01.08.19
New Camp Hill Line stations receive £15m funding boost
Construction on the three new rail stations being built on the Camp Hill line, in Birmingham, is closer than ever before following a £15m funding boost from the Department for Transport.
The funding is an important step in getting passenger services resumed on the Camp Hill Line, calling at Moseley, Kings Heath and Hazelwell stations.
Having seen the original stations close during 1941, the line has since only been used by freight and non-stop through-services.
Transport for the West Midlands (TfWM) and the West Midlands Rail Executive (WMRE), working alongside rail industry partners including Network Rail and West Midlands Trains, are leading the development of the new stations.
The new stations will provide regular train services into Birmingham New Street, with quick journey times, and represent a significant investment into the local area, offering better transport options into central Birmingham and easing local congestion.
The funding comes as planning applications are set to be submitted for the Kings Heath and Hazelwell stations, following a very positive public consultation and design period. The application for Moseley will follow later in the year after further design work.
Construction work is hoped to begin in 2020, with a view to getting the three stations open in time for the 2022 Commonwealth Games.
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Mayor of the West Midlands, Andy Street, said: “Thanks to this Government funding we can now get on with planning and building the Camp Hill Line stations in the next two years.
“This will see passenger services calling at Moseley, Kings Heath and Hazelwell for the first time in 80 years.
“It will provide residents with easier and faster connections to get to the places they need to go and will offer people a real alternative to the car – helping to ease congestion and improving the air we breathe.”
Cllr Waseem Zaffar, Birmingham City Council cabinet member for transport and environment, added: “This is great news for the people of south Birmingham who have long campaigned to get these stations reopened.
“This, along with the huge investment in trams, buses and cycling is going to transform the way we travel as we move to more sustainable forms of transport.”
Header image (from left to right): Malcolm Holmes, West Midlands Rail Executive, Andy Street, Mayor of the West Midlands, Cllr Waseem Zaffar, Birmingham City Council and Brenda Lawrence, West Midlands Railway