Former Premier League club planning to build 1.5-mile TUNNEL under city to get fans to new £3billion stadium

BIRMINGHAM CITY chairman Tom Wagner has announced plans to build a TUNNEL under the city to help fans get to a proposed £3BILLION stadium complex.

Wagner, who acquired a hefty stake in Birmingham City back in 2023, has claimed it's part of his "dream" to revitalise East Birmingham with a new complex and stadium in the future.

The League One club have already acquired 60 acres of land in the east side of Birmingham with plans to build an incredible Sports Quarter, containing a state-of-the-art stadium, new training facilities and more.

While Wagner has called on the government to support his plans for the city.

The US hedge fund exec is part of the Knightshead Capital Management group that owns the Blues alongside NFL legend Tom Brady.

Now Wagner and Knightshead are looking to build a 1.5-mile long tunnel to transport fans from Birmingham New Street station to the planned new stadium in Bordesley Green.

Wagner told a meeting: "Subways are very expensive and complicated to develop.

"We thought of an idea to simply tunnel under the existing rail lines and connect New Street station to the sports quarter and use electric buses running underground.

"It could transport thousands of people an hour. We think it would cost roughly £20m."

Wagner also told that he would prefer to extend the city's existing tram network, but is hoping that his tunnel idea is given proper consideration.

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He also claimed that "local and regional authorities are in favour" of the proposal, but still needs to get the government on side to provide the necessary funding for the project.

Adding: "I'm the 'crazy American' talking about this, but we need more local voices with the right accent talking about why this is a good idea.

"The funds are there nationally, and it's a tiny percentage of those funds that we’re asking for."

Birmingham are hoping to return to their peak once again under the guidance of Wagner with the Blues now out of the Premier League for almost 15 years.

But it's not just success on the pitch that Wagner and his team are looking for, but growth as a brand and as a club in general too.

Their proposed Sports Quarter is their most ambitious project, a project Wagner has claimed he wants to see completed in five years time.

The focal point of the development would be a 62,000 capacity stadium that has been likened to a "spaceship" by Wagner himself.

Alongside the huge new ground, which would dwarf St Andrews' current 29,409 capacity, would be office spaces, social hubs and restaurants for the surrounding community.

While a hotel and a new fan park are also expected to be part of the ambitious plans.

Birmingham are currently top of League One after being relegated from the Championship last season.

Wagner and Knightshead haven't just been investing in the club's infrastructure, but also the squad.

The Blues smashed the record fee for a League One transfer when they spent £15m with £5m in potential add-ons on Fulham striker Jay Stansfield in the summer.

Prior to that deal, the League One record transfer stood at just £3.4m for Will Grigg's 2022 move from Wigan to Sunderland.

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