Station woes

I RECENTLY had occasion to use Newport railway station, and what a disappointing experience I had. As you enter the £10 million building the main office is located behind thick smoked glass, a sort of armoured-looking box. I can only assume they must get unruly travellers and the staff seek refuge? It looks most unappealing. Upon arriving at platform 2, I went to the ‘information office’, another smoked-glass-box, with no lights on inside. Wondering why they chose to work in darkness, a man eventually came and half-heartedly switched on the computer to find the answer to my simple question he should have known. Next to this information box was a large cordoned-off area for building works, yet middle of a weekday and no work was going on. It was deserted with tools and equipment lying idle. This construction area makes the platform incredibly narrow and hard to safely accommodate waiting passengers. I asked if there was a bench to sit on and was told there was only one. Ironically the old railway station had plenty of seating up and down the platforms. This one bench was made only part useable due to a pool of water sitting on the middle of it. I asked if someone could wipe the bench and was sent the station conductor herself, wearily telling me it always happens when it rains because the roof leaks. So much for the millions spent on Newport train station!