The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) has authorised the entry into service of two new buildings and other significant enhancements at the much-expanded University railway station in Birmingham.

It is planned that the upgraded station will be fully in the next few weeks. Among the improvements are two new station buildings linked by an accessible bridge, new signage, lighting, CCTV, and other systems. The station had previously been upgraded with wider and longer platforms to prepare it for the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

The regulator’s authorisation confirms that the appropriate standards have been met for health and safety, accessibility, environmental protection, technical compatibility, and reliability and availability.

Throughout the project, the regulator worked with the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) to guide it through the authorisation process to ensure that all relevant checks and surveys were carried out. The West Midlands Combined Authority has provided funding for the project.

The upgraded station will improve access to the adjacent University of Birmingham and the nearby Queen Elizabeth II Hospital, and accommodate a great increase in capacity from the station design figure of half a million passengers per year to 2.6 million people who used the station in 2022-2023.

Dermot Kelly, Head of Civil Engineering at ORR, said: “This is a significant upgrade which helps Birmingham and the West Midlands provide improved access for some of the region’s most important institutions.

“We’re pleased to have played our part in getting the station ready to open. Our team worked alongside the WMCA to advise them on the authorisation process, just as we do for new trains and infrastructure across the country.

Kate Trevorrow, Rail Delivery Director with Transport for West Midlands (TfWM), the transport arm of the WMCA, said: “With the authorisation from the ORR we have completed a critical step on the way to the finish line for the University Station buildings.

“We are now making final preparations and look forward to opening in the near future.”