University Station development and historic bridge restoration scoop top regional awards

The redevelopment of University Railway Station has picked up three prestigious civil engineering industry awards including project of the year.

The project led by Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) and the West Midlands Rail Executive (WMRE) won Large Project of the Year, Teamwork, and Overall Project of the Year at the ICE (Institution of Civil Engineers) West Midlands Awards.

This comes a week after the station won Medium Station of the Year at the National Rail Awards.   

The University Railway Station redevelopment saw the tiny and overcrowded 1970s station building replaced with modern, spacious and much improved set of buildings, bridges and platforms.

Construction challenges included working over the busy cross-city line while the existing station remained open and bridging the Birmingham to Worcester Canal alongside. The historic Metchley Roman Fort site also had to be incorporated in the design.

This three-year project brought together 13 different organisations, with one unified aim and approach to transform the railway station into a world-class facility for the local community, serving both the University of Birmingham campus and Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

Anne Shaw, executive director for TfWM said: “The project was complex and constantly challenging but the team worked together to overcome these hurdles and deliver a world-class station and fitting gateway for those visiting the university and hospital.”

The project was led by Transport for West Midlands (TfWM), which is part of the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA), and the West Midlands Rail Executive (WMRE) working with partners SLC-AECOM, The University of Birmingham, the NHS University Hospitals Birmingham Trust, Birmingham City Council, the Department for Transport, Network Rail, West Midlands Trains and CrossCountry Trains, and construction and design contractors VolkerFitzpatrick and Mott Macdonald.

Also honoured was the Midland Metro Alliance for its work to strengthen and restore the historic Hanson’s Ale bridge as part of its work for TfWM on the new tramway between Wednesbury and Brierley Hill.

The much-loved new Metro bridge in Tipton, which was installed across Birmingham New Road during the summer, won the Heritage prize.