Perry Barr railway station
Completed on time and under budget, this redevelopment has transformed travel for the community and was successfully put to the test weeks after commissioning when it was a key transport hub for the Commonwealth Games.
Project Overview
We’re working with AECOM in a joint venture as ‘Rail Delivery Partner’ on the West Midlands Rail Programme (WMRP). This is a collaborative working approach to accelerate the delivery of new stations. As part of this, we managed the development of Perry Barr station, which is a key element of a wider regeneration of the area. Completed on time and under budget in May 2022, Perry Barr railway station and bus interchange has benefited from a £30 million investment. The station is located on the line between Birmingham and Walsall and is served by regular services between Wolverhampton and Walsall via Birmingham New Street. Perry Barr is one of the longest continually operated station sites in the world. The station had last been rebuilt in 1966 and by the early 2020s was outdated, uninviting and unattractive. The old station was designed to accommodate up to 250,000 journeys per year. Between 2018 and 2019, passengers made just under 700,000 journeys, so the station was also no longer fit for purpose.
Cost
Opened
Background
In 2017 it was announced that Birmingham would host a major sporting event and a plan for a rapid regeneration of the area was put in to place. Perry Barr station is a key location, with the Athlete’s Village opposite the station and Alexander Stadium 1 mile from the station. The new station will act as a catalyst for longer term regeneration of the area. It is expected that by 2027, Perry Bar must be capable of supporting annual rail patronage of 1.1m passengers. The current station was not fit for purpose to serve the sporting event or deal with the anticipated increase in passenger numbers.
What we did
SLC-AECOM Joint Venture was appointed on behalf of the West Midlands Rail Programme (WMRP) to provide design, project and commercial management services and the delivery of works on Perry Barr Station and Bus Interchange.
- The project has a high degree of strategic fit with events taking place, the future housing strategy and the economic regeneration of Perry Barr.
- The public consultation was managed by SLC Property in 2019.
- SLC Rail led the procurement of the detailed design and construction contract. Galliford Try was officially awarded the contract in early 2020.
- The design for the station is developed in accordance with the Technical Specification for interoperability for persons with reduced mobility (PRM TSI). This will ensure suitable access to and from the station for people with reduced mobility.
Stakeholders
The project was led by the West Midlands Rail Executive (WMRE) and Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) and is part of a scheme by West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) in partnership with Birmingham City Council, Network Rail and West Midlands Trains.
In addition to the station being a key location for a major sporting event, it is also located just around the corner from a popular retail destination, One Stop Shopping Centre. There was full consultation with One Stop during the works.
Key achievements
- An incredible project, which was completed on time and under budget and it has had a life-changing impact on the community and businesses of Perry Barr.
- Perry Barr is now more accessible for passengers and is better integrated with other forms of travel, all of which have already been successfully put to the test, providing a vital transport hub for the Commonwealth Games.
- The legacy continues as it helps to encourage a modal shift in Birmingham and meet the predicted levels of passenger usage by 2027, which will see an increase of around 58% from the levels in 2018 and 2019.
- A significant factor of its success has been how the programme has worked together collaboratively as one team and implemented efficient and innovative ways of working to ensure speedy processes and a state-of-the-art end product.
