Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander confirmed the improvements as part of the Midlands Rail Hub during a session in the House of Commons. "Delivering the Midlands Rail Hub is fundamentally both pro-business and pro-worker. In response, Ms Alexander confirmed that detailed design work is officially underway for the first phase of the Midlands Rail Hub. She said: "We are progressing the first phase of the Midlands Rail Hub to increase capacity in Birmingham. The Midlands Rail Hub is a flagship investment project led by Midlands Connect and Network Rail.