117-614: Severn Tunnel Junction railway station ( Welsh : Cyffordd Twnnel Hafren ) is a minor station on the western side of the Severn Tunnel in the village of Rogiet , Monmouthshire , Wales. It is 123.5 miles (198.8 km) from London Paddington and lies at the junction of the South Wales Main Line from London and the Gloucester to Newport Line . The next station to the west is Newport . The next stations to
234-692: A "depressing underground bunker" and by Simon Jenkins as "hideous". The power signal box at New Street was completed in 1964 on the site of the former turntable, housing the Westpac Geographical Interlocking & Signalmens push button control panel (the largest relay interlocking in the world when installed) and also the Railway Telephone Exchange. It is a brutalist building with corrugated concrete architecture, designed by John Bicknell and Paul Hamilton in collaboration with William Robert Headley ,
351-441: A Welsh Language Scheme, which indicates its commitment to the equality of treatment principle. This is sent out in draft form for public consultation for a three-month period, whereupon comments on it may be incorporated into a final version. It requires the final approval of the now defunct Welsh Language Board ( Bwrdd yr Iaith Gymraeg ). Thereafter, the public body is charged with implementing and fulfilling its obligations under
468-594: A Welsh-language edge inscription was used on pound coins dated 1985, 1990 and 1995, which circulated in all parts of the UK prior to their 2017 withdrawal. The wording is Pleidiol wyf i'm gwlad (Welsh for 'True am I to my country'), and derives from the national anthem of Wales, " Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau ". UK banknotes are in English only. Some shops employ bilingual signage. Welsh sometimes appears on product packaging or instructions. The UK government has ratified
585-663: A census glossary of terms to support the release of results from the census, including their definition of "main language" as referring to "first or preferred language" (though that wording was not in the census questionnaire itself). The wards in England with the most people giving Welsh as their main language were the Liverpool wards of Central and Greenbank ; and Oswestry South in Shropshire . The wards of Oswestry South (1.15%), Oswestry East (0.86%) and St Oswald (0.71%) had
702-525: A completely new station in the city. Work began on the redevelopment on 26 April 2010. Construction was completed in phases to minimise disruption. On 28 April 2013, one half of the new concourse was opened to the public and the old 1960s concourse was closed for redevelopment, along with the old entrances. The complete concourse opened on 20 September 2015, the Grand Central shopping centre four days later. The refurbished Pallasades Shopping Centre
819-410: A cost of £12,000. One stands on platform 7 at New Street. Due to its enclosed sub-surface platforms, New Street was designated as an underground station by the fire service. In the 1990s, a number of changes had to be made to the station in order to comply with stricter fire regulations, introduced for underground stations as a result of the 1987 King's Cross fire . In 1993, a new enclosed footbridge
936-459: A first class lounge and Network West Midlands also provides a public transport information point for the station. The station is a penalty fare station for West Midlands Railway and London Northwestern Railway (West Midlands Trains' brands ). This scheme is operated both onboard trains and at the automatic ticket barriers at the station. The other train operating companies that use the station do not operate penalty fare schemes. The station
1053-462: A fleet of new bi-mode trains will be used. The new service is scheduled to commence in December 2024. The service will call at Bristol Parkway, Severn Tunnel Junction, Newport, Cardiff Central, Gowerton and Llanelli en-route to Carmarthen, and will provide Severn Tunnel Junction with direct trains to London, which currently do not call. Severn Tunnel Junction Yard was a major marshalling yard for
1170-529: A marshy area known as "The Froggery"; it replaced several earlier rail termini on the outskirts of the centre, most notably Curzon Street , which had opened in 1838 and was no longer adequate for the level of traffic. Samuel Carter , solicitor to both LNWR and the Midland Railway , managed the conveyancing . The LNWR originally shared the station with the Midland Railway; however, in 1885,
1287-399: A new west wing. The scale of the station at this time was documented in the station's entry in the 1863 edition of Bradshaw's Guide : The interior of this station deserves attention from its magnitude. The semicircular roof is 1,110 feet long, 205 feet wide and 80 feet high, composed of iron and glass, without the slightest support except that afforded by the pillars on either side. If
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#17327719891991404-412: A number of cottages, some business premises and a small church. Built immediately to the south of the original station, the extension contained four through platforms and one bay. It consisted of a trainshed with a glass and steel roof comprising two trussed arches, 58 ft (18 m) wide by 620 ft (189 m) long, and 67 ft 6 in (21 m) wide by 600 ft (183 m) long. It
1521-482: A number of sidings on the station for the stabling of trains; these are between platforms 5/6, 7/8 and 9/10. The bay platforms at either end of platform 12 were removed during the 2015 refurbishment. The sidings in front of New Street signal box have also been removed. Still in existence, but out of use, is the "Royal Mail tunnel" which connected the "b" end of the station platforms to the former sorting office (now called The Mailbox) alongside Suffolk Street. The tunnel to
1638-414: A precaution following the collapse of a similar roof which killed six people at Charing Cross station in 1905. Midland Railway trains that had used Curzon Street began to use New Street from 1854; however, its use by the Midland Railway was limited by the fact that those trains going between Derby and Bristol would have to reverse, so many trains bypassed New Street and ran through Camp Hill . This
1755-589: A result of the problems with the existing station, proposals to redevelop the station gained traction in the mid-2000s. A feasibility study was approved in January 2005. Designs were shown to the public in February 2006 for a new Birmingham New Street Station, in a project known as Gateway Plus . A regeneration scheme was launched in 2006 and evolved through names such as Birmingham Gateway, Gateway Plus and New Street Gateway. The scheme proposed complete rebuilding of
