Bullring and Grand Central sit at the heart of Birmingham city centre — one of the UK's most visited retail destinations. The scale of the estate, the density of its offering, and the continuous flow of visitors create a complex navigation environment, particularly for people with visual impairments, cognitive differences, or mobility challenges who cannot rely on conventional wayfinding cues.
A key feature of this deployment is its direct connection to Birmingham New Street Station — the UK's busiest regional rail station, where Waymap is already live. Visitors arriving by train experience seamless, accessible navigation from the moment they step off the train, through the station, and into the Bullring and Grand Central estate.
Hammerson's accessibility commitment
At Hammerson, the ambition is to ensure that their destinations are as accessible as possible for everyone. The Waymap partnership is the latest in a series of accessibility investments at Bullring and Grand Central. In 2026, new tactile braille maps will be installed for all customer-facing toilets, while new sensory maps and autism-friendly visual guides are being made available to help visitors plan their visits.
Waymap is live across the entire Bullring and Grand Central estate, providing audio and on-screen step-by-step navigation instructions throughout. Users can navigate between any two points within the estate — stores, restaurants, leisure facilities, restrooms, accessible entrances, accessible toilets, and exits — with instructions available in multiple languages.
Personalised routing
The app's personalisation features allow users to choose routes that avoid stairs and use lifts, or select based on other individual access requirements. Step-free routing, guidance to accessible toilets, and tailored food and drink options are all built in — without requiring a separate accessibility mode or special configuration.
Seamless connection with Birmingham New Street
Waymap is already deployed at Birmingham New Street Station — positioned directly adjacent to Grand Central. The deployment creates a continuous, accessible navigation corridor from train platform to retail destination, without any break in guidance.
Infrastructure-free
No additional hardware was installed across Bullring or Grand Central. The system operates without GPS, Wi-Fi positioning, or Bluetooth beacons — using the sensors already built into standard smartphones combined with AI algorithms and digital maps.
"At Hammerson, we want to ensure our destinations are as accessible as possible, for everyone. We're collaborating with Waymap to provide a uniquely accessible route throughout our flagship destination at Bullring and Grand Central, with the additional benefit of connecting to the UK's busiest regional train station."
Waymap's step-by-step audio and on-screen instructions are particularly helpful for people who are blind or have other disabilities — but they benefit anyone who wants to find their way to a specific shop, restaurant, or facility efficiently. The deployment broadens the range of customers who can visit and fully enjoy Bullring and Grand Central, in line with Hammerson's commitment to making their destinations as accessible and welcoming as possible.
- Hammerson & Waymap. (2026). Joint press release: From train door to Bullring store: Hammerson teams up with Waymap to transform central Birmingham accessibility.
- Hammerson. Bullring & Grand Central, Birmingham. hammerson.com