Work to build three new railway stations on the Camp Hill line in south Birmingham is a step nearer after construction firm VolkerFitzpatrick was appointed by Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) to lead the project.
The stations are part of a £61 million scheme to reintroduce passenger train services to Moseley, Kings Heath, and Hazelwell for the first time in 80 years. Design work is due to start later this spring on the project that will provide residents of south Birmingham with an environmentally friendly alternative for their city centre commute.
Work on site is scheduled to begin in November, with the stations expected to be completed later next year, after which passenger rail services can start. Commuters from Hazelwell station in Stirchley will then benefit from a 14-minute journey into the city centre by rail compared to a peak-time journey by car of up to 45 minutes.
The project is being led by TfWM, which is part of the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) and West Midlands Rail Executive (WMRE). WMCA is providing £36 million towards the cost, the Department for Transport (DfT) is providing £20 million, and the remaining £5 million is coming from Birmingham City Council's clean air zone fund. Other partners in the Camp Hill Line stations include Network Rail and operator West Midlands Railway.
Malcolm Holmes, who is both executive director of WMRE and director of rail with TfWM, 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, said: “I am delighted that TfWM has chosen to work again with VolkerFitzpatrick, with this project delivering three new stations on the Camp Hill Line. It's testament to our ability to work well with local communities and stakeholders during the build.
“Our team are 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.”
Maybe parts of the railway line in South Birmingham could see more upgrades especially signalling upgrades and the possibility of electrification with the extension of the Chase Line to be extended south. As the Cross-City Line has been extended to Bromsgrove following electrification.