£22million Parkway bid looks on track - The Worcester Observer

£22million Parkway bid looks on track

Worcester Editorial 10th Feb, 2015 Updated: 19th Oct, 2016   0

AMBITIOUS plans to build a new station on the outskirts of Worcester appear to be on track after an application was submitted outlining the £22million project.

The scheme to create Worcestershire Parkway Station is expected to go before Worcestershire County Council’s planning committee for approval in the summer.

If it is given the go-ahead, work would begin on the station, which would be situated at the intersection of the Oxford and Worcester line and the Birmingham and Bristol line near Norton, by the spring of next year.

Once built, the fully accessible station, which could open in May 2017, would comprise a single platform on the Cotswold line and two platforms on the Birmingham to Bristol line.




There would also be a booking office, toilets and shops as well as a 500-space car park.

People were given the chance to have their say on the plans during a series of public exhibitions in October.


A total of 91 per cent of those who viewed the designs supported the plans, which aim to improve the county’s poor accessibility by rail, cut journey times to key locations, including London, and cut congestion.

Last year, Central Government provisionally allocated £7.5million from the Local Growth Fund towards a new station, while the county council is expected to fund the remaining £14million towards the project.

Coun Simon Geraghty, deputy leader of the county council and cabinet member for Economy, Skills and Infrastructure, said: “Plans are continuing to move along at pace for the new Worcestershire Parkway Rail station with everyone involved working extremely hard to bring the vision for this important project to life.

“A new Parkway station is one of the key pieces of transport infrastructure that will play an important part in realising the ambitious plans for our county’s economy outlined in the Strategic Economic Plan.

“Over the next few years more than £60million is being invested into improving transport infrastructure around the county.

“So alongside Parkway, there’s also significant upgrades planned for the Southern Link Road (A4440), Hoobrook Link Road in Wyre Forest and flood alleviation schemes.

Ensuring we have a World Class Worcestershire that’s Open for Business is a priority and we’re committed as ever to make this a reality.”

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