Worcestershire MP welcomes ambitious £1.5bn rail plans

An MP is looking forward to improvements to the local rail network that will be of significant benefit to his constituents. 

Nigel Huddleston, MP for Mid Worcestershire, said he welcomed the ambitious £1.5bn Midlands Rail Hub scheme, when he met with representatives from Midlands Connect and GWR at Worcestershire Parkway station.

After learning how their plans for the Midlands Rail Hub could benefit his constituency, he said: “These proposals are so important for improving connections for the residents of Worcestershire. More services to Cardiff and Birmingham will create amazing opportunities for my constituents.

“I support these proposals and look forward to the development of the Full Business Case.”

The £1.5bn Midlands Rail Hub aims to transform rail travel across the whole of the Midlands and includes improved access from the West Midlands to the South West, Wales, and the East Midlands.

This will create an additional two million seats on the network per year as well as giving more people access to HS2 when it is complete.

When Curzon Street station in Birmingham is up and running, connections from Moor Street station to the high-speed network will be seamless.

The rail scheme will see the frequency of trains from Cardiff to Birmingham doubling, with stops at Newport, Gloucester, Cheltenham Spa, and Worcestershire Parkway. 

When plans are built, Mr Huddleston’s constituents will also benefit from faster and more frequent services from Hereford to Birmingham, which stop at Droitwich Spa.

Sarah Spink, Stakeholder Engagement Lead at Midlands Connect, said it had been great to be in Worcestershire and to have garnered the support of the local MP. 

“Midlands Rail Hub proposals will benefit people living in Worcestershire and across the nation,” she said. 

“We really want to crack on with the next phase of our plans.”