Birmingham New Street station revamp is taking shape
Workmen are today pictured putting the final touches to the first stage of Birmingham New Street station's new £600m concourse which opens to the public on Sunday.
Up to 1,400 people have been working at the site every day since the major re-development work started three years ago.
Around 700 tonnes of concrete were stripped out of an old car park underneath the Palisades shopping centre to make way for the revamp.
Speaking of his delight at reaching the halfway point today Network Rail's senior sponsor Mick Miller said: "We are very excited about opening on Sunday. This has been a very complex construction project creating a new concourse over a live railway."
On Sunday the existing entrances which have been in use since the 1960s will close and passengers will start to use the first half of the brand new concourse. The existing station will then be closed down to be revamped.
Mr Miller added: "I'm not sure it's a sad day as it's a bit of a free for all for people getting into the station. We realise it will be a bit disorientating at first but we will have 80 travel champions inside and outside pointing people in the right direction."
Work to build the flagship John Lewis store is well under way. It will form the centrepiece of the transformed station on completion.
Builders will now start work on the retail areas which will make up the Grand Central Birmingham shopping centre.
