UK train station that starred in Mission Impossible has secret tunnels and giant mechanical bull named after a rockstar
A TRAIN station in the UK was used as a filming location for Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning.
The UK is home to plenty of famous train stations, including King's Cross, Edinburgh Waverley, and London Paddington station.
A train station in the West Midlands has its very own claim to fame because it was used as a filming location for Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part One.
The film follows Ethan Hunt (played by Tom Cruise) and the IMF as they hunt down a terrifying new weapon.
While the film is set in Amsterdam, Abu Dhabi, Rome, Venice, and Norway, Birmingham New Street Station was used as a filming location for the hit movie.
An empty John Lewis department store, which is situated inside Birmingham New Street Station, was transformed into Abu Dhabi Airport.
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In August 2021, Tom Cruise and the Mission Impossible cast filmed a chase scene at the UK train station.
Senior Commercial Filming and Campaigns Manager at Network Rail, Felicity Jump, told Filming England: "It was fun to see Birmingham New Street dressed as an airport.
"It wasn’t easy to dedicate so much space over to the film crew, but the marvellous station team rose to the challenge as they always do. And it was a great success.
"People in New Street – both staff and passengers – were amazed to see Tom Cruise in the city."
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As a proud Brummie, I very much remember the Tom Cruise mania that swept through the city when the star stayed in Birmingham.
The Hollywood star was also spotted at the top Indian restaurant, Asha's.
A series of secret underground tunnels also run underneath Birmingham New Street Station.
The secret tunnels were used by Royal Mail in the 1970s to sort and deliver letters and parcels throughout the city.
Because the tunnels don't appear on any maps, it's hard to pinpoint their exact location.
According to Business Live, it is thought that some tunnels remain underneath New Street Station.
There are other secret underground tunnels through the city too, including a 400m-long stretch underneath Bimrmingham's Mailbox.
While the tunnels are closed to the public, people across the city are campaigning for them to be opened on set days throughout the year.
Ozzy, the giant mechanical bull that featured in the opening ceremony at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games, can also be found at the station's main concourse.
The bull was named after Birmingham celebrity Ozzy Osbourne, following a vote by members of the public.
Birmingham New Street Station is situated in the centre of the city, with direct trains operating to London, Edinburgh, Cardiff, Bristol, Liverpool, and Manchester.
Other places in Birmingham have also been used by Hollywood production companies to film hit movies.
Steven Spielberg's dystopian film Ready Player One was filmed on Digbeth and Lionel Street, while scenes from The Kingsman: The Golden Circle were filmed on Colmore Row, Waterloo Street, and Edmund Street.
There are plenty of other reasons to visit England's second city too.
Birmingham is home to the world's biggest Primark and the Bullring Shopping Centre.
Other attractions include the Sea Life Centre, Cadbury World, St Philip's Cathedral, and St Martin's church.
Birmingham's beauty, and its historical buildings, also inspired The Lord of The Rings author JRR Tolkien.
One of the places famed for its association with the fantasy author is Sarehole Mill, a 250-year-old water mill.
As a young child, Tolkien is said to have explored the water mill and its grounds with his younger brother.
Now a museum, Sarehole Mill runs guided tours on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays for visitors to learn all about the old water mill.
Birmingham is also a stone's throw from popular UK days out like Warwick Castle and Stratford Upon Avon - both of which are accessible via train from Birmingham Moor Street station.
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