New Street station fully reopens after bridge work

The scheme is due to be finished in 2015

Birmingham's New Street railway station has fully reopened following work over the Christmas period as part of its £598m revamp.

New sections to extend the Navigation Street footbridge at the west end of the station were installed between Christmas Day and Tuesday.

The first phase of the revamp is due to end next Christmas when the first half of the new station concourse opens.

New Street station fully reopened for services on Thursday morning.

Public lifts

Engineers used a 700-tonne crane to lift out an old section of the bridge and install the new sections.

The extended bridge will create a new station entrance on Hill Street, when it opens at the end of 2012.

Other work over Christmas included removing the old Pallasades link bridge and escalator above Station Street.

The removal of the redundant structures was another step towards building a new John Lewis store, which is due to get under way in 2012.

The redevelopment, which is backed by Network Rail, Birmingham City Council, Department for Transport, Advantage West Midlands and Centro, is due to be finished in 2015.

The scheme, which aims to double passenger capacity, includes creating more than 40 escalators and 15 public lifts, a new station facade and eight new entrances and providing a larger concourse.