Walsall town centre street looks hole lot better
The gaping hole has been finally covered back up and the construction equipment almost all gone.
Shoppers in Walsall can now walk freely in the town centre after work to electrify the underground railway line was completed.
Work in Park Street has been taking place since October, with the exception of a short break over Christmas.
But the centre is now nearly back to its former state as workers start the cleaning up operation.
Shoppers can once again walk freely through the busy street.
To accommodate overhead power cables, the tunnel underneath the town centre had to be rebuilt by Network Rail in a project that was blighted by delays.
The work is part of a £76 million electrification scheme involving 15 miles of track between Rugeley and Walsall.
It will mean more frequent services along the line, which also serves Cannock, and bring a host of benefits making trains route environmentally friendly.
Work was delayed on the Park Street tunnel after engineers discovered that the structure, which dates back to the 1930s, was different to the original plans. This resulted in a new plan having to be drawn up in order to remove all of the components by crane.
Councillor Mohammed Arif, who represents the St Matthews ward, said: "We know that these works were essential needed to be done so we are glad that they are now completed.
"Obviously, the delays suffered along the way weren't ideal and considering the technology available today, this could have been sorted sooner.
"We are glad to see Park Street restored because this work has been a problem for shoppers and businesses.
"It is good news that we are now back on track."
According to plans, the entire electrification scheme is due to be completed by the end of 2017 and is still on schedule.
Several bridges have had to be rebuilt to create enough clearance for overhead wires to be installed which will power the trains.
The work is expected to increase speed on the line from 45mph to up to 75mph.
The work at Park Street was completed in two phases by Network Rail, one phase for either side of the street.
Matt Brown, scheme project manager for the railway company, said the bridge was 'logistically the most complicated I've ever had to deal with' due to its location in the middle of the town centre.
He added that 'a lot of people don't even know there's a railway underneath because of the nature of the street'.
Last night, Network Rail was unavailable for comment.
