Raging Bull to be given home at Birmingham New Street station

The mechanical bull which formed the centrepiece of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games opening ceremony is to be given a permanent home in the city’s main railway station.

The 10-metre-high bull, known at the Raging Bull, will be installed in the atrium of Birmingham New Street station this summer, Network Rail said.

After being hailed as the highlight of the Commonwealth Games opening ceremony, the bull was moved to Centenary Square in the city centre where it was seen by an estimated 4 million visitors last summer.

In September it was moved to a car park in Ladywood while officials worked to find it a permanent home.

Andy Street, mayor of the West Midlands, said its new position would mean the bull could be “enjoyed, marvelled at and photographed by local people and visitors alike in the months and years ahead”.

The bull, which was made using materials from factories in Birmingham and the Black Country and constructed around a 17-tonne forklift crane, was not designed as a permanent fixture and is still being modified to ensure its longevity.

During the ceremony, the armoured bull was dragged into the stadium by 50 women representing female chainmakers of the Industrial Revolution, before its armour was removed and chains broken, signifying people breaking free from bondage and oppression.

Peter Hendy, the chair of Network Rail, said the bull had “captivated the nation, cementing itself as an icon for host city Birmingham”.

He added that there was “no better place than Birmingham New Street’s huge concourse and atrium”, where it will be seen by the station’s 800,000 weekly footfall of passengers and pedestrians.

Ian Ward, the leader of Birmingham city council, said: “It’s fantastic that we have been able to find a home for the Raging Bull in the heart of Birmingham.

“There were many stars during our unforgettable summer of sport and culture – but none were bigger and bolder than the bull.”

Although the bull received widespread praise for its design, organisers apologised after the bull’s armour was used to display the names of the victims of the 1974 Birmingham pub bombings without their families’ consent or explaining the gesture to audiences in the commentary.

Birmingham is already home to sculptor Laurence Broderick’s six-tonne bronze bull which sits outside the Bullring shopping centre, named after an area historically used for bull-baiting.