It hailed a new era for Birmingham when it was reopened in 2015 - with Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II no less officially marking the occasion.
New Street Station is at the very centre of city centre life - it’s the hub most people pass through on a visit to town. A landmark meeting spot for friends catching up or saying goodbye amid an abundance of shops and restaurants to enjoy.
But that’s not good enough for this year’s annual European Railway Station Index which has ranked 50 of Europe’s largest train stations by measuring passenger volume and travel experience.
Our huge state-of-the-art New Street has been ranked at number 43. That’s way behind London Bridge which came in at number 16 and Liverpool Street which was ranked at 21. Other UK train stations included in the ranking was London Waterloo, placed at 29 and London Euston came in at 25.
Of course it’s still the only UK rail station outside London to be included in the European ranking of the biggest stations - which is a feat in itself.
But the report has been picked up by the London-centric national press who have chosen to highlight Birmingham as having UK’s ‘worst train station’.
I wonder if they've been to London Euston lately? Birmingham New Street is a gazillion times better - it's barely changed since the 1990s and is in much need of some TLC.
The report was based on a number of categories, including operating hours, types of tickets, waiting times, delayed trains, in-station information, escalators/lifts, wheelchair and restroom accessibility, shops/kiosks, restaurants, lounges, smartphone application, free WIFI, transport connections, international coverage, competition and ride sharing.
Here’s 13 very valid reasons why Birmingham New Street is not the UK’s worst train station:
5. Cats
There’s no need to be lonely at New Street Station. If you want some company and enjoy spending time among furry friends, you can always pop into the Kitty Cafe filled with comfy sofas and armchairs where you can relax and enjoy tasty food and drink. And if you do make a special connection with a cat or too - you could always look into adopting. What are you waiting fur?! | BirminghamWorld
6. Take a seat at Birmingham New Street
There’s a huge seating area at New Street, with a host of extra seating recently appearing behind Ozzy the bull. It’s great if you need a bit of time to sit down before you catch your train. And, of course, you can always sit back and watch Ozzy’s eyes light up if you’re there on the hour. | BirminghamWorld
7. Grab a book
You won’t have time to get bored at New Street with the renowned Foyles Bookshop at Grand Central. It offers 14,000 different books and carefully-curated gifts and stationery. There’s also a children’s department and regular guests. You may want to keep an eye out for the book chandelier made from the pages of Dr Johnson’s dictionary. | BirminghamWorld
8. Art
Birmingham New Street is home to some amazing street art by talented Birmingham artist Stacey Barnfield whose iconic Colour Pallette Company and Draw My City brand has created designs for cities and towns across the UK and Ireland. In Grand Central, above New Street, you can see his Birmingham Colour Pallette along with paintings of iconic Brummie landmarks past and present, including Mr Egg. | RBH