A COUNTY decision to cut funding for feasibility studies designed to improve accessibility at railway stations across Bromsgrove has been slammed by the town’s MP.
Bradley Thomas MP has picked apart the choice of Worcestershire County Council’s Reform administration to slash the £1 million investment, consisting of borrowed funds, across the district.
The cuts, voted on at a meeting last Thursday (September 25), will impact both Bromsgrove and Alvechurch rail stations as well Rushwick, Droitwich and Pershore.
According the current administration, the funding was set aside to develop strategic documents which could be shared with rail operators on how to improve usage and accessibility of the county’s railway stations.
Mr Thomas said: “I don’t believe for a second this is what residents voted for back in May.
“We need investment in our roads, footpaths and rail infrastructure – not cuts.” Mr Thomas is now urging the administration to reinstate the funding.
The decision comes as Worcestershire’s Reform administration continue to echo fears around extensive financial shortcuts as budget reductions to other services including education have been announced.
Councillor Rob Wharton, deputy leader with responsibility for finance and efficiency at the council said: “This council is in a financial emergency, make no mistake about it.
“And this administration is prepared to take difficult decisions to get the council back on track.”
An extensive railway station improvement scheme in Redditch, costing over £10 million has also been halted alongside a £1.485m upgrade to Worcester Shrub Hill.
The funding for said improvements was announced in February 2022 as part of a £209 million capital programme approved by the previous Conservative administration.
None of the rail accessibility strategy projects have reached the delivery stage with a small amount of funding required to finish the current phase of the master plan work at Droitwich.
A spokesperson for Worcestershire County Council told the Standard: “The remaining £1 million was neither sufficient nor intended to fund major scheme delivery; instead, it was allocated for early-stage development and feasibility work.
“These proposals do not impact train services, and the work completed so far could support future funding bids as and when opportunities arise.
“In the case of Bromsgrove Station specifically, it is owned by Network Rail, meaning matters such as platform access fall under the responsibility of Network Rail and the Department for Transport, not the county council.”
The council is currently running a consultation to seek resident’s views on how it manages its budget. Views will inform the council’s February 2026 budget.
Visit www.worcestershire.gov.uk/budget26/27 to have your say. The consultation closes on November 1, 2025.
