in Birmingham New Street you are in fact under one of the cities many shopping Arcades the Palisades. You can then emerge on to Corporation Street and shop till you drop or eat till you pop.

The train station was built in 1854 . At that time it was the Jewel in the Crown of the British Rail system. The old girl has carried on since then it's not surprising then that she's sufferd from wear and tear. The whole station is due for a major rebuild called Birmingham Gateway this is scheduled for opening in 2014 let's hope it's not delayed by the credit crunch.