143-612: The Gateway Plus (previously known as Birmingham Gateway and now known as Grand Central) project was a redevelopment scheme that regenerated Birmingham New Street railway station and the Pallasades Shopping Centre above it in Birmingham , England . It was completed in September 2015. The project aimed to enhance the station to cope with increased passenger numbers as well as expected future growth in traffic, but did not alter
286-545: A compulsory purchase order and demolished as part of the project as one of the towers will partially cover the footprint of the building. The tower is on a long lease and administered by the City Council, with Network Rail having the freehold. Turley Associates wrote on behalf of Agora (Warner Estates) who are the leasehold owners of the Pallasades and car park which is sub-leased to National Car Parks . They were supportive of
429-668: A "depressing underground bunker" and by Simon Jenkins as "hideous". The power signal box at New Street was completed in 1964 on the site of the former turntable, housing the Westpac Geographical Interlocking & Signalmens push button control panel (the largest relay interlocking in the world when installed) and also the Railway Telephone Exchange. It is a brutalist building with corrugated concrete architecture, designed by John Bicknell and Paul Hamilton in collaboration with William Robert Headley ,
572-545: A Fisher Family Fellow at Harvard University where he served as a Senior Fellow at the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs (2016–2022). He has served as a visiting professor at the University of Chicago (2015) and is currently a visiting professor at New York University (Abu Dhabi). He is also currently a visiting professor at King's College London 's Policy Institute. In November 2015 Alexander started working as
715-752: A Scottish scholarship to attend Lester B. Pearson United World College of the Pacific in Canada, where he gained the International Baccalaureate Diploma , returning to Scotland to study politics and modern history at the University of Edinburgh . He spent 1988/89, the third of his four undergraduate years, at the University of Pennsylvania as part of the exchange scheme between the two universities. When studying in America, he worked for Michael Dukakis during
858-561: A Trustee of the Royal United Services Institute , and Chair of the Programme Committee at The Ditchley Foundation Alexander has written and presented programmes for BBC Radio 4 including: the documentary: "A Culture of Encounter" (2017), in which Alexander brought together experts and community organisations to explore the cultural, economic, and political polarising forces in society. He also authored and presented
1001-485: A bottleneck which is constrained by the foundations of the shopping centre preventing widening. Here, twelve tracks constrict to become four and this was outlined in the " Birmingham and West Midlands Rail Capacity Review " as a future capacity problem. The proposed design for the project was unveiled in June 2006 and in the following month, the business case had been completed. The business case had taken 18 months to produce and
1144-466: A catalyst for regional growth and development but offer an excellent return on necessary investment." In response to the planning application, English Heritage welcomed the proposals as it promises greater integration of the station into patterns of pedestrian flow around the city centre, and therefore benefit the appreciation of Birmingham's historic environment. The Conservation and Heritage Panel of Birmingham City Council echoed this as well as stressing
1287-607: A central hub of the British railway system . It is a major destination for Avanti West Coast services from London Euston , Preston , Glasgow Central and Edinburgh Waverley and West Midlands Trains services from Liverpool Lime Street and London Euston both via the West Coast Main Line . The CrossCountry network centres on New Street, as well as local and suburban services within the West Midlands ; these include those on
1430-720: A central role in the first Scottish Parliament elections in 1999 which saw Donald Dewar elected as the first First Minister of Scotland . Alexander is credited with devising the strategy for the campaign, including the successful 'Divorce is an Expensive Business' messaging unveiled at the Labour Party in Scotland Conference in Glasgow (March 1999). Labour secured 56 seats under the Proportional Representation system, nine short of an overall majority, and agreed to enter
1573-545: A coalition with the 17-strong Liberal Democrats to form the first Government in the newly established Scottish Parliament . Alexander also coordinated Labour's successful 2001 General Election Campaign which resulted in another Labour landslide and the Party winning 413 of the 659 seats available: securing a 167-seat majority in the House of Commons. Alexander was appointed by Tony Blair to Labour's National Executive Committee in 2003 and
SECTION 10
#17330847268541716-518: A completely new station in the city. Work began on the redevelopment on 26 April 2010. Construction was completed in phases to minimise disruption. On 28 April 2013, one half of the new concourse was opened to the public and the old 1960s concourse was closed for redevelopment, along with the old entrances. The complete concourse opened on 20 September 2015, the Grand Central shopping centre four days later. The refurbished Pallasades Shopping Centre
1859-434: A complex world", Why Vote Labour 2015: The Essential Guide (2014) and "Rethink: How We Can Make A Better World" (2021), a collection of essays focused on a global 'reset moment' with leading international figures giving glimpses of a better future after the pandemic including contributions from Pope Francis, Niall Ferguson, Samantha Power and Paul Krugman. Douglas married Jacqueline Christian in 2000, and together they have
2002-410: A cost of £12,000. One stands on platform 7 at New Street. Due to its enclosed sub-surface platforms, New Street was designated as an underground station by the fire service. In the 1990s, a number of changes had to be made to the station in order to comply with stricter fire regulations, introduced for underground stations as a result of the 1987 King's Cross fire . In 1993, a new enclosed footbridge
2145-606: A design contest notice on the Tenders Electronic Daily, supplement to the Official Journal of the European Union . The notice stated that the designs must be received by noon on 28 January 2008 with selected architects being invited to produce an architectural model on 11 February 2008. The design should include a new external façade and atrium. On 18 February 2008, the shortlist of six architectural design practices
2288-617: A failed New Labour project that lost millions of votes". He also invited him to discuss the issue on his radio show. Alexander has been a vocal critic of anti-Semitism within the Labour Party and is a supporting member of one of the oldest socialist societies affiliated to the Party: the Jewish Labour Movement . In 2011, Alexander was among the first to publicly condemn Paul Flynn , the Labour MP for Newport West for his comments regarding
2431-459: A first class lounge and Network West Midlands also provides a public transport information point for the station. The station is a penalty fare station for West Midlands Railway and London Northwestern Railway (West Midlands Trains' brands ). This scheme is operated both onboard trains and at the automatic ticket barriers at the station. The other train operating companies that use the station do not operate penalty fare schemes. The station
2574-592: A further BBC Radio 4 programme called 'Glasgow: Our Last Best Hope', an essential guide to COP26, its hope of success and what the transition to net zero could mean for Glaswegians and all of us, with contributions from John Kerry, Christian Figueres, Mark Carney and Alok Sharma. In May 2022, Alexander authored and presented Connections which examined whether recent crises, including the COVID-19 pandemic and Russo-Ukrainian War , have helped bring people together or driven them apart. Douglas Alexander served as chair of
