The expansion of Stourbridge Junction was inevitable. The news that 213 extra spaces will be available in March when the extension is completed is most welcome. Train usage, nationally is rising and demonstrated perfectly at Stourbridge Junction when the existing car park is full at eight o’clock in the morning. The problem is where do we go from here? The extension work is being carried out on the last piece of Centro-owned land in the vicinity. There is no more land to purchase. The furthermost parking spaces are almost in Junction Road near the site of the original station, which is a considerable walking distance. Some passengers with a sense of humour are naming the site LYE PARKWAY! Perhaps a survey of who is using the car park and where their journey originates might provide a solution? There is a strong possibility that motorists are arriving from Brierley Hill and Silver End. These are places which used to have railway stations and trains. Perhaps if Centro is looking at providing more rail service car parks, then the answer is build them alongside the freight line which is open as far as Round Oak. By reinstating a passenger train service and providing platforms at the car park sites, the capacity problem at Stourbridge Junction could be resolved. There is another question and a need for caution: Would the new platforms be used at off peak times? Potentially, providing more rail heads in the Brierley Hill area could draw Dudley residents who would not benefit from planned rail link to Dudley Port. I’m not proposing to lobby Centro on this issue or change the SLUG campaign which is very unambiguous but I would be interested in what Stourbridge Junction parkers think.
Posted on: Thu, 15 Jan 2015 19:04:19 +0000
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