The reason behind the evacuation of Birmingham New Street Station has been confirmed. Commuters and staff were escorted out of the city centre transport hub at around 5:45 p.m. on Wednesday, May 13. While the incident may have caused concern, the evacuation lasted only minutes.
Planned Fire Drill
A fire alarm sounded inside Birmingham Grand Central, prompting an evacuation of both the shopping centre and New Street station. A spokesperson for Hammerson, the owner and operator of Grand Central, stated: "I can confirm it was a planned fire evacuation drill." The evacuation concluded quickly, resulting in minimal disruption for train passengers.
Bullring Evacuation
On the following day, March 14, a separate evacuation occurred at the Bullring shopping centre. A reporter at the scene asked security and staff for the reason and was told it was also a fire drill. While the Bullring incident led to a longer closure, the shopping centre reopened within an hour of the evacuation.
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