BROMSGROVE MP Bradley Thomas has urged the Government to continue backing the Midlands Rail Hub ahead of its Spending Review.
In a letter to transport secretary Heidi Alexander, the local MP urged her to support the £1.75 billion project’s ‘strong’ business case.
Mr Thomas said: “A key part of my plan for Bromsgrove and the villages is to improve local transport.
“It’s clear the Midlands Rail Hub will bring benefits to rail users across Bromsgrove and the villages, and it therefore has my full support.
“The Government claims its mission is to deliver economic growth – and to achieve this they will need to back projects like the Midlands Rail Hub.
“I’ve therefore written to the Transport Secretary to urge her to support the Midlands Rail Hub’s strong business and to continue backing this project just like the previous Government did.”
The Midlands Rail Hub will allow for an additional Cross City train to run each hour to and from Bromsgrove, giving a regular three trains per hour Cross City service from Bromsgrove into Birmingham.
Bromsgrove will also continue to be served by faster trains to Birmingham that have originated in Hereford or Worcester.
Barnt Green and Alvechurch, will also benefit from the proposals with an additional Cross City service to and from Redditch, which the Midlands Rail Hub provides extra capacity for.
The project was supported by previous MP Sajid Javid who, when Chancellor, gave £20 million to support the early development of the scheme.
In February 2024, the previous Government announced funding to deliver the Full Business Case for the Midlands Rail Hub moving the project forward to the delivery phase.
The 2025 Spending Review is a two-part process. The first phase concluded with the Autumn Budget in October 2024, setting departmental budgets for 2024-25 and 2025-26.
The second phase, which focuses on allocating the total funding envelope, is expected to conclude and be published in late spring of 2025, on June 11, 2025.
