The increasingly popular Chase Line between Walsall to Rugeley is to be upgraded.
Line speeds will be increased to 75mph on many sections of the route once the £5.4 million project is complete. Currently much of the route is limited to 45 mph.
Originally closed to passengers during the Beeching era, passenger services were restored by Centro, the transport authority for the West Midlands during the 1990s. It has become an increasingly important commuter service in and out of Birmingham.
Says Tom Ansell of Centro, ‘We are delighted that Network Rail is making this important investment, which will hopefully act as a catalyst for further improvements such as additional services on both routes and electrification of the Chase Line.’
