West Midlands Railway: Three million passengers use University Station in its first year

More than three million passengers have passed through Birmingham’s new-look University Station in the first year since its multi-million pound redevelopment, West Midlands Railway has confirmed today.

The busy station, which serves the University of Birmingham and Queen Elizabeth Hospital, opened its spacious new buildings to passengers on 28 January 2024.

Since then, more than 50,000 trains have called at the station including WMR’s brand new Class 730 electric train fleet which rolled out onto the Cross City Line last year as part of the operator’s £1billion investment in new trains and infrastructure.

In the coming years customer numbers are expected to continue to grow, so the station was designed to accommodate over seven million passengers annually.

The enhanced station opened after a three-year construction programme, where it remained open to passengers throughout. It features two spacious pavilions and bridges connecting passengers to the university and hospital sites. It was named the best medium sized station at the prestigious National Rail Awards last year.

Among the community artworks on display at the station are the opening lines of former Birmingham poet laureate Casey Bailey’s “Dear Brum” poem. The station also displays “Passing Through”, a watercolour painting by local artist Sarah Taylor Silverwood.

Jonny Wiseman, customer experience director at West Midlands Railway said: “We’re delighted to celebrate the first anniversary of University’s relaunch. The new-look buildings have transformed the station and proved a huge hit with passengers.

“As one of the region’s busiest stations, the expansion of the site has been a fantastic success, offering spacious waiting areas, entrances and exits to improve passenger flow and ensure a comfortable experience for everyone using the station.”

The Class 730 fleet now serving the Cross City Line replaced a 30-year-old former fleet. The new trains offer significantly increased capacity and feature smart air conditioning and phone chargers at every seat to offer a more comfortable passenger experience.

University Railway Station first opened in 1978 to accommodate just 500,000 passengers per year. The original building remains in place as a station exit.

The station rebuild project was led by Transport for the West Midlands, part of the West Midlands Combined Authority and the West Midlands Rail Executive. Partners in the project included West Midlands Railway, the University of Birmingham, NHS University Hospitals Birmingham Trust, Birmingham City Council, the Department for Transport, Network Rail and CrossCountry Trains, plus delivery partners SLC-AECOM Joint Venture and VolkerFitzpatrick.