£61m new rail line hit by year long delay
Kings Heath
The £61m scheme to reintroduce rail services in Moseley, Kings Heath and Hazelwell is facing a year long delay.
Work by VolkerFitzpatrick began on the three stations in November but has since found a plethora of issues, meaning the stations will not be open until the end of 2024.
Contractors have found at Pineapple Road (Hazelwell) an unstable wall which borders a locally listed building, which means it needs to be rebuilt brick by brick.
At Kings Heath, a previously undocumented Victorian well has been discovered, linked to the historic Highbury Hall, resulting in a redesign of the area.
And in Moseley, a protected species is present, which can only be moved at certain times at the year.
Transport for West Midlands said these issues as well as ongoing supply chain and inflationary concerns and the suspension of construction work have caused the delay.
The WMCA is providing £36m towards the cost of the three stations on the Camp Hill line, with £20m coming from the Department for Transport and the remaining £5m from Birmingham City Council’s clean air zone fund. Partners include Network Rail and operator West Midlands Railway.
Andy Street, the Mayor of the West Midlands, said: “After more than 70 years without a train service, people in Kings Heath, Moseley, and Stirchley can see the progress that is being made – the ground has been strengthened, platforms and stations are taking shape, and we have already carried out timetable testing runs on the line.
“It is of course disappointing that it will take a little longer than we previously planned to get the line open, but with our contractors and partners we are working tirelessly to look at options to reduce that timescale and bring the benefits of the Camp Hill line as soon as possible.
“Once open people will have the option of swapping their journey along the busy Alcester Road for a convenient and quick train ride, and the city will enjoy the benefits of the Camp Hill line train services for generations to come.”
