Where is The Commuter statue?

The Commuter statue is on platform 1 & 2 at Birmingham Snow Hill Station in front of a waiting room.

In brief

Many passengers use Birmingham Snow Hill to commute into work each day. A bronze statue called The Commuter was made by the sculptor John McKenna in 1996. The Commuter was unveiled by Neil Kinnock MEP at the time he was European commissioner for Transport. It has always been on platforms 1 & 2, but the waiting room was rebuilt in 2014, so it has a new backing to a waiting room with glass windows and an automatic door.

The Commuter on platform 1 & 2 at Birmingham Snow Hill Station (May 2015). Photography by Elliott Brown

With the original waiting room

From about 1996 to 2014, John McKenna's bronze statue, The Commuter was in front of the original tiled waiting room building.

The Commuter at Birmingham Snow Hill Station (April 2011). Photography by Elliott Brown

The waiting rooms on both platforms 1, 2 and 3 were replaced with modern air conditioned ones with glass windows and automatic doors in 2014.

The Commuter at Birmingham Snow Hill Station (September 2013). Photography by Elliott Brown

The 1987 waiting room was uninviting, and under London Midland it was replaced by 2014, while The Commuter statue was retained where it was.

The Commuter at Birmingham Snow Hill Station (September 2013). Photography by Elliott Brown

With the new waiting room

The new waiting rooms were complete by the autumn of 2014. The Commuter was now visible from platform 3, and could be seen through the windows of the new waiting room on platforms 1 & 2.

The Commuter on platform 1 & 2 at Birmingham Snow Hill Station (September 2014). Photography by Elliott Brown

Trains on the Snow Hill lines heading towards the Jewellery Line normally stop at platform 1, while Chiltern Railways have stationary trains at platform 2. In early 2015 you could see The Commuter from the train, like in the photo below.

The Commuter on platform 1 & 2 at Birmingham Snow Hill Station (January 2015). Photography by Elliott Brown

The summer of 2020, after restrictions had been eased. West Midlands Railway had replaced London Midland at the end of 2017, and The Commuter was wearing a face mask!

The Commuter on platform 1 & 2 at Birmingham Snow Hill Station (August 2020). Photography by Elliott Brown

View of The Commuter from platform 3, with a train behind it.

The Commuter on platform 1 & 2 at Birmingham Snow Hill Station (October 2023). Photography by Elliott Brown