Network Rail confirms four delivery partners for £1.75bn Midlands Rail Hub upgrade

An artist rendering of Moor Street Station Northern entrance. Credit: Network Rail

Network Rail has confirmed the four delivery partners that will design and develop the £1.75bn Midlands Rail Hub, one of the most ambitious rail capacity upgrades planned for the Midlands.

VolkerRail, Laing O’Rourke, AtkinsRéalis and Siemens Mobility will form the Midlands Rail Hub Alliance, working alongside Network Rail to develop the scheme and support its future construction. The programme focuses on Birmingham and the wider West Midlands, with early passenger benefits planned from the early 2030s.

The Midlands Rail Hub aims to transform rail connectivity by increasing capacity, improving reliability and creating new journey opportunities across the region. A central element of the scheme is the construction of two new rail chords at Bordesley, near Birmingham city centre, linking the Chiltern Main Line into Moor Street with the Camp Hill lines serving the South West and East Midlands.

In parallel, the alliance will progress smaller, targeted enhancements designed to deliver earlier benefits for passengers and communities. These include reopening platform 4 at Snow Hill station, enabling additional Chiltern Railways services to operate directly between Birmingham’s business district and London Marylebone. Plans also include redeveloping Kings Norton station and upgrading the lines through it to allow additional Cross-City services and new Midlands Rail Hub-enabled stops.

The Midlands Rail Hub Alliance will work with the sponsoring partner team of Network Rail, West Midlands Rail Executive (WMRE), the Department for Transport and Midlands Connect to develop delivery timescales and shape the next stages of the programme.

Unlocking jobs opportunities, stimulating housing growth and better connecting communities

Rail Minister Lord Peter Hendy said: “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.”

Denise Wetton, Network Rail’s Central route director, added: “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.”

Mal Drury-Rose, WMRE director, commented: “After years of supporting this project, we are thrilled that it will come to fruition, delivering huge benefits for passengers in the West Midlands.

“We are committed to ensuring that it’s more than just a rail scheme – that it maximises the benefits of HS2 coming to the region, creating a major new transport interchange at Moor Street and Curzon Street stations, and delivers on our wider ambitions for social mobility, transport integration, regeneration and economic growth.”

Maria Machancoses, Chief Executive of Midlands Connect, concluded: “Today is a big moment for the region – the Midlands Rail Hub alliance will finally allow us to start delivering real improvements passengers will feel on the ground as early as 2028.

“We must keep driving this project forward and work with Government to get the full programme funded and delivered, because only then will the Midlands realise its full potential.”

Once delivered, the Midlands Rail Hub will reshape services at Birmingham’s New Street, Moor Street and Snow Hill stations, increasing frequency, expanding journey options and strengthening regional and national connectivity.