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Thursday 11 Dec 2014

Passengers thanked for allowing extra time at Birmingham New Street station

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Passengers using Birmingham New Street station are being thanked for allowing extra time to catch their trains in the build up to Christmas.

The station has been exceptionally busy over recent weekends as thousands of people visit the city centre for Christmas shopping and the Christmas market.

At its peak the station was used by 230,000 people on one Saturday, an increase of 100,000 compared to an average Saturday. With visitor numbers to the city predicted to be high for the next two weekends, passengers are being reminded to continue to allow for more time to catch their trains.

To handle the increased passenger numbers - which sees the number of people using the station each day average around 180,000 - crowd control measures will continue to be in place at the station on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays to safely move people between the concourse area and platforms. Up to 70 extra staff will be also on hand to provide assistance.

Steve Lewis, station manager at Birmingham New Street, said: “I’d like to thank passengers for allowing the extra time needed to catch their trains and for their patience when having to wait at the station. The Christmas Market and festive period are great for Birmingham but put a significant pressure on Birmingham New Street to safely manage much higher passenger numbers.

“Our crowd management plans have been essential in keeping the station operating safely and the station team has done a fantastic job of helping to keep people on the move. Our advice is to continue to allow for extra time to make your train and always check with National Rail Enquiries before you travel.”

For the latest information regarding rail services visit www.nationalrail.co.uk; for specific Birmingham New Street station information visit www.facebook.com/birminghamnewstreet or follow @NetworkRailBHM.