2717-401: A large atrium which will allow the new concourse to "flood with light", given that a major complaint surrounding the current station is its lack of natural light. A reserved matters planning application was submitted for the design to Birmingham City Council on 20 November 2009. A public consultation period commenced immediately and ended on 31 December 2009. The Commission for Architecture and
2860-515: A marshy area known as "The Froggery"; it replaced several earlier rail termini on the outskirts of the centre, most notably Curzon Street , which had opened in 1838 and was no longer adequate for the level of traffic. Samuel Carter , solicitor to both LNWR and the Midland Railway , managed the conveyancing . The LNWR originally shared the station with the Midland Railway; however, in 1885,
3003-399: A new west wing. The scale of the station at this time was documented in the station's entry in the 1863 edition of Bradshaw's Guide : The interior of this station deserves attention from its magnitude. The semicircular roof is 1,110 feet long, 205 feet wide and 80 feet high, composed of iron and glass, without the slightest support except that afforded by the pillars on either side. If
SECTION 20
#17330847268543146-412: A number of cottages, some business premises and a small church. Built immediately to the south of the original station, the extension contained four through platforms and one bay. It consisted of a trainshed with a glass and steel roof comprising two trussed arches, 58 ft (18 m) wide by 620 ft (189 m) long, and 67 ft 6 in (21 m) wide by 600 ft (183 m) long. It
3289-482: A number of sidings on the station for the stabling of trains; these are between platforms 5/6, 7/8 and 9/10. The bay platforms at either end of platform 12 were removed during the 2015 refurbishment. The sidings in front of New Street signal box have also been removed. Still in existence, but out of use, is the "Royal Mail tunnel" which connected the "b" end of the station platforms to the former sorting office (now called The Mailbox) alongside Suffolk Street. The tunnel to
3432-414: A precaution following the collapse of a similar roof which killed six people at Charing Cross station in 1905. Midland Railway trains that had used Curzon Street began to use New Street from 1854; however, its use by the Midland Railway was limited by the fact that those trains going between Derby and Bristol would have to reverse, so many trains bypassed New Street and ran through Camp Hill . This
3575-579: A result of the problems with the existing station, proposals to redevelop the station gained traction in the mid-2000s. A feasibility study was approved in January 2005. Designs were shown to the public in February 2006 for a new Birmingham New Street Station, in a project known as Gateway Plus . A regeneration scheme was launched in 2006 and evolved through names such as Birmingham Gateway, Gateway Plus and New Street Gateway. The scheme proposed complete rebuilding of
3718-722: A return to Parliament by applying to be Labour's parliamentary candidate for East Lothian which at the time was the party's #1 target seat in Scotland, held by the Alba Party 's Kenny MacAskill . He won the selection to stand for Labour in the constituency in February 2023. He won the seat and was re-elected to Parliament for the first time as a Labour Co-op MP in July 2024. He was subsequently appointed Minister of State for Trade Policy and Economic Security on 6 July. Alexander has written numerous pieces for publication in national newspapers in
3861-711: A senior advisor to Bono , helping secure investment to tackle global poverty. In March 2016 Alexander joined the Pinsent Masons law firm as a "strategic advisor". He remains a Member of the UK Privy Council, a Council Member on the European Council of Foreign Relations, and a Trustee of the Royal United Services Institute. He is a Council Member of the European Council on Foreign Relations ,
4004-516: A seven-acre (2.8 ha) concrete deck, supported by 200 columns, upon which the concourse and other buildings were constructed. Escalators, stairs and lifts were provided to reach the platforms from the concourse. The new station had sold its air rights , leading to the construction of the Pallasades Shopping Centre (then known as the Birmingham Shopping Centre) above the station between 1968 and 1970. The public right of way across
4147-451: A smaller footprint than the other. One tower will be residential whilst the other will be office. At least 10% of housing created within the proposed new towers would be reserved for affordable housing , below the city centre average of 15%. Earlier in 2006, there were reports of an extra 10 floors being added to the design. When the reserved matters application was submitted in November 2009,
4290-627: A speech to the Labour Campaign for International Development about the progress made towards achieving the Gleneagles Summit Goals and on the future of International Development. On 12 October 2011, Alexander delivered the Andrew John Williamson Memorial Lecture, at Stirling University. In his lecture entitled: "A Better Nation?" A Personal Reflection on Scotland's Future. Alexander explored the difference between
4433-565: A successful co-ordinating role in his party's campaign for the 2001 general election . He was rewarded by Tony Blair and was appointed Minister of State for e-Commerce and Competitiveness at the Department of Trade and Industry in June 2001. In May 2002, Alexander was transferred to the Cabinet Office as Minister of State. As Minister of State for the Cabinet Office, Alexander oversaw
Gateway Plus - Misplaced Pages Continue
4576-409: A total of nine platforms, comprising four through and five bay platforms. The main entrance building on Stephenson Street incorporated Queens Hotel, designed by John William Livock , which was opened on the same day. It was built in an Italianate style and was originally provided with 60 rooms. The hotel was expanded several times over the years and reached its final form in 1917, with the addition of
4719-516: A traincrew depot at the station and stables some trains overnight around the station. For the most part, it uses Soho TMD for electric traction units; its non-electric units are kept at Tyseley TMD to the south-east of Birmingham. CrossCountry also operates a traincrew depot at the station; it uses Tyseley TMD for the Class 170 units and its Voyagers are based at Central Rivers TMD . The basic Monday to Saturday off-peak service in trains per hour (tph)
4862-624: Is Birmingham International , which serves Birmingham Airport and the National Exhibition Centre . New Street is the hub of the West Midlands rail network, as well as being a major national hub. The station is one of twenty operated and managed by Network Rail. Network Rail also provides operational staff for the station. Station staff are provided on all platforms to assist with the safe dispatch of trains. For operational reasons, all trains departing New Street must be dispatched via
5005-554: Is a committee dedicated to getting the plans to materialise. The council's project manager for Gateway Plus is David Pywell, who was also the Strategic Director of Development for Birmingham City Council before retiring in September 2006. Network Rail announced in 2005 that it will be setting up an entrepreneurial team that will work with developers and investors working on the project. In April 2009, Network Rail announced that Chris Montgomery had been appointed as managing director of
5148-421: Is a key part of the redevelopment of Birmingham by improving the city image. 52°28′39.98″N 1°53′55.86″W / 52.4777722°N 1.8988500°W / 52.4777722; -1.8988500 Birmingham New Street railway station Birmingham New Street , also known as New Street station , is the largest and busiest of the three main railway stations in Birmingham city centre , England, and
