Road, Rail & Access

A new and improved Birmingham International Station opening one year before the HS2 stop.

I think this is the first that I've heard of this?

A project to create a major transport hub at Birmingham International Station ahead of the arrival of HS2 in the West Midlands could take a major step forward next week. The scheme is estimated to cost almost £286m.

Solihull Council's cabinet is set to vote on whether to submit an outline business case to the government, the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) and the Greater Birmingham and Solihull LEP for the Birmingham International Station Integrated Transport Hub, as well as secure funding to progress the project through to the next design stage.

https://www.insidermedia.com/insider/midlands/transport-hub-on-track-for-major-step-forward
 
Part of UK Hub Central. Will act as the catalyst for connectivity between HS2, Birmingham International, the airport and NEC. Will provide the most connected and integrated strategic and local transport interchange in the UK if not Europe. Game changer and credit to all involved.
 
To use a phrase though re the B'ham International station + hub, 'Where's the beef?' Absolutely no details in that press release - I never see the point of that.
 
I'm not sure if they actually mean the Birmingham International station that already exists, I use it very often and there doesn't seem to be much wrong with it that would warrant multi million pound investment, so I doubt they mean that.
However I think they will need to change quite a bit of the existing station when the people mover for HS2 comes across the NEC to join up to the existing Air Rail link.

Personally I'm not a fan of the whole 'UK Central' idea, I fear it will put the new HS2 station into a situation where it cannot expand in the future. For example look at Birmingham New Street or Euston station, both hemmed in by development on all sides.
The area surrounding the new HS2 station should be kept free of developments that could prevent it expanding in decades to come.

As for building hundreds/thousands of homes next to it, well do we really want a repeat of Heathrow where local residents throw up opposition to expansion?
I seem to recall there was a lot of opposition before Birmingham's runway was extended a few years ago, this would be 10x worse if lots of new homes are built nearby.
 
Birmingham-International-Sketch.jpg


Plans to transform Birmingham International Station into a major transport hub have taken a significant step forward after Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council’s cabinet agreed to submit a business case worth £286m to government.

The business case details the opportunity to create a multi-modal hub bringing together future high speed rail, existing rail, air, trams, buses, private vehicles, taxis and bicycles through seamless connections to Birmingham Airport and the new HS2 Interchange Station by 2025.

https://www.greaterbirminghamchambe...takes-next-step-towards-major-transformation/
 
Thanks Ray. It's curious and frustrating that the artist's impression above - apparently of the railway station according to the link - doesn't show the rails! Where are they?
 
BHX named 3rd for the fastest and cheapest transfers to the city centre


Euro travellers rejoice! GoEuro, the platform for comparing and booking trains, buses and flights across Europe, has analysed more than 70 European airports to rank the fastest and cheapest transfers to city centres.

The data reveals transfer fares range from 64p to £25 and journey times vary from five to 85 minutes. Nice Côte d'Azur secured the position of the most convenient airport in Europe, with a five minute transfer time costing just £1.59. Closer to home, Birmingham was the only UK city to make it into the top 20 European airports, with London Gatwick ranking as the most inconvenient airport in the list. London Heathrow, Luton and Stansted airports all scored in the bottom 10 for duration and costs – adding valuable minutes and expense to passengers before they can truly start their visit to England’s capital.

The Ten most convenient European airport transfers:

  1. Nice Côte d'Azur, five minute transfer from £1.59
  2. Lanzarote, 10 minute transfer from £1.24
  3. Birmingham, 9 minute transfer from £2.90
  4. Málaga-Costa del Sol, 12 minute transfer from £1.59
  5. Frankfurt, 10 minute transfer from £4.24
  6. Nürnberg, 12 minute transfer from £2.65
  7. Cologne Bonn, 13 minute transfer from £2.12
  8. Prague, 15 minute transfer from £0.79
  9. Leipzig-Halle, 13 minute transfer from £3.97
  10. Amsterdam Schiphol, 14 minute transfer from £3.71
The Ten least convenient European airport transfers:

  1. London-Gatwick, 30 minute transfer from £19.90
  2. London-Luton, 60 minute transfer from £18.00
  3. Frankfurt-Hahn, 85 minute transfer from £12.36
  4. London-Stansted, 60 minute transfer from £16.60
  5. Beauvais, 75 minute transfer from £14.04
  6. Paris-Charles de Gaulle, 28 minute transfer from £8.61
  7. London-Heathrow, 15 minute transfer from £25.00
  8. Stockholm Arlanda, 20 minute transfer from £25.60
  9. Paris Orly, 30 minute transfer from £7.06
  10. Edinburgh, 30 minute transfer from £4.50
(y)




 
Senior DFT managers, including Bernadette Kelly, have been in and around our region looking at several major transport schemes including those at the airport. It seems that BHX gave a talk to a delegation about the arrival of HS2.

Laura Shoaf, managing director of TfWM, accompanied the permanent secretary on a tour of UK Central Hub, at the National Exhibition Centre and Birmingham Airport site.

They were met by Deputy Mayor of the West Midlands and leader of Solihull Council, Cllr Bob Sleigh and Huw Rhys Lewis, managing director of the Urban Growth Company who explained plans to transform Birmingham International railway station into a major transport hub.

The project aims to provide seamless connections to Birmingham Airport and the new HS2 Interchange Station by 2025, bringing together rail, tram and bus services, as well as private vehicles, taxis and bicycles

https://businessbirmingham.com/top-...r&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=SocialSignIn
 
Seven routes have been identified as Sprint corridors with three to be delivered for the 2022 Commonwealth Games and the rest, which are part of the HS2 connectivity package, by 2026. They will ensure access to key high speed rail interchanges such as Curzon Street, Birmingham Interchange and Birmingham Airport.

A total of 7 routes will make up the Sprint network and these will be operational by 2026, in line with HS2.

Three of these routes have been prioritised and will be delivered in time to support The Commonwealth Games in July 2022. They are:

Birmingham Airport and Solihull to Birmingham City Centre (A45) passing the Games venues at the NEC site

Walsall to Birmingham City Centre (A34) passing the Athletes Village at Perry Barr and Alexander Stadium

Sutton Coldfield to Birmingham City Centre via Langley (SBL) linking to the new residential development at Langley and the business development in Peddimore

In addition, we have combined the first phase of the Sprint proposals for the Hagley Road with plans to extend the tram to minimise disruption for residents and passengers and to bring forward the benefits of dedicated bus lanes for existing bus users.

We are also exploring options for including cycle routes alongside Sprint.
https://www.tfwm.org.uk/development/sprint/



 
I think these were identified a while ago but good to see some progress at last.

As far as I am aware these will be rapid transit bus routes that are hopefully segregated from the regular traffic. So for those more knowledgeable than me, is there a huge difference between a Sprint service and a tram service? Once a Sprint network is up and running with the dedicated lanes I can't see even more money being spent to then convert them to trams, so if we end up with a Sprint network rather than a tram network for the long term would that be a bad thing?

To me they just seem like trams on wheels rather than rails?
 
Ray Finkle said:
As far as I am aware these will be rapid transit bus routes that are hopefully segregated from the regular traffic
Click to expand...
Oh they will be segregated all right.The regular traffic will be squeezed onto even less lanes crawling along enviously eyeing the empty lanes playing spot the bus and probably not seeing one.Anyone who uses the Lichfield and Tyburn Roads will no what i mean.At least the slower speed will reduce the damage caused by the potholes.
An awful lot of people find our traveling on our buses unpleasant and even threatening and until that
is properly addressed people will not change their habits
 
58terminus said:
Anyone who uses the Lichfield and Tyburn Roads will no what i mean.
Click to expand...

Most definitely.

I'm wondering if these routes will just be glorified bus lanes or something more? We all know how bus lane schemes have ended up in the past so I wonder what will make this any different? Is there another major city with a similar network and if so, is it a success?

I'm just trying to work out whether this is an ingenious approach to solve a real problem or just going for the cheapest option with no thought for the long term consequences?
 
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