1872-606: A seven-acre (2.8 ha) concrete deck, supported by 200 columns, upon which the concourse and other buildings were constructed. Escalators, stairs and lifts were provided to reach the platforms from the concourse. The new station had sold its air rights , leading to the construction of the Pallasades Shopping Centre (then known as the Birmingham Shopping Centre) above the station between 1968 and 1970. The public right of way across
1989-479: A single discourse (known in linguistics as code-switching ). Welsh speakers are largely concentrated in the north and west of Wales, principally Gwynedd , Conwy County Borough , Denbighshire , Anglesey , Carmarthenshire , north Pembrokeshire , Ceredigion , parts of Glamorgan , and north-west and extreme south-west Powys . However, first-language and other fluent speakers can be found throughout Wales. Welsh-speaking communities persisted well into
2106-409: A total of nine platforms, comprising four through and five bay platforms. The main entrance building on Stephenson Street incorporated Queens Hotel, designed by John William Livock , which was opened on the same day. It was built in an Italianate style and was originally provided with 60 rooms. The hotel was expanded several times over the years and reached its final form in 1917, with the addition of
2223-520: A traincrew depot at the station and stables some trains overnight around the station. For the most part, it uses Soho TMD for electric traction units; its non-electric units are kept at Tyseley TMD to the south-east of Birmingham. CrossCountry also operates a traincrew depot at the station; it uses Tyseley TMD for the Class 170 units and its Voyagers are based at Central Rivers TMD . The basic Monday to Saturday off-peak service in trains per hour (tph)
2340-642: Is Birmingham International , which serves Birmingham Airport and the National Exhibition Centre . New Street is the hub of the West Midlands rail network, as well as being a major national hub. The station is one of twenty operated and managed by Network Rail. Network Rail also provides operational staff for the station. Station staff are provided on all platforms to assist with the safe dispatch of trains. For operational reasons, all trains departing New Street must be dispatched via
2457-1041: Is a Celtic language of the Brittonic subgroup that is native to the Welsh people . Welsh is spoken natively in Wales , by some in England , and in Y Wladfa (the Welsh colony in Chubut Province , Argentina ). It is spoken by smaller numbers of people in Canada and the United States descended from Welsh immigrants, within their households (especially in Nova Scotia ). Historically, it has also been known in English as "British", "Cambrian", "Cambric" and "Cymric". The Welsh Language (Wales) Measure 2011 gave
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#17327719891992574-625: Is a daily train to Fishguard Harbour . CrossCountry also provides very limited services to/from Nottingham via Gloucester and Birmingham New Street . On Sundays, the Bristol to Cardiff service is once again hourly (and runs to/from Portsmouth) whist the Cheltenham service is two-hourly. In December 2022, the ORR approved Grand Union to commence a new service from Paddington to Carmarthen in partnership with Spanish rail operator Renfe , for which
2691-535: Is allocated the IATA location identifier QQN . All trains arriving and departing must use one of the several tunnels around the station. Network Rail, as well as operating the station, operate a customer reception located on the main concourse, provide mobility assistance and train dispatch. The booking office and barriers are operated by Avanti West Coast , with customer service or floor walker staff provided by CrossCountry and Network Rail. Avanti West Coast operates
2808-628: Is available throughout Europe on satellite and online throughout the UK. Since the digital switchover was completed in South Wales on 31 March 2010, S4C Digidol became the main broadcasting channel and fully in Welsh. The main evening television news provided by the BBC in Welsh is available for download. There is also a Welsh-language radio station, BBC Radio Cymru , which was launched in 1977. Birmingham New Street railway station Birmingham New Street , also known as New Street station ,
2925-688: Is considered to have lasted from then until the 14th century, when the Modern Welsh period began, which in turn is divided into Early and Late Modern Welsh. The word Welsh is a descendant, via Old English wealh, wielisc , of the Proto-Germanic word * Walhaz , which was derived from the name of the Celtic people known to the Romans as Volcae and which came to refer to speakers of Celtic languages, and then indiscriminately to
3042-438: Is designated as underground. There were extractor fans that removed fumes, but these were removed with the refurbishment of the concourse and shopping centre above the platforms. They were replaced with blowers, as there are still a large number of services operated by diesel trains despite the whole station having been electrified in the 1960s. There have been environmental concerns about the level of pollution, especially NOx , in
3159-511: Is the label attached to the Welsh of the 12th to 14th centuries, of which much more remains than for any earlier period. This is the language of nearly all surviving early manuscripts of the Mabinogion , although the tales themselves are certainly much older. It is also the language of the existing Welsh law manuscripts. Middle Welsh is reasonably intelligible to a modern-day Welsh speaker. The Bible translations into Welsh helped maintain
3276-686: Is the largest and busiest of the three main railway stations in Birmingham city centre , England, and a central hub of the British railway system . It is a major destination for Avanti West Coast services from London Euston , Preston , Glasgow Central and Edinburgh Waverley and West Midlands Trains services from Liverpool Lime Street and London Euston both via the West Coast Main Line . The CrossCountry network centres on New Street, as well as local and suburban services within
3393-419: Is too spider-like a structure to be handsome, but with a very little attention this defect is obviated. The most wonderful specimen, probably, is that at the great Birmingham Station…" When first opened, New Street was described as the "Grand Central Station at Birmingham" by Richard Foster. The internal layout of tracks and platforms was designed by Robert Stephenson and his assistants; the station contained
