Free tour tickets as Birmingham New Street signal box closes down after 60 years

Lucky ticket holders will get a rare chance to tour the landmark Birmingham New Street signal box which was decommissioned last Christmas.

A ticket ballot has now opened for people to enter their names and see if they can win one of the 60 rare tour tickets.

Those who are lucky enough to be selected will be treated to a 45-minute tour of the iconic railway building which served the West Midlands for a staggering six decades.

Experienced staff will lead tours – which take place every hour starting midday on Friday 31st March – and will take in three of the five floors of the Grade II listed Brutalist building.

When Network Rail announced that the signal box was closing on Christmas Eve 2022 there was huge public interest for tours of the building after it closed down.

Denise Wetton, from Network Rail, said: “We were overwhelmed by the response when we announced that the Birmingham power signal box would be closing, so it felt like the right thing to do to open up the doors and show off this local landmark which played a crucial role for six decades at the heart of Britain’s railway network.

“I hope that people will enjoy this rare look behind the scenes and that it inspires people not only to learn about the important part this building and the people who worked in it played in the railway’s past – but also discover more about how we’re improving the railway for the future, too.”

Once the tours are over the building will be officially closed as the interior is prepared and kitted out as a specialist training centre for future railway signal staff.

To enter the ballot and win a ticket for the tour click here.