Railway station works on track as Interchange wins award

Exterior works on phase two of Wolverhampton's new railway station building are nearing completion in line with a spring opening to the public.

It is another major step forward in the development, which is part of the city's £150million Interchange scheme that this week won another major award - the Insider West Midlands Property Awards 2020 Regeneration Project of the Year.

The Interchange project is delivering improvements to bus, tram and train connectivity and in November scooped the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) West Midlands Planning Excellence honour.

Railway station contractors Galliford Try have installed the phase two steelwork, clad the building and lifted in the floor and roof slabs to make it watertight.

Works have started on the roof finishes, canopy cladding, ceramic tiling and mechanical and electrical installations ahead of final phase works prior to opening.

Once the railway station is completed, final works will begin to connect the station to a new Metro extension, creating a fully integrated transport hub with the neighbouring bus station.

Phase one of the new railway station opened to the public at the end of May and was handed over to West Midlands Railway (WMR).

It includes six ticket vending machines, new British Transport Police, toilet, accessibility and baby changing facilities, three retail units ready to be fitted out, and train crew accommodation.

Completion of phase two will deliver three more retail units, as well as a customer waiting room and help point.

The development works have been cleverly designed in two phases to ensure they do not impact on train services from Wolverhampton.

 Wolverhampton Interchange Partnership consists of City of Wolverhampton Council (CWC), Ion, West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA), West Midlands Railway, Avanti West Coast, Network Rail, Midland Metro Alliance, Canal & River Trust, and Black Country LEP.

Andy Street, the Mayor of the West Midlands, added: "It's brilliant that despite the ongoing pandemic, work on this magnificent new railway station has continued and supported local construction jobs for local people throughout.

"Once complete, the station will link up with both the Midland Metro extension along Pipers Row and the city centre's bus station, meaning residents in Wolverhampton will be able to travel seamlessly across the West Midlands - and beyond when HS2 is up and running. These improved transport links after decades of under investment means people will have better links to jobs and opportunities, and this will play a key role in the economic regeneration of the West Midlands both post-pandemic and beyond."

City of Wolverhampton Council cabinet member for city economy, cllr Stephen Simkins, said: "The railway station is a beacon of the multi-billion-pound regeneration that is taking place across our city. It is an extraordinary project and I am delighted all the hard work is getting the recognition it deserves.

"This will help lever in more investment into the city and benefit future employment, helping to relight our city and encourage families to work, live and enjoy Wolverhampton with their children.

"A lot of hard work has been done by the council, Ion Developments and partners to make the transformational scheme a reality.

"The completed Interchange will connect train, tram and bus in one place and, alongside a thriving commercial district will ultimately provide a gateway to our city that we can all enjoy using - and be proud of."

Ion Associate Director, Chris Jones, said: "As we approach completion this spring, we look forward to the city and its residents being able to enjoy this new state-of-the-art railway station, alongside its new facilities. The awards and recognition the Interchange project has received is testament to the collaborative approach and excellent teamwork from all the partners involved."