3510-732: The Cynfeirdd or "Early Poets" – is generally considered to date to the Primitive Welsh period. However, much of this poetry was supposedly composed in the Hen Ogledd , raising further questions about the dating of the material and language in which it was originally composed. This discretion stems from the fact that Cumbric was widely believed to have been the language used in Hen Ogledd. An 8th-century inscription in Tywyn shows
3627-500: The 2016 Australian census , 1,688 people noted that they spoke Welsh. In the 2011 Canadian census , 3,885 people reported Welsh as their first language . According to the 2021 Canadian census , 1,130 people noted that Welsh was their mother tongue. The 2018 New Zealand census noted that 1,083 people in New Zealand spoke Welsh. The American Community Survey 2009–2013 noted that 2,235 people aged five years and over in
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3744-466: The 2021 census , 7,349 people in England recorded Welsh to be their "main language". In the 2011 census, 1,189 people aged three and over in Scotland noted that Welsh was a language (other than English) that they used at home. It is believed that there are as many as 5,000 speakers of Patagonian Welsh . In response to the question 'Does the person speak a language other than English at home?' in
3861-538: The European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages in respect of Welsh. The language has greatly increased its prominence since the creation of the television channel S4C in November 1982, which until digital switchover in 2010 broadcast 70 per cent of Channel 4's programming along with a majority of Welsh language shows during peak viewing hours. The all-Welsh-language digital station S4C Digidol
3978-756: The Polish name for Italians) have a similar etymology. The Welsh term for the language, Cymraeg , descends from the Brythonic word combrogi , meaning 'compatriots' or 'fellow countrymen'. Welsh evolved from Common Brittonic , the Celtic language spoken by the ancient Celtic Britons . Classified as Insular Celtic , the British language probably arrived in Britain during the Bronze Age or Iron Age and
4095-640: The United States spoke Welsh at home. The highest number of those (255) lived in Florida . Sources: Calls for the Welsh language to be granted official status grew with the establishment of the nationalist political party Plaid Cymru in 1925, the establishment of the Welsh Language Society in 1962 and the rise of Welsh nationalism in the later 20th century. Of the six living Celtic languages (including two revived), Welsh has
4212-685: The West Midlands ; these include those on the Cross-City Line between Lichfield Trent Valley , Redditch and Bromsgrove , and the Chase Line to Walsall and Rugeley Trent Valley . The three-letter station code is BHM. The station is named after New Street , which runs parallel to the station, although the station has never had a direct entrance from New Street except via the Grand Central shopping centre. Historically,
4329-594: The "hugely important role", adding, "I look forward to working with the Welsh Government and organisations in Wales in developing the new system of standards. I will look to build on the good work that has been done by the Welsh Language Board and others to strengthen the Welsh language and ensure that it continues to thrive." First Minister Carwyn Jones said that Huws would act as a champion for
4446-596: The 1880s identified a small part of Shropshire as still then speaking Welsh, with the "Celtic Border" passing from Llanymynech through Oswestry to Chirk . The number of Welsh-speaking people in the rest of Britain has not yet been counted for statistical purposes. In 1993, the Welsh-language television channel S4C published the results of a survey into the numbers of people who spoke or understood Welsh, which estimated that there were around 133,000 Welsh-speaking people living in England, about 50,000 of them in
4563-490: The 1960s. The land remains empty and derelict although it was used as a storage depot for new cars during the 1970s, and more recently as a works yard during the electrification of the South Wales main line. The goods yards were located on both sides of the running lines, one for each direction, and used hump shunting to sort individual wagons into trains. Welsh language Welsh ( Cymraeg [kəmˈraːiɡ] or y Gymraeg [ə ɡəmˈraːiɡ] )
4680-722: The 1970s. The car park closed in May 2012; it was demolished to provide space for the new concourse and was rebuilt. Stephenson Tower, a 20-storey residential tower block, was built alongside the station between 1965 and 1966. The tower, designed by the City Architect of Birmingham , was demolished in March 2012 as part of the station redevelopment. In 1987, twelve different horse sculptures by Kevin Atherton, titled Iron Horse , were erected between New Street station and Wolverhampton at
4797-536: The 1993 Act nor secondary legislation made under it covers the private sector, although some organisations, notably banks and some railway companies, provide some of their information in Welsh. On 7 December 2010, the Welsh Assembly unanimously approved a set of measures to develop the use of the Welsh language within Wales. On 9 February 2011 this measure, the Welsh Language (Wales) Measure 2011 ,
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4914-486: The Assembly which confirms the official status of the Welsh language; which creates a strong advocate for Welsh speakers and will improve the quality and quantity of services available through the medium of Welsh. I believe that everyone who wants to access services in the Welsh language should be able to do so, and that is what this government has worked towards. This legislation is an important and historic step forward for
5031-713: The Great Western Railway in South Wales and the largest on the railway. It was built initially to support domestic coal traffic from the South Wales coalfield to either the Midlands, via the Gloucester line, or else to the Royal Navy dockyards of the south coast, through the tunnel. In later years the yard expanded as a freight classification yard and hump shunting was added. A wagon repair workshop
