New Street Station May 2014 construction update

It's been nearly five months again since my last update on work on New Street Station, http://birminghamcentral.blogspot.com/2013/12/new-street-station-december-2013-update.html, and work continues around the site most noticeably by the new John Lewis store.  Network Rail in the meantime has submitted a planning application to revise the western elevation and cladding of the Navigation Street bridge, http://birminghamcentral.blogspot.com/2014/04/taking-shine-off.html, while John Lewis took control of it's new store ahead of it's internal fit out in March, http://birminghamcentral.blogspot.com/2014/03/john-lewis-stations-up.html.

In April Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin was given a behind the scenes tour of work, http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/press-barred-tour-60m-new-7019749, praising the project as 'almost a destination in its own right' as well as being part of over 200 infrastructure projects nationally.

Image reproduced from: http://www.newstreetnewstart.co.uk/construction-progress/latest-news/secretary-of-state-for-transport-visits-site.aspx

With all this physical transformation Midland Actors Theatre has received a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) for a 'Young Roots' project on the history of the station which is looking for your memories of the station and how it has changed lives, http://www.newstreetnewstart.co.uk/construction-progress/latest-news/young-people-launch-search-for-people-with-memories-to-share-about-new-street-station.aspx.

'We really want to hear from people who have got memories to share with us about the station! Perhaps you remember what it was like in the days before it was rebuilt in the 1960s? Or you remember the station in the Blitz…? Or going on holiday by train to Blackpool in the 1950s…? If you have a story to tell, please get in touch! All the interviews we do will be recorded and preserved for posterity in Local Studies archive in the Library of Birmingham.'

Reyahn King, Head of Heritage Lottery Fund West Midlands, said: 'This project, funded through our Young Roots programme, is an excellent way of preserving Birmingham's memories and stories about the station, while engaging young people in local history and helping them to develop new skills.'

http://www.newstreetnewstart.co.uk/construction-progress/latest-news/young-people-launch-search-for-people-with-memories-to-share-about-new-street-station.aspx

If you'd like to share your memories you can contact MAT on 0121 608 7144 or email news@midlandactorstheatre.co.uk

My photos showing work on the site and the scale of the new John Lewis store from nearby Centre City are shown below:


14 May

17 May

13 April