New Walsall railway stations costs to soar by £15m

The build costs of two Walsall railway stations is set to spiral by £15m, following delays caused by the administration of the original contractor.

Kier Transportation took over the Willenhall and Darlaston projects after acquiring the rail assets and HS2 contract of the Buckingham Group for £9.6m, rescuing around 180 jobs.

But now a year delay has been caused to the project after the collapse of the Buckingham Group, resulting in costs rocketing by £15.5m.

The West Midlands Combined Authority will consider approving the budget increase at its meeting on Friday. It’s also assessing an £18m temporary tram stop for Birmingham’s Eastside, thanks to delays to HS2.

When complete the new stations will give the communities of Willenhall and Darlaston direct access to the rail network for the first time since the 1960s, offering services to Walsall, Wolverhampton and Birmingham.