New wider platforms at one of Birmingham’s busiest railway stations used for first time during Commonwealth Games

New wider platforms at the busy University station have been used for the first time this week as the major redevelopment project reached another key milestone.

Spectators heading for the Birmingham 2022 hockey and squash competitions were among those to benefit from the extra space and new shelters on the wider platforms.

University station is undergoing a major redevelopment with new station buildings, bridges and platforms to accommodate the 3.5 million passenger journeys it sees every year.

Amanda White, Rail Programme Director, and Andy Street, Mayor of the West Midlands, at University Station

And the new platforms, approved for service by the Office for Road and Rail (ORR), are the first of the new facilities to be brought into public use. The new station is nearing completion and will fully open later this year.

A new public space has also been opened – for a limited time during the Commonwealth Games – to provide extra space for people to wait. This will reopen with the station buildings providing a place for people to meet and spend time outdoors.

Andy Street, Mayor of the West Midlands said: “It was exciting to see for myself the great progress being made at University station. Whilst we await the completion of the new buildings, passengers - including Commonwealth Games visitors and university students - are already able to benefit from wider platforms and more space to circulate safely.

"Serving both the University of Birmingham and Queen Elizabeth Hospital this is already one of the busiest railway stations in the country. The new station will double capacity - providing safety benefits, improving customer experience, and enabling the station to meet future demand.

“This new station will be a lasting asset for the region, making it easier than ever for the many visitors to the university and hospital to choose the train over the car and help tackle the climate emergency.”