Second station funding boost for West Midlands

TWO stations in the West Midlands which were closed in January 1965 have moved a significant step closer to being reopened, with news of a £10 million grant from the Department for Transport. Darlaston and Willenhall were closed as part of the Beeching cutbacks, although the line itself between Wolverhampton and Walsall survived as a through route and was electrified as part of a wider upgrade in the region. It is the second grant towards restoring stations in the West Midlands in a few days. Last week the DfT announced £15 million towards reviving the stations at Moseley, Kings Heath and Hazelwell on the Camp Hill line. The West Midlands Combined Authority said the new contribution for Darlaston and Willenhall from the Department for Transport would be combined with other money from the region’s HS2 Connectivity Fund. Birmingham City Council leader Councillor Ian Ward, who is also portfolio holder for transport on the Combined Authority, said the reopenings between Walsall and Wolverhampton ‘will encourage growth in industry and jobs in the Black Country as well as better linking communities to opportunities elsewhere’.