WORK on the Worcestershire Parkway is coming to a close before the first trains begin to serve the county’s newest and biggest railway station.
Once complete, the station will be tested and commissioned by Great Western Railway (GWR), Network Rail and CrossCountry Trains before the station opens to passengers.
The testing period will ensure the station is ready to open to the public and involves the testing and commissioning of all equipment and services such as signals, communication systems, IT connections, water services, fire tank and attenuation tank, lifts, lighting and CCTV.
Staff training will also take place for both GWR and CrossCountry staff including train drivers. As the station will be a brand new stop, an in-depth schedule is in place to ensure all drivers and support staff are trained.
Coun Ken Pollock, cabinet member for Economy and Infrastructure, said: “I’m really pleased with the progress at the station site over the last few months. A huge effort continues to be made by all concerned to get us ready for the next phase.
“This next phase will be one of the most important, and complex, of the whole scheme where numerous stakeholders, including the train operators and Network Rail, will come together with the aim of getting the station ready to open for public use.”
Transport chiefs hope the new station will open following the proposed timetable changes in December.
Once open, passengers will be able to access both Great Western Railway services operating between Hereford and Worcester, Pershore, Evesham, Oxford, Reading and London Paddington as well as CrossCountry Trains services between Cardiff and Nottingham.
