Jollycam
Member
It's been reported that Stratford Parkway is to open May 2013, 7 months earlier than planned, with work to start next month.
London Midland will also be increasing services with later evening trains planned and 2 trains per hour returning on Saturdays, and an additional hourly weekday train starting Dec 2013.
Story here
London Midland will also be increasing services with later evening trains planned and 2 trains per hour returning on Saturdays, and an additional hourly weekday train starting Dec 2013.
Story here
Matt Wilson in The Stratford Herald said:Stratford Parkway Station will open seven months early
STRATFORD-UPON-AVON Parkway Station, the controversial new train station in Bishopton, will open seven months early it was announced today (Monday).
The £8.8 million station will now open in May 2013 rather than December 2013, and work is due to begin at the end of September.
The new station - the second in Stratford-upon-Avon - will bring later and more frequent trains on the line between Stratford and Birmingham.
From May, London Midland will be running trains until 11.30pm, rather than 9.30pm, and will also add a second train to every hour on their Saturday services.
Warwickshire County Councils transport planning department believe there is a great demand in the area for these later evening services.
However, midweek off-peak trains will still not be available from the station until December 2013, when an additional train every hour during the week will also be added.
The announcement about the new opening schedule was made after Buckingham Group Contracting was awarded the design and build contract.
Cllr Peter Butlin, the councils Portfolio Holder for Highways and Transport, said: This appointment of the contractor is giant step forward in the development of Stratford Parkway Station, and will mean that we can press ahead and look to open seven months ahead of schedule.
We are pleased to be able to offer this service to Stratford and the surrounding areas, using the funding awarded to the county council from the Department for Transport last year.
The council believe the new station will improve accessibility and encourage an increased use of trains for journeys that might otherwise be undertaken by car.
Forecasts suggest that by 2024, there will be 114,000 more rail trips per year coming in and out of Stratford then there currently are.
The new weekday, Saturday, and evening trains are expected to become commercially viable after three years of operation.
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