Station car park weighed up after fines anger

Council bosses say they're "exploring options" for expanding the car park at Worcestershire Parkway station amid growing unrest from passengers who have been fined.

The car park opened five years ago when the first new railway station in the county was built in more than 100 years.

Worcestershire County Council said it was aware the car park was "near capacity", particularly mid-week, but it had exceeded business expectations and officers were working on how to expand it.

Increasing numbers of people have been fined for leaving vehicles outside dedicated bays, the BBC has been told.

Rhona Massey, a banker who lives near Bromsgrove, was fined £100.

She said: "I was quite upset, because I generally do try and stick to the rules.

"The station is in the middle of nowhere and there is no option on anywhere to park. There's no overflow parking. There literally is just that car park, which obviously isn't sufficient."

She said on the day she received a fine, the car park had been "absolutely packed", with about 20 cars parked around the edges - but without blocking other people in.

"I assumed this was the usual practice, so I parked as they had," she said.

"I returned back from Birmingham in the evening and all the cars had parking tickets."

The council said the station was "currently operating at the equivalent of year 13 of its business case even though it is less than five years since the station opened".

Rail operator GWR said the success of the station had been way beyond even the most ambitious of expectations", but added: "Please do however only park in marked bays, or you may be liable for a fine."

Parking firm APCOA said GWR terms and conditions advised customers to park in marked bays or they may receive a parking charge notice, adding: "Parking anywhere other than a marked bay could also impede access for emergency vehicles, prevent track access or present a risk to pedestrians."

Follow BBC Hereford & Worcester on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.