West Midlands Railway (WMR) has revealed that more than three million passenger journey were made through Birmingham’s new University station in the first year since its redevelopment.

The station serves the University of Birmingham and Queen Elizabeth Hospital. It opened on 28 January 2024, ten days after the Office of Rail and Road authorised the opening.

In the year since then, over fifty thousand trains have stopped at the station. This has included WMR’s new Class 730 electric train fleet. The operator introduced the fleet on the Cross City Line last year, replacing a fleet of trains that had reached thirty years of age.

WMR anticipates that the number of passenger journeys through the station will keep increasing over the next few years.

It designed the station with spacious new buildings which can accommodate over seven million passengers per year.

The construction includes two pavilions, plus bridges which connect passengers to the sites of the university and the hospital.

The station’s enhancement took three years of construction work, after its approval in 2020. During the work, the station remained open to passengers.

Last year, the National Rail Awards named University the best medium-sized station.

The station is decorated with community artworks. These include the opening lines of “Dear Brum”, a poem by former Birmingham poet laureate Casey Bailey; and watercolour painting “Passing Through” by local artist Sarah Taylor Silverwood.

The original University Railway Station opened in 1978. It was designed to accommodate half and million passengers per year. The original building has been preserved as part of the redeveloped site, as an exit from the station.

“We’re delighted to celebrate the first anniversary of University’s relaunch. The new-look buildings have transformed the station and proved a huge hit with passengers.

“As one of the region’s busiest stations, the expansion of the site has been a fantastic success, offering spacious waiting areas, entrances and exits to improve passenger flow and ensure a comfortable experience for everyone using the station.”

Jonny Wiseman, customer experience director, West Midlands Railway