Birmingham New Street station wins £400m government pledge
- Published: 12 February 2008 10:54
- Author: Richard Vaughan
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- Last Updated: 12 February 2008 11:48
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The government has pledged £400 million to transform Birmingham New Street station, it was announced today.
Transport secretary Ruth Kelly (pictured) gave the green light to the funding, which will see the station concourse double in size, as well as providing escalators to all platforms.
Kelly said: 'Birmingham is a key gateway to towns and cities across Britain and this investment will make New Street a more enjoyable experience for the 17 million passengers who use it each year.
'This scheme has been in development for some time and has been improved immeasurably so that it can now meet the needs of passengers and deliver a much-needed boost to capacity.'
The Department for Transport will be providing a total of £288 million, after agreeing to provide a further £160 million to the £128 million it pledged last year. The Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform has agreed to provide £100 million, bringing the total government backing to £388 million.
The news follows John McAslan + Partners' admission that it is no longer the lead designer on the project, with Atkins taking over the lucrative scheme.
