Work set to start on three new city train stations
THE contractor currently putting the finishing touches to the new-look University of Birmingham station has won the tender to build three more in the city.
VolkerFitzpatrick has been appointed by Transport for West Midlands to construct the stations in Kings Heath, Moseley and Hazelwell on the Camp Hill line south of Birmingham city centre.
The Hertfordshire-based contractor has been carrying out the revamp of the university station in Edgbaston which is due to be completed ahead of this summer’s Commonwealth Games when the campus plays host to the hockey and squash events.
The three new sites are part of the £61 million scheme to bring new passenger services to the three suburbs on the Camp Hill line which is now used mainly for freight and through passenger services.
Design work on the stations is due to start later this spring with construction itself expected to commence in November ahead of completion
in late 2023. Services will run twice per hour into New Street station but transport chiefs hope to increase this dramatically by sending the route into Moor Street station instead as part of the so-called ‘Bordesley Chords’ scheme although that could still be several years away.
West Midlands Combined Authority is providing £36 million towards the cost of the new stations with a further £20 million coming from the Department for Transport and the remaining £5 million from Birmingham City Council’s Clean Air Zone.
Malcolm Holmes, director of rail with Transport for West Midlands, said: “This is a major milestone towards seeing passenger trains restored on the Camp Hill line, with the contractor in place and construction crews gearing up to get on site.
“This means that, after several years of planning and development, we are now entering the final phase and it will not be too long before these stations are complete and open to the travelling public.”
Mike Evans, operations director for VolkerFitzpatrick, added: “I am delighted that Transport for West Midlands has chosen to work again with us, with this project delivering three new stations on the Camp Hill Line.
“Our team is excited to be part of these ambitious plans to create an improved transport network that will support the region’s ambition to be net zero carbon by 2041.”
Other partners on the Camp Hill Line stations include Network Rail and operator West Midlands Railway.