University station
In January 2024, we completed the rebuild of University station in Birmingham. The new station is making a huge difference to passengers, improving access to some of Birmingham’s world-leading institutions, including:
- the University of Birmingham
- Queen Elizabeth Hospital
The new state-of-the-art station buildings provide more capacity and better facilities. It is much easier to use and navigate.
New facilities and improvements
The station has new and improved facilities, with an increased capacity and more space for passengers. It is now capable of accommodating 7.2 million passengers a year.
The new station buildings have:
- much more seating
- many customer information screens
- new toilets, including a Changing Places facility.
- a new, much larger ticket office
- provision for a retail unit
- space for an NHS facility
New entrances and exits make it much easier to get in and out of the station. There is also a new pedestrian bridge over the canal which provides direct access to the University of Birmingham. Passengers are also able to get to the station from the canal towpath.
The station also provides:
- full-length canopies on the platforms to protect passengers from the weather
- a new footbridge, stairs and lifts between the platforms – improving accessibility for all passengers
The new station is encouraging more people to use the rail network instead of driving, reducing congestion on the road network.
Take a closer look at the station
Gallery
Why we rebuilt the station
The original University station was built in 1978 and designed to accommodate half a million passengers a year. Between 2018 and 2019 there were just under 4 million passenger journeys through the station, making overcrowding a serious issue. Furthermore, this was predicted to rise to over 7 million per year by 2069.
The station was often overcrowded, especially at peak times, and the platforms were narrow with limited shelter for bad weather. High passenger numbers contributed to delays.
Our partners
We worked on the station rebuild with:
- Transport for West Midlands
- West Midlands Trains (operators of West Midlands Railway)
- Network Rail
- University of Birmingham
- The Department for Transport
- Birmingham City Council
- Midlands Engine
- The Greater Birmingham and Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership
- The Canal and River Trust
- CrossCountry Trains
- VolkerFitzpatrick and their supplier Mott Macdonald, Associated Architects and more.
- SLC-AECOM Joint Venture