AFTER at least seven years of anticipation, commuters finally got to use the new Bromsgrove Railway Station on Tuesday, and the first to tread on the new platforms were impressed with what they found.

The new station has the capacity to handle 800,000 passengers per year, and its longer platforms will mean that in the future more rail services will be able to stop in Bromsgrove.

The improved facilities include a staffed ticket office, passenger waiting room, toilets and 350 onsite parking spaces.

There’s also a new concourse to link passengers to the car park area as well as the bus stops, a taxi rank, pedestrian footpaths and a bicycle store. There are also plans for a better integration with local bus services between the station and the town centre.

On its first morning in action the station was relatively quiet, but commuters were hoping the improved facilities could mean they had the chance to sit down more often.

David Boardman, from the Deansway estate, uses the station every day. He said: “It’s very smart. But I think they’ve probably underestimated the number of seats needed on the platforms during rush hour.

"At the moment one in five journeys I get to sit down, but there’ll be longer platforms, and longer trains, so hopefully I’ll be able to sit when they get electrification."

Further construction work is planned throughout 2016 as Network Rail electrification work continues, and once it’s completed there should be four trains every hour travelling between Bromsgrove and Birmingham.

Helen Jenks from Aston Fields, moved to Bromsgrove from Worcester seven months ago because of the new station.

She said: “It’s lovely, it’s great. It’s a bit of a further walk for me, and it could do with a shop. I remember when I was reading about it, it said there was space for a retail place.

“I just hope there will be more trains and more carriages, I do stand up quite a lot of the morning, but it’s definitely worth the move, it’s cut my commute massively.”

Abigail Baker-Clarke, who lives in Northfield, travels to Bromsgrove every day to her job on the high street. She described the new station as being bigger and better.

The station has been developed by Worcestershire County Council, the West Midlands Combined Authority, which has replaced Centro, and Network Rail, at a cost of £24 million to design and build.

Councillor Ken Pollock, Worcestershire County Council's cabinet member with responsibility for economy, skills and infrastructure, said: "Improving transport links in our county is a key priority. The substantial investment in this important improvement project, as well as other transport programmes across Worcestershire, is a reflection of our commitment to stimulating and securing future economic growth. It also ensures Worcestershire, which boasts the fourth fastest growing economy in the country, is very much 'open for business'."

Rail campaigners have also welcomed the new station. Ian Jenkins of Campaign for Rail said: "Bromsgrove now has a modern station fit for the future and which is appropriate for a growing town. The new station though is only a first phase of improvements, with plans in place to extend the electric Cross City service down to Bromsgrove which will dramatically improve the commuter service to Birmingham from Bromsgrove and the surrounding district."