5291-587: Is a sensitive location. It contains a significant amount of equipment which would be sensitive to dust. Much of this equipment is behind louvres , and could therefore be subject to dust, particularly through the construction period. Despite the criticism, the plans have also received considerable support. From the political spectrum, the project has received support from Tony Blair , the Conservative Party and from Gisela Stuart, MP for Birmingham Edgbaston, who said: "The proposed redevelopment would not only be
5434-531: Is allocated the IATA location identifier QQN . All trains arriving and departing must use one of the several tunnels around the station. Network Rail, as well as operating the station, operate a customer reception located on the main concourse, provide mobility assistance and train dispatch. The booking office and barriers are operated by Avanti West Coast , with customer service or floor walker staff provided by CrossCountry and Network Rail. Avanti West Coast operates
5577-569: Is as follows: Avanti West Coast Douglas Alexander Douglas Garven Alexander (born 26 October 1967) is a British politician who has served as Minister of State for Trade Policy and Economic Security since 2024, having previously held the role from 2004 to 2005. A member of the Labour Party , he has been Member of Parliament (MP) for Lothian East since 2024. He was previously MP for Paisley and Renfrewshire South , formerly Paisley South , from 1997 to 2015 and served as Chancellor of
5720-438: Is designated as underground. There were extractor fans that removed fumes, but these were removed with the refurbishment of the concourse and shopping centre above the platforms. They were replaced with blowers, as there are still a large number of services operated by diesel trains despite the whole station having been electrified in the 1960s. There have been environmental concerns about the level of pollution, especially NOx , in
5863-419: Is too spider-like a structure to be handsome, but with a very little attention this defect is obviated. The most wonderful specimen, probably, is that at the great Birmingham Station…" When first opened, New Street was described as the "Grand Central Station at Birmingham" by Richard Foster. The internal layout of tracks and platforms was designed by Robert Stephenson and his assistants; the station contained
Gateway Plus - Misplaced Pages Continue
6006-483: The 1988 American presidential election campaign , and also worked for a Democratic senator in Washington DC . He graduated from the University of Edinburgh with a first-class degree in 1990. In 1990, Alexander worked as a speech writer and parliamentary researcher for Shadow Trade and Industry Secretary Gordon Brown . He returned to Edinburgh to study for an LLB at the University of Edinburgh, where he won
6149-441: The 2009 MP expenses scandal , Alexander was one of three Labour ministers who "quietly repaid more £50,000 in expenses". It emerged he had repaid more than £12,000 that he had previously claimed in expenses on his taxpayer-funded second home while also receiving income from a tenant at the same home. This represented double-funding for his second home and was against the expenses rules. After leaving public office, Alexander became
6292-564: The 2010 general election Alexander co-chaired David Miliband 's leadership campaign. When Ed Miliband became the party's leader, Alexander was elected to the Shadow cabinet and was made the Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions . He held this position until a 2011 reshuffle, when he was appointed Shadow Foreign Secretary . In October 2013, he was appointed by Miliband as the party's chair of general election strategy. In 2015 , his
6435-513: The Cross-City Line as an example, showing that stations can currently take a maximum of six carriages and that the lengthening proposals would increase train length to 12 carriages. A total of ten letters and one petition were submitted in response to the outline planning application. Three letters were in support of the planning application whilst one letter queried whether work would be carried out at night. In February 2007, Arup called for
6578-523: The Cross-City Line between Lichfield Trent Valley , Redditch and Bromsgrove , and the Chase Line to Walsall and Rugeley Trent Valley . The three-letter station code is BHM. The station is named after New Street , which runs parallel to the station, although the station has never had a direct entrance from New Street except via the Grand Central shopping centre. Historically, the main entrance to
6721-418: The Department for Transport . Gateway Plus has been subject to uncertainty in funding, a problem Mike Whitby claimed to have been responsible for removing in early October 2006. However, a report later said that the financial part of the project had already been secured before he came to power as the leader of Birmingham City Council. In March 2007, Birmingham City Council was given an additional £40 million by
6864-623: The Department of Trade and Industry . This was further supported by the leader of Birmingham City Council, Mike Whitby, who is also the Chairman of the New Street Gateway Steering Committee. Separate from this, the project received more support, this time from the shadow transport minister, Julian Brazier of the Conservative party . Following the announcement by Ruth Kelly for the £128 million funding package for New Street, it
7007-414: The West Midlands region . The redevelopment of New Street is expected to accommodate passenger growth to at least 2046, depending on the accuracy of the growth predictions. Between 2,200 and 3,200 permanent jobs will be created as a result of the redevelopment with further jobs being created during the construction work at the station. The new station will be an improved transport destination for tourists and
7150-703: The 1970s. The car park closed in May 2012; it was demolished to provide space for the new concourse and was rebuilt. Stephenson Tower, a 20-storey residential tower block, was built alongside the station between 1965 and 1966. The tower, designed by the City Architect of Birmingham , was demolished in March 2012 as part of the station redevelopment. In 1987, twelve different horse sculptures by Kevin Atherton, titled Iron Horse , were erected between New Street station and Wolverhampton at
7293-536: The 4th Judith Hart Memorial Lecture for which he received a lot of media attention for addressing the issue of Scottish Independence ahead of the referendum to be held the following year. Alexander paid tribute to Judith Hart's "strong sense of solidarity" advocating for Scotland to vote to remain part of the United Kingdom, saying: "Walking away from others has never been our way – walking with others has been our heritage and to my mind should be our future". During
SECTION 50
#17330847268547436-542: The Birmingham Alliance, also responded with a holding objection to the proposals as concern has been raised in respect of the moving of the escalators which lead from the concourse level to the Pallasades Shopping Centre. They were also concerned over the work made to the entrance at Smallbrook Queensway. Savilles, on behalf of BT , lodged a holding objection on the basis that their facility on Hill Street
7579-487: The Birmingham Gateway proposals to be abandoned because it did not address rail capacity issues. Their report said that New Street station would reach its railway capacity by 2025 and further increases would be constrained by the bottleneck to the east of the station, where twelve tracks become four. Instead they proposed building a new "Grand Central station" to the east. This scheme was not considered by Network Rail or
7722-544: The Built Environment gave the project its approval in January 2010, although warned that it could be "watered down" to cut costs. The application received approval from the Planning Committee on 4 February 2010. The initial design for the station was produced by John McAslan + Partners in conjunction with engineers WSP Group , who were appointed in 2005. The design submitted for outline planning approval involved
