When the West Midlands Metro extension into Birmingham City Centre opened a new stop was provided at Snow Hill to provide access to the railway station of the same name, and replacing the former terminus which was actually in the station. However, access to the station was convoluted and as such a few months later the stop was renamed St Chad’s with passengers for the railway station advised to travel to Bull Street and change instead. But now plans have been confirmed for a new station entrance to be built giving much better access for passengers transferring from between the two.
Currently passengers who alight at St Chad’s either have to walk past Snow Hill Three, Two and One office developments before heading to the station entrance (access which was provided from day one) or alternatively walk down a flight of stairs and then along A4440 Queensway before turning into Livery Street and into the second station entrance (this was not ready for the opening of the stop).
But now another of the arches under the Victoria viaduct that carries trains and trams into the city centre is to be utilised to provide direct access to the railway station. It will still require passengers to go down the stairs from the stop but instead of a lengthy walk they will then be able to go straight into the station’s new third entrance (which will link directly to the existing Livery Street entrance.
Barhale Construction have been appointed to build the £1.5 million project with work expected to start in summer 2019 ahead of opening by the end of the same year.
So theoretically, once this work is completed, they could rename the stop back to Birmingham Snow Hill, as it would provide direct access to the station