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First phase of new Wolverhampton Station nearing completion

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First phase of new Wolverhampton Station nearing completion

A date for the opening to the public of phase 1 of City of Wolverhampton’s new railway station will be announced next month (January) as construction nears completion.

Works on the first of 2 build phases will be coming to an end in the next few weeks.

Once complete, phase 1 of the station will be rigorously tested and commissioned in conjunction with Network Rail, West Midlands Railway (WMR) and Avanti West Coast as part of the ‘Entry into Service’ process to ensure the new building is safe for operational use.

Brenda Lawrence, Head of Stations for West Midlands Railway, added: “As the operator of the new look Wolverhampton station we are excited at the progress which has been made to date.

“The new facility will hugely benefit our passengers and will also receive our new fleet of trains which begin to arrive in the second half of 2020 as part of our £700 million investment to increase capacity on the network by 25%.”

City of Wolverhampton Council Cabinet Member for City Economy, Councillor Harman Banger, said: “A lot of hard work has been put in by all the partners on the Interchange scheme and it is heartening for everyone in the city to see the vision of the new railway station becoming a reality.

“This next period will be one of the most important, and complex, of the whole scheme where numerous stakeholders, including the train operators and Network Rail, will come together with the aim of getting the station ready to open for public use.

“There is more than £4.4 billion of investment on site or in the pipeline across the city, and the railway station development is a big part of how we are reimagining and reinventing our city centre.”

The Entry into Service period will ensure that the station is fully ready to open to the public and involves the testing and commissioning of all equipment and services such as communication systems, IT connections, building management systems, water services, lifts, lighting and CCTV.

During the Entry into Service period staff training and familiarisation sessions will take place for both WMR and Avanti West Coast staff.

Over the next few weeks before the station is handed over, contractor Galliford Try’s work will continue at pace at the station.

Station signage will also be installed and a clear pedestrian access route to the new station entrance marked out around the phase 2 works.

The station development is all part of a £150 million transport hub, providing an attractive commercial gateway to those entering the city by national rail, bus or tram.

The development has been cleverly designed in 2 phases to ensure train services from City of Wolverhampton continue to operate as normal throughout.

Phase 2 of the programme will see the demolition of the remainder of the current station building and completion of the new build to house 3 more retail units, as well as staff waiting room, help point and facilities.

The new station building to serve the city will be fully open later in 2020.

Wolverhampton Interchange Partnership consists of City of Wolverhampton Council (CWC), Ion, West Midlands Combined Authority, WMR, Avanti West Coast, Network Rail, Midland Metro Alliance, Canal & River Trust, and Black Country LEP.

Councillor Ian Ward, WMCA Portfolio Holder for Transport and Leader of Birmingham City Council, said: “It is great to see that progress is being made on the Wolverhampton Railway Station redevelopment. At the same time, we are making progress on the Metro extension along Pipers Row, which when complete will create a fantastic transport hub offering passengers seamless journeys between rail, tram and bus. It is also a catalyst for new investment in both Wolverhampton and the wider West Midlands.”

Steve Parry, Managing Director of Ion Development said: “We are looking forward to the public and staff enjoying the new state of the art facilities which is a significant development for the city, and one that will aid the regeneration of the commercial district enormously. Wolverhampton’s railway station will become an important gateway, creating a positive welcome for visitors and aiding the efficiency of commuter travel.”

David Golding, Interim Route Director for Network Rail’s Central route, added: “The new station will transform first impressions of Wolverhampton and we are working closely with all our partners to deliver this upgrade for passengers. It is a great example of how investment from outside the railway industry can provide better facilities and services for passengers while helping regenerate surrounding areas.”

To enable delivery of Network Rail enhancement works to the pedestrian subway that leads into the rear of the station, the subway will now remain closed until phase 2 of the development work is complete.

A recommended, temporary pedestrian diversion route is already in place for customers wanting to access the station via Wednesfield Road.

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About West Midlands Trains

For further information on this release, call our press office on 03300 955150 or email press.office@wmtrains.co.uk

West Midlands Trains operates both West Midlands Railway and London Northwestern Railway services.

  • London Northwestern Railway services operate between Liverpool and Birmingham, and on the West Coast mainline to and from London Euston.
  • West Midlands Railway services operate to destinations across the West Midlands via Birmingham New Street.

For more information on these services visit westmidlandsrailway.co.uk or londonnorthwesternrailway.co.uk

The West Midlands Trains franchise started on 10 December 2017 and will run until 2025/26.

West Midlands Trains operates 1,300 services a day, manages 150 stations and provides over 70 million passenger journeys a year. Over the course of the franchise, West Midlands Trains will be investing £1 billion into the rail network to deliver new trains, improved routes and station upgrades. This will include 400 new train carriages across the network and space for an extra 85,000 passengers into Birmingham and London at peak times.

The franchise is a joint venture between Abellio (70.1% share) and East Japan Railway Company / Mitsui & Co., Ltd (29.9% share in a 50:50 split). Abellio is the international passenger transport subsidiary of the Dutch national railway company, Nederlandse Spoorwegen. In the UK, Abelllio operates ScotRail and Greater Anglia train services, Merseyrail services in a joint venture with Serco and buses through Abellio London. For more information visit www.abellio.com

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West Midlands Trains Ltd. operator of train services calling at over 150 stations across England.

Operating train services between London and North West and in and around the West Midlands region.

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