7865-760: The Cabinet Office from 2002 to 2003. In 2003, he was promoted to Minister for the Cabinet Office and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster . In 2004, he was appointed Minister of State for Trade . Following the 2005 general election , he was appointed Minister of State for Europe and made a member of the Privy Council . During this period, he started attending cabinet . In 2006, he was appointed to serve jointly as both Secretary of State for Scotland and Secretary of State for Transport . In 2007, when Gordon Brown became Prime Minister, he appointed Alexander as Secretary of State for International Development . After Labour lost
8008-523: The Cabinet. Martin Chambers, Programme Director for New Street at Network Rail, said in June 2007 that he expects the government to approve the first payment towards the project in mid-July. He expected Network Rail to announce a £122 million package on 18 July. On top of this, a further £136 million has to be paid by the Department for Transport , and £100 million from Advantage West Midlands must be approved by
8151-408: The Duchy of Lancaster , Scottish Secretary , Transport Secretary and International Development Secretary in the cabinets of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown . Alexander was first elected at the 1997 Paisley South by-election . In 2001, he was appointed by Tony Blair as Minister of State for e-Commerce and Competitiveness in the Department of Trade and Industry . He was Minister of State for
8294-680: The Government after they described the West Midlands Local Transport Plan being scored as "excellent". £3 million of this was put towards the Gateway Plus project. A£128 million funding package was announced by British Government for the Gateway Plus project in July 2007. It was announced by Ruth Kelly , the Transport Secretary, when she unveiled a government White Paper Delivering a Sustainable Railway , which also includes
8437-730: The LNWR and Midland Railway, with others, were grouped into the London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS) by the Railways Act 1921 . In 1948, the railways were nationalised and came under the control of British Railways . During the Second World War , Cowper's roof sustained extensive bomb damage as a result of air raids during the Birmingham Blitz . After the war, the remains of the roof were dismantled after being deemed beyond economic repair. It
8580-519: The LNWR had obtained an act of Parliament, the London and Birmingham Railway (New Street Station) Act 1846 ( 9 & 10 Vict. c. ccclix), to extend their line into the centre of Birmingham, which involved the acquisition of some 1.2 hectares (3 acres) of land and the demolition of around 70 houses in Peck Lane, The Froggery, Queen Street and Colmore Street. The Countess of Huntingdon's Connexion chapel, on
8723-566: The Labour Member of Parliament for Paisley South , committed suicide. Alexander, who grew up in Renfrewshire , was chosen to contest the by-election and he was duly elected to serve as the Member of Parliament for Paisley South on 6 November 1997. In June 2001 he was returned to Westminster with an increased majority. Following the general election in May 2005 Douglas was re-elected, becoming MP for
SECTION 60
#17330847268548866-399: The Midland Railway opened its own extension alongside the original station for the exclusive use of its trains, effectively creating two stations side by side. The two companies' stations were separated by a central roadway, Queens Drive. Traffic grew steadily and, by 1900, New Street had an average of 40 trains an hour departing and arriving, rising to 53 trains in the peak hours. In 1846,
9009-549: The Novice Moot Trophy and graduated with distinction in 1993. He then qualified as a Scottish solicitor . On qualifying as a solicitor, he worked for a firm of solicitors in Edinburgh that provided legal services to Trade Union members and specialised in industrial injury cases. Whilst still studying in 1995 and with friends in the local Constituency Labour Party and the backing of his mentor shadow chancellor Gordon Brown, he
9152-470: The UK and the USA including The New York Times , the Los Angeles Times , The Guardian , and The Boston Globe . He has contributed to, authored and edited several books: "New Scotland New Britain" (1999), "Europe in a Global Age" (2005), "Serving a Cause, Serving a Community" (2006), "Renewing our offer not retracing our steps", The Purple Book (2011), "Influencing Tomorrow: Future Challenges for British Foreign Policy (2013), and "Britain in
9295-401: The Use Classes Order (England) April 2005" Construction was expected to begin in 2009, with Phase 1 being completed in April 2011 and Phase 2 by Spring 2013. A later report stated the entire station would be completed for the 2012 London Olympics . In late October 2006, the developers of New Street station expressed their interest in technology being developed in Japan where the footsteps of
9438-407: The architects were that the designs presented were only initial ideas. Objections to the proposed twin towers were raised by the residents of Stephenson Tower, under the name "Stephenson Tower Residents Association" on the outline planning application. The group submitted a petition regarding the planning application. Stephenson Tower, a 20-storey tower block on New Street station, will be served with
9581-526: The board of trustees for UNICEF UK from June 2018 to September 2020. Alexander stepped down as chair in September 2020 following accusations of bullying by then-executive director Sasha Deshmukh, although he had the support of the board. A review by Morgan, Lewis & Bockius which reported in January 2021 described the bullying allegations made by Deshmukh as "unsubstantiated", and in respect of complaints made by three other employees, said that although Alexander's manner "did cause some discomfort and upset to
9724-445: The concourse will be covered in seamless plaster. The exterior will be covered in a curved, stainless steel façade, said to be inspired by Birmingham's undulating skyline, that will rise to the top of the multi-storey car park . Eye-shaped LED screens will be installed on three of the corners of the building which will provide travel information. The new entrance at Station Street, as proposed by John McAslan + Partners will remain, with
9867-404: The corner of Peck Lane and Dudley Street, which had only been built six years before, was also demolished. The station was formally opened on 1 June 1854, although the uncompleted station had already been in use for two years as a terminus for trains from the Stour Valley Line , which entered the station from the Wolverhampton direction. On the formal opening day, the LNWR's Curzon Street station
10010-481: The critical debate on abolition of Clause 4.4 of the Labour Party Constitution . When the Perth and Kinross constituency was abolished, Alexander was chosen to be the Labour candidate in the newly drawn Perth constituency at the 1997 general election . Once again, Labour achieved a further swing with Alexander securing 24.8% share of the vote compared to 22.9% achieved during the 1995 by-election , though pushed into third place. On 28 July 1997, Gordon McMaster ,
10153-404: The demolition and replacement of the station's existing concrete façade with a curved glass frontage. All existing entrances were to remain, with a new entrance to be installed at Station Street. The plans were to flank the entrance on Station Street with two mixed-use 130m towers, on the site of Stephenson Tower. The existing glass "arrowheads" which are located on the Navigation Street elevation at
