Delayed Walsall railway station projects back on track with new contractor
Plans for new railway stations to built in Willenhall and Darlaston are still on track after public transport chiefs struck a fresh deal with a new contractor.
Bosses feared the £55 million scheme would hit the buffers when the original contractor Buckingham Group filed for administration back in August two months ago, resulting in ground work on both sites grinding to a halt.
Since then construction company Kier Transportation has bought Buckingham's rail division in a move which has saved 180 jobs. Now Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) has come to an agreement with the new contractor to continue, meaning work on the sites on the Walsall-Wolverhampton line can now resume.
Walsall Council leader Mike Bird and West Midlands Combined Authority transport boss said: “Although there have been a difficult few weeks on site we can now look ahead with renewed enthusiasm.
"This will not only offer local people easy access to the railways, it will make Willenhall and Darlaston more attractive to investors and businesses, creating regeneration opportunities and new jobs for locals.
“This is why it is vital we get back to work at the earliest opportunity.”
