Raging Bull to find a permanent home at New Street

The Raging Bull, the giant mechanical star of the Commonwealth Games opening ceremony, is to find a permanent home at Birmingham New Street station.

Birmingham 2022 and Network Rail revealed the plans on 8 February, exactly six months after the Games ended. The bull is expected to arrive at the station this summer.

Under the atrium

An artist's impression released with the announcement shows how the bull could look beneath the station's atrium roof, above the main concourse.

Network Rail has worked with Birmingham 2022, Birmingham City Council and the regional combined authority to make the station the bull's permanent home. The bull is currently having a winter makeover to turn it into a static sculpture, and final details are being worked through to make sure the design meets building and fire regulations before the huge task of moving it can begin.

"It captivated the nation"

Lord Hendy, chair of Network Rail, said: "As soon as the Raging Bull appeared in the Commonwealth Games' opening ceremony it captivated the nation, cementing itself as an icon for host city Birmingham."

"When the opportunity came to provide a permanent home for this brilliant artwork, there could be no better place than Birmingham New Street's huge concourse and atrium, which welcomed 1.4m people during the multi-sport event last summer."

Ian Reid, chief executive of Birmingham 2022, thanked Network Rail for taking on ownership of the bull. "We hope that his presence will be an ongoing reminder of the superb summer of 2022 and that he will continue to be a key attraction for visitors to Birmingham for years to come," he said.

"None were bigger and bolder"

Council leader Ian Ward said: "There were many stars during our unforgettable summer of sport and culture - but none were bigger and bolder than the bull. We had five million visitors to the city centre during the period of the Games and the interest has remained at a high level ever since."

"I can't wait to see the Bull back in Birmingham in such a prominent place."

He added that the council was shaping plans to recreate the atmosphere of last summer, as culture is a key part of the Games legacy.

A public favourite

The bull, a nod to the Bull Ring that has been at the heart of the city for centuries, was built by the special effects company Artem for the opening ceremony at the Alexander Stadium last July. Around eight metres tall, it became the talking point of the night.

After the Games, it was displayed in Centenary Square, where thousands of people queued to take photographs with it. Its future became the subject of a public campaign, with many Brummies urging organisers to keep it in the city rather than let it be sold or scrapped.

New Street, the busiest station in the country outside London, sees tens of thousands of passengers pass through every day, meaning the bull will be one of the first things many visitors to Birmingham see when they step off the train.