Midlands Connect has today submitted a business case to the Department for Transport outlining plans to enhance the Shrewsbury – Birmingham rail route.
The track would have minor realignments in two places, within the railway corridor to improve the route for the train and passengers, as well as improvements around signalling on the line. The scheme also builds upon the fact that Wolverhampton is now home to the second HQ of the Government’s Levelling Up Department.
The scheme would also help safeguard and create jobs in the engineering and construction sectors; analysis by NSA Research on behalf of Midlands Connect showed that 337 jobs would be safeguarded and a further 81 skilled jobs would be created if the project was implemented.“Today’s news is another step forward and a major milestone in our journey towards delivering this major project as part of our Midlands Engine Rail programme.
“Wolverhampton has seen major investment in the last few years and I believe that this project is another concrete example of levelling up the Black Country.”“Boosting line speed on this important route through Shrewsbury to 90-miles-per-hour will be a massive boost for local passengers and businesses, speeding up journeys and encouraging motorists to leave their cars at home. It’s fantastic that these plans are being brought forward and could be a great short-term win for this project.
“We have been proactively seeking improvements to the rail line in our Borough for many years, and welcome the potential improvements set out by Midlands Connect which have been developed collaboratively with stakeholders like ourselves.