Subway closes as train station demolition begins

The pedestrian subway at Wolverhampton Railway Station will be closed until summer 2019 as part of plans to develop a new station building.

The closure, from May 20, will enable demolition of the current station building and a new one to be built adjacent to it.

A recommended, temporary diversion route will be put in place for customers wanting to access the station via Wednesfield Road.

The station works will take place in two phases, with rail services continuing to operate as normal throughout.

The redevelopment of the railway station is expected to be completed in 2020 and forms part of the £150m City of Wolverhampton Interchange improvements scheme.

The new layout means the pedestrian subway will bring customers directly into the heart of the station building.

Cllr John Reynolds, City of Wolverhampton, cabinet member for city economy, said: “The closure of the pedestrian subway is essential to enable the demolition process to begin.

“The aim is to deliver a railway station befitting of the city – it is the next stage in delivering a £150m transport hub to provide an attractive commercial gateway to those entering the city by national rail, bus or tram.

“There is £3.7bn of investment currently on site or in the pipeline across the City of Wolverhampton.

“As part of this regeneration it is crucial visitors to our city get the best first impression possible and their travel experience is enhanced – the new state-of-the-art station will deliver that.”

Steve Parry, managing director Ion, added: “The temporary closure of the subway marks an important milestone in the development. It means we will be able to start the demolition process and begin the journey that will bring the city a state of the art railway station with superb transport links.”

The first phase of full demolition will start in early July.

The British Transport Police building and a small section of the current station building next to Platform 1 will be demolished, paving the way for the first section of the new station building to be erected. It will become operational to customers by summer 2019, when phase 2 of the programme will also start.

The new station will be connected directly to a tram stop, once work is completed on the Midland Metro city centre extension. The Midland Metro Alliance are currently delivering the next phase on Pipers Row before continuing down Railway Drive to the railway station.