THE GOVERNMENT has given the green light to major plans for a new £22million railway station to be built on the outskirts of Worcester.
Worcestershire Parkway, to be built just east of the M5 Junction 7 near Norton, has been rubber stamped by the Department for Transport and now allows the County Council to get on with awarding a contract for the construction of the station.
Site preparation and final design works will get underway this winter with construction work to follow.
It’s hoped the new station will make it easier for more passengers to use the county’s vital North Cotswold rail link from Worcester to Oxford and London Paddington.
City residents will also be able to catch regular long-distance cross country services which currently pass through the county on the Gloucester to Birmingham route without stopping.
Coun Ken Pollock, Worcestershire County Council’s Cabinet Member with responsibility for Economy, Skills and Infrastructure, said: “This is really good news for Worcestershire. The new station will improve journey times for Worcestershire’s rail commuters, cut travel times to and from London and improve links to other major cities.
“Worcestershire Parkway is going to provide extra rail capacity for the county and importantly more car parking spaces for our train travellers.
“Given that Worcestershire already has one of the fastest growing economies in the country, the new Parkway station will help us to maintain that growth and open the county up to new markets.”
The station will have a single platform on the Worcester to London line and two platforms on the Birmingham to Bristol line, together with a new station building including a booking office, toilets, shop, disabled facilities and 500 car parking spaces.
The majority of the £22million budget for the project will be funded through station car park fees and access charges levied on the train operating companies, along with £8.3million from the Worcestershire Local Enterprise Partnership through the Government’s Growth Deal.
Gary Woodman, Chief Executive of Worcestershire Local Enterprise Partnership, said: “Worcestershire Parkway is essential for the region’s future prosperity.
“We are investing heavily in the local infrastructure through the Government’s Growth Deal, including £8.3m in Worcestershire Parkway Station.
“The Department for Transport’s decision to give Worcestershire Parkway the green light is great news and this improvement in connectivity provides yet another reason for businesses looking to relocate into the County.”
