Commons Sense

House of Commons · Westminster Hall

Camp Hill Line Railway Stations, Birmingham

19 July 2023 · 4 other contributors · 4,391 words

Opened by Tahir Ali Lab Birmingham Hall Green and Moseley

Responding minister: Huw Merriman

Transport

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Tahir Ali raised concerns about camp hill line railway stations, birmingham in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.

Key points

  • Completion of the Camp Hill railway line in Birmingham has been delayed to the end of 2024
  • The West Midlands Mayor, Andy Street, announced the delay without informing affected councillors or MPs first
  • Residents of Moseley and Kings Heath are affected by the lack of direct rail links to Birmingham city centre

Key requests to Government

Will assurances be given that the Camp Hill line will face no further delays? Will further funding for any extra costs incurred by the delay be provided by the Department for Transport to avoid passing on costs to residents?

How the debate unfolded

MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.

Opened the debate

Tahir Ali Lab Birmingham Hall Green and Moseley

The completion of the Camp Hill railway line in Birmingham has been delayed to the end of 2024. The West Midlands Mayor, Andy Street, announced this delay without informing affected councillors or MPs before giving it to the media. Residents of Moseley and Kings Heath are devastated by the news as they have limited access to direct rail links to Birmingham city centre. The mayor's record on delivering transport projects is poor, with delays in other initiatives such as the West Midlands Metro tramline extension.

Other contributors (4)
  • Khalid Mahmood Lab Birmingham, Perry Barr

    The MP is concerned about the additional expense his constituents face due to the clean air zone and the failure of the Mayor's bus service plan. He highlights the distress caused by inadequate consultation processes and calls for better use of existing infrastructure rather than new projects.

  • Liam Byrne Lab Birmingham Hodge Hill and Solihull North

    Liam Byrne also congratulates his hon. Friend on securing the debate and raises concerns about delays to transport plans, mentioning a £1.2 billion hole in the investment programme.

  • Steve McCabe Lab Birmingham Selly Oak

    Steve McCabe congratulates his hon. Friend on securing the debate and questions whether Mayor Andy Street is better at making promises than delivering, citing delays in opening University station and the Camp Hill line. The hon. Gentleman was right to mention the delays in construction and the impact of inflation on costs. He also raised concerns about unsuccessful bids for levelling-up funds.

  • Tan Dhesi Lab Slough

    The MP acknowledges the potential benefits of the Camp Hill line project but expresses disappointment over delays and broken promises. He raises concerns about inflationary pressures, cost impacts, and the need for transparency in managing these delays.

Government Response

Huw Merriman

I congratulated Tahir Ali on securing the debate and acknowledged the importance of the three new stations on the Camp Hill line in Birmingham, which will bring 75,000 people within a kilometre of a railway station. The Government has approved £59 million in fixed funding for rail network enhancement pipeline (RNEP) to deliver five new stations in Birmingham, with challenges including inflation and unexpected issues such as the discovery of protected species and historic sites that delayed construction until late 2024. I noted the Mayor Andy Street's numerous achievements in delivering transport infrastructure and challenged Labour's criticism by pointing out their lack of delivery during their time in power from 1997 to 2010.

Get updates like this by email
▸ Assessment & feedback
Summary accuracy