New entrance to Wolverhampton train station opens this week

The new entrance to Wolverhampton railway station will open this Sunday as multi-million pound works to revamp the station gather pace.

Railway Drive will become a traffic-free zone, and on the same day Corn Hill will become the new entrance to the site for drivers, with people able to pick up and drop off travellers.

Motorists will also be able to enter and exit the station's new car park from Corn Hill.

It comes after bosses unveiled more detail about the £132 million Interchange plan which will see the multi-storey car park extended and the station itself replaced.

The car park's capacity will be boosted from 450 to more than 800 long stay spaces.

Work is in full flow at the train station's car park, which is almost doubling in capacity

Pedestrians and cyclists have been told to use the access route off Pipers Row as part of the new plan, while cyclists will have to walk over the bridge.

There will also be an increased number of taxis available at a new rank, which will be set up along Corn Hill.

A Metro line will then be installed along Railway Drive to stop at the new-look station.

Councillor John Reynolds, cabinet member for city economy, insisted anyone using the station to be prepared for the changes.

He said: "I would urge anyone using the station to make themselves familiar with the new access arrangements.

"The multi-storey car park is on schedule and there is a genuine excitement about work starting on the new state-of-the-art railway station building early in the new year."

Access changes are the first phase of a new-look station, with works due to begin soon on demolishing the existing station building and replacing it with a new one.

The new station building will benefit from an enhanced Birmingham New Street-style ticket office, larger passenger concourse, more ticket barriers to ease flow onto and off platforms, and improved retail and café facilities with a number of retail and food outlets.

The revamped station will have a glass-fronted entrance leading to a circular ticket collection area and a public lobby. There will also be meeting rooms and facilities for staff, including showers and locker rooms.

Ten ticket barriers will be installed on the ground floor, with two accessible for the disabled and people with bicycles.

Further improvements include more efficient passenger drop-off and pick-up points.