MPs question whether New Street rebuild goes far enough

MPs have questioned whether the plans to rebuild Birmingham New Street station will do enough to cope with the number of trains that will need to use it in future.

In a report published in July, the House of Commons Transport Committee said it was not convinced the plans were adequate for the number of trains that could use the station.

The committee's concerns

The redevelopment, known as Gateway Plus, will rebuild the station's concourse and street-level buildings, creating a much larger and brighter space for passengers. But the tracks and platforms will remain largely unchanged, meaning the number of trains the station can handle will be about the same as today.

The committee said that if the station could not be adapted to take more trains, the government would need to look for other solutions, which could potentially include a completely new station in the city.

Funding already agreed

The report comes months after the Transport Secretary, Ruth Kelly, announced £160 million of new government funding for the project, bringing total government spending on the scheme to £388 million.

Supporters respond

Supporters of the scheme say the rebuild is urgently needed to deal with overcrowding in the concourse and to improve the passenger experience, and that the plans are a big improvement on the current station. They argue that capacity on the tracks can be addressed separately, through signalling improvements and other measures.

A station under strain

New Street was rebuilt in the 1960s as an enclosed station beneath a concrete deck, with shops and offices built above. It was designed for 650 trains and 60,000 passengers a day, but now handles around 1,350 trains and more than 120,000 passengers a day.

Its dark, cramped design has made it one of the least popular stations in the country, and passengers often complain about crowding on the platforms and in the concourse.

The high-speed debate

The committee's call to consider a new station comes as debate grows about the future of Britain's railways, including the possibility of new high-speed lines. Some campaigners have argued that a new high-speed line between London and Birmingham could need a new station in the city centre.

What next

The government is expected to respond to the committee's report in the coming months. Meanwhile, the process of choosing an architect for the new station continues, with a shortlist of designers drawn up.

For the tens of thousands of passengers who use New Street every day, the debate is less important than the result: a station that is less crowded and more pleasant to use.