Transport chiefs have revealed plans to build five brand new railway stations in the West Midlands.
The quintet of sites were chosen from a longlist of 15 possible locations after a feasibility study was carried out, with those five felt to have the strongest case for development first.
The locations are Balsall Heath and Castle Bromwich in Birmingham, Coventry East in Binley, Foleshill north of Coventry and Tettenhall, north west of Wolverhampton.
Transport for West Midlands and the West Midlands Rail Executive will now examine the business cases for the five sites which, once complete, could be used to secure further government funding to design and build the stations.
Three of the new stations need to be planned now so they can be built and ready to open alongside the Midlands Rail Hub and HS2.
Delivery of some of the new stations is linked to the completion of HS2, which will free up capacity for more local services on existing rail lines, and the completion of the Midlands Rail Hub.
A key component of the hub is the construction of the Bordesley Chords viaducts on the Camp Hill line which will enable services from south Birmingham to go into Moor Street station, instead of New Street as is currently planned.
For the Balsall Heath station to be built, the Bordesley Chords element must go ahead. The Midlands Rail Hub also has a wider remit aimed at improving cross-regional services between the West and East Midlands.
Of those stations long listed but not chosen among the final five, those on the Sutton Park line north of Birmingham were put on hold as they require further assessment as well as the development of the Midlands Rail Hub and especially the Bordesley Chords.
Councils in Wolverhampton, South Staffordshire and Staffordshire have also looked at the case for a new station at Brinsford, to serve new developments near the M54. As this is close to the proposed Tettenhall station, business cases for the two will be considered together.
These proposed new stations are the latest in a long-running overhaul of the West Midlands rail network which has already seen construction start in Moseley, Kings Heath and Pineapple Road in south Birmingham and Darlaston and Willenhall on the Walsall to Wolverhampton line.
Funding has also been allocated, subject to business case, to build a new station at Aldridge near Walsall.
This is in addition to revamp work to existing stations such as University of Birmingham, Perry Barr and the extension and integration of the tram network into Wolverhampton station.
West Midlands Mayor Andy Street said: "New stations are taking shape across Birmingham and the Black Country with diggers in the ground after our success in securing funding.
"Alongside these projects now under way, we're turning our attention to the next set of stations and these five are a good place to start. Investing in rail stations is Levelling Up in action - helping to regenerate local areas, offer a convenient alternative to the car and driving job creation."
