NEW STATIONS ARE ON TRACK

New railway stations for Darlaston and Willenhall form part of the West Midlands Rail Programme.

The £54 million project for the new stations aims to open up rail travel to the local community

It will create morethan 120 jobs during construction and will also restoremorethan ahectareof brownfield land.

Birmingham to Crewe services could call at Darlaston and Willenhall stations, which aredue to open in 2024, by 2026.

The Walsall to Lichfield railway line could also be reopened between 2040 to 2050 with new stations being built under draft plans, which have been submitted for consultation by the West Midlands Rail Executive.

The plan has been developed with rail industry partners including

Midlands Connect and the Department for Transport.

West Midlands Mayor Andy Street, chairman of WMRE, said great progress was being made on developing the rail network including the Darlaston and Willenhall stations.

Another major proposal is for astation in Tettenhall. It would be the first after trains leave Wolverhampton, beforetravelling on to Bilbrook and Codsall and into Shropshire. The village previously had astation on the Wombourne Branch Line, which opened in 1925 but closed seven years later due to low usage.

Government funding has now been secured to out together a business case for it.

The WMRE says its updated rail investment strategy would deliver better rail services across the wider region.

FOCUSONTHE REGENERATION OF BRIERLEY HILL

2023 MARKSTHE STARTOFABRIGHTNEW FUTURE FORBRIERLEYHILL.

MULTI-MILLIONPOUND IMPROVEMENTWORKS GOTUNDER WAYEARLIER THIS MONTHWITHA FOCUS ON IMPROVINGTHE TOWN’S HIGH STREET AND SURROUNDINGAREAS.

It will seemajor improvements to transportlinks, enabling easieraccess to thetown. Therewillbe aspruceupofthe High Street,the town’s library is beingrefurbishedand therewill also be new public toilets. Alink will be createdfromthe High Street to theplannedMetro terminus in thetown, which will runfrom BrierleyHill to Wednesburyvia Dudley town centre when completed.

Councilbossesand communitygroupshope theresultofthe improvements will be to boost footfall into thetowncentre.

TheHighStreetistoget acompleteoverhaul. Pavementsare being ripped up andre-laid, andnew public seatingalong withtrees and planterswill also go in.Facilities to store cycles will be introduced,while an appealing andusefulnew communityopenspace will be createdatthe endofthe High Street, which couldbeusedinthe future foroutdoor performances in conjunction withthe Civic Hall.