Disruption will lead to long term rail improvements

Network Rail has confirmed services will stop between Redditch and Longbridge while work on a £20million improvement scheme takes place from 6 July and 1 September 2014. It will see an extra section of track laid between Redditch and Barnt Green along with a second platform at Alvechurch.

It is intended that, from December 2014, three trains an hour will run each way between Redditch and Birmingham.

A replacement bus service will operate during the eight week period with some running directly from the Redditch station to Longbridge and others picking up from Alvechurch and Barnt Green. This will add about 22 minutes to journey times. A full timetable is expected to be released in the Spring.

London Midland, which runs the Cross City line, will also take the opportunity to upgrade the mechanical reliability of locomotives running on the route and has invested in ten new trains elsewhere on the network as well, which will free up more modern engines to run on the line.

For more information see the article published by the Redditch Standard on Thursday 24 October.