Midlands Rail Hub Alliance studies Digbeth public realm after 3,500 consultation responses

The Midlands Rail Hub Alliance has started a study into the spaces beneath and around the proposed Bordesley Viaduct extension in Digbeth, Birmingham, after the first public consultation on the scheme drew more than 3,500 responses.

Network Rail said on 12 November that permanent improvements to Digbeth's urban environment are now being proposed as part of the project. The measures being explored include better walking and cycling connections, landscaping and signage, and support for continued business and community use of the spaces beneath the railway arches.

The alliance is also looking at reducing the amount of land needed for construction and making the appearance of the viaduct sympathetic to the local area, Network Rail said.

Mark Cuzner, Midlands Rail Hub Alliance director, said: "People have told us how important Digbeth's distinctive character is to them and that they want the proposals to contribute positively to the area's future."

The feedback

The first consultation ran for eight weeks from 6 July to 28 August 2026, according to Network Rail. It said feedback gathered over the summer highlighted concerns about the potential effect on Digbeth's businesses, venues, community spaces and character, alongside calls for more clarity about the alternatives considered.

In response, the alliance has published information explaining why earlier options were not progressed. Network Rail said these included increasing capacity at Birmingham New Street, which it describes as the busiest station outside London, and expanding Birmingham Moor Street on its south side rather than the north.

The full consultation report is due at the start of December. Cuzner said: "the study will also consider how spaces under the railway arches could continue to support local businesses and community activity."

The alliance will work with Birmingham City Council, the West Midlands Combined Authority and other partners to integrate any public realm improvements with other projects in the area, Network Rail said.

The scheme

Network Rail said the proposals include two new sections of railway, known as chords, connecting the Camp Hill line with the Chiltern main line. Sections of the existing Bordesley viaduct, which runs through Digbeth into Moor Street, would be widened, and two new platforms would be built at Moor Street with the existing platform 5 brought back into use.

The Department for Transport (DfT) said the junction for the chords would sit in the space Bordesley station occupies. The DfT ran a consultation on closing the station from 11 February to 15 May 2026, with closure proposed on or after 4 June 2029.

Network Rail said the scheme would add up to 300 trains a day into or out of Birmingham and provide faster, more frequent or new links for more than 50 locations, moving some regional services from New Street to Moor Street. Midlands Connect says the scheme would offer up to 20 million extra seats for passengers and create more than 300 apprenticeships and 13,000 supply chain jobs.

Funding and the alliance

The DfT announced an initial £123m for Midlands Rail Hub on 29 February 2024, when it said the then government had committed £1.75bn to deliver the scheme in full under the Network North plan. Network Rail said in August 2025 that the project could cost around £1.75bn if delivered in full. Launching the consultation this year, Rail Minister Lord Hendy referred to £123m of Government investment behind the project.

Network Rail named the preferred alliance partners on 28 August 2025. The Midlands Rail Hub Alliance is a partnership of AtkinsRéalis, Laing O'Rourke, Network Rail, Siemens Mobility and VolkerRail.

What happens next

The alliance applied to the DfT for a Transport and Works Act Order screening decision on 20 August 2026, with the application published on 26 August. The works described include widening the Bordesley Viaduct.

Network Rail's published programme shows consultation on refined proposals in summer 2027 and construction starting in 2030. Network Rail said early passenger benefits are expected by the early 2030s, and the DfT said in 2024 that the first phase could be completed by the early 2030s, subject to future decisions.