Permanent improvements to the urban environment in Digbeth are being proposed as part of Midlands Rail Hub plans to transform the railway in the West Midlands.
Considering feedback from the first round of public consultation, improvements to walking and cycling connections, landscaping and signage, and support for the continued business and community use of spaces beneath the railway arches are all being explored.
The Midlands Rail Hub Alliance, which is developing plans for the project, has confirmed a study is underway looking at how spaces beneath and around the proposed Bordesley Viaduct extension could be improved as part of an ongoing focus to reduce the impact of the railway upgrade on the local area.
Ahead of the full consultation report being published at the start of December, further information has also been published explaining why previous options to develop Midlands Rail Hub were not progressed and why the current proposals have been.
Options which were not progressed included increasing capacity at Birmingham New Street station and expanding Birmingham Moor Street station on the south side rather than the north side.
Both updates announced today consider public feedback gathered over the summer which highlighted concerns about the potential impact on Digbeth’s businesses, venues, community spaces, and distinctive character, alongside calls for greater clarity about the alternatives considered.
Midlands Rail Hub Alliance is also looking at a range of additional opportunities to minimise the impact of the scheme on the local community, including reducing the amount of land needed for construction, and making the appearance of the viaduct sympathetic to the local area.
This is part of a commitment to positively integrate Midlands Rail Hub into the surrounding landscape and to listen and evolve the proposals ahead of the second round of consultation in 2027.
Mark Cuzner, Midlands Rail Hub Alliance director, said: “People have told us how important Digbeth’s distinctive character is to them and that they want the proposals to contribute positively to the area’s future. This study into the urban environment will help ensure the spaces beneath and around the railway support that ambition.
“Alongside exploring opportunities to improve walking and cycling connections and the appearance of the area, the study will also consider how spaces under the railway arches could continue to support local businesses and community activity.
“We will be able to share more information about these enhancements ahead of our next consultation in 2027.”
The Midlands Rail Hub Alliance will work with Birmingham City Council, the West Midlands Combined Authority, and other partners in the area, to ensure that any public realm improvements are integrated with other projects’ work.
Midlands Rail Hub is the region’s biggest and most ambitious rail improvement scheme and would provide faster, better, and more frequent journeys for local, regional and national passengers.
It will add up to 300 additional trains on the rail network per day into or out of Birmingham and provide faster, more frequent or new rail links for over 50 locations, including Nottingham, Leicester, Bromsgrove, Nuneaton, Worcester, Hereford and Cardiff.
More information about the project, including newly published information on how the proposals were selected, can be found at www.mrhalliance.co.uk.
Image credit: Network Rail
