PUBLIC transport across Worcestershire will benefit from £209million of additional funding over the next seven years.
The Local Transport Fund aims to help to improve connectivity between and within towns and cities, while improving everyday journeys for local people.
The Transport Minister confirmed that, following the reallocation of HS2 funding, Worcestershire County Council had received an extra £2.3million this year to resurface the roads, including an £842,000 investment in Redditch to treat more than two and a half miles of carriageway.
The reallocated H2S funding has supported the extension of the £2 bus fare cap and allocated £230million to increase the frequency of bus services.
For Worcestershire that means more than £2.8million to deliver its Bus Service Improvement Plan, and there is also £3.4million redirected from HS2.
Transport Minister Huw Merriman said: “Worcestershire County Council is receiving over £2.3million this year, with plans under way to apply surfacing treatments to more than 13 miles of road.
“Network North committed £1.75 billion to deliver the Midlands Rail Hub in full.”
In February, the Secretary of State for Transport announced £123 million to fund and design the first phase of the Midlands Rail Hub.
That work will also include benefits for the Cross City line which operates between Redditch and Bromsgrove to Birmingham, via Barnt Green and Alvechurch.
Redditch MP Rachel Malean welcomed the news, after chairing the debate in Parliament.
Transport Minister Huw Merriman said: “I congratulate my Honourable Friend the Member for Redditch on involving her constituents in this entire debate.
“That is democracy in action, she said she wanted to hear what more the Government are doing to support local transport, and that she wanted to share her constituents’ views with me.
“She has certainly done that.”