10296-436: The end of 2019 Alexander authored and presented a programme called: A Guide to Disagreeing Better. This programme was broadcast in January 2020 and explores why public discourse has become so ill-tempered and lacking in respect. Alexander interviews a range of contributors with personal tales about how to disagree better. The programme received widespread news coverage. Ahead of COP26 in 2021, Alexander authored and presented
10439-621: The end of the platforms were to remain. The current station consists of five escalators and two lifts serving the station however, it was proposed to increase the number of escalators to 42 and lifts to 15. The demolition of part of the Pallasades Shopping Centre would allow for the construction of a glass roof to allow natural light to reach the concourse, which will be expanded by 350% to new 10,500 m. Foreign Office Architects were appointed following an international architectural design competition managed by RIBA Competitions . Their design differed massively from that of John McAslan. As proposed in
10582-596: The exception of those adjacent to the Signal Box which can only be cleaned. The number of escalators will be increased to 31, and lifts to 16, improving connectivity between the platforms and station concourse. The outline planning application included plans for two 130-metre (427 ft) tall mixed-use towers, flanking the Station Street entrance. The two glass towers were proposed to both be 30 storeys maximum and would be completely identical except for one tower will have
10725-484: The existing waiting rooms and modernised. Holes will be cut in the floor of the concourse and filled with glass to allow light to pass from the concourse to platform level. The floor of the concourse will also be repaved. To allow natural light into the concourse, part of the Pallasades Shopping Centre will be demolished and three elongated glass domes will be constructed, reaching 26 m (85 ft) in height, with four glass skylights inserted between them. The interior of
10868-407: The extension was used by both the LNWR and Midland Railway but, from 1889, it was only used by Midland Railway trains. It was separated from the original LNWR trainshed by Queens Drive, which became a central carriageway, but the two were linked by a footbridge which ran over Queens Drive and across the entire width of both the LNWR and Midland stations. Queens Drive was lost in the 1960s rebuild, but
11011-412: The facade at street level providing additional retail units. The existing retail units will also be redeveloped. There will also be extensive landscaping works around the station. The southern entrance at Station Street will form the main drop-off area for cars and taxis, allowing the existing drop-off area to be enclosed within the concourse. There are six voids above the railway tracks, and so as part of
11154-568: The former Head Post Office at Victoria Square is bricked up, with the subway between the platforms remaining in use for railway staff. The former baggage subway at the "a" end is now used for railway staff and as a fire exit. All signalling is controlled by West Midlands Signalling Centre in Saltley, with the former New Street power signal box at the Wolverhampton or b end of the station; it can be seen at street level on Navigation Street. The station
11297-592: The former London Mayor. He said Livingstone paid the "deserved price" when he lost the London mayoral election. Alexander said: "Ken's campaign too often looked like the past rather than the future and when I saw his remarks about the Jewish community in London in particular, I didn't just think it was ill-advised, I thought it was wrong". Livingstone hit back on Twitter , saying the Shadow Foreign Secretary "represents
11440-567: The government to provide the necessary funding for the project and said he expected a decision by Christmas Day , 2007. On 12 February 2008, Secretary of State for Transport Ruth Kelly announced that the Department for Transport will be providing £160 million on top of the £128 million that is to be provided through the railway White Paper. A further £100 million will be provided by the Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform and will be channelled through Advantage West Midlands ,
11583-563: The government. On the Commons Transport Committee, a number of MPs raised similar concerns about railway capacity. This was reported on the BBC News Website on 21 July 2008. Other criticisms were towards the architecture of the station. The proposals have been attacked by councillors and planners who considered the designs to be of poor architectural quality and disputed whether the two towers were iconic enough. The reply from
11726-509: The name was later carried by a new driveway, which served the car park and a tower block , and is the access route for the station's taxis. On 1 February 1910, the LNWR introduced a "City to City" service between New Street and Broad Street , in the City of London . The service only lasted for five years, before being withdrawn on 22 February 1915, as a result of the First World War . In 1923,
11869-412: The need for high quality design. When completed, it is expected to have cost over £550 million. The financing for the project depends upon a mixture of public and private funding. Private funding will account for £150 million whilst the rest will be publicly funded. The four key funding partners for the project are: In May 2006, outline funding applications were submitted to Government agencies including
12012-479: The need for the station. Also in 2005, British architect Will Alsop produced designs for New Street station, incorporating a glass roof. The designs were then commercially validated. Other proposals for alleviating the pressure on New Street station have also been suggested. These include the lengthening of trains, however, this has been criticised by Arup who claim that there are many stations that are unable to take trains any longer than they currently are. They used
12155-565: The new constituency of Paisley and Renfrewshire South , as well as promoted to Minister of State for Europe attending Cabinet at the Foreign Office. At the 2010 General Election Alexander was re-elected for Paisley and Renfrewshire South with a majority of 13,232 votes. He lost his seat to 20-year-old Mhairi Black of the Scottish National Party at the general election on 8 May 2015 with a swing against him of 26.9%. Alexander took
12298-596: The ongoing resignalling project for the station area. No. 1 Engine Siding was located at the north end, between platforms 4 and 5, and was lengthened some years ago to form platform 4C. A Sutton Coldfield model railway enthusiast, Don Jones, built a scale model of the entire 1960s station and surrounding buildings including the Rotunda , the old Head Post Office and the signal box, at OO scale ; open days were held to raise funds for local charities. Private visits were held for Robert Redford and King Hussein of Jordan . As
12441-439: The platform occupy the entire length of the platform, such as Class 390 Pendolinos . Trains departing towards Proof House Junction ( a end) can depart from any platform, but there are restrictions on trains departing from the b end. All platforms can accommodate trains heading towards Wolverhampton; however, due to the platform layout and road bridge supports, only 5–12 can accommodate trains heading towards Five Ways. There are
12584-518: The political ideologies of nationalism and socialism and outlined a strategy for Scottish Labour to reclaim the mantel of devolution and successfully defeat the campaign for Scottish separation. On 17 January 2013, in a speech to the foreign policy think-tank Chatham House , Alexander outlined his support for the UK to remain a full member state of the European Union but would not support a federal United States of Europe . On 3 May 2013, Alexander delivered
12727-417: The principle of the development, however, feel the proposal should be amended to mitigate the loss of value on the shopping centre, improve pedestrian connectivity; reduce the scale of the void proposed within the shopping centre to provide direct pedestrian connections and provide additional retail floorspace. Therefore, they objected to the proposal at this stage. Donaldsons LLP , who were writing on behalf of
