Total funding confirmed for Camp Hill line construction

The final £20 million funding needed to reopen the Camp Hill line in Birmingham has been provided by the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA).

It means the £61m project to return passenger trains to Moseley, Kings Heath and Hazelwell in 2023 is now fully funded. Work has already begun to clear the station site at Moseley, ahead of construction starting later this year.

The stations were closed to passengers in 1941 as part of the rationalisation of the railway network during the Second World War. Today the route is used by freight and diverted passenger trains.

Transport for the West Midlands is leading the project, which will enable 14-minute journeys from Hazelwell to Birmingham city centre rather than peak-time car journeys of 45 minutes.

Overall, WMCA is providing £36m and the Department for Transport £20m (which was confirmed in the Budget on March 3), with £5m coming from Birmingham City Council’s clean air zone fund.

Rail Minister Chris HeatonHarris said: “Building great infrastructure is part of our wider agenda to level up all parts of the UK. With our investment in these three stations, alongside two others in Willenhall and Darlaston, we’re delivering a bright future for passengers across the West Midlands.”

Plans to build 480 homes and a hotel at Digbeth (Birmingham) have been approved, following an appeal against Birmingham City Council’s initial refusal of the application.

The council was concerned that the development could prejudice works needed to reopen the nearby Camp Hill Line.

However, Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government Robert Jenrick agreed with his planning inspector’s conclusion that there would be “limited potential for prejudice to delivery” of the railway works.