John Lewis store at New Street station brings 650 jobs

The station concourse and proposed store will transform New Street

A John Lewis store is to open at the revamped New Street station in Birmingham, creating 650 jobs.

The station is undergoing a £595m redevelopment which aims to replace the 1960s-built station with a "landmark 21st Century transport hub".

A new concourse, three times bigger than the present one and enclosed by a light-filled atrium, will open in 2012.

The store will be alongside the redevelopment and is expected to open in 2014.

It will be on the south side of the development, subject to planning permission.

Network Rail, which is building the store, said the project was about much more than redeveloping the station.

"Today's deal is a further sign that our plans are critical to the long term success of the city and will create new jobs and stimulate economic growth," a spokesman said.