Media centre

Monday 6 Jul 2015

Opening dates revealed for Birmingham New Street station and Grand Central

Region & Route:

| North West & Central

The long-awaited opening dates for Birmingham New Street station and Grand Central have been confirmed.

Birmingham New Street station, with its stunning atrium and huge concourse, will open its doors on Sunday 20 September.

Grand Central, the shopping complex built above the station, complete with John Lewis store and more than 60 other retailers, will open its doors on Thursday 24 September.

The opening of the city’s much-improved station and retail hub follows years of planning and work and will further cement Birmingham’s position as a regional, national and international travel and shopping destination.   

Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin MP said: "This magnificent new station will transform journeys for millions of people, create thousands of jobs, and secure long-term economic growth in Birmingham and beyond. I congratulate everyone involved, and I look forward to seeing the station open in September.

“Investing in schemes like these is at the heart of our commitment to provide better journeys for passengers across the UK, support business growth and bring our country together.”

Martin Frobisher, route managing director for Network Rail said: “The opening of the improved Birmingham New Street will be a huge boost to the city. It’s another iconic building that the people of Birmingham can be proud of and will provide a vastly improved travelling experience for passengers.”

The new station provides natural light on to the amazing new concourse, improved platform access, stunning architecture and better access to all parts of the city centre.

The Birmingham New Street station and Grand Central redevelopments will open up the city centre and reconnect the north and south side of the city for the first time since the arrival of the railway in the 19^th century. This purpose-designed layout will play a huge part in regenerating the area to the south of the station, helping to create thousands of new jobs in the city.

Sir Albert Bore, leader of Birmingham City Council said: “Birmingham New Street station has undergone a magnificent transformation to become a vibrant, spacious and bright transport hub suitable for our city, and for the people of Birmingham to be proud of. The station redevelopment has been a key project for the city, stimulating economic growth and regeneration and, with the added creation of Grand Central, it has provided one of the best-connected retail spaces in the country. This is sure to have a catalytic effect on further regeneration of the city centre and attracting businesses to Birmingham.

“The development has also provided a gateway to opportunities for many Birmingham people, with over 3,000 construction jobs created, including over 115 apprenticeships. This is an exciting time and shows that Birmingham has a lot to look forward to.”

Secretary of State for Business, Sajid Javid MP said: “Birmingham’s fantastic new station provides a fitting welcome to people arriving in this great city, and will ensure that local businesses are able to make the connections they need in order to grow and thrive.

“This is precisely the kind of project that will contribute to a prosperous future for the whole of the country, giving people the security and opportunity they deserve.”

The new station and Grand Central, with its new John Lewis, have been built over the past six years transforming an unwelcoming and overcrowded space into a world class transport, shopping and community hub.

Grand Central, the city’s new £150 million premium retail and dining destination, which sits above the station, will see the arrival of one of the biggest John Lewis department stores in the UK. The 450,000 sq ft centre, which will employ over 1,000 people, is one of the best and most ambitious regeneration projects seen in the UK for many years, and is anticipated to attract over 50 million visitors per year.

An exciting array of retail and dining brands will be making their debut to the city with the centre boasting over 60 shops, restaurants and cafes which will complement the existing shopping and entertainment already in Birmingham, making the city centre one of the best shopping destinations outside of London.

Richard Brown, Grand Central development director, said: “After years of hard work and collaboration with Birmingham City Council and other key partners, it’s a pleasure to be able to announce the official opening date of Grand Central which has been eagerly awaited by people far and wide.

“We are making great progress with the development as we are entering into the final stages before nearing completion. There is still a lot to do, but we are right on schedule with a real buzz on site as we are seeing the centre being brought to life.”

Lisa Williams, head of branch at John Lewis Birmingham, said: “It is so exciting to be able to announce the opening date of our regional flagship shop. I can’t wait to meet my team of Partners and start welcoming customers through the doors to what will be our most innovative shop to date.

“We’ve been so grateful for the support from the community since we announced our plans to open the new shop, and we can’t wait to bring the best John Lewis has to offer to Birmingham on the 24 September.”

Cllr John McNicholas, chairman of public transport co-ordinator Centro, said: "The giant atrium, which will flood the concourse with natural light is the focal point of what I believe will be an iconic building so its opening is a very exciting prospect for the West Midlands.

“It will create a striking first impression for visitors arriving in the city and provide a step change in comfort and convenience for passengers especially with the tram extension on schedule to open outside the station at the end of the year.”

For further information visit www.newstreetnewstart.co.uk.