On Wednesday 10 October, the Grand Railway Collaboration (GRC) officially opened its new Collaboration Hub at Birmingham New Street station.
On Wednesday 10 October, the Grand Railway Collaboration (GRC) officially opened its new Collaboration Hub at Birmingham New Street station.
The space was the brainchild of Malcolm Holmes, Executive Director of West Midlands Rail Executive and John Robson, CrossCountry’s Regional Director West Midlands and North West, with strong support from the wider membership of the GRC. The idea behind the space was to provide GRC members a dedicated location that could also be used by other industry groups, the community, charities and social groups.
The hub is a neutral environment where frank discussions can be held about strategy, support and future plans.
Launched back in 2019, the GRC, is a unique partnership representing the West Midland’s six train operators, Network Rail’s Central route, the West Midlands Rail Executive and Transport Focus. The group are committed to working closely together to tackle performance, simplify rail fare structures, improve the passenger experience on trains and at stations, and deliver more efficient timetables.
Network Rail Central Route have wholeheartedly supported the initiative by providing the unit at New Street station and fitting it out with a toilet, kitchenette, chairs, tables and a screen. Mitie have agreed to maintain the area going forward.
Malcolm Holmes, Executive Director, West Midlands Rail Executive, said: “It is a fantastic space which is perfect for bringing colleagues from across the industry together, collaborating to make the railway better for passengers. I’m very grateful to all involved for their help in making this happen.”
John Robson, CrossCountry’s Regional Director West Midlands and North West, said: “The shared hub was important in bringing everyone together. My thanks go out to all those that supported the idea and in particular Network Rail Central for providing us with the space.”
Steven Ireland, head of stations, security and customer relationship management for Network Rail’s Central Route, said: “It’s great that we can take advantage of this unused space at Birmingham New Street, especially when it can be utilised for the benefit of colleagues across the industry. I’m looking forward to bumping into industry colleagues using the Hub, and I can’t wait to see what sort of cross-industry collaboration the new co-working area leads us to, as we strive to achieve great things within Central Route and the West Midlands.”
Pictured from left to right:
Martin Colmey – Operations Director, NWR
Malcolm Holmes – Executive Director, WMRE
Lucy Wootton – Head of GRC
John Robson – Regional Director, XC
Alex Warner – Chair of GRC
Karl Watts – Group President, Rail Ops Group
Eleni Jordan - Commercial & Customer Strategy Director, Chiltern Railways
Jonny Wiseman – Customer Experience Director, WMT
Contact Information
CrossCountry Press Office
[email protected]About CrossCountry
CrossCountry is a long-distance passenger train operator, with a network stretching from Aberdeen to Penzance and from Stansted to Cardiff and calling at over 100 stations. Based in Birmingham, CrossCountry connects seven of Britain’s 10 largest cities and delivers 240 services every weekday, equating to over 42 million passenger journeys each year.
For further information on CrossCountry services, visit crosscountrytrains.co.uk or visit one of our social media platforms via X @crosscountryuk or Facebook at facebook.com/crosscountrytrains
Long-distance train operator CrossCountry has announced adjustments to its timetable from 14 December, as part of the rail industry’s twice-yearly timetable review.
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- 14-metre-high mural, created by Leeds based artist Elle Koziupa and Global Street Art, celebrates the journeys that have helped shape Leeds
- Photorealism, painterly illustration and graphics combine to depict the textile carts that powered Leeds’ rise to a northern powerhouse, to CrossCountry trains linking the city’s people and culture to the rest of UK today
- CrossCountry will operate a reduced timetable over the Bank Holiday weekend – with no services on Saturday 23 August - due to industrial action by the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT)
- Services on Sunday 24 August are also likely to be subject to cancellations across all CrossCountry routes
- Passengers are advised not to travel on Saturday 23 August and to travel on either side of the Bank Holiday weekend, or claim a full refund
