Huge new station car park could help ease jams

CONSTRUCTION work has started on a new £7.6 million car park which transport chiefs hope will go towards reducing congestion on one of Birmingham’s busiest commuter routes.

The new five-storey facility is being built upon an existing surface level car park next to Longbridge station and will have 629 spaces when it opens next spring.

Transport leaders hope it will encourage more commuters to leave their cars at the station and complete their journeys into and out of Birmingham city centre via the train – a journey of around 20 minutes.

Longbridge sits on the A38 south of Birmingham, which is one of the most congested roads in the city due to the densely populated suburbs along its route.

The car park which has served the station until now could accommodate 102 cars and was often fully occupied by 7.30 am during the week.

Plans for the car park were first unveiled last year after a land deal was struck between the West Midlands Combined Authority and St Modwen, the construction group carrying out the £1 billion regeneration of Longbridge town centre.

Cllr Kath Hartley, chairman of the combined authority’s transport delivery committee, added: “Longbridge is one of many places we are looking to improve or develop new park and ride facilities across the West Midlands.

“This will be open by the time the clean air zone is introduced and I would urge commuters from the south of Birmingham to consider parking here instead of driving into the city centre.”