Kidsgrove is racing to spend £3.8 million on station upgrades. Delays from Network Rail could impact the project timeline, but plans are still moving forward.
But here’s the catch: Network Rail wants a mining survey done first. This has put a hold on things, and now they have until March 2027 to spend that cash. So far, they’ve only spent £225,000.
Next month, the Kidsgrove Town Board will likely give the green light for the survey. Funny enough, the council was told they didn’t need one at first.
Simon McEneny, the deputy chief executive, mentioned that they thought everything was fine. They were just recladding the building and fixing up the car park. But once Network Rail got involved, things got complicated.
He said they couldn’t have done the survey last year because they didn’t have the right insurances and permits. Every time they made progress, it felt like they took two steps back. It’s a real headache, but they’re still pushing ahead.
StokeonTrentLive has reached out to Network Rail for their take on the situation.
