Tuesday 5 Oct 2010
TRANSPORT SECRETARY SEES NEW STREET PROGRESS
- Region & Route:
The rebuilding of Birmingham New Street is underway and yesterday the Transport Secretary Philip Hammond MP saw for himself how the project will transform New Street station. Philip Hammond took time out from the Conservative Party Conference to look at the plans and see how construction is progressing with council leader Mike Whitby and Network Rail chairman Rick Haythornthwaite.
Philip Hammond said: "Its great news that the project of rebuilding Birmingham New Street is underway. It is a key station that sits at the heart of the West Midlands and the wider UK rail network. The rebuilt New Street will be bigger, better and will deliver the world class station passengers and the people of Birmingham and the West Midlands deserve.
"It is a great example of this Government's commitment to continuing investment in the infrastructure that we need to support economic growth."
Construction on site started in April and the project team is currently constructing the new station concourse and refurbishing Platform 1. Preparatory work has also started to demolish Stephenson Tower to open up the south side of the station.
The Gateway project is funded by Network Rail, Birmingham City Council (with funding from the Department for Transport), Advantage West Midlands and Centro.
Notes to editors
- Birmingham Gateway will transform New Street into a bright, modern, 21st century focal point for Birmingham. The project will double passenger capacity and deliver:
- a concourse that is three-and-a-half times bigger than at present and enclosed by a giant, light-filled atrium
- more accessible, brighter and clearer platforms, serviced by over 30 new escalators and over 15 new public lifts
- a stunning new station façade
- better links to and through the station for pedestrians, with eight new entrances
- the stimulus for the physical regeneration of the areas surrounding the station
- Work to construct Gateway started in April 2010 and has been carefully planned to minimise disruption for people throughout the project. Most of the work will happen behind the scenes until a new concourse opens in 2012. The project completes in 2015
- Inside the station, only one platform at a time will close allowing passengers to catch their train as normal throughout the project.
Further details on the project can be found at: www.newstreetnewstart.co.uk
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