A team of 24 Avanti West Coast colleagues at Birmingham New Street have reached a milestone, working a full decade at one of the Midlands’ busiest railway stations.

The members of staff started their careers with Avanti in the same month that Birmingham New Street was officially reopened on November 19th, 2015, by Queen Elizabeth II.

The fact that their careers are the same length as the station’s re-modernisation anniversary is no accident. New staff members were employed to operate at the expanded gate lines within the station, serve in the ticket offices and the First-Class lounge. Since then, a combined total of 200 years of service has been amassed by all 24 staff members since 2015.

Over the past ten years, the staff have seen Birmingham New Street grow into the flagship rail hub of the Midlands, as it is today. They have also witnessed the station’s busiest period during the 2022 Commonwealth Games and the relocation of Ozzy the Bull to the concourse of the station.

During the pandemic, a redundant shop within the station was repurposed as part of an NHS outpatient clinic, while filming for Mission Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One, and for Channel 4’s TV competition The Piano, has also taken place at Birmingham New Street in the last ten years.

“I am extremely delighted to be celebrating the work anniversaries of so many colleagues here at Birmingham New Street this month. The fact that they have been with us for a decade is a testament to the strong team ethos that we have built here at the station.

In the last 10 years the station has become a focal point for the city and the region, and I feel that our staff have had a role to play in making that happen. Every day they turn up with a smile on their faces and are committed as ever to continue delivering the best service for our customers.”

Anne Grant, Birmingham New Street Station Manager at Avanti West Coast