New railway station plans for Wolverhampton get the go-ahead
Transport chiefs have been given the green light to explore the business case for a new railway station in Wolverhampton.
Government funding has been awarded for Tettenhall Station, which is actually closer to Pendeford and has been in the planning stages since 2019.
It will allow Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) and the West Midlands Rail Executive (WMRE) to put together a business case for the station ahead of a further funding bid.
The station was one of five chosen for funding from a list of 15 following an initial feasibility study. Along with the others – Balsall Heath, Coventry East (Binley), Foleshill and Castle Bromwich – Tettenhall was said to have the "strongest case" for early development.
The case for a station at Brinsford to serve new developments near the M54 will be looked at alongside the Tettenhall scheme.
Bosses are understood to want to enter three of the new stations into the planning phase as soon as possible so they can be built and be ready to open alongside Midlands Rail Hub and HS2.
Work on a number of new stations across the region, including Willenhall, is already underway, while funding has been allocated for a station in Aldridge.
West Midlands Mayor Andy Street said: "New stations are taking shape across Birmingham and the Black Country - with diggers in the ground after our success in securing funding.
"Alongside these projects now underway, we’re turning our attention to the next set of stations and these five are a good place to start.
"Investing in rail stations is Levelling Up in action - helping to regenerate local areas, offer a convenient alternative to the car and driving job creation."
Plans for a new station in Wolverhampton were first unveiled in 2019 following a campaign by Wolverhampton South West MP Stuart Anderson and South Staffordshire MP Gavin Williamson.
Mr Anderson said: "We've been pushing for a long time for this and is is great to see the plans have moved a stage forward.
"We will be continuing to push for this station to get built."
The station would sit on the line between Wolverhampton and Shrewsbury and serve as the first stop out of the city before Bilbrook.
