Midlands Engine

Reopening of Black Country rail stations given £10m funding

Plans to reopen two new railway stations on the Walsall to Wolverhampton line have moved a major step forward following the award of £10m funding from the Government.

The Department of Transport (DfT) grant will go towards the construction of new stations at Darlaston and Willenhall, with further costs being met by the region’s HS2 Connectivity Fund.

Original stations in Darlaston and Willenhall closed in 1965 and since then only through services have used the line.

Now, following the award of the grant, passenger services should soon resume on the line, offering vastly improved connectivity for residents to Wolverhampton, Walsall and Birmingham New Street.

The project, being led by the West Midlands Rail Executive (WMRE) and Transport for West Midlands (TfWM), is also expected to unlock land for housing, industrial and commercial development among the revived rail route.

Cllr John Reynolds (City of Wolverhampton Council), Mayor of the West Midlands Andy Street and Cllr Adrian Andrew (Walsall Council) launch of the plans  at the Darlaston Station site in February 2019

Andy Street, the Mayor of the West Midlands, said: “I am delighted that our ambition to reopen the Walsall to Wolverhampton railway line to passengers has moved a significant step closer with this latest funding from government.

“Not only will the money help us to build high-class stations at both Darlaston and Willenhall, but these new stations will help drive significant regeneration of the Walsall to Wolverhampton corridor.

“By getting people out of their cars and onto this re-opened passenger line we are tackling both congestion and the climate change emergency at the same time. This announcement really is brilliant news.”

READ MORE: New Camp Hill Line stations receive £15m funding boost

Councillor Ian Ward, WMCA portfolio holder for transport and leader of Birmingham City Council, added: “The reopening of stations in Darlaston and Willenhall will encourage growth in industry and jobs in the Black Country as well as better linking communities to opportunities elsewhere. But this is just a part of our plans to transform rail service and public transport across the West Midlands.

“We are making progress with reopening Camp Hill line in Birmingham, creating better connections to the planned HS2 stations and seeing investment in more services, more capacity and better facilities across the region’s rail network.”