Wolverhampton railway station development hits new heights
The completion of the station's roof was celebrated with a ‘topping off’ ceremony.
The roof is now watertight, the ground floor and first floor slabs have been fitted, and work has begun on installing the external cladding on the building.
Traditionally, a topping off ceremony is a builders' rite held when the last beam is placed atop a structure during its construction.
Work has also started on the ground floor layout.
During the improvements, train services from Wolverhampton will continue to operate as normal.
It is all part of delivering a £150m transport hub in the city centre.
The hub aims to improve the experience for those entering the city by national rail, bus or tram.
City of Wolverhampton Council Leader, Councillor Ian Brookfield, said: “A lot of hard work has been put in by all the partners on the Interchange scheme and it is heartening for everyone in the city to see the vision of the new railway station becoming a reality.
“There is more than £4.4 billion of investment on site or in the pipeline across the city, and the railway station development is a big part of how we are re-imagining and re-inventing our city centre.
The first section of the new station building is expected to become operational to customers later this year, when phase two of the programme will start.
Mayor of the West Midlands, Andy Street, said: “We are another step closer to delivering a transport hub in Wolverhampton city centre.
“As well as providing a modern gateway to the city centre for visitors it will be a catalyst for new investment, contributing to the jobs and growth the area needs.”
Once work on the new station building is completed it will pave the way for the Midland Metro Alliance to begin the final link of the new city centre tram extension.
The new state-of-the-art railway station building to serve the city will be fully open in summer 2020.
