PLANS to bring a new railway station to Solihull have been welcomed.
The borough will get a share of the £1million earmarked by transport bosses to develop proposals for a new railway station Castle Bromwich.
If given the go ahead this would restore a station which was closed in 1968 on the line between Birmingham and Leicester/Nottingham.
Coventry has also been highlighted to get a new station by West Midlands Rail Executive (WMRE), as has an area near Tettenhall.
The three locations have been shortlisted by the WMRE following a feasibility study.
The study concluded a new station could provide much-needed improvement to public transport for Castle Bromwich.
Each of the potential new stations are in areas with a lack of rapid public transport links.
The funds to draw up plans has been handed to West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) from Department for Transport.
Councillor Ian Courts, leader at Solihull Council said: “Last year, we outlined in our transport strategy, Solihull Connected, our commitment to working with our partners to improve facilities in our existing stations and also to explore the opportunities for a new rail station to serve Castle Bromwich.
“This announcement from West Midlands Mayor Andy Street is therefore very welcome and forms part of the wider commitment to better public transport links in and around North Solihull. We will be working closely with colleagues across the region to ensure we maximise the benefits to our residents and businesses in Castle Bromwich.”
Further proposed stations which have not made the shortlist could be reconsidered once the Midlands Rail Hub, which will increase regional rail capacity between the East and West Midlands as well as into Birmingham city centre via Moor Street Station, is under construction.
West Midlands Mayor, Andy Street, said: “We’ve now whittled down our list of stations to a priority list of these three at Castle Bromwich, Coventry East and Tettenhall – as these are the ones most likely to deliver the biggest benefit to the communities they serve.
“The £1.7 billion Midland Rail Hub scheme – now fully funded by Government – may provide an avenue and will certainly be a game changer enabling us to connect even more towns and communities to the rail network.
“New rail infrastructure can be transformative for an area – offering residents sustainable and convenient access to rapid and reliable public transport. That’s why it’s good news that local people will benefit from these stations very soon.”
