Public to have their say on designs for new University station

Rail passengers and residents are being offered the chance to have their say and help shape the final design of the new multi-million pound University station.

Fresh images of the design were released today (Tuesday August 20) as part of a public consultation by Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) and the West Midlands Rail Executive (WMRE).

They are keen to hear people’s views on the redevelopment of the existing University station which first opened in May 1978.

It was originally designed to handle around 500,000 passengers a year but now has to cope with more than 3.5 million each year. That figure is expected to increase to more than seven million by 2043.

The expansion of the University of Birmingham, the development of the world class University Hospital Birmingham and the continued regeneration of the surrounding area have all played a part in driving the massive increase in passengers.

The redevelopment project is being led by WMRE and TfWM, which is part of the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA), and is aimed at creating a fit-for-the-future station capable of accommodating 7.2 million passengers a year.

The new University station will provide flagship facilities to accommodate future rail passenger growth and act as a fitting gateway to the hospitals and University campus.

Andy Street, Mayor of the West Midlands, said: “With a new life sciences campus on the way and the university and hospital continuing to expand, this area needs an impressive new station for the students, staff, visitors and the wider Edgbaston community.

“We all want the station to be the best it can be, which is why we are urging local people and regular users to join us on this exciting journey and have their say on the design.”

The plans been drawn up by the WMRE and TfWM with costs covered from a range of funding partners, including a significant contribution from the University of Birmingham.

The plans are also being developed in close collaboration with train operator West Midlands Railway and Network Rail.

Cllr Ian Ward, WMCA portfolio holder for transport and leader of Birmingham City Council, added: “I am delighted we have got the funding and plans in place to deliver a new station for the huge numbers of people who use it every day.

“These are exciting times for Birmingham and the region, with major projects like the Commonwealth Games and HS2 enabling us to bring forward regeneration and improvements in our infrastructure.

“We want the public to help contribute towards the station’s design and how it fits in with the community.”

The new station will include:

–           A new station building providing access to both platforms

–           A direct link with the University Campus over the canal

–           A doubling of platform widths to accommodate peak time passenger flows

–           Canopy coverage along platforms

–           Enhanced public space linking the station with existing bus stops and hospitals

The design team has worked closely with local partners, including the University of Birmingham, Canals and River Trust and Historic England, to ensure the design complements the local area.

Public consultation on the proposed station design launches today (20th August). As well as the opportunity to view and comment on the plans online at www.tfwm.org.uk/stations the public can also visit any of the five public drop-in sessions being staged. These are:

Thursday 22 August 2019

10am – 4pm University of Birmingham – Collaborative Teaching Laboratory (ground floor)

South West Campus, Birmingham B15 2TT

Friday 23 August 2019

10am – 3pm University Hospital Birmingham – Main Entrance Foyer

Wednesday 28 August 2019

10am-4pm Community Living Hub, Bournbrook Pavilion, Aston Webb Boulevard, Birmingham, B15 2GR

Thursday 29 August 2019

10am – 7pm Marquee near University Rail Station entrance

Westgate, Birmingham B15 2GB.