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Tuesday 1 Jun 2004

MAJOR MILESTONE IN £11 MILLION WOLVERHAMPTON STATION PROJECT

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Network Rail has reached the first major milestone in an £11m project to upgrade Wolverhampton Station. On 22 May a 120 tonne footbridge was lifted into place along with three lift shaft structures, using a 1200 tonne capacity crane. By Autumn 2004 the station will benefit from a sleek new steel and glass footbridge and a new platform. The platform will span the entire length of the station, easing congestion and catering for trains up to 10-car length. The station’s new footbridge will allow disabled access to all the platforms for the first time. Passengers can also expect a new waiting room, buffet unit and a passenger lounge with toilets on the new platform. For many years the station has been a bottleneck for rail services and the improvements will ease congestion on this route considerably. The project is being carried out as part of the Strategic Rail Authority’s West Midlands Strategy and is being implemented through the West Coast upgrade work in time for the introduction of the winter 2004 timetable. The work took place during a 52-hour possession of the railway. In addition to the setting in place of the footbridge and lift shaft structures, Network Rail fully utilised the opportunity to carry out extensive track renewal and overhead line work throughout the weekend, minimising further disruption to passengers. Wolverhampton - 2 Commenting on the project, Robbie Burns, Network Rail’s Route Director for London North Western said: “We are delighted at how well the project is progressing. In addition to the cosmetic changes the improvements will bring, rail travellers will also benefit from the increased platform capacity and the operational flexibility that this will allow.”