The station is on three levels. The ticket office is at road level ( highest ); the Kidderminster - Birmingham Snow Hill platforms are one level down; and the Wolverhampton -Birmingham New Street platforms lie crosswise underneath the Worcester line. All platforms are accessible by lift, but two different lifts are needed to get to platform 4 (trains from Wolverhampton towards Birmingham). The stairs is proably the best option as the sign post are easier to follow and smell alot less than the lifts which seem to double up as the local public toilets.

Not genearl the easy place to take photo's but this station does allow you to spot a good a majority of the Tysleley based units going between Leamington and the worcestershire towns of Malvern, Worcester and some even go on to Hereford. They usual Centro Class 150 with the occasional substitute 153 or 170 runn on these lines.

The lower line see all the Virgin service, Arriva Wales and Central trains service passing throu or stopping. You will see some freight as well as the Wolverhampton Steel terminal trains traverse this route to get to bescot via Soho Junction.

Warning if taking photos that the platforms are narrow and the station does have CCTV monitering the platforms. Your better just explain to ticket office what you are there to do as you dont want BTP picking you up on the platform.

Smethwick I would also say is not a place to be leaving valuable or hang around. There is also no parking for cars. So the best bet is to drive to Sandwell and Dudley station and get the train to Smethwick Galton bridge which takes less than 2 minutes.