Consultancy named as rail hub partner

AtkinsRéalis has been confirmed as one of the partners who will design and develop the £1.75 billion Midlands Rail Hub project.

The firm is part of the Midlands Rail Hub Alliance, which will alongside Network Rail to deliver the project.

It will involve connecting the Chiltern main line, which runs into Moor Street, with the Camp Hill lines, which run towards the South West and East Midlands, via two new chords in Bordesley, near Birmingham city centre.

Alongside this, work is also being prioritised to progress smaller changes to the existing railway, including new journey options and more trains.

The Midlands Rail Hub Alliance – working with the sponsoring partner team of Network Rail, West Midlands Rail Executive, Department for Transport, and Midlands Connect – will plan timescales for the development of the Midlands Rail Hub, with early passenger benefits expected to be realised by the early 2030s.

Denise Wetton, Network Rail’s Central route director, said: “We want the huge improvements this major investment and upgrade will unlock – including access to opportunities, more jobs, economic growth, and new houses – to benefit people, communities, and businesses as soon as possible.

“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.”