Birmingham New Street Before Grand Central – Remember the Old Station?

Birmingham New Street in the Early 2000s – Before the Great Transformation

Step back in time to Birmingham New Street in the early 2000s, when the station looked very different from the bright and modern New Street we know today.

This was the era of Virgin Trains, Central Trains, locomotive-hauled passenger services, High Speed Trains, Class 323s, Sprinters and the arrival of a completely new generation of trains.

We remember the mighty Class 87s and Class 90s, Virgin's HSTs and the first appearances of the Class 390 Pendolinos, together with the Class 220 Voyagers and Class 221 Super Voyagers which transformed CrossCountry travel.

New Street itself was another story.

Dark platforms, low ceilings, concrete pillars, fluorescent lighting, diesel fumes and the constant roar of trains beneath Birmingham city centre made this one of Britain's most distinctive major railway stations.

Above the railway stood the Pallasades Shopping Centre, while outside, Birmingham was undergoing an enormous transformation of its own.

In this video, we travel back to New Street before Grand Central and before the huge redevelopment that transformed the station.

Was the old Birmingham New Street really as gloomy as people remember?

Or did this complicated, noisy and incredibly busy station have a character that has been lost?

Join us for another journey into Britain's railway past.

If you remember Birmingham New Street during the early 2000s, tell us about your memories in the comments.

Please like the video, subscribe to Trains Trains Trains and turn on notifications for more journeys into Britain's railway history.

#BirminghamNewStreet, #Birmingham, #BritishRailways, #RailwayHistory, #RailwayMemories,