Station opens following £30m redevelopment
The new Perry Barr Railway Station opened its doors to passengers for the first time yesterday having been taken just a year to completely rebuild.
The station stands at the heart of a rapidly changing Perry Barr and will be a key gateway for visitors to Alexander Stadium for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games this summer - something celebrated on the station 's sport-themed frieze.
New facilities for passengers include a ticket office, accessible toilet and baby change facilities as well as lifts and stairs to the platform.
The station provides regular, fast and direct West Midlands Railway services to Birmingham city centre, Walsall and Wolverhampton.
Building work began last May with the demolition of the unattractive old station and parade of shops and has continued at pace since with the project delivered on time and on budget.
The railway station and bus interchange project partnership includes Transport for West Midlands (TfWM), which is part of the West Midland Combined Authority (WMCA), the West Midlands Rail Executive, Birmingham City Council, Network Rail and West Midlands Trains.
West Midlands mayor Andy Street said: “The Commonwealth Games this Summer, beyond being 11 exciting days of sporting spectacle, have the potential to deliver a lasting legacy for the people of the West Midlands for generations to come.
“This new station at Perry Barr is a great example of what that lasting legacy for our region actually means. It is a vast improvement on the old station - better lit, more spacious and equipped with much better facilities including lifts to the platform.
“This is brilliant news for residents but also for Games visitors making their way to the stadium nearby.
“I congratulate everyone involved on getting the project finished on budget and on time and look forward to this station serving the local community for many years to come. ”
Neil Gaskin, Network Rail 's programme director for the Commonwealth Games, said: “It 's been amazing to work with partners across the West Midlands to safely and successfully deliver the much-improved Perry Barr station building ahead of the Commonwealth Games this summer.
“We can 't wait for station users from near and far to enjoy the new facilities as we begin Birmingham 's exciting summer of sport. ”
Funding has been provided by the WMCA, Birmingham City Council, Greater Birmingham and Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership and the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.
The £30.9 million project costs include the redevelopment of the bus interchange outside the neighbouring One Stop Shopping Centre. This is set to be completed ahead of the Commonwealth Games.
Perry Barr is just 13 minutes from Birmingham city centre and 15 minutes from Walsall town centre by train.
The redevelopment is part of a £700m+ package of investment into north west Birmingham, including new homes, upgraded and new transport infrastructure and the provision of new community facilities including the redeveloped Alexander Stadium, all of which is underpinned by the new Perry Barr 2040 Masterplan.
Members of the public will be welcome to visit the station for an official opening and family fun day on Saturday 25 June.
Pictured: Jonny Wiseman (West Midlands Railway), Amanda White (West Midlands Rail Executive), Cllr Ian Ward (WMCA portfolio holder for transport and leader of Birmingham City Council) and Malcolm Holmes (Transport for West Midlands)