Kidderminster railway station
We supported Worcestershire County Council to deliver a new station building to meet with growing passenger demand across the Wyre Forest District, improve the customer experience and to be a transformed, attractive gateway between Kidderminster and the National Rail network.
Project Overview
Kidderminster is the second busiest rail station in Worcestershire, located on the Worcester to Birmingham Snow Hill line, adjacent to the Severn Valley heritage line. This line is expected to experience huge growth within the next 10 years with estimates of up to 50% growth expected. It was vital that this work took place to support the Worcestershire Rail Investment Strategy to provide passengers with better travel experience.
The work took place in four phases and saw the station undergo a dramatic redevelopment, including the construction of a new, glass fronted station building, improved forecourt and enhanced bus-rail and pedestrian facilities on the adjacent highway.
What we did
We worked with Worcestershire County Council to deliver improvements and accommodate passenger and economic growth as well as improving the connectivity of the area. This included the construction of a glass fronted station building, twice the size of the original, with the full range of facilities expected by today’s passengers. The forecourt has also been redesigned to make access safer for pedestrians, as well as improvements to the drop-off, taxi and disabled parking arrangements, and easy connectivity with the Severn Valley Railway station, a key part of the Wyre Forest tourist economy.
The customer was firmly at the heart of this redevelopment with a focus on improving the facilities for all passengers, especially those with additional accessibility needs. We also upgraded the existing bus stops on Comberton Hill to provide an improved bus-rail interchange and installed a signalled crossing at the junction of Comberton Road and Lea Street.
Key achievements
- Secured support for the station scheme from a range of partners.
- Secured funding of £4.3 million from various LEPs.
- Management of continuous train service alongside construction of the new station.
- Improved pedestrian access by making changes to the station forecourt.
- Successful highway improvement works bringing into service a new crossing and a bus interchange.
Funding
The improvement works were mainly funded by Worcestershire Local Enterprise Partnership and Greater Birmingham and Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership (via the Local Growth Fund) with contributions from Wyre Forest District Council and Worcestershire County Council.
