£286m Birmingham International Station scheme takes next step

The plan has been backed by Solihull council, which has submitted a business case to the Government to transform Birmingham International Station.

The plan creates what is called a 'multi-modal' hub, bringing together high speed rail with existing rail, air, trams, buses, private vehicles, taxis and bicycles, connecting to Birmingham Airport and the new HS2 Interchange Station by 2025.

It follows an 18-month feasibility study led by the Urban Growth Company (UGC), a special-delivery organisation set up by Solihull council last year to deliver infrastructure and development across The Hub site, near Junction 6 of the M42.

The £1.5 million study was co-financed by the European Union’s Connecting Europe Facility, West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA), Birmingham Airport and NEC Group.

Other partners included Transport for West Midlands, Network Rail, HS2 Ltd, Birmingham City Council and Virgin Trains.

The business case will now be submitted to the WMCA and the Greater Birmingham & Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership (GBSLEP) in order to secure funding to progress the project to design stage and delivery.

The UGC says it will continue working with regional and central government to secure funding from a range of national and local sources to deliver the project by December 2025.

Nick Brown, chairman of the Urban Growth Company, said: “Since Birmingham International Station opened in the 1970s, passenger numbers have exceeded all expectations. We now have a scenario where there simply isn’t enough capacity and the passenger experience could be so much better.

“With the HS2 Interchange Station on its way, major growth at Birmingham Airport and the NEC, and nearby Jaguar Land Rover going from strength-to-strength, passenger numbers at Birmingham International Station are forecast to triple over the next 20 years.

"It has the potential to be one of the busiest stations in the UK but without this transformation it will be a major barrier to sustainable economic growth here in Solihull, and that will impact on the wider West Midlands.”

Councillor Ian Courts, deputy leader of Solihull Council, said: “This project is critical as it will create an iconic gateway to the West Midlands with sustainable, resilient transport connections.

“It will also accelerate the delivery of development in this area, helping attract new businesses, creating 2,500 new jobs and generating £145m GVA (gross value added), putting Solihull at the heart of this region’s economic renaissance.”

The Urban Growth Company’s growth & infrastructure plan has predicted that The Hub, which includes a transformed Birmingham International Station, has the wider potential to create up to 77,500 new jobs, 775,000 sq m of commercial space and £4.1bn GVA per year.