Is Birmingham's New Street station going to be ever rebuilt?

Answer 1

Yes within 6 years. The new New Street, pending planning approval, will be built and operational by 2013.

The station was completely re-built by the nationalised British Railways in the mid 1960s, when the West Coast Main Line was modernised and electrified. Queen's Drive was lost in the rebuilding, but the name is now carried by a new driveway which serves the car park and a tower block, and is the access route for the station's taxis. The rebuilt station has the Pallasades Shopping Centre and an NCP car park above it. The station and the Pallasades are now somewhat integrated with the Bullring complex, connected by indoor walkways and escalators. Next to the car park Stephenson Tower, a residential tower block was constructed. The Brutalist 1960s corrugated concrete architecture of New Street Signal Box (architects: Bicknell & Hamilton) is located to the side of the tracks connected to Navigation Street. It is now a Grade II listed building.

The station was designed to serve 650 trains and 60,000 passengers per day however is currently serving 1,350 trains and 120,000 passengers (double the number it was designed to take). Passenger usage of New Street has increased by 50% since 2000. Currently New Street handles about 80% of passengers travelling to, from or through Birmingham.

There are five escalators and two lifts in the station giving access to the platforms and concourse from the Pallasades Shopping Centre.

In 1987 twelve different horse sculptures by Kevin Atherton, titled Iron Horse, were erected between New Street station and Wolverhampton. One stands on a platform at New Street.

In 1995, New Street Station caught fire - apparently due to a discarded cigarette end and became the subject of an avant-garde pop record by Samplesonic.


Criticism
The station is frequently derided as one of the most run down and unwelcoming of all the major terminals on the British railway network.[citation needed] Although much of this can be blamed on the sub-surface nature of the station, the 1960's architecture, and that it is built below the Pallasades shopping arcade also contributes to New Street's ambience. In November 2003 the station was voted the second biggest "eyesore" in the UK by readers of Country Life magazine. The station has a reputation for platform changes being made in the minutes before trains are due to depart, resulting in travellers having to run from one end of the station to the other.

A feasibility study worth £3.9m into the redevelopment of Birmingham New Street Station, known as the Birmingham Gateway Project, was approved on 21 January 2005. A development scheme was launched in 2006 and the new New Street, pending planning approval, will be built and operational by 2013.

Answer 2

There is a vague plan to rebuild it sometime in the next 15 years, but don't hold your breath