Bloxwich Level Crossing: Final funding set to be cleared for closure

The Black Country Local Enterprise Partnership group are meeting today (Monday) to discuss plans to allocate £100,000 towards a mitigation package for the closure of Bloxwich Level Crossing to road traffic.

The money will go towards traffic signal upgrades, junction improvements and more.

While bosses say the work is vital to improvements on the Chase Line Railway, the closure is also set to cause chaos for local drivers.

Work on the closure of the level crossing has been ongoing since 2014 with the funding being given out for the mitigation package representing the last hurdle for planners.

A petition was launched by families in Dudley Fields amid fears it will lead to increased traffic in residential areas when the plans were first announced.

The scheme is set to be complete by December.

A statement in the Black Country Local Enterprise Partnership's latest board papers reads: "Investment in highway mitigation measures around the soon-to-close Bloxwich Level Crossing will help achieve retention of businesses and jobs in the Bloxwich area, especially on the Leamore Lane Trading Estate.

"It will also help realise the wider economic benefits that a new electrified Rugeley Trent Valley – Walsall – Birmingham New Street passenger rail service will bring to the Black Country LEP and GBS LEP economies from December 2018.

"This is because the line speed improvements envisaged on the Chase Line Railway can only be realised once the speed restriction is removed at Bloxwich with the permanent closure of the crossing.

"This closure will regrettably be detrimental to local vehicular access and will force some traffic to re-route in the area – hence the need for mitigation measures.

"Mitigation measures include traffic signal upgrades; junction improvements; traffic calming; new lines and signs; and associated Traffic Regulation Orders."

The work will see Reeves Street level crossing closed to road traffic, with a footbridge installed at the level crossing to maintain a public pedestrian crossing.

This will include a ramp for bicycles, wheelchairs and chairs.

The Black Country LEP investment required represents a match funding element to cash already secured from Network Rail, who gave £305k towards the scheme and Walsall Council, who put up £100k.

While the closure will cause problems for motorists in Bloxwich, it is key to the Chase Line electrification scheme, which it has been estimated will generate up to £113 million a year for the West Midlands economy, according to analysis from ITA and Transport for West Midlands.

A total of 15 miles of railway between Walsall, Hednesford and Rugeley Trent Valley will be electrified to provide a cleaner, greener and more regular service for passengers using the Chase Line.

Electrifying and re-signaling the line will mean the railway line speed will increase from 45mph to at least 75mph and will allow an increased number of trains to use the line.