12870-493: The private sector. Network Rail is also investing £350 million in renewing the signalling systems through New Street station and the West Midlands over the next ten years. The Chancellor George Osborne confirmed in his June 2010 budget that central government funding for the redevelopment would still be provided despite the economic downturn. The project has been split into two phases since its approval in 2003. The New Street Gateway Steering Committee, chaired by Mike Whitby,
13013-402: The project. Atkins is the lead consultant on the project and Mace Group will be providing construction and logistics management, which will involve monitoring of track possessions, night working and the placement of hoardings for minimum disruption, as well as being the principal contractor. It is claimed that the redevelopment of the station would result in £2.3 billion being invested into
13156-470: The proposals were publicly welcomed by Birmingham City Council in August 2006. It was given an application number of 'C/05066/06/OUT' and the application was summarised on the city council's website as: "Outline planning application, including the approval of access, for the major refurbishment and associated development of New Street Station and adjoining land, in connection with alterations and reconfiguration of
13299-619: The proposals, the void adjacent to Queens Drive, to the east of the station, will be covered to create a new public square. A new walkway will be created from the Queens Drive entrance along the largest eastern void, around the back of the Odeon cinema to the Bull Ring. This will give visitors a direct and signed link to Birmingham Moor Street railway station . Most of the parapet walls to the voids will be redecorated with new cladding or art features, with
13442-434: The proposed Gateway development would leave the railway capacity of the station more or less unaltered has not escaped attention. In July 2008, the House of Commons Transport Committee criticised the plans; it was not convinced they were adequate for the number of trains which could use the station. It said if the station could not be adapted, then the government needed to look for alternative solutions which potentially included
13585-465: The reader notices the turmoil and bustle created by the excitement of the arrival and departure of trains, the trampling of crowds of passengers, the transport of luggage, the ringing of bells and the noise of two or three hundred porters and workmen, he will retain a recollection of the extraordinary scene witnessed daily at Birmingham Central Railway Station. The roof of the original station was strengthened with additional steel tie bars during 1906–07, as
13728-635: The regional architect for British Railways London Midland Region. The eight-level structure with five main storeys, including track & street levels and cable chamber below track level, is at the side of the tracks connected to Navigation Street. As of 2020, it is a Grade II- listed building . Until recently, two small sidings (nos. 2 & 3 Engine Sidings) were located in front of the signal box which were used for stabling electric locomotives in connection with locomotive changes from diesel to electric traction on XC services heading north. As they are no longer needed, these have now been removed in connection with
13871-421: The regional development agency. The announcement brought the total amount of Government spending on the project to £388 million. In total, £100 million will be given by Advantage West Midlands, £288 million from the Department of Transport, £100 million from the Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, £128 million from Network Rail and £10 million from Centro. There will be additional funding from
14014-425: The regional development agency. The announcement brought total government spending on the project to £388 million. After earlier proposals were discarded, six architects were shortlisted to design the new station following a call for submissions and it was announced, in September 2008, that the design by Foreign Office Architects had been chosen. The approved plans for the redevelopment included: The fact that
14157-519: The religion of Britain's first Jewish ambassador to Israel. Alexander, who at the time was serving as Labour's Shadow Foreign Secretary, said in response to Flynn's comments about Ambassador Matthew Gould that: "The faith of any British diplomat is irrelevant to their capability to their job. To make suggestions otherwise is wrong and offensive". On 29 June 2010, five years after the Make Poverty History March in Edinburgh, Alexander gave
14300-641: The remaining tranches of funding. However, Alistair Darling failed to mention the project in his Pre-Budget Speech to the House of Commons , instead mentioning the Crossrail project for the South East of England , provoking fury among business leaders who accused Prime Minister Gordon Brown of dithering. Rod Ackrill, President of the Birmingham Chamber of Commerce and group chairman of developer Chase Midland, demanded
14443-437: The reserved matters application of November 2009, the internal concourse will be reconfigured and enlarged so that it is 45 m (148 ft) long from east to west. The new atrium will have an area of 2,800 m (30,139 sq ft). New ticket barriers will allow passengers into one of three lounge areas. When their train arrives, they will be allowed onto the platforms to board the train. The platforms will be cleared of
14586-507: The role as co-chair of David Miliband 's campaign for the leadership of the Labour party . He subsequently was Ed Miliband 's chair of general election strategy for the Labour 2015 general election campaign. In September 2012 Alexander gave an interview to the Evening Standard newspaper criticising Ken Livingstone 's election campaign and calling out anti-Semitic comments made by
14729-769: The running of the 2007 Scottish Parliament election . Following Gordon Brown 's appointment as Prime Minister on 27 June 2007, he appointed Douglas Alexander as Secretary of State for International Development . During this time Alexander served as a governor of the World Bank , the African Development Bank , the Inter-American Development Bank the Caribbean Development Bank , and the Asian Development Bank . Alexander took
14872-420: The station annually. In 2018, New Street had a passenger satisfaction rating of 92%, the third highest in the UK. The original New Street station opened in 1854. At the time of its construction, the station had the largest single-span arched roof in the world. In the 1960s, the station was completely rebuilt. An enclosed station, with buildings over most of its span and passenger numbers more than twice those it
15015-443: The station facilities and comprising changes to the Pallasades Shopping Centre, the demolition of Stephenson Tower (Use Class C3), construction of two tall buildings, associated highway works, public spaces and infrastructure works (including uses A1 (retail), A3 (restaurants and cafes), A4 (drinking establishments), A5 (hot food take-away), A2 (financial and professional services) B1 (business uses including offices) C3 (residential), of
15158-466: The station was on Stephenson Street, just off New Street. As of 2022, the station has entrances on Stephenson Street, Smallbrook Queensway, Hill Street and Navigation Street. New Street is the thirteenth busiest railway station in the UK and the busiest outside London, with 35.3 million passenger entries and exits between April 2023 and March 2024. It is also the busiest interchange station outside London, with over 5 million passengers changing trains at
15301-470: The station was unpopular with its users. In a 2007 survey, it scored a customer satisfaction rate of only 52%, the joint lowest of any Network Rail major stations along with Liverpool Lime Street and East Croydon . The station had become inadequate for the level of traffic with which it was dealing; it had been designed with capacity for 650 trains and 60,000 passengers per day. In 2008, there were 1,350 trains and over 120,000 passengers per day. By 2013, it