5148-550: The Greater London area. The Welsh Language Board , on the basis of an analysis of the Office for National Statistics Longitudinal Study, estimated there were 110,000 Welsh-speaking people in England, and another thousand in Scotland and Northern Ireland. In the 2011 census , 8,248 people in England gave Welsh in answer to the question "What is your main language?" The Office for National Statistics subsequently published
5265-760: The LNWR and Midland Railway, with others, were grouped into the London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS) by the Railways Act 1921 . In 1948, the railways were nationalised and came under the control of British Railways . During the Second World War , Cowper's roof sustained extensive bomb damage as a result of air raids during the Birmingham Blitz . After the war, the remains of the roof were dismantled after being deemed beyond economic repair. It
5382-528: The LNWR had obtained an act of Parliament, the London and Birmingham Railway (New Street Station) Act 1846 ( 9 & 10 Vict. c. ccclix), to extend their line into the centre of Birmingham, which involved the acquisition of some 1.2 hectares (3 acres) of land and the demolition of around 70 houses in Peck Lane, The Froggery, Queen Street and Colmore Street. The Countess of Huntingdon's Connexion chapel, on
5499-399: The Midland Railway opened its own extension alongside the original station for the exclusive use of its trains, effectively creating two stations side by side. The two companies' stations were separated by a central roadway, Queens Drive. Traffic grew steadily and, by 1900, New Street had an average of 40 trains an hour departing and arriving, rising to 53 trains in the peak hours. In 1846,
5616-417: The Midlands; while in reverse, it sorted goods in transit from the rest of the UK to South Wales. The area was bombed during World War II , due to the large goods yard facility, its location on strategic rail routes and its proximity to other target areas such as Bristol and Cardiff. From 1924 to 1966 Severn Tunnel Junction was the terminus of a car transport service through the tunnel to Pilning. The service
5733-496: The Welsh Language (Wales) Measure 2011, all new signs have Welsh displayed first. There have been incidents of one of the languages being vandalised, which may be considered a hate crime . Since 2000, the teaching of Welsh has been compulsory in all schools in Wales up to age 16; this has had an effect in stabilising and reversing the decline in the language. Text on UK coins tends to be in English and Latin. However,
5850-704: The Welsh Language Scheme. The list of other public bodies which have to prepare Schemes could be added to by initially the Secretary of State for Wales, from 1993 to 1997, by way of statutory instrument . Subsequent to the forming of the National Assembly for Wales in 1997, the Government Minister responsible for the Welsh language can and has passed statutory instruments naming public bodies who have to prepare Schemes. Neither
5967-667: The Welsh language official status in Wales. Welsh and English are de jure official languages of the Welsh Parliament, the Senedd , with Welsh being the only de jure official language in any part of the United Kingdom, with English being merely de facto official. According to the 2021 census , the Welsh-speaking population of Wales aged three or older was 538,300 (17.8%) and nearly three quarters of
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#17327719891996084-445: The Welsh language, though some had concerns over her appointment: Plaid Cymru spokeswoman Bethan Jenkins said, "I have concerns about the transition from Meri Huws's role from the Welsh Language Board to the language commissioner, and I will be asking the Welsh government how this will be successfully managed. We must be sure that there is no conflict of interest, and that the Welsh Language Commissioner can demonstrate how she will offer
6201-426: The Welsh of the 16th century, but they are similar enough for a fluent Welsh speaker to have little trouble understanding it. During the Modern Welsh period, there has been a decline in the popularity of the Welsh language: the number of Welsh speakers declined to the point at which there was concern that the language would become extinct. During industrialisation in the late 19th century, immigrants from England led to
6318-429: The Welsh-speaking heartlands, with the number dropping to under 50 per cent in Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire for the first time. However, according to the Welsh Language Use Survey in 2019–20, 22 per cent of people aged three and over were able to speak Welsh. The Annual Population Survey (APS) by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) estimated that as of March 2024, approximately 862,700, or 28.0 per cent of
6435-482: The adjoining village of Rogiet . The first estate houses in Rogiet were owned by the railway and were only rented to railwaymen. To support the marshalling yard, the junction and the need for banking engines on the tunnel line, a large engine shed developed near the station, towards Caldicot . This closed in the mid-1960s with the withdrawal of steam traction. A far smaller diesel traction maintenance depot replaced it, now only needing to support far fewer locos. This
6552-408: The census. In terms of usage, ONS also reported that 14.4 per cent (443,800) of people aged three or older in Wales reported that they spoke Welsh daily in March 2024, with 5.4 per cent (165,500) speaking it weekly and 6.5 per cent (201,200) less often. Approximately 1.7 per cent (51,700) reported that they never spoke Welsh despite being able to speak the language, with the remaining 72.0 per cent of
6669-401: The colliery to the power station and no longer required marshalling. The yard closed completely in the mid-1980s. This is often explained as being due to the Miners' Strike and the closure of deep coal in South Wales, but in fact the decline in small-unit freight was much more significant. In its heyday, the engine shed employed large numbers of railwaymen, which in turn encouraged the growth of
6786-404: The corner of Peck Lane and Dudley Street, which had only been built six years before, was also demolished. The station was formally opened on 1 June 1854, although the uncompleted station had already been in use for two years as a terminus for trains from the Stour Valley Line , which entered the station from the Wolverhampton direction. On the formal opening day, the LNWR's Curzon Street station
