Services at two new stations may not call at town

The stations are expected to open in early 2026

Services calling at two new railway stations being built in Walsall may not call at the town's main station.

Council leader Mike Bird said he had heard services stopping at newly built Willenhall and Darlaston, expected to open in early 2026, could miss out Walsall's main station, which is inside the Saddlers Centre.

"We've just spent millions and millions of pounds building two stations in Willenhall and Darlaston and we were told 'by the way, the trains are not coming into Walsall anymore'," Bird told a West Midlands Combined Authority meeting.

A spokesperson for the Department of Transport said a decision had not been made on the timetables and options were currently being worked on.

One option could see the new stations being included on the existing service from Shrewsbury to Birmingham New Street, which goes via Wolverhampton.

The new stations are being built by Transport for West Midlands, in partnership with West Midlands Rail Executive, Network Rail, West Midlands Railway and Walsall Council.

Walsall Council and the West Midlands Combined Authority have written to the government to put forward the case for services from the new stations to include the town.

The project has been hit with delays and soaring costs over the past few years and is now expected to cost approximately £85 million.

A West Midlands Rail Executive spokesperson said there were clear proposals to introduce a second train service that has a direct connection to Walsall's main station and it was working with others to get those proposals delivered.

A Department for Transport spokesperson said: "No decisions have been made on timetables for Willenhall and Darlaston.

"We're working closely with West Midlands Trains, the West Midlands Rail Executive and other stakeholders to maximise connections for customers at the new stations."

Once open the new stations will bring railway services back to Willenhall and Darlaston for the first time since 1965.

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, which covers councils and other public service organisations.