'New' Street: Birmingham's beating heart

摘要

SIX years and £750million after redevelopment work began, the 'new' Birmingham New Street station was officially opened to the public early on the morning of Sunday, September 20. Four days later, Network Rail's much-anticipated Grand Central Birmingham shopping centre also threw open its doors, attracting around 500,000 people over the first weekend alone. The flagship project is a key component of Birmingham City Council's 'Big City Plan' to regenerate the east and south sides of the city, with Grand Central (no connection to the open access operator) as its beating heart. The result has seen the complete transformation from the old dark and cramped concourse of the 1970s New Street, into a larger, brighter and better-equipped facility fit for the UK's second city, the busiest station outside London.