West Midlands Mayor Andy Street has welcomed news that work has begun on a new station for Willenhall – describing the reopening of the line between Wolverhampton and Walsall as ‘a game-changer for the Black Country’.
Mr Street, who has worked with Walsall North MP Eddie Hughes to reopen the line to passengers, said: “People in Walsall have waited decades to see this station return, and it has taken a lot of very hard work and planning to get to this stage. Now it’s full steam ahead and the diggers are in the ground on site.
“With Darlaston to follow shortly afterwards as part of the re-opened Walsall to Wolverhampton line, I have no doubt that this is an absolute game-changer for the Black Country.
"Not only will these new stations provide a genuine public transport alternative to the car, but they will also help connect local people to the high-quality jobs and opportunities being created across the wider region," he added.
Workers are now clearing land on waste ground off Bilston Street, with the station set to open in 2023.
The £54m project will also see a station built at Darlaston on a line currently used for freight.
Travel chiefs say the opening of Willenhall station will enable passengers to travel to either Walsall or Wolverhampton in eight minutes and Birmingham New Street in 25 minutes.
Once open, the two stations will see two trains per hour made up of an hourly service from Birmingham New Street to Crewe, calling at Wolverhampton, and an hourly shuttle between Walsall and Wolverhampton.
The original Willenhall and Darlaston stations closed in 1965. The line reopened to passengers in 1998 before closing again in 2008.
Walsall North MP Eddie Hughes said: “The railway station will be a lifeline connecting the people of Willenhall to opportunities for jobs, training and leisure across the region, cutting those journey times.
“It will also be fantastic for the town, bringing people into the centre of Willenhall and supporting the regeneration of the area.”
Adrian Andrew, deputy leader of Walsall Council, said: "This has been talked about for decades, so it is great to see some action on site - we are now entering the final stages of restoring rail service to Willenhall."