Parking charges appear to be planned for Station Approach in Stone

Parking charges appear to be planned for Station Approach near Stone railway station, with a covered machine now in place beside the road.

A Little Bit of Stone spotted the wrapped machine, which appears to be a parking payment machine, beside the wooden fence part way along the road leading up to the station.

West Midlands Railway has been asked to confirm when any charges are due to come in, how much drivers would have to pay, and whether the charges would apply to the full length of Station Approach.

At the time of writing, the train operator had not confirmed the details publicly.

What could drivers pay?

The current official station information for Stone does not yet list any confirmed parking charges. West Midlands Railway’s station page says no car park information is available, while National Rail lists Stone station as having no parking spaces.

However, West Midlands Railway’s wider car parking information says parking facilities across its network include both free and charged sites.

Its current published tariff table for other stations similar to Stone, have all day parking before 10am is listed at £3.50 and parking after 10am is listed at £2.50. Weekend and bank holiday parking is also listed at £2.50.

Weekly, monthly and annual passes are also available, with the weekly pass listed at £13.30, the monthly pass at £38.20 and the annual pass at £307.20.

Those charges have not been confirmed for Stone.

When would a pass be cheaper?

If Stone follows a similar tariff, regular commuters would be the most likely to benefit from a pass.

At the £3.50 daily rate, a weekly pass would become cheaper from the fourth day of parking in the same week. Four daily tickets would cost £14, compared with £13.30 for the weekly pass.

A monthly pass would become cheaper from the 11th day of parking in a month. Eleven daily tickets at £3.50 would cost £38.50, compared with £38.20 for the monthly pass.

An annual pass would become cheaper from the 88th day of parking in a year. Eighty eight daily tickets at £3.50 would cost £308, compared with £307.20 for the annual pass.

The calculation changes for people parking after 10am, at weekends or on bank holidays, where the daily rate is £2.50. At that rate, a weekly pass would only become cheaper from six days, a monthly pass from 16 days and an annual pass from 123 days.

West Midlands Railway says weekly, monthly and annual passes may save money for people who park regularly, but that buying a pass does not guarantee a space.

Concern over nearby streets

For regular users of Stone railway station, the introduction of charges would mark a change from the current informal parking arrangements on Station Approach.

It is also likely to raise concerns for residents in nearby streets. When Station Approach is full, cars already sometimes spill out into surrounding residential roads, and some residents may worry that charges could increase that pressure as drivers look for free alternatives.

West Midlands Railway has been asked whether any parking management, enforcement or resident impact assessment is planned alongside the introduction of charges.

We will update readers when West Midlands Railway responds.