Passengers travelling through Birmingham New Street station are advised of changes to journeys as work is completed on the roof covering 12 platforms.

Network Rail engineers will be carrying out improvement work Birmingham New Street station’s original 1960s concrete roof which sits over 12 of its platforms as part of a £7.5m upgrade.

The eight-month essential maintenance project will see changes for passengers and Network Rail is currently working with rail operators in order to see the majority of trains running as normal throughout the period of work.

The work will see platforms closed in pairs for four-week periods and will get underway with platforms 5 and 6 from Sunday the 2nd to Sunday the 30th of April. The closure of the platforms will see some train times altered and arrivals and departures taking place on different platforms.

CrossCountry passengers travelling between East and West Midlands are set to be particularly affected and advanced notice of alterations will be provided to passengers.

Passengers planning to travel during this term are advised to check their journeys ahead via www.nationalrail.co.uk

Denise Wetton, Network Rail’s Central route director, said: “Our major work to renew the roof above Birmingham New Street’s platforms is a vital part of a wider programme to keep the iconic station running reliably and looking its best for passengers.

“The temporary platform closures will mean changes to train services and we’re asking passengers to plan ahead and check with their train operator to see how their journey will be affected. I’d like to thank station users in advance for their patience while this work takes place.”

Lucy Wootton, head of The Grand Railway Collaboration which represents train operators throughout the West Midlands, said: “Train operators are looking forward to welcoming even more passengers back to the rail network this year, though there will be some changes to timetables while this vital work takes place.

“This investment is key for the long-term future of Birmingham New Street station. In the short-term, the most important thing for passengers is to double-check their journeys to ensure smooth journeys.”

Further to Birmingham New Street station’s platform changes and train departure times during the period of work, there will also be weekday changes for CrossCountry services between Nottingham and Birmingham New Street.

John Robson, regional director for East Midlands and East Anglia at CrossCountry, said: “There will be significant changes to train services between Nottingham and Birmingham via Derby, Burton-on-Trent and Tamworth while this important upgrade work takes place. We urge our customers to check www.crosscountrytrains.co.uk/travel-updates-information for full details before they travel and thank them for their patience while these important improvements take place.”

The essential maintenance project comes as part of a wider programme of upgrades for Birmingham New Street which is the country’s 8th most used station, and will take place over a period of two years in a bid to improve the travel experience for passengers.

Passengers are also being advised to check station departure boards before travelling.