Where is Birmingham Snow Hill Station?

Birmingham Snow Hill Station is at Colmore Row, Birmingham, B3 2BJ. It runs down Livery Street, and bridges over Great Charles Street Queensway

 

In brief

The original Birmingham Snow Hill Station was open from 1852 until it closed for good in 1972. But a new station was opened in 1987 reopening the lines to Stratford-upon-Avon (via Shirley) and Leamington Spa (via Dorridge). With the opening of the Jewellery Line in 1995, this reopened the line towards Worcester Shrub Hill / Foregate Street via Kidderminster. The Midland Metro Line opened in 1999 with the original Snow Hill Tram Stop terminus. But this tram stop closed in 2015 with the opening of the first Metro extension to Birmingham New Street (replaced by St Chad's Tram Stop a short distance away). Since the 1990s there has been a line direct to London Marylebone on the Chiltern Mainline.

Chiltern Railways at Birmingham Snow Hill Station. Photography by Elliott Brown

 

Colmore Row entrance

People arriving or departing at Birmingham Snow Hill Station would use this footbridge. Dating from 1987, the green canopy at the bottom of the office building is the only bit remaining after the other canopies in The Station Square were removed in the 2000s. The bridge goes directly over the tracks, and the office building directly over the north portal of the Snow Hill Tunnel. Snow Hill Tram Stop was open next to it from 1999 to 2015, but has been unused since the Midland Metro extension opened in 2015-16 to Grand Central (Birmingham New Street Station).

Colmore Row entrance footbridge to Birmingham Snow Hill Station (October 2019). Photography by Elliott Brown

 

Inside the bridge there is railings, painted green until 2017 under London Midland, then orange when West Midlands Railway took over. This is the passenger route to or from the Colmore Business District.

Colmore Row entrance footbridge to Birmingham Snow Hill Station (April 2017). Photography by Elliott Brown

 

Concourse

Just beyond the ticket desks and ticket machine is the small concourse. In 2014 new ticket barriers were installed, along with new departure boards, as well as a coffee bar. There is one escalator, set of stairs and a lift to platform 1 & 2, as well as to platform 3. The Commuter statue used to be up here from 1996 to 2014.

Concourse at Birmingham Snow Hill Station (May 2014). Photography by Elliott Brown

 

Platforms

Platform 1 & 2 are usually for trains heading towards Stourbridge and Worcester. In off peak hours, Chiltern Railways usually has a train waiting at platform 2, before it heads back to London Marylebone.

Platform 1 and 2 at Birmingham Snow Hill Station (December 2013). Photography by Elliott Brown

 

Platform 3 is for trains heading towards Shirley, Stratford-upon-Avon and Dorridge. Most Shakespeare Line trains terminate at Whitlocks End. Some Stratford-upon-Avon trains go via Dorridge.

Platform 3 at Birmingham Snow Hill Station (September 2013). Photography by Elliott Brown

 

Snow Hill Tunnel

With Birmingham Moor Street now being the most busiest station on the line, it is best to catch a train at Birmingham Snow Hill to get a decent seat. The tunnel was closed between the 1970s and late 1980s. The tunnel is below the Great Western Arcade, and was built with the cut and cover method in Victorian times.

Snow Hill Tunnel from Birmingham Snow Hill Station (April 2017). Photography by Elliott Brown

 

Livery Street Entrance

The Livery Street Entrance opened during 2011. It is only open from Monday to Saturday each week. Built into the viaduct, there is subways, escalators and lifts that get you to and from platforms 1, 2 and 3 over Great Charles Street Queensway.

Livery Street Entrance at Birmingham Snow Hill Station (April 2011). Photography by Elliott Brown

 

This entrance is useful for passengers coming from the southern end of the Jewellery Quarter, rather than crossing over Great Charles Street Queensway (via the subway, footbridge or at Newhall Street). There are ticket barriers, and this entrance is usually unmanned.

Livery Street Entrance at Birmingham Snow Hill Station (January 2012). Photography by Elliott Brown