Worcestershire Parkway Regional Interchange

The development of Worcestershire Parkway Regional Interchange is a key priority for Worcestershire County Council and partners. The scheme involves the creation of a new regional railway interchange,  located at the intersection of the Cotswold railway line and Birmingham to Bristol main railway line, close to Junction 7 of the M5.

Background

Worcestershire is currently not directly served by national (inter city) rail services, despite the Birmingham to Bristol mainline passing directly through the County. This is a major constraint for economic growth in Worcestershire, as rail users are required to travel via Birmingham or Cheltenham Spa to access these services.

Worcestershire Parkway was identified in Worcestershire's first Local Transport Plan (LTP1), and has since featured in Worcestershire's LTP2 and LTP3 (the current plan). It will be a major scheme, delivering significant accessibility enhancement and decongestion benefits for Worcester and the wider sub-region (including south Worcestershire, northern Gloucestershire and eastern Herefordshire).

Progress

An outline business case for Worcestershire Parkway Regional Interchange was developed by Laing Rail on behalf of the Council in March 2006, which concluded in favour of the development of Worcestershire Parkway. As part of the LTP3 delivery programme, Worcestershire County Council and partners are committed to delivering this key project, and will work with colleagues in the Department for Transport to develop the business case to justify the significant investment required to deliver this prestigious scheme. 

Partners

• Members of Parliament
• Department for Transport: Rail
• Network Rail
• Train Operating Companies
• The Worcestershire Local Enterprise Partnership
• Worcestershire County Council
• The South Worcestershire Councils