Cannock Railway Station on track for major revamp to boost link for shoppers
Multi-million pound improvements could be on the way at Cannock railway station to accommodate thousands of extra visitors travelling to the new Mill Green shopping complex.
The project would see platforms extended to cater for extra carriages on train services and shops opened to bring the station 'into the 21st Century'.
The proposed revamp would also see the Lichfield Road station given a general facelift to improve accessibility and its appearance to visitors coming to the town.
Talks are under way between Cannock Chase District Council, Network Rail and other relevant parties about developing the station.
Cannock has been prioritised but it is also hoped investment can be secured to bring in similar improvements to stations at Hednesford and Rugeley.
It is hoped any works could be completed before 2019 when Mill Green, which will feature around 130 shops and restaurants, is set to open.
Deputy council leader Gordon Alcott said: "Cannock station is not very big so as a consequence when Mill Green is up and running we will need a longer station.
"We need longer platforms so London Midland can put on longer trains to bring more people in as well as to stop the current overcrowding we are seeing.
"The main problem is the shortness of the station means they are restricted as to how many carriages they can use. Most of our stations can only cater for two to three carriages, anymore and the people at the back would be facing a 6ft drop."
He added: "The other part of this is we want to develop the area and make it more attractive for passengers to use, and more open. We would like to have shops and outlets so passengers can grab a newspaper or something to eat.
"The station has not had anything done to it since it opened and we want to bring it into the 21st Century."
The station opened in 1989 and has two platforms.
The major hurdle for the project, expected to run into millions of pounds, will be securing funding and it is hoped organisations such as the West Midlands Combined Authority and Local Enterprise Partnerships could come on board. A council report indicates that Network Rail would be unlikely to pay for the development.