15444-470: The station would increase by 57% by 2020. Between 1995 and 2005, rail passenger journeys in the West Midlands increased by about 44%, and at New Street station, passenger numbers have increased by about 53%. In the next ten years, this is expected to rise by another 28%. With the station serving more train journeys, the approach from the east, underneath the Bullring Shopping Centre , has become
15587-420: The station, which had previously been maintained by the station footbridge, was retained in the new station via a winding route through the shopping centre. The station and the Pallasades were partly integrated with the Bullring Shopping Centre via elevated walkways above Smallbrook Queensway. Also above the station was a nine-storey office block called Ladywood House, and a multi-storey car park dating from
15730-758: The station. Since the privatisation of British Rail , thirteen train companies have regularly called at New Street: Arriva Trains Wales , Avanti West Coast , Central Trains , CrossCountry , First North Western , London Midland , Silverlink , Virgin CrossCountry , Virgin Trains West Coast , Transport for Wales , Wales & Borders , Wales & West and West Midlands Trains . Currently Avanti West Coast, CrossCountry, Transport for Wales and West Midlands Trains provide services from New Street: Chiltern Railways has occasionally used New Street during engineering works. West Midlands Trains operates
15873-411: The street-level buildings and refurbishment of the platforms by 2013, with track and platform level remaining essentially unchanged. The approved planning application of August 2006 showed a glass facade with rounded edges. The entrance on Station Street originally included two curved 130 metres (427 ft) tall towers on the site of Stephenson Tower. Due to the economic slowdown, the "twin towers" plan
16016-559: The three employees", that "when viewed objectively, it did not amount to bullying". In August 2021, Alexander was appointed a General Court Assessor at the University of Edinburgh Court, his alma mater. Alexander is a member of the University of Edinburgh Court, the university's highest governing body, and the General Council Business Committee and the Policy and Resources Committee. In December 2022, Alexander sought out
16159-537: The three part "Belonging" series (2018) comprising these episodes: 'Old Ties', 'New Bonds', and 'Tomorrow's Stories'. This series, in which Alexander explored the erosion of class, religion and security in society to explain why the ties that previously gave so many a shared sense of belonging have weakened, was nominated by BBC Radio 4 for the International URTI Radio Grand Prix (31st edition) Prize for Public Service Media and Social Networks. At
16302-477: The towers were not included and it was noted that these would be subject of a separate planning application. It was reported in August 2009, that the plans for the towers was delayed due to the economic conditions. In 2005, Arup headed a campaign for a new major railway station named Birmingham Grand Central to be built in the Eastside of Birmingham, however this vision did not materialise and politicians dismissed
16445-466: The train capacity of the station. In 2008, the station handled passenger numbers far in excess of the capacity of its existing design. The current station and Pallasades Shopping Centre were completed in 1967 and became the subject of criticism for the congestion of the station and shabbiness of the shopping centre and parts of the station. It is part of the Big City Plan . Birmingham New Street station
16588-553: The upgrading of 150 further stations. This is the first of three tranches of funding required for the development. The other two tranches of funding total £223 million. In October 2007, it was reported by the Birmingham Mail that the Comprehensive Spending Review by Alistair Darling would confirm the remaining funding for Gateway Plus. This came as concerns were raised that the government would refuse to provide
16731-459: The use of Right Away (RA) indicators. They display a signal informing the train driver it is safe to start the train, instead of using more traditional bell or hand signals. The twelve through platforms are divided into a and b ends, with an extra bay platform called 4c between 4b and 5b, with the b end of the station towards Wolverhampton; this, in effect, allows twice the number of platforms. Longer trains that are too long for one section of
16874-439: The visitors could be used to generate electricity as well as the turnstiles which can be used to generate energy. They also expressed interest in a glass dome to allow heat to enter and heat the station. In early November 2006, the development was faced with delays. It was first noted that the development would be decided upon in summer 2007. This came as Gisela Stuart , MP for Birmingham Edgbaston , warned that this development
17017-582: The work of the government's Strategy Unit, the Central Office of Information, and the Civil Service . In June 2003 Alexander was promoted to Minister for the Cabinet Office and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster , and in September 2004 was moved to Minister of State for Trade at both the Department of Trade and Industry and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office . Following the 2005 general election , he
17160-413: Was 140,000 passengers per day. This made overcrowding and closures on safety grounds more common. Furthermore, the 1960s concrete architecture and enclosed design was widely criticised on aesthetic grounds. In November 2003, the station was voted the second biggest "eyesore" in the UK by readers of Country Life magazine. In books on railway station architecture, it was described by Steven Parissien as
17303-663: Was a seat where Labour had never previously done particularly well, and the result, which saw Labour overtake the Conservatives and move up to second place, broke several post war election records. This brought him to the attention of party leader Tony Blair , and shortly after his defeat by the SNP he was welcomed at The Labour Party in Scotland Conference in the Eden Court Theatre in Inverness where he spoke immediately before Blair in
17446-447: Was among the 40 seats lost by Labour in Scotland. In December 2022, Alexander sought out a return to Parliament by applying to be Labour's parliamentary candidate for East Lothian , held by the Alba Party 's Kenny MacAskill . He won the selection to stand for the Labour and Co-operative parties in the constituency in February 2023 and was re-elected to Parliament in July 2024. Alexander
17589-457: Was appointed by Gordon Brown to be Labour's General Election Coordinator for the 2010 general election campaign. This campaign saw the first televised Leaders' debates, and Alexander was part of the core team preparing Gordon Brown for each debate, as well as devising the strategy and messaging for the campaign across the UK which would ultimately deny David Cameron 's Conservatives a Majority in May 2010. Later in that year Alexander accepted
17732-603: Was born in Glasgow , the son of Joyce Oliver Alexander (née Garven), a doctor, and Douglas Niven Alexander, a Church of Scotland minister. Much of his childhood was spent in Bishopton in Renfrewshire . Alexander attended his local comprehensive school Park Mains High School in Erskine , also in Renfrewshire, from where he joined the Labour Party as a schoolboy in 1982. In 1984 he won
17875-404: Was built to cater for 650 trains and 60,000 passengers per day, which was roughly the same usage it experienced when it was first constructed. It was believed that demand for rail travel would decrease. However, it now caters for 1,350 trains and over 120,000 passengers – twice its design capacity. Passenger usage of New Street has increased by 50% since 2000. It was predicted that passenger usage of
