The four partners who will design and develop the Midlands Rail Hub, one of the most transformative railway upgrades in the region’s history, have now been confirmed.
The programme – expected to cost around £1.75 billion if delivered in full – will significantly improve journeys, boost economic growth, and better connect people to jobs, opportunities, and new housing across the Midlands.
The newly formed Midlands Rail Hub Alliance brings together VolkerRail, Laing O'Rourke, AtkinsRéalis, and Siemens Mobility, working alongside Network Rail. This alliance will be responsible for the design and development of the Hub, as well as supporting the build phase.
One of the flagship elements of the scheme will be the construction of two new railway chords in Bordesley, near Birmingham city centre. These will link the Chiltern Main Line, which runs into Moor Street, with the Camp Hill lines towards the South West and East Midlands. This connection is set to unlock new journey opportunities and offer faster, more reliable rail links across the region.
In addition to major new infrastructure, the project will also prioritise smaller-scale improvements designed to deliver early benefits for passengers. These include:
- Reopening platform four at Birmingham Snow Hill, enabling more Chiltern Railways services between the city’s business district and London Marylebone.
- Redeveloping Kings Norton station and upgrading lines through the area to allow additional Cross City line services and new services enabled by the Midlands Rail Hub.
Rail Minister Lord Peter Hendy commented:
“The Midlands Rail Hub will be transformational for millions of people across the country by improving capacity across the network, allowing more services and better reliability.
“Thanks to £123 million of Government funding we are unlocking jobs opportunities, stimulating housing growth and better connecting our communities, forging ahead with our promise to create modern transport Britain needs and deserves.”
The Alliance will work closely with partners including Network Rail, the West Midlands Rail Executive, the Department for Transport, and Midlands Connect to plan development timescales. Early passenger improvements are expected to be delivered by the early 2030s.
Denise Wetton, Network Rail’s Central Route Director, also said:
"We want the huge improvements this major investment and upgrade will unlock – including access to opportunities, more jobs, economic growth, and new houses - to benefit people, communities, and businesses as soon as possible.
“Confirming the Midlands Rail Hub alliance partners means this vital regional and national project can really start to move forward and we are focusing hard to start work on this transformative project as quickly as possible."
The wider overhaul of Birmingham’s railway network – including changes to how trains use New Street, Moor Street and Snow Hill – will bring major benefits for local, regional, and national passengers. The Midlands Rail Hub will increase capacity across key routes, support more frequent services and vastly improve connectivity for millions of people who rely on the railway every day.
When complete, the Hub will represent one of the most transformative upgrades to the Midlands rail network in a generation, reinforcing the region’s role as a national transport crossroads and driving growth across surrounding communities.
Image credit: Network Rail
