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Thursday 28 Feb 2019

Next phase of £1.7m Longbridge station revamp begins

Region & Route:

North West & Central

Passengers are being reminded of important changes to the ticket office at Longbridge station in Birmingham as the second phase of its £1.7 million refurbishment begins next week.

The old booking office will be replaced by Spring, with a new fully accessible ticket counter making the station more user-friendly for everyone.

The improvements also include a new accessible toilet, improved ventilation in the booking office, re-plastering and a new floor throughout the station building.

While the work is being carried out between Friday 8 and Sunday 31 March 2019 the ticket office will be closed.

During the closure, West Midlands Railway is reminding passengers they will still need to buy a valid ticket when travelling to and from Longbridge.

Those who would normally renew season tickets at the station are advised to do so online or visit the ticket office at a different station, such as their destination station, over the next few weeks.

Brenda Lawrence, head of stations for West Midlands Railway, said: “The next phase of work at Longbridge is going to impact the ticket purchasing facilities available at the station, so we are advising passengers to plan in advance for these changes.

“Tickets can be purchased online through our website or app, or from the conductor on the train if there are no other options. Revenue protection staff will be at the station at certain times on some days during the work to provide assistance where they can, but we want people to plan ahead to avoid any delays to their journey.”

Harpreet Singh Moore, scheme project manager at Network Rail, said: “The improvement work at Longbridge station is part of our National Stations Improvement Programme to transform the facilities at stations across the network.

“Work has progressed well in recent months. We’ve successfully installed hoarding, removed the existing roof and installed a new over sailing canopy.

“This investment will significantly enhance the experience for passengers. Once complete, we hope station-users will be pleased with the difference.”

Network Rail is working closely with West Midlands Railway to ensure the station is open throughout the station redevelopment work, and train services will run as normal.

The work is being funded by the Greater Birmingham and Solihull LEP and delivered by Network Rail.