GWR Route: Banbury to Wolverhampton

GWR Route: North Warwickshire Line

Birmingham Snow Hill Station: gwrbsh564

An internal view of the Great Western Arcade which was built over the railway cutting approaching New Street station in 1876. The Arcade is a covered Grade II listed Victorian shopping arcade lying between Colmore Row and Temple Row in Birmingham, England. Originally the broad gauge Paddington line ran through a tunnel which stopped at Temple Row and then an open cutting to Snow Hill station. The cutting was roofed over in 1874 and the Great Western Arcade was then erected on top, the line of the new 'tunnel' being offset slightly to the north of the centre of the arcade.

The extended tunnel has a length of 596 yards (545 metres) and was designed by WH Ward of Paradise Street, Birmingham. The arcade has entrances at each end: that at Temple Row being ornate, with a roof which was originally a glazed semi-circular barrel vault with a glazed central dome, similar to that of the Gallerio Vittoria Emmanuele in Milan which was constructed at the same time. It was destroyed during the Second World War and was subsequently replaced. The arcade, containing shops on both sides, has a clock which strikes the quarters on a set of five exposed bells.

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