Five new railway stations to open over next month

Opening dates have been announced for five new railway stations in the West Midlands following a £185m project to reinstate links not used in decades.

On the Black Country line, new stations for Willenhall and Darlaston open on 19 March. The sites were last visited by trains in 1965.

On 7 April, Camp Hill Line stations Moseley Village, Kings Heath, and Pineapple Road open, allowing locals access to neighbourhood services for the first time since World War Two.

Final authorisation from the Office of Rail and Road for the openings is expected in the coming days, Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) said.

Moseley Village, Kings Heath and Pineapple Road are to get a half-hourly rail service that runs between Birmingham city centre and Kings Norton.

Meanwhile, Willenhall and Darlaston stations will be added to the timetable for the hourly Shrewsbury to Birmingham New Street Station service via Wolverhampton.

The mayor and West Midlands Rail Executive (WMRE) said they were working with partners to secure further regular services.

Each station has sheltered platforms, accessible lifts, ticket machines and cycle racks, with 300 parking spaces available at Darlaston and 33 at Willenhall.

West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker said closing the stations during the last century had been a "short-sighted mistake".

He said the new services would not only reinstate historical links, but also "create a new lifeline for local people", opening up new opportunities and driving economic growth.

The scheme is being led by TfWM and the WMRE, in partnership with Network Rail, West Midlands Railway, Birmingham City Council, Walsall Council, and the Department for Transport.

It was part-funded by £126m from the government, with Parker obtaining a further £30m for the completion of Camp Hill line.

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said: "Thanks to government investment, fast and frequent rail services will arrive at new stations across Birmingham and the Black Country next month for the first time in decades, reducing congestion and improving local transport connections."

Walsall Council leader Mike Bird described the opening as "a major milestone for communities and a real boost for the borough's future".

In addition, councillor Majid Mahmood, Birmingham City Council's cabinet member for environment and transport, predicted the links would easy traffic congestion and pollution and make bus services more reliable.

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