Willenhall and Darlaston railway stations are currently under construction, with plans for a new station at Aldridge being put together - so there are possibilities for improvement to access to the ground.
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I’m not sure it is. No one is paying on the train on the way back. We do cos we get a return ticket which is the same price as a single, but there are hundreds just jumping on to Walsall or Bloxwich who I’m fairly certain aren’t. Plus they are a nuisance to other passengers who aren’t going to the football, absolutely filling all the cabins where people are standing and crushed. There would be no chance of an inspector getting round checking tickets.
I’m not sure it is possible, but a special football train could help with this problem.
@Stretch Trivela, not Trivella 
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Better start envisaging then
The ‘plans for a new station at Aldridge’ are unlikely to come to anything. The plan was a pipe dream / vanity project from former WM Mayor Andy Street and Wendy Morton MP (cons) to make themselves feel important and increase their profile. It would cost millions and would mean a defunct railway line from Aldridge to Walsall town centre being reopened, simply to allow people to get to Walsall in 5 minutes on the train rather than 15 minutes on the bus. Not really a sensible use of money tbh.
I don’t know, I thought it was more than just a pipe dream
The development of Aldridge Station has come under serious doubt since the election of the new Mayor and the new government. Whilst I saw this as a modest project the possibilities for further development of the line to Lichfield via Four Oaks, Sutton Park and beyond would free up space on the existing network and would mean that we don’t have to travel to New Street to get anywhere else, (which is ridiculous).
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Meanwhile, getting back on track 
I drove down Broadway west today and saw the Tenner Tuesday game v Gillingham advertised on an advertising board which is located by the closed off part of Wallows Lane. Haven’t see the club do that before so things are changing…
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I think it has gone back to being a pipe dream. The new Mayor has delayed work on it whilst the new government evaluates its transport priorities. The line via Four Oaks etc is another way into New Street and via the junction at Water Orton gives access to the line to Derby and Nottingham. It is currently heavily used for freight and it would be wonderful to get it open for passenger traffic.
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Why does nothing ever get done in this country? I mean it’s not even building a new line it’s just re opening an existing line.
I do find it frustrating
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I agree…we seem unable to deliver even basic projects. This would have been a very sensible first step in improving the transport infrastructure around here whilst at the same time helping with the net zero target.
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Wholeheartedly agree. I saw the Aldridge project, which was to carry a battery operated train on a few miles of existing track a small first step to what could become a major project of upgrading the line that runs to Water Orton, including electrification and connections to places already mentioned by WalsallOne. Much better use of money than HS2, which didn’t need to be HS, just a regular train and line to increase capacity.
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Blame HS2 for projects being shelved and cancelled - waste of money and for extremely little benefit
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That’s fantastic, although I’d hope we can multiply it more than a board right next to the stadium.
I really like your point about transport, and Poloman mentioned a concept I had an idea about around a year ago about having deals in pubs and public clubs where tickets can be sold for community blocks within the ground.
I think it would be an interesting pilot to run later in the season.
BLUF - nominate several well visited central community locations (Pelsall, Rushall, Beechdale etc) and provide 50 tickets for sale alongside subsidised travel which picks up and drops off at that location. The tickets are in a block area so you sit with the same ‘group’ or make your own way back whatever.
It would need some adaptation but might do vaguely well! Could outstrip demand beyond 50 in each ‘hub’
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When my daughter was given a Wolves kit for her birthday off her Uncle i screwed it up and chucked it behind the wardrobe. We found it about 10 years later and transferred it to the bin.
If you support Milan a gift from Atalanta is unlikely to cut much mustard in my opinion.
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Of course, I can’t disagree with that.
However giving a baby kit might forge a connection with the families who don’t have a football team.
I get what you’re saying, and I’m 100% backing you here …the only thing I can’t get my head round is it didn’t go straight in the bin …
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@Coop63 for the nation and tax payer a disaster. But Birmingham and the Midlands does not fair so bad.
The construction industry and those that serve it locally have been buoyed by this work over such a long period. Local trades men have massively benefited.
It’s provided umpteen opportunities and roles for apprentices, graduates and the like
The knock on effect of HS2 providing better (if not the promised) links in to London will impact lots of areas. Main example is that Brum City is now full of cranes building new (mainly) residential blocks so more industry jobs. Once these blocks and buildings are complete it’ll change the way Brum is as a city full of people living there not just an empty place after work That itself generates a whole new economy.
Outlying towns villages that are linked in will see a bounce as well.
Will it balance up the massive cost to the nation probably not but it’s benefited lots of people. Sometimes in ways they won’t realise.
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For sure there will be significant local commercial benefits - not in question.
I’ve worked for 30 odd years in the construction/engineering sector and in my experience and from what I know about the tendering process for this project, I don’t believe that a hugely significant percentage of the construction benefits themselves will be localised… As with many major infrastructure projects, many firms and much of the labour being contracted onto many of the contracts aren’t local at all…
The known metric is the completely minimal benefits of the service resulting from the project overall - a few minutes saved on a journey to/from London (on the basis that we have full service, running to schedule and with drivers and staff when they’re not taking some sort of industrial action!)
The unknown metric is the other significant number of projects and benefits that could have been secured, using the money better - these too would have created useful commercial benefits across the entire country and ultimately, generating better services for the tax payer…
Tricky to justify either way but as I say, the actual benefit of HS2 in terms is service delivery doesn’t warrant the cost IMO…
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Bet this yampy idea would knock on costing 6 figures a year to run and administer. . The wages of a decent squad player at WFC ! We aren’t a European football power. If they don’t have a team they’re not going to be arsed are they the parents. Kids make their own mind up.
@Coop63 yeah, remember New Street having its own set of horror stories during construction . Way way smaller scale - but now it’s up and running nobody talks about all that.