Network Rail to pump extra £90m into West Midlands railways
The biggest expansion of Britain’s railway network since the 19th century will see the West Midlands sharing in £35 billion which will be invested in more seats, longer trains and platforms and faster services.
Network Rail unveiled a wide-ranging five-year package of improvements which will see an extra £90 million invested in West Midlands railways – on top of the £600 million already pledged for New Street Station.
Birmingham’s busy Cross City Line will be extended to take three trains an hour to Bromsgrove, the Redditch branch line will be upgraded and a bottleneck at Stafford/Colwich will be opened.
Platforms will be extended at Cannock, stations on Birmingham Cross City Line, Coventry, Wolverhampton, Walsall, Stratford, Leamington Spa and Stourbridge to allow longer trains carrying more passengers.
While there will be across-the-board signalling improvements and the West Coast Main Line, linking New Street to London and the north, will get a major power upgrade to cut delays.
And a range of stations including Warwick, Bloxwich, Bloxwich North, Cannock, Hednesford, Kidderminster, Rugeley Town, Tamworth, University and Wolverhampton will be improved.
With similar levels of improvements taking place across the UK, Network Rail’s route director, Jo Kaye, said: “Britain is poised on the brink of a rail revolution. Tomorrow we embark upon one of the most exciting chapters in the history of our railways. Network Rail is ready to unleash the biggest expansion of Britain’s railways since the age of Brunel.
“The next five years will see massive investment in improving the railways for passengers and freight users by adding capacity and relieving overcrowding. We will see a transformed railway through ambitious plans that will deliver more trains, more seats, longer trains and faster trains.”
Crucially delays and cancellations would be cut by 25 per cent she added.
The announcement was immediately welcomed by Anthony Smith, chief executive of rail watchdog Passenger Focus, who said: “Passengers will welcome the commitment the industry and government is making to improve the railway.
“Dealing with passengers’ main concerns about punctuality and crowding are at the heart of this plan. However, it is also important that Network Rail reduces its costs and keep the pressure off further fare rises.”
