Plans mooted for five new railways stations across West Midlands

More stations would help boost the local economy, say transport bosses

Five new railway stations could be built in the West Midlands, transport bosses say.

Feasibility work will take place for potential stations in Balsall Heath, Coventry East (Binley), Foleshill, Castle Bromwich and Tettenhall.

They were selected from a list of 15 and identified as having the strongest case for development first, Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) said.

Government funding would be sought to design and build the stations.

Building some would be linked to the completion of the HS2 line which would free up capacity for more services on existing rail lines, as well as the completion of the Midland Rail Hub project to increase network capacity into central Birmingham, according to TfWM.

Plans to spend £1.5bn on the rail network in the region, seeing up to 100 new trains a day, were submitted to the government in December.

West Midlands mayor Andy Street said new stations were "taking shape" across Birmingham and the Black Country and further stations could now be considered.

"Alongside these projects now under way, we're turning our attention to the next set of stations and these five are a good place to start," he said.

Ian Ward, city council leader and West Midlands Combined Authority WMCA portfolio holder for transport, said new stations helped grow the local economy and the move towards a net zero carbon region.

"And these stations are the ones that most match these aims and, although it may take time to deliver, we are starting the planning now so when the funding becomes available we are ready to go with a sound plan of action," he said.

Details of the five stations

• Balsall Heath on the Camp Hill line in Birmingham requiring construction of the Bordesley Chords and extra capacity at Moor Street station as currently proposed by the Midlands Rail Hub project

• Coventry East (Binley) - on the main line between Coventry and Rugby which will benefit from greater capacity for local services after completion of HS2

• Foleshill - on the Coventry-Nuneaton line

• Castle Bromwich - east of Birmingham which would also benefit from greater capacity into central Birmingham provided by Midlands Rail Hub

• Tettenhall - west of Wolverhampton on the line to Shrewsbury

Source: TfWM