Five new railway stations are set to open in the West Midlands as part of a £185m project to “reconnect communities”.
On 19 March, brand-new Willenhall and Darlaston stations – last served by trains in 1965 – will open to rail passengers.
New stations at Moseley Village, Kings Heath and Pineapple Road will also open on the Birmingham Camp Hill line from 7 April.
Moseley Village, Kings Heath and Pineapple Road will be served by a half-hourly train service between Birmingham city centre and Kings Norton.
The plan is for Willenhall and Darlaston stations to be added to the timetable for the hourly Shrewsbury to Birmingham New Street Station service via Wolverhampton.
The West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) said that the new railway hubs will give residents a “faster and greener alternative to the car for their journeys”.
Final authorisation from the Office of Rail and Road is expected in the coming days, added WCMA.
All five stations will feature sheltered platforms, accessible lifts, ticket machines and cycle racks.
Darlaston Station will also offer park and ride commuters a car park with 300 spaces.
The project, led by Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) and the West Midlands Rail Executive (WMRE), has been supported by £126m of government funding.
Richard Parker, mayor of the West Midlands, said: “Closing those stations during the last century was a short-sighted mistake which has now been put right – no longer will residents have to watch every day as trains rush past without stopping.
“These vital new services will not only restore a historic link between the railways and our communities, but they will create a new lifeline for local people – supporting our high streets, opening up new opportunities and connections, and driving economic growth.”
Transport secretary, Heidi Alexander, added: “Thanks to Government investment, fast and frequent rail services will arrive at new stations across Birmingham and the Black Country next month for the first time in decades, reducing congestion and improving local transport connections.
“There is no limit on our ambitions for the West Midlands. That’s why we are funding new opportunities for jobs, travel, and housing, while returning rail services to public ownership to build a railway passengers can rely on.”
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