Network Rail has confirmed the four partners that will both design and develop Midlands Rail Hub – a 1.75 billion GBP project to improve journeys, boost economic growth and provide stronger transport connections for people across the county.
The Midlands Rail Hub Alliance, which consists of VolkerRail, Laing O’Rourke, AtkinsRéalis and Siemens Mobility, will work alongside Network Rail to develop and design the Hub and support its build phase, including the connection of the Chiltern main line with Camp Hill lines running towards the South West and East Midlands via two new chords in Bordesley.
Work is also being prioritised to progress a number of smaller changes to the existing railway which, once completed, will provide passengers and communities with new journey options and more trains, including the reopening of platform 4 at Snow Hill Station and redevelopment of both Kings Norton station and its lines.
The Midlands Rail Hub Alliance, working with the sponsoring partner team of Network Rail, West Midlands Rail Executive, Department for Transport, and Midlands Connect, will plan all timescales for the development of the Hub, with early benefits expected to be realised by the early 2030s.
Rail Minister Lord Peter Hendy said:The Midlands Rail Hub will be transformational for millions of people across the country by improving capacity across the network, allowing more services and better reliability.
Thanks to £123 million of Government funding we are unlocking jobs opportunities, stimulating housing growth and better connecting our communities, forging ahead with our promise to create modern transport Britain needs and deserves.
The overall transformation of the railway in Birmingham and the West Midlands is expected to provide a wealth of benefits to local, regional and national passenger journeys, with more train services set to run on key routes through Birmingham.
