Backing for plan to re-open rail line

DEAR Editor, The Conservative Group on Birmingham City Council fully support Andy Street’s plan to re-open the Camp Hill line sooner than expected by taking it into New Street while the long term plan of building the chord and taking the line into Moor Street is progressed.

The Conservative Group and Andy are fully committed to re-opening the station at Hazelwell (Stirchley) and to fully explore the re-opening of the middle platforms at King Norton Railway Station.

With four platforms this would make it into the biggest station in Birmingham outside the City Centre. Indeed one platform more than Snow Hill currently has.

I would also point out the decision by the Labour Council to sell the land in 2014 at Bedford Road, Bordesley, where the chord needs to be built appears to be increasingly shortsighted (as predicted at the time by the Birmingham Conservative Group).

The buying back of the land means the overall cost of the project to the public purse will have increased significantly. Cllr Timothy Huxtable

Conservative