Monday 8 Apr 2013
The final test for the new Birmingham New Street
- Region & Route:
Network Rail opened the doors to the first half of the new concourse at Birmingham New Street station this weekend, in advance of its partial opening at the end of April.
More than 200 volunteers were invited to trial the features and facilities of the new concourse such as the ticket office, wayfinding signage and access to platforms.
A wide range of volunteers were invited to attend, including blind and partially sighted people, people with hearing loss and wheelchair users, to ensure all station passengers were represented and able to give comprehensive feedback. Network Rail engaged with a number of different station users and specialist organisations to help make the transition to the new station as smooth as possible for everyone.
The day was also important for station staff from Network Rail and train operators, who have been familiarising themselves with the new station concourse and working environment since January.
The team working to get the station and staff operationally ready for the opening of the new concourse on 28 April is being lead by Mark Bennett, project manager for Network Rail.
Mark Bennett said: “The trial has been an incredibly worthwhile exercise and a fantastic opportunity for all involved. We've committed to keeping New Street station open to passengers throughout the redevelopment and to date we’ve been doing most of our work behind the scenes, so it’s been great to invite people in to show what we’ve been working on since 2010.”
The day gave people the opportunity to understand what they can expect from the first half of the new station including a new concourse that will be one-and-a-half times bigger than the current one. It will also feature all of the facilities expected in a major station, with a new, larger and improved ticket office and new lifts and escalators improving access to platforms.
Network Rail will now analyse the feedback gathered during the day and make any changes needed ahead of the opening of the new concourse on Sunday 28th April.
Further public exhibitions giving comprehensive information about the station switchover will take place later this week on the main concourse at New Street between 7am-7pm Thursday (April 11) and Friday (April 12) and 9am-7pm on Saturday (April 13).
Notes to editors
The redevelopment of Birmingham New Street station and the Pallasades Shopping Centre is backed by Birmingham City Council, Network Rail, Department for Transport, Centro and Advantage West Midlands.
Network Rail is delivering the project alongside its delivery partner Mace.
Upon completion in 2015, the project will deliver:
- Space to accommodate passenger growth: the new concourse will be three and a half times bigger than at present and will be enclosed by a giant atrium which will flood the station concourse and shopping centre with natural light.
- Better access for all: over 30 new escalators and 15 new public lifts will make it much easier to travel between the platforms and the concourse above.
- Cutting edge design: a stunning new station façade will create a new landmark building in the heart of Birmingham.
- A revitalized city centre: the new Grand Central Birmingham anchored by the John Lewis department store will offer new retail brands alongside quality places to eat and drink, cementing Birmingham’s reputation as one of the UK’s top retail destinations.
- Regeneration and economic growth: new pedestrian links will open up the city centre, stimulating regeneration and creating new jobs. We’re also working to open up job opportunities to the local workforce during construction.
- The station will remain open throughout the redevelopment.
Once the new concourse opens, the Network Rail & Mace delivery team will turn their attention to redeveloping the old station concourse and the remainder of the Pallasades shopping centre. The centre will be transformed into a new premium fashion and lifestyle shopping destination, Grand Central Birmingham, incorporating a four storey John Lewis, over 40 more shops and more than 15 cafes and restaurants. The station redevelopment completes in 2015.
Major changes on 28th April include:
- The existing vehicle and pedestrian entrance outside the front of the station on Smallbrook Queensway will close, with vehicle access moving across to a new drop off area and short stay car park located off Hill Street
- Passengers travelling from Moor Street station and pedestrians on Smallbrook Queensway will be able to access the new concourse via the new Moor Street link pedestrian walkway which links the east side of the station to the new entrance on Stephenson Street.
- Passengers can still access the station from Pallasades and Bullring through a new set of escalators which link the shopping centre above down to the new concourse.
- The Victoria Square entrance on Navigation Street will close to passengers as new entrances will open onto Stephenson Street and Hill Street
- The station taxi rank will temporarily move to Navigation Street
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