MORE than half a million trips were made at a county-wide railway station within 12 months.
Figures show over 540,000 journeys have been made from Worcestershire Parkway Railway Station in 12 months.
The journeys made were between April 2022 and March 2023 and is the kind of volume the county council did not expect to achieve for at least another eleven years.
Worcestershire Parkway opened in February 2020.
READ MORE: 'Large hail and lightning' - Thunderstorm weather warning for Worcestershire
A special event took place to celebrate Worcestershire Parkway organised by Great Western Railway (GWR).
Mrs Beatrice Grant, His Majesty's Lord-Lieutenant of Worcestershire, West Worcestershire MP Harriett Baldwin and Lord Faulkner of Worcester, chair of the North Cotswold Line Task Force, were all in attendance, as well as councillor Simon Geraghty, leader of Worcestershire County Council.
Councillor Marc Bayliss, cabinet member with responsibility for economy, infrastructure and skills, said: “It’s fantastic that Parkway has exceeded all the initial expectations and significantly more people are using it than we had hoped for only three years after opening.
READ MORE: All the People's Postcode Lottery winners in Worcester last month
“Rail is critical to the ongoing economic development of Worcestershire, providing low carbon travel choice and the potential for enhanced connectivity to high growth economies throughout the country for businesses and residents in Worcestershire.”
GWR Business Development Portfolio Director Tom Pierpoint said: “We are delighted that Worcestershire Parkway customer numbers are so far ahead of expectations.
"To be hitting travel figures now that were initially anticipated to be reached in 2031 is remarkable and a testament to everyone involved in the planning, design and building of the station.
“It shows how much appetite there is for a modal shift to rail and how important the railway is for economic development and sustainability.
"There is the potential for even greater growth, and we look forward to continuing our work with Worcestershire County Council and the Department for Transport to truly realise the potential for this very important station.”
At the event, there were several speeches made and a plaque was unveiled by Beatrice Grant to mark the occasion.
Worcestershire Parkway, located east of Junction 7 of the M5, is accessible for commuters and longer-distance travellers from all over the county.
The station serves two railway lines - North Cotswold Line, which goes to London Paddington and the Birmingham to Bristol Line.
The station was the first new station to open in Worcestershire in over 100 years.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel