The image on the right (click for larger version) is from the publication of a letter by Lord Snape to Tom Harris MP who was Parliamentary Under-Secretary at the Department for Transport at the time. Attached to the letter is an article by Lord Snape slamming proposals to facelift Birmingham New Street station and proposing that a new bells and whistle station, bigger and better, be built around the Curzon Street area of the city - something New Street operator Virgin Trains would probably not like.According to the Register of Lords Interests, Lord Snape is a consultant for transport operator (train and bus) First Group PLC and also a shareholder in National Express Group plc. The Sunday Times reported this week that Lord Snape was one of four Lords to be questioned about the so-called "Lords for Hire" story that the same newspaper broke.
Now I'm not suggesting the two are connected, or that any wrongdoing has taken place, but as I blogged last month, sometimes perception can be just as dangerous/damaging as reality.
4 comments:
Brilliant spot. Looks like our local press could get plenty of mileage out of this.
The Curzon Street option is probably a good idea. New Street Station has never been any good. Too small for volume of traffic, even from when they closed Snow Hill station.
Well I gotta say, I see no reason for the New Street 'renovation'(rebuild) - a someone who uses the station most days I do not encounter capacity issues and have never thought it particularly shabby/scruffy/whatever they're calling it today. The new design is just your typical 'modern' glass structure, nothing special and a total waste of money.
The Curzon St proposal has merit - after all, that's where our first station was - but since it ain't going to happen I'm not sure why Lord Snape is bothering.
Correction - substitute "wasn't" for "ain't".
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