The original Five Ways station operated between 1885 and 1944. The station was reopened in 1978 when the Cross-City line services were created.
History
The original station was opened in 1885 by the Midland Railway, when the Birmingham West Suburban Railway (BWSR) was extended into Birmingham New Street. It fell prey to competition from local bus services, and services were suspended in 1944, as a wartime economy measure, under the auspices of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway.[2] The closure was made permanent by British Railways in 1950.[3]
Alongside the station was the spur line leading to Central Goods station. The junction to this line was just south of Five Ways. The spur was part of the original alignment of the BWSR, leading to its original terminus at Granville Street. Following the closure of Granville Street in 1885, the spur line was extended to run to Central Goods station, which remained open until the late 1960s.[4]
Reopening
The station was rebuilt and reopened in 1978 to the designs of the architect John Broome[5] as part of the creation of the Cross-City Line services. Built with its main entrance on Islington Row Middleway.[4]British Rail also carried out electrification of the lines through the station in 1993.[citation needed]
Ticket barriers were installed at the start of 2009 and became operational shortly before the end of April in the same year.[citation needed]
The station achieved a milestone in 2009–10 by having over 1 million "entries and exits", according to the Office of Rail and Road’s station usage estimates.
The station is an interchange for trams at Five Ways tram stop on the West Midlands Metro, which is approximately 0.4 miles (0.64 km) away, roughly an eight minute walk.[10]