Commonwealth Games railway station will now be finished earlier than planned, says transport group

Worries about work to redevelop a train station not being completed in time for the start of the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham have eased, a West Midlands transport group has said.

At the July meeting of the West Midlands Combined Authority’s (WMCA) transport delivery committee, the overhaul of Perry Barr station was given an ‘amber/red’ risk rating meaning successful delivery was in doubt.

But at the committee’s most recent meeting last week, the risk rating was improved to ‘green/amber’.

This rating means rating means successful delivery now appears probable but “constant attention will be needed to ensure risks do not materialise into major issues threatening delivery”.

The Perry Barr station revamp was not expected to be finished until 1 May 2022, less than three months before the Commonwealth Games kick off. But last week’s meeting said it was now due to wrap up in December 2021.

The station is close to the athletes’ village planned at former Birmingham City university buildings which are set to be torn down by local firm DSM Demolition, which also carried out work on the Spurs stadium last year. Once the games are over, the site will be turned into permanent homes.

It will also be used as one of the main transport stops to get to the nearby Alexander Stadium, which will host the main athletics’ events.

Construction work at the station is set to run from June 2020 and wrap up in November 2021.

The budget for the project has also been firmed up, with the estimated cost now sitting at £18m, while work to revamp a nearby bus station given a pricetag of £2.5m.

Atkins is carrying out feasibility work on the stadium.

The WMCA has been contacted for comment.