After 7000 people applied in a ballot to get a glimpse into the old New Street Station Signal Box some rail enthusiasts were refused admission when they turned up. Those who were refused entry for the time slot they had applied for then realised that they did not have an actual ticket, but that they had entered into an oversubscribed ballot with 125-1 odds of being granted entry.

The Grade II listed New Street Station Power Signal Box was at the heart of Britain’s railway network and had been in service from 1966 until Christmas Eve 2022.  The pre-cast concrete signal box building has been dividing opinion with the public since opening and at one point was dubbed one of the country’s ugliest buildings.  However, after 57 years of service all the controls for up to 1,200 trains passing through New Street Station were transferred over to a new digital facility in Duddeston as part of a £700m digital project which took nearly 17 years to complete.

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Image credits Birmingham live