Costs to bring railway stations to Willenhall and Darlaston soar by £15m after delays
Costs of bringing two new railway stations to Walsall are set to rocket by £15 million with the project delayed by more than a year following the collapse of the original contractor.
Hopes for bringing rail services to Willenhall and Darlaston for the first time in over 50 years were left in some doubt earlier this year when Buckingham Group collapsed and went into administration.
The scheme was saved when Kier Transportation bought Buckingham’s rail division and confirmed work on the two new stations could proceed.
But the suspension of work to the projects, and agreeing a new deal with Kier has led to the need for a revised budget.
West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) had already agreed an increased budget of £69.84 million back in June to cover pressures brought about by land remediation works and changes to fire safety requirements.
Now, the WMCA Board, which meets on Friday, will be asked to approve an increase of up to £15.43 million to the overall budget.
A report to members also states that both stations are likely to be opened in winter 2025/2026 rather than summer next year as previously hoped.