6903-414: The course of the 20th century this monolingual population all but disappeared, but a small percentage remained at the time of the 1981 census. Most Welsh-speaking people in Wales also speak English. However, many Welsh-speaking people are more comfortable expressing themselves in Welsh than in English. A speaker's choice of language can vary according to the subject domain and the social context, even within
7020-489: The creation of Old Welsh, Davies suggests it may be more appropriate to refer to this derivative language as Lingua Britannica rather than characterising it as a new language altogether. The argued dates for the period of "Primitive Welsh" are widely debated, with some historians' suggestions differing by hundreds of years. The next main period is Old Welsh ( Hen Gymraeg , 9th to 11th centuries); poetry from both Wales and Scotland has been preserved in this form of
7137-408: The decline in Welsh speakers particularly in the South Wales Valleys. Welsh government processes and legislation have worked to increase the proliferation of the Welsh language, for example through education. Welsh has been spoken continuously in Wales throughout history; however, by 1911, it had become a minority language, spoken by 43.5 per cent of the population. While this decline continued over
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#17327719891997254-455: The east are at Pilning in South Gloucestershire (through the Severn Tunnel ) and nearby Caldicot (on the Gloucester line). The South Wales Main Line was opened through the village of Rogiet in 1850. At this time Rogiet was little more than a church and a farm, and the expansion of the village did not begin until after the opening of the station in 1886. During construction of the Severn Tunnel , several maps were printed that labelled
7371-407: The extension was used by both the LNWR and Midland Railway but, from 1889, it was only used by Midland Railway trains. It was separated from the original LNWR trainshed by Queens Drive, which became a central carriageway, but the two were linked by a footbridge which ran over Queens Drive and across the entire width of both the LNWR and Midland stations. Queens Drive was lost in the 1960s rebuild, but
7488-431: The following decades, the language did not die out. The smallest number of speakers was recorded in 1981 with 503,000 although the lowest percentage was recorded in the most recent census in 2021 at 17.8 per cent. By the start of the 21st century, numbers began to increase once more, at least partly as a result of the increase in Welsh-medium education . The 2004 Welsh Language Use Survey showed that 21.7 per cent of
7605-462: The former Head Post Office at Victoria Square is bricked up, with the subway between the platforms remaining in use for railway staff. The former baggage subway at the "a" end is now used for railway staff and as a fire exit. All signalling is controlled by West Midlands Signalling Centre in Saltley, with the former New Street power signal box at the Wolverhampton or b end of the station; it can be seen at street level on Navigation Street. The station
7722-411: The highest number of native speakers who use the language on a daily basis, and it is the Celtic language which is considered the least endangered by UNESCO . The Welsh Language Act 1993 and the Government of Wales Act 1998 provide that the Welsh and English languages be treated equally in the public sector, as far as is reasonable and practicable. Each public body is required to prepare for approval
7839-413: The highest percentage of residents giving Welsh as their main language. The census also revealed that 3,528 wards in England, or 46% of the total number, contained at least one resident whose main language is Welsh. In terms of the regions of England , North West England (1,945), London (1,310) and the West Midlands (1,265) had the highest number of people noting Welsh as their main language. According to
7956-400: The history of Welsh, with rather indistinct boundaries: Primitive Welsh, Old Welsh, Middle Welsh, and Modern Welsh. The period immediately following the language's emergence is sometimes referred to as Primitive Welsh, followed by the Old Welsh period – which is generally considered to stretch from the beginning of the 9th century to sometime during the 12th century. The Middle Welsh period
8073-527: The language already dropping inflections in the declension of nouns. Janet Davies proposed that the origins of the Welsh language were much less definite; in The Welsh Language: A History , she proposes that Welsh may have been around even earlier than 600 AD. This is evidenced by the dropping of final syllables from Brittonic: * bardos 'poet' became bardd , and * abona 'river' became afon . Though both Davies and Jackson cite minor changes in syllable structure and sounds as evidence for
8190-431: The language, its speakers and for the nation." The measure was not welcomed warmly by all supporters: Bethan Williams, chairman of the Welsh Language Society, gave a mixed response to the move, saying, "Through this measure we have won official status for the language and that has been warmly welcomed. But there was a core principle missing in the law passed by the Assembly before Christmas. It doesn't give language rights to
8307-449: The language. As Germanic and Gaelic colonisation of Britain proceeded, the Brittonic speakers in Wales were split off from those in northern England, speaking Cumbric, and those in the southwest, speaking what would become Cornish , so the languages diverged. Both the works of Aneirin ( Canu Aneirin , c. 600 ) and the Book of Taliesin ( Canu Taliesin ) were written during this era. Middle Welsh ( Cymraeg Canol )
8424-487: The main entrance to the station was on Stephenson Street, just off New Street. As of 2022, the station has entrances on Stephenson Street, Smallbrook Queensway, Hill Street and Navigation Street. New Street is the thirteenth busiest railway station in the UK and the busiest outside London, with 35.3 million passenger entries and exits between April 2023 and March 2024. It is also the busiest interchange station outside London, with over 5 million passengers changing trains at
8541-622: The modern period across the border in England. Archenfield was still Welsh enough in the time of Elizabeth I for the Bishop of Hereford to be made responsible, together with the four Welsh bishops, for the translation of the Bible and the Book of Common Prayer into Welsh. Welsh was still commonly spoken there in the first half of the 19th century, and churchwardens' notices were put up in both Welsh and English until about 1860. Alexander John Ellis in
