Opening of new train line through UK’s second city is delayed

THE reopening of an old train line abandoned by passengers since World War Two has been delayed. featuring several disused stations in Birmingham has been delayed.

Moseley Village, Kings Heath and Pineapple Road Train Stations were set to open to the public later this year, but the launch has been pushed back because of rising costs.

The three stations, which are located on the Camp Hill Line in the south of the city, closed in 1941 as a wartime economy measure during the Second World War.

Even though passengers have been unable to board a train at these stations since the mid=20th century, their tracks have still been routinely used by freight services.

While the train stations were rumoured to reopen at the end of 2024, their opening date has been delayed by an additional year.

Other major transport projects in the region have also been hit with delays because of a rise in costs.

Transport for West Midlands bosses confirmed these delays last week.

According to the , a report to the West Midlands Combined Authority Board said "super inflationary" impacts, including issues like Covid, Brexit and other global events has resulted in increased costs.

The Executive Director for Transport for West Midlands, Anne Shaw, told the paper: "We’ve got quite an ambitious £3.5billion programme overall and we’re continuing with all schemes.

"We want to make sure we’ve got projects shovel ready. Nothing is being cancelled, we just deferring some of the start times and some of the construction.

"The current (Camp Hill) programme was to complete by the end of this calendar year and obviously we’re not in a position to do that and we will be completing in our programme during 2025."

When the stations eventually open, they will provide regular train services into Birmingham New Street.

Until the revamped train stations reopen, several bus routes, including both the 50 and 35, will connect passengers to the city centre.

Moseley Village Train Station will open in one of Birmingham's coolest neighbourhoods.

The Birmingham suburb is home to a thriving independent food scene and edgy music festivals.

A revamped attraction is set to reopen in Moseley next year following a £15.5million renovation project.

Moseley Road Baths first opened back in 1907, but it closed in October 2023 to make way for the redevelopment.

Other transport plans in the region have also been hit by the rising costs, including the reopening of Aldridge Station in Walsall.

The Black Country station first closed to passengers in 1965, but its tracks have been routinely used by freight services in the years since.

Even though the station hasn't welcomed a single passenger in nearly 60 years, the West Midlands train station will reopen.

Nothing is being cancelled, we just deferring some of the start times

The new £30million train station was set to open in 2027 - although this date has now been delayed.

Meanwhile, phase one of the Wednesbury to Brierley Hill extension has also been pushed back by one year.

The news was met with anger by former Birmingham mayor, Andy Street, who the following: "If the mayor is now taking the decision to scale-back these plans then that is up to him and him alone.

"There were no end of challenges with transport projects when I was mayor - not least around inflation and construction challenges.

"But every time I sat down with officers and my team and worked through the problems to get schemes back on track.

"That was certainly the case with the Camp Hill line stations and Dudley Metro extension, which were on track to their revised timetables when I left office."