COMMUTERS will be finally be able to travel to and from the new Worcestershire Parkway railway station after county transport chiefs revealed the delayed venue was ready to its doors.
Worcestershire’s first new railway station for more than a century will open onSunday (February 23) with improved services in and out of the county on the timetable.
Trains were due to begin calling at the station in December but county chiefs were forced to admit the first trains to and from the £22million venue would be delayed although no specific reasons were given by County Hall.
Transport bosses hope the landmark will allow rail connections for easier travel into and out of the county, supporting the business and leisure economy.
The brand new station follows improvements already made at Bromsgrove, Foregate Street in Worcester, Malvern Link and Kidderminster and commuters will benefit from easy access from the B4104 and a 500 space car park.
Those arriving at the station by bike will experience a much-improved cycle way from Woodbury Lane and plenty of cycle parking including a two-tier bike rack near platform 2.
A large number of commuters drive their entire journey out of the county or head to larger stations such as Birmingham New Street for better parking facilities and faster services to major cities.
Worcestershire County Council’s cabinet member for Economy and Infrastructure, Coun Ken Pollock, said: ”The station is set to transform rail travel to and from the county and not only that, it looks great as well.
“I’d like to thank all those involved in making this station, which has been talked about for more than 30 years, a reality. Without the County Council’s ambition for this station to be built to better serve our residents and businesses, the station would not exist.”
The station will enable easy access to both the Great Western Railway (GWR) Worcester to London Paddington route and the CrossCounty Cardiff to Nottingham route, the latter being a new service to Worcester which does not stop at any other station in the county.
County bosses have hailed the new building as a ‘landmark structure’ and highlighted the lift to support all three platforms, the fantastic views of the Worcestershire countryside and a spacious concourse.
Gary Woodman, chief executive of Worcestershire Local Enterprise Partnership, said:”The opening of Worcestershire Parkway will have a positive impact on the local economy.
“Not only will it provide local commuters with improved access and journey times to and from Oxford and London but it will also improve the overall connectivity of Worcestershire to the national network.
“The brand-new direct services arriving at the station from Cardiff, Derby and Nottingham, will reduce congestion on the roads of commuters who travel to stations such as Birmingham International and Warwick Parkway to make these connections.
“This station will make Worcestershire a more attractive destination to invest as better connectivity is key to unlocking more local economic growth,” he added.
