West Midlands Mayor Andy Street has assured Darlaston residents that construction of their new railway station is back on track, after a deal was struck with a new contractor.
Ground preparation works on new stations in Darlaston and Willenhall halted in early October, after main contractor Buckingham Group went into administration. Now Kier, a leading UK infrastructure group, has taken over the construction contracts.
Mr Street, who leads the West Midlands Combined Authority, said: “I can understand why local residents were frustrated to see work stop on their new station.
“After many months of work, everything was in place to build these stations and bring passenger services back to these communities.
“For the Buckingham Group staff who were working on stations it was obviously a difficult time too - that’s why it’s great news that we will see many of them back on site now that we have reached agreement with Kier.
“Most importantly of all for residents right across the West Midlands, this means it’s now full steam ahead to deliver these railway stations - providing the transport links that local people inDarlastonwant.”
The new station will give Darlaston people direct access to the rail network for the first time since the 1960s, offering services to Walsall, Wolverhampton and Birmingham.
Two trains per hour will call at the station, an hourly service between Walsall and Wolverhampton and an hourly service between Birmingham New Street and Wolverhampton.
Plans are also progressing to reopen a station further down the line, at Aldridge.
Mr Street added: “Creating a world-class public transport system is an important part of our region’s plan to achieve net zero by 2041, but projects like these stations will also make a huge difference for the communities they serve.
“It means businesses will be able to relocate along the line, bringing even more opportunities for local people. When we have the stations open, along with car parks and transport links, I think they will become hubs for growth.
“What’s more, by getting people out of their cars and onto good quality public transport we are tackling both congestion and the climate change emergency at the same time,” he said.
Both stations will have two platforms, big enough to accommodate six-carriage trains, as well a pedestrian footbridge, stairs, lifts, ticket machines and drop-off areas. There will also be a 300-space car park at Darlaston.
Darlaston’s original station opened in 1837 but was closed in 1965, under the nation-wide ‘Beeching’ cuts. Passenger services returned in 1998 but stopped again a decade later due to lack of use.