Timeline for West Midlands railway openings revealed
A £185m project to build five new stations will wrap up next month, with the opening of Moseley Village, Kings Heath, and Pineapple Road in Birmingham.
Willenhall and Darlaston, which haven’t seen passenger railway services since the Beeching cuts in 1965, will also open to the public next week, subject to a final sign-off from the Office of Rail and Road – expected shortly.
The openings will mark the conclusion of a project first mooted in 2018, and will restore a passenger rail link which hasn’t been in place for 60 years.
The Black Country stations have been built by Kier under contract from Transport for West Midlands, while the Camp Hill Line stations in Birmingham have been developed by VolkerFitzpatrick.
“When I took office, I promised we would get these stations finished and ready for the community, and now we are delivering on that promise,” said West Midlands mayor, Richard Parker.
“Closing those stations during the last century was a short-sighted mistake which has now been put right – no longer will residents have to watch every day as trains rush past without stopping.
“These vital new services will not only restore a historic link between the railways and our communities, they will create a new lifeline for local people, supporting our high streets, opening up new opportunities and connections, and driving economic growth.”
Services calling at Moseley Village, Kings Heath, and Pineapple Road will run every half-hour between Birmingham New Street and Kings Norton – with Willenhall and Darlaston included on the hourly Birmingham to Shrewsbury line for the time being.
Discussions with the Department for Transport to provide services into Walsall town centre are ongoing, a spokesperson for TfWM added.
Cllr Mike Bird, leader of Walsall Council, said: “These stations will offer quicker, greener, and more reliable links to the wider region, helping to reduce congestion and creating new opportunities for work, education, and leisure across Walsall.
“This is a major milestone for our communities and a real boost for the borough’s future.”
- Willenhall and Darlaston Stations will open on Thursday, 19 March
- Moseley Village, Kings Heath, and Pineapple Road will open on Tuesday, 7 April
