º£½ÇÊÓÆµ

Oops.

Our website is temporarily unavailable in your location.

We are working hard to get it back online.

PRIVACY
Economic Development

Work back on track at two Black Country stations

Transport chiefs strike deal with Kier following collapse of previous contractor

Construction work taking place at the site of Willenhall station

The development of two new railway stations on the Walsall to Wolverhampton line can continue following a deal with a new contractor.

Ground preparation works at the Willenhall and Darlaston railway station sites were paused recently after the main construction contractor Buckingham Group went into administration in August.

Construction and infrastructure group Kier has now acquired the group's rail contracts. Transport for West Midlands, which is leading the two projects, has struck a deal with Kier meaning work can now resume.

When completed, the two stations will give Willenhall and Darlaston direct access to the rail network for the first time since the 1960s, offering services to Walsall, Wolverhampton and Birmingham.

They will run an hourly service between Walsall and Wolverhampton and an hourly service between Birmingham New Street and Wolverhampton.

An update on the project will be presented to the West Midlands Combined Authority's board on Friday.

The pause in work and refresh of the construction contract following the takeover means that both the budget and timescales for completion will be revised following a detailed review over the coming weeks and months.