Futuristic look for Birmingham New Street station

This is Birmingham's landmark New Street train station as you have never seen it before.

moreThis futuristic-style building which is clad in stainless steel panels will not only be home to passengers and trains but will also house a transformed office block.

Plans have been submitted to transform the office block above the station, with the revamped design completing the shiny finish to the multi million pound transformation of the site.

The new picture comes as top councillors backed plans to further extend the Midland Metro tram network at a meeting yesterday.

At New Street, Network Rail and Birmingham City Council have announced that Cannock Developments has been selected to develop the 1960s block into a modern new building which will be called One Grand Central.

Due to complete in 2015, the 100,000 sq ft offices will be above the revamped station and Grand Central shopping centre.

The property group will start developing the building early next year in what will be the first major new office building at the station following its £600 million transformation.

Chris Montgomery, Network Rail project director, said: "This planning application marks another important milestone in our extensive project to redevelop Birmingham New Street station. When complete, the new offices will have unrivalled travel connectivity, with the new integrated station incorporating the city's metro extension right on the building's doorstep."

The first half of the new station concourse opened to passengers in April 2013. Work has now started to redevelop the old station and Pallasades shopping centre above into Grand Central. The project completes in 2015.

Meanwhile, members of the city council's cabinet backed the Metro extension which will see the tram line expand through Birmingham city centre, through Paradise Circus, past the historic Town Hall and up to Centenary Square, passing the £188.8m Library of Birmingham.

Under the latest proposals, trams will run from the new stop on Stephenson Street outside New Street Station, before travelling along Pinfold Street, Victoria Square, Paradise Street and Broad Street and terminating at Centenary Square.

Councillor Tahir Ali, cabinet member for development, jobs and skills, described the expansion at the meeting as a 'major step forward' in regenerating Centenary Square.

Councillor Stewart Stacey, cabinet member for commissioning, contracting and improvement added: "I think it will make a tremendous difference to the access from New Street, from Snow Hill stations to the ICC and the whole of that area and it will deliver what people expect of a city centre scheme and will actually mean that people use it to move around the city centre."