Proposals for three new West Midlands railway stations to be developed

Transport bosses have earmarked £1 million funding to develop proposals for new railway stations at Castle Bromwich, Coventry East and near Tettenhall.

The three locations have been shortlisted by the West Midlands Rail Executive (WMRE) following a feasibility study which concluded that a new station could provide much needed improvement to public transport for these communities thereby supporting the region’s aims of creating a better connected, greener, fairer and more prosperous West Midlands.

Each of the potential new stations, which would be located on existing railway lines, are in areas with an absence of rapid public transport links and with some high levels of deprivation in their catchment areas.

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 brand new station in the Binley/Willenhall area

Another new station in Wolverhampton between Tettenhall, Claregate and Pendeford would be located on the Wolverhampton to Shrewsbury line. The station names for all three locations could be decided in collaboration with local communities.

The proposed station development 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 £1.7 billion 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, which will increase regional rail capacity between the East and West Midlands as well as into Birmingham city centre via Moor Street Station, is under construction.