Description
The Original LNWR Station
London and Birmingham Railway (New Street Station) Act 1846
In 1846, the LNWR secured parliamentary approval through the London and Birmingham Railway (New Street Station) Act 1846 (9 & 10 Vict. c. ccclix) to extend its railway into central Birmingham. This involved acquiring 1.2 hectares (3 acres) of land and demolishing around 70 buildings in Peck Lane, The Froggery, Queen Street, and Colmore Street. Among the demolished structures was the Countess of Huntingdon’s Connexion chapel, built just six years earlier.
New Street station officially opened on 1 June 1854, though it had already been partially operational for two years as a terminus for trains arriving from Wolverhampton via the Stour Valley Line. On its opening day, LNWR’s Curzon Street station ceased regular passenger services, and trains from London began using New Street.
Image Courtesy of Warwickshire Railways
The station was designed by Edward Alfred Cowper and constructed by Messrs. Fox, Henderson & Co. Cowper, who had previously worked on the Crystal Palace, which must have been influential in the design of New Street Station’s spectacular iron-and-glass roof. Upon completion, it was the largest single-span arched roof in the world, measuring 211 feet (64 m) wide and 840 feet (256 m) long. This record was held for 14 years until St Pancras station opened in 1868. Originally, the station was planned to have three roof spans supported by columns, but it was later redesigned into a single-span structure to allow for smoother railway operations. The span was 62 feet (19 m) wider than any previous roof of its kind.
The design of New Street station won praise from architect George Gilbert Scott, who remarked, “An iron roof in its most normal condition is too spider-like a structure to be handsome, but with a very little attention this defect is obviated. The most wonderful specimen, probably, is that at the great Birmingham Station…”
When it first opened, Richard Foster referred to New Street as “Grand Central Station at Birmingham.”
Layout and Facilities
Robert Stephenson and his team designed the station’s internal track and platform layout, which consisted of nine platforms—four through platforms and five bay platforms. The station’s main entrance was located on Stephenson Street and housed the Queens Hotel, designed by John William Livock. Opened on the same day as the station, the hotel was built in an Italianate style and originally contained 60 rooms. Over the years, the hotel underwent several expansions, with a final west wing added in 1917.
The significance and scale of New Street station were highlighted in Bradshaw’s Guide in 1863, further cementing its importance in Britain’s railway history.
