Witton Railway Station upgrade planned for Euro 2028 tournament
The West Midlands Rail Executive (WMRE) has unveiled new design images for Witton Railway Station, which dates from 1876, as plans to overhaul the station take a significant step forward.
A feasibility study commissioned by WMRE has confirmed that a revamp of the station is proposed as Villa Park prepares to host Euro 2028 fixtures. With this study giving the initial green light, WMRE and Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) will work with Aston Villa, Birmingham City Council, Network Rail, UEFA, and West Midlands Trains to build a strong business case.
For a station that serves a major Premier League football stadium, the facilities are really poor, with narrow platforms, poor lighting and rudimentary facilities leading to frequent overcrowding, with fans queuing outside onto the main Witton Road following matches. Despite this making rail travel to Villa Park a miserable experience, around 7,700 fans travel to matches by train using both Witton and Aston stations. However, these numbers have never produced a viable case for redevelopment.
Now, with the resurgence of Aston Villa as a major force in both domestic and European competitions and the stadium set to be a host venue for the Euro 2028 tournament, the increase in rail travel to the ground has made the case for investment more compelling. It would also future proof the station should Aston Villa revisit their stadium expansion plans.
The proposed
improvements to the station include new passenger ramps to both platforms to
increase queuing capacity after matches, a new pedestrian and cyclist subway
under the line at Station Road, wider and deeper platforms to allow more people
to queue for longer trains and replacing platform shelters with open canopies.