Warwickshire News Mine

The Coleshill Parkway `Multi-Modal Interchange’ comprises a new railway station and car park at Coleshill/Hams Hall, a rail/bus/pedestrian/cycle/car interchange and an adjoining new bridge at Station Road, Coleshill, for pedestrians, cyclists and buses crossing the Birmingham-Nuneaton rail line.

The scheme was given the all clear in March after the Department for Transport agreed to part-fund the scheme, costing around £9m in total, with the rest of the money coming from Warwickshire County Council, Laing Rail, and developer contributions secured by North Warwickshire Borough Council.

And Warwickshire County Council and Laing Rail have now established a `good neighbour group’ consisting of local community representatives.

The group is made up of a residents’ representative, and county, borough and towjn councilors. They are meeting monthly with site managers from the joint developers and construction contractor Carillion to assess progress on the scheme and to gain awareness of forthcoming events in the construction programme.

Cllr Peter Fowler, representing the county council on the group, said: “I’m delighted to see the community involved in the project and engaged in a way which keeps us fully aware of developments as they happen with such an important scheme.”

Warwickshire County Council and Laing Rail Projects have signed a 20-year contract committing to the scheme. Network Rail has also played a key role in enabling the scheme to go ahead.

Works got underway in May and will take about 8-10 months to complete with the major event being the installation of the new road bridge in late October of this year. 

Andy Pearson, Managing Director Laing Rail Projects Ltd, said: “This is great news for the people of Coleshill and the surrounding area. This new railway station will provide a fast rail link into Birmingham, and will help further develop the local economy. I am looking forward to welcoming the first passengers to the station early in 2007.”

The railway station will provide a new two-platform stop for trains on the Birmingham to Nuneaton railway line.  Associated facilities include a car park with priority disabled parking, cycle facilities, ticket office and a pedestrian footbridge.

Cllr Martin Heatley, Warwickshire County Council’s Cabinet member for Environmental Services, said: “The scheme makes a significant contribution to the delivery and operational reliability – by avoiding congested junctions - of the ‘Showcase Bus Cross Boundary Service’ between Tamworth-Birmingham International Airport-Solihull-Stratford as recommended in the West Midlands Multi-modal transport study.

“Thanks to partnership working with Laing Rail Projects we are taking huge steps in developing an improved public transport network in the M42 corridor and over a wide area of the north of Warwickshire and providing for single mode and multi-modal interchange.  Bus links to the other key interchanges in the corridor – Birmingham International and Chelmsley Wood – are proposed.”

He said the scheme provides a direct link between Coleshill and Hams Hall by replacing the existing footpath across the railway line. Plus it provides a local station for the people of Coleshill and a link to the Hams Hall development from Nuneaton and Birmingham;

Other advantages with the scheme include the chance to develop a park and ride scheme and dramatically improved rail links to Birmingham International Airport.

Link to WCC