Midland Metro’s Snow Hill tram stop is to be renamed St Chad’s from January 2017 to avoid confusion for passengers who alight wanting to access the adjacent railway station. The stop opened in May as part of the Metro extension to Grand Central and although you can see the railway station from the stop there is no access with any rail passengers having to work back alongside the tramway towards the city centre – almost to Bull Street which is now considered the best stop for Birmingham Snow Hill railway station.
A spokesman from Transport for West Midlands said: “As part of planned improvements at Snow Hill rail and Midland Metro interchange, it is proposed to rename the current metro stop Snow Hill to St Chad’s from January 2017. At present, the name Snow Hill is misleading some passengers who anticipate they can access the railway station from the metro stop. This has led to a number of complaints. As part of the changes, Bull Street stop, which provides level access to Snow Hill and has an aesthetically attractive walking route, will be the primary metro stop promoted as the interchange for Snow Hill rail station. The renamed St Chad’s will remain an alternative interchange and will be signed accordingly.”
It begs the question if there is so much confusion now why do they have to wait until January to change the stop name?
Given the lack of heavy rail interchange from the Snow Hill tram stop, and that St Chad’s Catholic Cathedral (designed by A.W. Pugin and Grade II* listed) is the dominant architectural feature of the area, St Chad’s was surely the obvious name for the stop.
This could now be confusing for passengers on the Blackpool tramway!
I could never understand why the replacement Snow Hill stop was not located at the south end of the grassed section just before the Colmore Circus crossing, from which it would have been only a short walk to the main entrance of Snow Hill railway station.
Considering that the terminus was previously within Snow Hill station the new arrangements appear to be a backward step.
I hope that the Bull Street stop will now – soon – have “For Snow Hill Station” added to its nameboards. That would be logical.