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Royal seal of approval as The Queen opens Birmingham New Street

[gallery] The Queen has given the royal seal of approval to a £750 million railway station redevelopment in Birmingham amid tight security.

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Accompanied by The Duke of Edinburgh, the monarch arrived aboard the Royal Train to officially open the city centre New Street development which was unveiled to the public in September after an extensive rebuild.

The Duke is reported to have made a quip about the famous Brummie accent as he toured the station.

Network Rail operations controller Shaun Jasper told the BBC: "A train announcer was stood next to me and he said 'Do you announce in a Brummie accent?'"

The Duke meets staff

"She said no and he responded saying 'I suppose you've got to announce in an English accent so everyone can understand you.'"

The royals also laid a wreath to railwaymen killed in the First World War in a service which also remembered those killed in the Paris terror attacks on Friday.

A huge security operation was in place for today's visit with police sniper teams observing from nearby buildings, and dozens of uniformed and armed officers highly visible around the city centre.

There was a huge police presence for the visit

It was amid the ring of steel that Her Majesty stepped on to Platform 2A as her train pulled in, resplendent in pink.

Riding the lift up to the main concourse and cavernous Grand Central hall, the royals then met building staff who had worked through their apprenticeships on the redevelopment, including William Grant who was marking his 26th birthday.

He said: "She was really nice."

Mr Grant, from Dagnall Road, Acocks Green, Birmingham, also quipped: "She wished me happy birthday. But I'll have wait 74 years for a card."

The Duke shook hands with Abdul Waheed, station interface manager, who while remarking on the size of the station asked the 39-year-old: "How do you find your way back to your office?"

The Queen chats to workers

After unveiling a plaque formally opening the station, the Queen was cheered by thousands of people, with some shouting "God Save the Queen".

Afterwards, there was a short service of remembrance as the royal couple laid a wreath "in memory of the glorious dead" to the Birmingham Pals, killed in the Great War.

The Bishop of Birmingham David Urquhart gave a short address in which he recalled those who had given their lives "in conflicts past and present".

As the rain poured down, he said: "We gather to dedicate this memorial to those who died in the First World War at a time of great distress around the nations and we couple our thoughts today with those of the people of Paris and Beirut, as they suffer the violence and destruction of murderous intent.

"We give thanks for those who seek to keep our streets peaceful through their service, both in the Armed Forces and the police."

The Last Post sounded, signalling the end of the service with the royals departing for a tram ride on the city's new Metro line extension.

The Queen lays a wreath

The couple's visit was finishing with the official unveiling of the £50 million Birmingham Dental Hospital and School of Dentistry on the old BBC Pebble Mill studios site in Edgbaston.

The second leg of the royal visit saw the Queen naming a new £1.2 million tram in Bull Street, Birmingham.

Wearing a cashmere coat, a cerise pink brocade dress by Peter Enrione and a matching Angela Kelly hat, the 89-year-old was invited into the driver's cab of the tram and given a run-down on the controls by the Midland Metro's senior driving supervisor Derek Taylor.

The Queen on board the tram named in memory of former Dudley councillor Angus Adams

During a short ceremony watched by hundreds of well-wishers, the Queen named the tram in memory of Angus Adams, a Dudley borough councillor who died in 2012.

Mr Adams was the chairman of the West Midlands Integrated Passenger Transport Authority and Centro, which operates the Midland Metro.

The new Bull Street tram stop is due to open next month as part of a 1.4-km extension to the Midland Metro, which links Birmingham with Wolverhampton.

Speaking after the Queen was presented with a posy of white roses by four-year-old Taahlia Cameron, Centro chief executive Geoff Inskip said: "The Queen was very, very interested in the construction of the extension and the tram.

"It was delightful. She was asking how long it has taken to construct, and was asking the trainer how easy it was to drive them and how it all works."

The tram toured by the Queen is one of a fleet of 20 new units built by CAF in Spain with a capacity to carry more than 200 passengers.

The £127 million tramline extension, linking Birmingham's Snow Hill station to New Street, is due to be fully operational before the end of February next year.

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