Birmingham’s brand new University Railway Station building is now open to the public

The new University Station opened it’s doors for travel on Sunday. Birmingham’s University Station now boasts a new main pavilion building, and passengers can benefit from wider entrances, stairways and exits. 

The station, serving the University of Birmingham and Queen Elizabeth Hospital, has completed its renovations after a complex three year construction programme during which the site remained open and operational.

via TFWM

University is one of the busiest stations in the region, accommodating up to 3.5 million passengers a year. Previously, users had to pass through a tiny station, designed and opened in 1978 to accommodate just 500,000 per year. 

The main pavilion building includes a space for a cafe or convenience shop to soon be announced, and an NHS facility on the first floor. 

via TFWM

Passenger numbers have increased over the last decade as a result of expansions at the University of Birmingham’s campus alongside redevelopments of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital. Anticipating a further growth in passengers, the new station has been designed to accommodate up to 7.2 million passengers per year. 

Andy Street, mayor of the West Midlands, said: “It’s good news that we now have a superb gateway for thousands of people arriving at University every day – no longer having to queue on stairs and funnel through what was a fairly tiny building on their way to lectures or hospital appointments.” 

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Featured image via TFWM