8658-520: The name was later carried by a new driveway, which served the car park and a tower block , and is the access route for the station's taxis. On 1 February 1910, the LNWR introduced a "City to City" service between New Street and Broad Street , in the City of London . The service only lasted for five years, before being withdrawn on 22 February 1915, as a result of the First World War . In 1923,
8775-476: The new junction as Rogiet Station , although the station was always named Severn Tunnel Junction from the time that it opened to the public on 1 December 1886. The junction system consisted of a five-platform station (four through, and an up facing bay), a railway depot, and a major marshalling yard . The purpose of the yard was to sort coal coming from the South Wales Coalfield to London and
8892-448: The number of Welsh-language speakers to one million by 2050. Since 1980, the number of children attending Welsh-medium schools has increased, while the number going to Welsh bilingual and dual-medium schools has decreased. Welsh is considered the least endangered Celtic language by UNESCO . The language of the Welsh developed from the language of Britons . The emergence of Welsh was not instantaneous and clearly identifiable. Instead,
9009-601: The ongoing resignalling project for the station area. No. 1 Engine Siding was located at the north end, between platforms 4 and 5, and was lengthened some years ago to form platform 4C. A Sutton Coldfield model railway enthusiast, Don Jones, built a scale model of the entire 1960s station and surrounding buildings including the Rotunda , the old Head Post Office and the signal box, at OO scale ; open days were held to raise funds for local charities. Private visits were held for Robert Redford and King Hussein of Jordan . As
9126-473: The people of Wales in every aspect of their lives. Despite that, an amendment to that effect was supported by 18 Assembly Members from three different parties, and that was a significant step forward." On 5 October 2011, Meri Huws , Chair of the Welsh Language Board , was appointed the new Welsh Language Commissioner. She released a statement that she was "delighted" to have been appointed to
9243-551: The people of the Western Roman Empire . In Old English the term went through semantic narrowing , coming to refer to either Britons in particular or, in some contexts, slaves. The plural form Wēalas evolved into the name for their territory, Wales. The modern names for various Romance-speaking people in Continental Europe (e.g. Walloons , Valaisans , Vlachs / Wallachians , and Włosi ,
9360-439: The platform occupy the entire length of the platform, such as Class 390 Pendolinos . Trains departing towards Proof House Junction ( a end) can depart from any platform, but there are restrictions on trains departing from the b end. All platforms can accommodate trains heading towards Wolverhampton; however, due to the platform layout and road bridge supports, only 5–12 can accommodate trains heading towards Five Ways. There are
9477-481: The platforms east of the station as high-speed 70 miles per hour (110 km/h) crossovers have been provided to the west. As with other parts of the South Wales Main Line, the road bridge and footbridge were replaced, with additional clearance above the overhead lines, and with raised and solid parapets to the bridges to prevent vandalism of the equipment. Class 800 / 802 stock now operates through
9594-436: The population in Wales said they had no Welsh language skills. Other estimates suggest that 862,700 people (28.0%) aged three or older in Wales could speak Welsh in March 2024. Almost half of all Welsh speakers consider themselves fluent, while 20 per cent are able to speak a fair amount. 56 per cent of Welsh speakers speak the language daily, and 19 per cent speak the language weekly. The Welsh Government plans to increase
9711-471: The population not being able to speak it. The National Survey for Wales, conducted by Welsh Government, has also tended to report a higher percentage of Welsh speakers than the census, with the most recent results for 2022–2023 suggesting that 18 per cent of the population aged 3 and over were able to speak Welsh, with an additional 16 per cent noting that they had some Welsh-speaking ability. Historically, large numbers of Welsh people spoke only Welsh. Over
9828-502: The population of Wales aged 3 and over, were able to speak the language. Children and young people aged three to 15 years old were more likely to report that they could speak Welsh than any other age group (48.4 per cent, 241,300). Around 1,001,500 people, or 32.5 per cent, reported that they could understand spoken Welsh. 24.7 per cent (759,200) could read and 22.2 per cent (684,500) could write in Welsh. The APS estimates of Welsh language ability are historically higher than those produced by
9945-407: The population of Wales spoke Welsh, compared with 20.8 per cent in the 2001 census , and 18.5 per cent in the 1991 census . Since 2001, however, the number of Welsh speakers has declined in both the 2011 and 2021 censuses to about 538,300 or 17.8 per cent in 2021, lower than 1991, although it is still higher in absolute terms. The 2011 census also showed a "big drop" in the number of speakers in
10062-486: The proposed Gateway development would leave the railway capacity of the station more or less unaltered has not escaped attention. In July 2008, the House of Commons Transport Committee criticised the plans; it was not convinced they were adequate for the number of trains which could use the station. It said if the station could not be adapted, then the government needed to look for alternative solutions which potentially included
10179-465: The reader notices the turmoil and bustle created by the excitement of the arrival and departure of trains, the trampling of crowds of passengers, the transport of luggage, the ringing of bells and the noise of two or three hundred porters and workmen, he will retain a recollection of the extraordinary scene witnessed daily at Birmingham Central Railway Station. The roof of the original station was strengthened with additional steel tie bars during 1906–07, as
10296-635: The regional architect for British Railways London Midland Region. The eight-level structure with five main storeys, including track & street levels and cable chamber below track level, is at the side of the tracks connected to Navigation Street. As of 2020, it is a Grade II- listed building . Until recently, two small sidings (nos. 2 & 3 Engine Sidings) were located in front of the signal box which were used for stabling electric locomotives in connection with locomotive changes from diesel to electric traction on XC services heading north. As they are no longer needed, these have now been removed in connection with
