BUILDING work is underway on a new railway station in Bromsgrove.

The new station is part of a £100 million project by Network Rail and Worcestershire County Council to improve rail services in the north of the county.

The new site, which will be sited next to the existing station in Aston Fields of New Road, will include four longer platforms, a 350-space car park and a bus interchange and is due to enter late next year.

The station will be served by a new electric train service between Bromsgrove, Birmingham New Street, Sutton Coldfield and Lichfield, with four trains per hour in both directions on weekdays, compared with the current service of one per hour.

Area director for Network Rail Liam Sumpter said: “It is important that we continue to invest in the rail network to meet the increasing demands being placed on it and provide the best level of service to passengers that we can.

“We have worked closely with our partners to plan and implement the upgrades to cause the least disruption and will do all we can to keep noise and inconvenience to a minimum.”

Network Rail engineers will be taking carrying out excavations and track work at the station from late on Christmas Eve until the morning of Saturday, December 27, taking advantage of the railways being closed for Christmas.

Measures such as acoustic fencing and straw bales are being set up to absorb any overnight noise.

A new footbridge is also being built at nearby Barnt Green station while the railway between the two towns is being electrified and resignalled.