Work starts on £1.6 million upgrade to Chase Line stations

Rail passengers are set to benefit from a £1.6 million package of improvements to six West Midlands stations on the Chase Line.

The joint project by transport authority Centro, rail operator London Midland, Network Rail and Staffordshire County Council, will provide significantly improved facilities for passengers including new waiting shelters, seating and CCTV.

Other improvements for the stations at Bloxwich, Bloxwich North, Landywood, Cannock, Hednesford and Rugeley Town include help points, enhanced lighting, new ticket machines and better signage, including electronic information boards.

The project is due for completion by the autumn and work has been planned to minimise disruption for passengers.

Cllr Tim Huxtable, Centro’s lead member for rail and Metro operations, said: “We know from talking to passenger groups how highly valued this railway line is.

“This work will give them a more comfortable and safer waiting environment and improved travel information, making their journeys even more pleasant and convenient.”

London Midland services on the Chase Line operate into the heart of Birmingham and have connecting services with the Trent Valley line which means passengers can travel on from Rugeley Trent Valley to London Euston or north to Stafford, Stoke-on-Trent and Liverpool.

London Midland commercial director, Alex Hynes, said: “This significant investment is great news for passengers using the Chase line.

“Punctuality and passenger satisfaction is at its best-ever level at London Midland so we hope to see more people leaving the car at home and travelling on the Chase Line.”

Jo Kaye, Network Rail route director, added: “Every station between Stafford and Walsall on this key commuter route into Birmingham is being upgraded and we hope that this will encourage even more people onto the rail network.”

The project is the first to be funded by the West Midlands Rail Programme in conjunction with the National Station Improvement Programme.

Councillor Roger Philips, co-chair of the Joint Strategy and Investment Board, said “This is an early example of how we can use locally managed funding from the Department for Transport to improve facilities for passengers.

“I’m delighted that this first scheme will benefit one of the areas in the West Midlands that has been badly hit by the recession”