New Parkway station on track for 2019 opening

October 03 2018
New Parkway station on track for 2019 opening

Evidence of the progress being made on the new Parkway station near Norton is becoming increasingly visible with the station building, car park and footbridge over the Birmingham to Gloucester line already taking shape.

 The new roundabout, which will provide access from the B4084, is now almost complete and is scheduled to open to through traffic during this month.

The platforms, which are being built in sections off site, will be lifted into place next to the railway line towards the end of the year. 

The station’s 500-space car park is a major feature of the station, giving it greater capacity than many similar stations. It will include disabled parking, electric vehicle charging points and cycle and motorcycle parking facilities as well as drop-off facilities for drivers, taxis and buses. 

The station is a key part of Worcestershire County Council's plan to improve rail travel to and from the county and is designed to improve access to Birmingham, the east Midlands, Manchester and the north-west, Bristol and the south-west, London and the Thames corridor. 

Cllr Dr Ken Pollock, Worcestershire County Council's Cabinet Member with Responsibility for Economy and Infrastructure, said: "It's great to see the progress on this much-needed station, which will help to transform rail travel across the county. 

"The improvements already made at Worcester Foregate Street, Malvern Link and more recently Bromsgrove Station, mean these stations are now better equipped to deal with the predicted increase in passenger numbers. 

“Along with the redevelopment of Kidderminster Station, rail travel to and from the county will soon be better than it has been for the last 40 years." 

Rail passenger volumes on Worcestershire routes are set to increase by up to 97 per cent in the next 25 years, according to industry forecasts, and the county council strategy is to get the county “rail travel ready”. 

Environmental considerations have been prioritised throughout the development, with species such as bats and badgers protected.