10413-482: The regional development agency. The announcement brought total government spending on the project to £388 million. After earlier proposals were discarded, six architects were shortlisted to design the new station following a call for submissions and it was announced, in September 2008, that the design by Foreign Office Architects had been chosen. The approved plans for the redevelopment included: The fact that
10530-490: The required fresh approach to this new role." Huws started her role as the Welsh Language Commissioner on 1 April 2012. Local councils and the Senedd use Welsh, issuing Welsh versions of their literature, to varying degrees. Road signs in Wales are in Welsh and English. Prior to 2016, the choice of which language to display first was the responsibility of the local council. Since then, as part of
10647-651: The shift occurred over a long period, with some historians claiming that it had happened by as late as the 9th century , with a watershed moment being that proposed by linguist Kenneth H. Jackson , the Battle of Dyrham , a military battle between the West Saxons and the Britons in 577 AD, which split the South Western British from direct overland contact with the Welsh. Four periods are identified in
10764-420: The station annually. In 2018, New Street had a passenger satisfaction rating of 92%, the third highest in the UK. The original New Street station opened in 1854. At the time of its construction, the station had the largest single-span arched roof in the world. In the 1960s, the station was completely rebuilt. An enclosed station, with buildings over most of its span and passenger numbers more than twice those it
10881-470: The station was unpopular with its users. In a 2007 survey, it scored a customer satisfaction rate of only 52%, the joint lowest of any Network Rail major stations along with Liverpool Lime Street and East Croydon . The station had become inadequate for the level of traffic with which it was dealing; it had been designed with capacity for 650 trains and 60,000 passengers per day. In 2008, there were 1,350 trains and over 120,000 passengers per day. By 2013, it
10998-592: The station, although no electric services are scheduled to stop here. The station is served by two main routes - Transport for Wales' Cheltenham Spa to Cardiff Central and Maesteg via Chepstow local service and Great Western Railway's Cardiff to Taunton via Bristol line. Both run hourly on weekdays and Saturdays, albeit with some two-hour gaps on the Chepstow line. In the weekday peaks, certain Cardiff to Portsmouth Harbour services also stop here, whilst there
11115-555: The station, which had previously been maintained by the station footbridge, was retained in the new station via a winding route through the shopping centre. The station and the Pallasades were partly integrated with the Bullring Shopping Centre via elevated walkways above Smallbrook Queensway. Also above the station was a nine-storey office block called Ladywood House, and a multi-storey car park dating from
11232-772: The station. Since the privatisation of British Rail , thirteen train companies have regularly called at New Street: Arriva Trains Wales , Avanti West Coast , Central Trains , CrossCountry , First North Western , London Midland , Silverlink , Virgin CrossCountry , Virgin Trains West Coast , Transport for Wales , Wales & Borders , Wales & West and West Midlands Trains . Currently Avanti West Coast, CrossCountry, Transport for Wales and West Midlands Trains provide services from New Street: Chiltern Railways has occasionally used New Street during engineering works. West Midlands Trains operates
11349-411: The street-level buildings and refurbishment of the platforms by 2013, with track and platform level remaining essentially unchanged. The approved planning application of August 2006 showed a glass facade with rounded edges. The entrance on Station Street originally included two curved 130 metres (427 ft) tall towers on the site of Stephenson Tower. Due to the economic slowdown, the "twin towers" plan
11466-459: The use of Right Away (RA) indicators. They display a signal informing the train driver it is safe to start the train, instead of using more traditional bell or hand signals. The twelve through platforms are divided into a and b ends, with an extra bay platform called 4c between 4b and 5b, with the b end of the station towards Wolverhampton; this, in effect, allows twice the number of platforms. Longer trains that are too long for one section of
11583-526: The use of Welsh in daily life, and standardised spelling. The New Testament was translated by William Salesbury in 1567, and the complete Bible by William Morgan in 1588. Modern Welsh is subdivided into Early Modern Welsh and Late Modern Welsh. Early Modern Welsh ran from the 15th century through to the end of the 16th century, and the Late Modern Welsh period roughly dates from the 16th century onwards. Contemporary Welsh differs greatly from
11700-413: Was 140,000 passengers per day. This made overcrowding and closures on safety grounds more common. Furthermore, the 1960s concrete architecture and enclosed design was widely criticised on aesthetic grounds. In November 2003, the station was voted the second biggest "eyesore" in the UK by readers of Country Life magazine. In books on railway station architecture, it was described by Steven Parissien as
11817-434: Was also built alongside. During the early modernisation era of British Railways in the 1950s the yard expanded. In the 1970s under British Rail though, rail freight moved from wagon load freight, requiring marshalling, to containerisation. As the yard had poor road access, container facilities for the area were built at Newport instead and the yard began to decline in importance. Coal was also worked by block trains directly from
11934-664: Was closed to regular passenger services and trains from the London direction started using New Street. The station was constructed by Messrs. Fox, Henderson & Co . and designed by Edward Alfred Cowper of that firm, who had previously worked on the design of the Crystal Palace . When completed, New Street had the largest arched single-span iron and glass roof in the world, spanning a width of 211 feet (64 m) and being 840 ft (256 m) long. It held this title for 14 years until St Pancras station opened in 1868. It
