Centro - Articles and news items

Soaring rail use in Coventry and Birmingham highlights need for HS2

Rail industry news / 20 March 2013 /

The number of rail journeys in Coventry and Birmingham has soared in the last five years underlining the need for more capacity which will be released by HS2, says transport boss Geoff Inskip.

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Announcement of northern routes will put West Midlands at the heart of HS2

Rail industry news / 28 January 2013 /

The West Midlands will benefit from being right at the heart of Britain’s high speed rail network with the announcement of the northern routes, says the boss of the region’s transport authority.

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Centro and councils welcome investment in regional rail network

Rail industry news / 8 January 2013 /

A planned £550 million upgrade to the West Midlands rail network was today welcomed by the region’s councils as good for passengers and the economy.

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Centro welcomes Prime Minister’s commitment on high speed rail

Rail industry news / 9 October 2012 /

A commitment by the Prime Minister and his Transport Secretary to press ahead with the HS2 high speed rail link was today welcomed by Centro, the region’s transport authority.

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Centro welcomes Government rail spending plans

Rail industry news / 16 July 2012 /

Centro has welcomed the announcement by the Government today of millions of pounds of investment in the Midlands rail infrastructure.

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Centro to decide on bid for local rail control

Rail industry news / 21 June 2012 /

Transport authority Centro will decide next week whether to formally tell the Government it is keen to take over responsibility for local rail services on behalf of authorities across the wider West Midlands area.

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Rail projects can bring jobs and economic growth

Rail industry news / 15 June 2012 /

Three rail projects costing a total of £60m have the potential to create more than 4,400 new jobs and boost the West Midlands economy by more than £370m a year, transport chiefs have told the Government.

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Decision to build HS2 is a tremendous boost for West Midlands

Rail industry news / 11 January 2012 /

The Transport Secretary’s decision to build HS2 from London to Birmingham has been hailed as a tremendous boost for the West Midlands by regional leaders. (more…)

Work starts on £1.6 million upgrade to Chase Line stations

Rail industry news / 18 May 2010 /

Rail passengers are set to benefit from a £1.6 million package of improvements to six West Midlands stations on the Chase Line.

The joint project by transport authority Centro, rail operator London Midland, Network Rail and Staffordshire County Council, will provide significantly improved facilities for passengers including new waiting shelters, seating and CCTV.

Other improvements for the stations at Bloxwich, Bloxwich North, Landywood, Cannock, Hednesford and Rugeley Town include help points, enhanced lighting, new ticket machines and better signage, including electronic information boards.

The project is due for completion by the autumn and work has been planned to minimise disruption for passengers.

Cllr Tim Huxtable, Centro’s lead member for rail and Metro operations, said: “We know from talking to passenger groups how highly valued this railway line is.

“This work will give them a more comfortable and safer waiting environment and improved travel information, making their journeys even more pleasant and convenient.”

London Midland services on the Chase Line operate into the heart of Birmingham and have connecting services with the Trent Valley line which means passengers can travel on from Rugeley Trent Valley to London Euston or north to Stafford, Stoke-on-Trent and Liverpool.

London Midland commercial director, Alex Hynes, said: “This significant investment is great news for passengers using the Chase line.

“Punctuality and passenger satisfaction is at its best-ever level at London Midland so we hope to see more people leaving the car at home and travelling on the Chase Line.”

Jo Kaye, Network Rail route director, added: “Every station between Stafford and Walsall on this key commuter route into Birmingham is being upgraded and we hope that this will encourage even more people onto the rail network.”

The project is the first to be funded by the West Midlands Rail Programme in conjunction with the National Station Improvement Programme.

Councillor Roger Philips, co-chair of the Joint Strategy and Investment Board, said “This is an early example of how we can use locally managed funding from the Department for Transport to improve facilities for passengers.

“I’m delighted that this first scheme will benefit one of the areas in the West Midlands that has been badly hit by the recession”

Revamped Tipton station to reopen for rail users

Rail industry news / 26 March 2010 /

Rail passengers in Tipton will be able to catch their train from the town’s newly refurbished rail station from this Sunday (28 March 2010), a month ahead of schedule. (more…)