Coming to Village near you – Aldridge Station is on track!
Since 2015 I have been campaigning continuously to reopen Aldridge Station that was closed during the Beeching Cuts of the 1960’s. It’s a regular request from local residents and always a hot topic when I meet people out and about. Early this year we were informed that the initial feedback from the viability study was positive and therefore I was thrilled to announce at the weekend that funding has been secured to take our plans forward and bring a railway station back to Aldridge, offering better links and more sustainable travel options to local residents.
The funding is part of the Department for Transport’s “Restoring Your Railways” programme and I am delighted to see Aldridge is part of this.
£30 million from the region’s City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement (CRSTS) has already been set aside to cover the cost of construction and this new funding closes a gap in the development process.
Transport for the West Midlands (TfWM) which is part of the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA), and the West Midlands Rail Executive (WMRE) have been working on the plans with Walsall Council for several years including the purchase of land by the WMCA for the proposed new station site.
The plan that includes a new single platform station is expected to open in 2027 and would allow a half-hourly service, that will take only 6 minutes to Walsall and just 38 minutes to Birmingham.
With the support from West Midlands Mayor, Andy Street and Walsall Council this extra funding sees our station another step forward.