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Wednesday 8 Oct 2025

Railway scenes by famous artist proudly on display at Birmingham New Street

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North West & Central

| North West & Central: Central

A huge exhibition of stunning railway paintings has been officially unveiled at Birmingham New Street by the city-born artist who painted them.

John Austin, who was born in Yardley in 1949 and is now fellow of the Guild of Railway Artists, teamed up with Network Rail to bring history, colour, and vibrancy to the Moor Street Link, which runs from the station to Smallbrook Queensway near the Rotunda.

Unveiled as part of this year's Railway 200 celebrations, the nine pictures of the past and present railway in Birmingham recognise the important role and presence it has had in the city and across the West Midlands since the first station opened in 1838.

The striking artwork is part of an overhaul of the popular Moor Street Link, used by passengers accessing the station and people walking across the city centre, which also includes new plants and greenery. 

It is complemented by a series of other Railway 200 artwork outlining the environmental benefits of travelling by train to destinations across Britain, as well as aet work designed by schools in the city which was unveiled earlier this year.

Fraser Pithie, operations manager at Birmingham New Street station, said: “We want Birmingham New Street to be more than somewhere to catch a train, for it to be an important part of the local community. These beautiful and historic paintings are fantastic pieces of public art which are a great addition to the city centre.

"John Austin's work is recognised far and wide, so we are proud he was able to work with us on these huge pieces which are now on show for all to see. They promote the city and the railway and it is fitting we are able to unveil them as part of Railway 200 which has celebrated the past, present, and future of the railway throughout this year."

Commenting on his artwork and the exhibition, artist John Austin said: "As a Brummie and a life-long train lover, it is amazing that my paintings are on display in the centre of my home city and on such a large scale, I can't quite believe it!

"New Street and Snow Hill were the start and end of many journeys for me growing up, and it was the railway publicity posters I saw at the stations which inspired me to paint.

"Little did I realise that they would result in my own work being on display in Birmingham all these years later. I am very proud and so pleased to be part of this exciting project." 

In addition to existing paintings showing different Birmingham railway scenes, including famous steam locos calling at Birmingham New Street and Snow Hill, John also painted two new pieces of work which depict Birmingham New Street in the 1970s and in 2025 - which took more than 250 hours to finish. 

The 1970s picture shows a mix of diesel and electric trains with the famous Rotunda building in the background, while the 2025 image shows the redeveloped station, which recently celebrated its 10th anniversary, being served by modern trains including West Midlands Railway's new Class 730s and Avanti West Coast's new Everos.

You can find out more about railway artist John Austin's work at www.johnaustinartist.co.uk. 

Passengers can plan and check their journeys at www.nationalrail.co.uk.