Press release -
Subway closure signals final preparations for full station works
From Sunday 20 May, 2018, the pedestrian subway at Wolverhampton Railway Station will be closed until summer 2019, as part of plans to develop a new station building.
The closure will enable demolition of the current station building and a new one to be built adjacent to it.
A recommended, temporary diversion route will be put in place for customers wanting to access the station via Wednesfield Road (see 
Station Acces map [690kb]).
The station works will take place in 2 phases, with rail services continuing to operate as normal throughout.
The redevelopment of the railway station is expected to be completed in 2020 and forms part of the £150 million City of Wolverhampton Interchange improvements scheme.
The new layout means the pedestrian subway will bring customers directly into the heart of the station building, which it does not currently do.
Councillor John Reynolds, City of Wolverhampton, Cabinet Member for City Economy, said: "The closure of the pedestrian subway is essential to enable the demolition process to begin.
"The aim is to deliver a railway station befitting of the city - it is the next stage in delivering a £150 million transport hub to provide an attractive commercial gateway to those entering the city by national rail, bus or tram.
"There is £3.7 billion of investment currently on site or in the pipeline across the City of Wolverhampton.
"As part of this regeneration it is crucial visitors to our city get the best first impression possible and their travel experience is enhanced - the new state of the art station will deliver that."
Steve Parry, Managing Director Ion, added: "The temporary closure of the subway marks an important milestone in the development. It means we will be able to start the demolition process and begin the journey that will bring the city a state of the art railway station with superb transport links."
Richard Brooks, customer experience director at West Midlands Railway, said: "The work planned as part of the Wolverhampton Interchange project is going to transform public transport in the city, with new station facilities and better connections to the rest of the region at its heart.
"We're creating a railway that the West Midlands can be proud of and can call its own. Wolverhampton is an important station on our map. The redevelopment of the station shows the important role railways play in supporting the economic wellbeing of our region."
The first phase of full demolition will start in early July.
The British Transport Police building and a small section of the current station building next to Platform 1 will be demolished, paving the way for the first section of the new station building to be erected. It will become operational to customers by summer 2019, when phase 2 of the programme will also start.
The new station will be connected directly to a tram stop, once work is completed on the Midland Metro city centre extension. The Midland Metro Alliance are currently delivering the next phase on Pipers Row before continuing down Railway Drive to the railway station.
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About West Midlands Trains
West Midlands Trains Ltd. will be running the West Midlands rail franchise from 10 December 2017 until 2025/6. Abellio has a 70.1% share of the company, East Japan Railway Company (JRE) and Mitsui & Co., Ltd. (Mitsui) own the remaining 29.9% in a 50:50 split.
About Abellio
Abellio is the international passenger transport subsidiary of the Dutch national railway company, Nederlandse Spoorwegen. Every day our people provide rail, bus and tram services to 1.7m customers across the UK, Germany and in the Netherlands. In the UK we operate buses through Abellio London, as well as ScotRail and Greater Anglia train services, and Merseyrail in a joint venture with Serco. In Germany we operate Abellio Deutschland, serving communities in North Rhine Westfalia, Saxony, Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Hesse and Thuringia. Our role in transport extends beyond the journey from a-to-b. With our international heritage and our policy of sharing best practice, not just amongst ourselves, but across the wider transport industry, we provide thought leadership and truly innovative ideas which make a positive contribution to the communities we serve. For more information on Abellio visit www.abellio.com
About Mitsui
Mitsui is one of the most diversified and comprehensive trading, investment and service enterprises in the world with 139 offices in 66 countries as of March, 2017. Utilising our global operating locations, network and information resources, we are multilaterally pursuing business that ranges from product sales, worldwide logistics and financing, through to the development of major international infrastructure and other projects in the following fields: Iron & Steel Products, Mineral & Metal Resources, Infrastructure Projects, Integrated Transportation Systems, Chemicals, Energy, Food Resources, Food Products & Services, Consumer Services, IT & Communication, and Corporate Development Business. Mitsui is actively taking on challenges for global business innovation around the world. For more information, visit www.mitsui.com.
About JR East
East Japan Railway Company (JR East) was established in 1987, when Japanese National Railways was divided as part of a package of railway reforms. JR East’s railway business covers a 7,500 km (approx. 4,660 miles) network in the eastern part of the Japanese main island, including Tokyo Metropolitan area, and provides transportation services, comprising urban, suburban and high speed operations, for 17 million passengers on a daily basis. JR East also undertakes non‐transport commercial activities, which account for more than 30% of the total revenue of JR East Group. JR East contributes to passengers and communities it serves by delivering high degrees of punctuality, reliability and comfort and also continues to pursue higher levels of safety and service quality through technical innovation. For more information, visit www.jreast.co.jp/e.
