West Midlands PTE Centro is urging the Government to invest £60 million in the region’s rail network as part of Network Rail’s Control Period 5, which runs between 2014 and 2019.
According to Centro the investment in projects to electrify the Walsall to Rugeley line (£30 million), increase capacity on the Snow Hill route (£10 million) and construction of a new station along with electrification of the Aldridge route (£20 million) would create 4,400 jobs and boost the region’s economy by over £370 million.
Geoff Inskip , Centro’s chief executive, has told Transport Secretary Justine Greening that the investment will improve connections with HS2.
Centro is also requesting that the Government commences development work on reopening the Walsall to Stourbridge route, which is mainly intact, and constructing new chords at Camp Hill which would allow new services to access Birmingham Moor Street.