Proposals to be developed for new railway stations

Funding of £1m has been earmarked to develop proposals for a trio of new railway stations in the West Midlands.Castle Bromwich, Coventry East and near Tettenhall have been shortlisted by the West Midlands Rail Executive (WMRE) following a feasibility study.Castle Bromwich is on the line between Birmingham and Leicester/Nottingham and would restore a station which was closed in 1968. Coventry East is on the line linking Coventry and Rugby and would provide a new station in the Binley/Willenhall areaAnother new station in Wolverhampton between Tettenhall, Claregate and Pendeford would be located on the Wolverhampton to Shrewsbury line.The funding is from the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement (CRSTS) awarded to the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) by the Department for Transport.Andy Street, mayor of the West Midlands and WMRE chair, said: “With five new railway stations under construction and a sixth on the way, we’re getting on with delivering the transport infrastructure local people want to see right across our region.”We’ve now whittled down our list of stations to a priority list of these three at Castle Bromwich, Coventry East and Tettenhall – as these are the ones most likely to deliver the biggest benefit to the communities they serve. For those locations which did not make the shortlist, we’re still looking at ways to bring forward delivery.”The £1.7bn Midland Rail Hub scheme – now fully funded by government – may provide an avenue and will certainly be a game changer enabling us to connect even more towns and communities to the rail network.”New rail infrastructure can be transformative for an area, offering residents sustainable and convenient access to rapid and reliable public transport. That’s why it’s good news that local people will benefit from these stations very soon.”Further proposed stations which have not made the shortlist could be reconsidered once the Midlands Rail Hub is under construction.