18018-604: Was closed to regular passenger services and trains from the London direction started using New Street. The station was constructed by Messrs. Fox, Henderson & Co . and designed by Edward Alfred Cowper of that firm, who had previously worked on the design of the Crystal Palace . When completed, New Street had the largest arched single-span iron and glass roof in the world, spanning a width of 211 feet (64 m) and being 840 ft (256 m) long. It held this title for 14 years until St Pancras station opened in 1868. It
18161-432: Was completed by Christmas 2006. The proposals received outline planning consent from Birmingham City Council's Planning Department. In December 2006, Douglas Alexander revealed that the government were aware of the need for the redevelopment of New Street station however did not reveal what was being done. In February 2007, plans for the acquisition of Stephenson Tower through a Compulsory Purchase Order were discussed by
18304-500: Was created by representatives from Network Rail , Birmingham City Council , Advantage West Midlands , and the West Midlands Passenger Transport Authority (WMPTA). During July and August, Warner Estates, the owners of the Pallasades Shopping Centre , were in negotiations with the developers. A planning application for outline planning permission was submitted on 9 August 2006 with designs and renders and
18447-473: Was designed by Francis Stevenson, chief engineer to the LNWR. The extension was opened on 8 February 1885. On completion, New Street had nearly doubled in size and became one of the largest stations in Britain, covering an area of over twelve acres (4.9 ha). In early 1885, the number of daily users of the station was surveyed. On a Thursday, the number was 22,452 and on a Saturday it was 25,334. Initially,
18590-401: Was designed for, the replacement was not popular with its users. A £550m redevelopment of the station named Gateway Plus opened in September 2015; it includes a new concourse, a new exterior facade and a new entrance on Stephenson Street. New Street station was built in central Birmingham by the London and North Western Railway (LNWR) between 1846 and 1854, on the site of several streets in
18733-678: Was given the role of Minister of State for Europe , part of the Foreign Office, with special provision to attend Cabinet . During the United Kingdom's Presidency of the Council of the European Union , he contributed directly to successful negotiations on agreement of the Multiannual Financial Framework . On 7 June 2005, he was made a Member of the Privy Council . On 5 May 2006, he was appointed Secretary of State for Transport and, simultaneously, Secretary of State for Scotland , replacing Alistair Darling . On 10 August 2006, Alexander
18876-704: Was helicoptered by the Royal Air Force from Scotland to London to join Home Secretary John Reid , in leading the UK Government's response to the 2006 transatlantic aircraft plot and attend meetings of COBRA , the government emergencies committee. He worked with police, Intelligence Agencies, the Airlines and the US Department of Homeland Security . During his time as Scottish Secretary, Alexander oversaw
19019-403: Was opened at the Wolverhampton end of the station, with access to the platforms separate from the main building; this was built primarily as a fire exit, but the new exit from the station into Navigation Street was opened to the public. All wooden fittings were removed from the platforms and new fire doors were also installed at the foot of the stairs and elevators on the platforms. By the 2000s,
19162-492: Was opened on 6 March 1967 to coincide with the introduction of electric expresses on the West Coast Main Line. It cost £4.5 million to build (equivalent to £103,170,000 in 2023). The new station was designed by Kenneth J. Davies, lead planner for British Rail London Midland Region . Twelve through platforms replaced the eight through and six bay platforms of the previous station. The platforms were covered over by
19305-432: Was originally intended to have three spans, supported by columns; however, it was soon realised that the supporting columns would severely restrict the workings of the railway. Cowper's single-span design, was therefore adopted, even though it was some 62 feet (19 metres) wider than the widest roof span at that time. George Gilbert Scott praised Cowper's roof at New Street, stating "An iron roof in its most normal condition
19448-502: Was released: The successful practice will act as concept architects, redesigning the station's exterior and creating a new atrium at a cost of about £30 million, while working alongside lead consultant Atkins and architect BDP. On 18 September 2008, London-based Foreign Office Architects were chosen as the concept architects for the New Street redesign, and will be working on the project alongside Atkins and BDP. Their design incorporates
19591-529: Was remedied in 1885, when a new link to the south, the Birmingham West Suburban Railway , was extended into New Street, which allowed through trains to and from the south-west to run via New Street without reversing. To cope with the increase in traffic that this would bring, the station required an extension, the construction of which began in 1881. A number of buildings, mostly along Dudley Street, were demolished to make room for it, including
19734-567: Was renamed Grand Central and included a John Lewis department store. During heavy winds on 30 December 2015, several roof tiles blew off, landing in the adjacent Station Street, which was therefore closed by the police as a precautionary measure. Around 80% of train services to Birmingham go through New Street. The other major city-centre stations in Birmingham are Birmingham Moor Street and Birmingham Snow Hill . Outside Birmingham, in Solihull ,
19877-407: Was replaced with austere canopies over the platforms, made from surplus war materials, which remained in use until the station was rebuilt in the 1960s. The station was completely rebuilt in the 1960s, as part of the modernisation programme for the West Coast Main Line . Demolition of the old station and Queens Hotel began in 1964 and was not completed until 1966. The rebuilt New Street station
20020-676: Was selected to be The Labour Party in Scotland candidate at the Perth and Kinross by-election caused by the death of the Conservative MP Nicholas Fairbairn . The by-election in the highly volatile Tory seat of Perth and Kinross came in the middle of the John Major government and was won by Roseanna Cunningham of the Scottish National Party , but Alexander received enough votes to push the Conservative candidate into third place. It
20163-468: Was shelved. In February 2008, the Secretary of State for Transport , Ruth Kelly , announced that the Department for Transport would provide £160 million in addition to £128 million through the government white paper Delivering a Sustainable Railway . A further £100 million came from the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform and channelled through Advantage West Midlands ,
20306-473: Was stated that the station would be completed by 2015, later than the previous dates of 2012 and Spring 2013. In July 2007, the council were told in a letter from the Department for Transport to find a cheaper alternative for the redevelopment project to New Street station. This resulted in speculation over whether the Government were to grant the further two tranches of funding towards the project. On 21 December 2007, Network Rail with RIBA Competitions issued
20449-406: Was vital for Birmingham. A campaign was launched for the public to pledge their support for the development by writing their name and addresses on leaflets and posting them in ballot boxes located around the station. These will be sent to the Department for Transport. If successful, the redevelopment of the station will make it into the priority list for development being drawn up by the government and
#853146