12051-622: Was complete by around AD 550, and labelled the period between then and about AD 800 "Primitive Welsh". This Primitive Welsh may have been spoken in both Wales and the Hen Ogledd ('Old North') – the Brittonic-speaking areas of what are now northern England and southern Scotland – and therefore may have been the ancestor of Cumbric as well as Welsh. Jackson, however, believed that the two varieties were already distinct by that time. The earliest Welsh poetry – that attributed to
12168-478: Was designed by Francis Stevenson, chief engineer to the LNWR. The extension was opened on 8 February 1885. On completion, New Street had nearly doubled in size and became one of the largest stations in Britain, covering an area of over twelve acres (4.9 ha). In early 1885, the number of daily users of the station was surveyed. On a Thursday, the number was 22,452 and on a Saturday it was 25,334. Initially,
12285-401: Was designed for, the replacement was not popular with its users. A £550m redevelopment of the station named Gateway Plus opened in September 2015; it includes a new concourse, a new exterior facade and a new entrance on Stephenson Street. New Street station was built in central Birmingham by the London and North Western Railway (LNWR) between 1846 and 1854, on the site of several streets in
12402-426: Was due to be completed by 2014. The plan provided improved operational flexibility, reduce maintenance costs and re-instated a fourth through platform. SEWTA invested in improved passenger facilities at the station. The new track layout came into operation on 4 January 2010, with the South Wales Main Line now using platforms 3 and 4, and Gloucester to Newport Line platforms 1 and 2. There are no rail connections between
12519-513: Was made redundant by the opening of the Severn Bridge in 1966. As a result of reduced coal and industrial production from the mid-1980s from South Wales, and increases in fixed goods formations, Severn Tunnel Junction goods yard and locomotive depot were closed from 12 October 1987 with residual marshalling moving to Newport railway station . From 2010, Network Rail remodelled the track layout, which in conjunction with resignalling work
12636-405: Was on the other side of the station, towards Undy . The depot codes were 86E and ST. The main engine shed was located to the north east of the railway station, while the goods yards were to the west. From 1955 to 1974, Class 08 shunters , British Rail Class 14 and 37 locomotives could be seen at the depot. The steam sheds, their turntable , coaling stage and water tower were demolished in
12753-466: Was opened at the Wolverhampton end of the station, with access to the platforms separate from the main building; this was built primarily as a fire exit, but the new exit from the station into Navigation Street was opened to the public. All wooden fittings were removed from the platforms and new fire doors were also installed at the foot of the stairs and elevators on the platforms. By the 2000s,
12870-501: Was opened on 6 March 1967 to coincide with the introduction of electric expresses on the West Coast Main Line. It cost £4.5 million to build (equivalent to £103,170,000 in 2023). The new station was designed by Kenneth J. Davies, lead planner for British Rail London Midland Region . Twelve through platforms replaced the eight through and six bay platforms of the previous station. The platforms were covered over by
12987-432: Was originally intended to have three spans, supported by columns; however, it was soon realised that the supporting columns would severely restrict the workings of the railway. Cowper's single-span design, was therefore adopted, even though it was some 62 feet (19 metres) wider than the widest roof span at that time. George Gilbert Scott praised Cowper's roof at New Street, stating "An iron roof in its most normal condition
13104-518: Was passed and received Royal Assent, thus making the Welsh language an officially recognised language within Wales. The measure: The measure required public bodies and some private companies to provide services in Welsh. The Welsh government's Minister for Heritage at the time, Alun Ffred Jones , said, "The Welsh language is a source of great pride for the people of Wales, whether they speak it or not, and I am delighted that this measure has now become law. I am very proud to have steered legislation through
13221-517: Was probably spoken throughout the island south of the Firth of Forth . During the Early Middle Ages the British language began to fragment due to increased dialect differentiation, thus evolving into Welsh and the other Brittonic languages. It is not clear when Welsh became distinct. Linguist Kenneth H. Jackson has suggested that the evolution in syllabic structure and sound pattern
13338-542: Was remedied in 1885, when a new link to the south, the Birmingham West Suburban Railway , was extended into New Street, which allowed through trains to and from the south-west to run via New Street without reversing. To cope with the increase in traffic that this would bring, the station required an extension, the construction of which began in 1881. A number of buildings, mostly along Dudley Street, were demolished to make room for it, including
13455-578: Was renamed Grand Central and included a John Lewis department store. During heavy winds on 30 December 2015, several roof tiles blew off, landing in the adjacent Station Street, which was therefore closed by the police as a precautionary measure. Around 80% of train services to Birmingham go through New Street. The other major city-centre stations in Birmingham are Birmingham Moor Street and Birmingham Snow Hill . Outside Birmingham, in Solihull ,
13572-407: Was replaced with austere canopies over the platforms, made from surplus war materials, which remained in use until the station was rebuilt in the 1960s. The station was completely rebuilt in the 1960s, as part of the modernisation programme for the West Coast Main Line . Demolition of the old station and Queens Hotel began in 1964 and was not completed until 1966. The rebuilt New Street station
13689-531: Was shelved. In February 2008, the Secretary of State for Transport , Ruth Kelly , announced that the Department for Transport would provide £160 million in addition to £128 million through the government white paper Delivering a Sustainable Railway . A further £100 million came from the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform and channelled through Advantage West Midlands ,
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