TWO towns are back on the railway map for the first time in 60 years after new stations finally opened.
New stops have welcomed passengers again following a massive £185million project to restore long-lost rail links across the West Midlands.
Willenhall and Darlaston stations now sit on the line between Shrewsbury and Birmingham New Street via Wolverhampton — giving locals a direct route into the city.
The first train pulled in early on Thursday morning, marking the end of decades without rail services.
Both stations were shut in 1965 during the infamous Beeching cuts, when more than 2,000 stations across the UK were shut down.
Services will now run roughly every hour on weekdays and Saturdays, with no trains stopping there on Sundays.
Commuters can expect to pay around £8.90 for a peak return from Willenhall to Birmingham, or £6.40 off-peak, while Darlaston passengers will pay slightly less.
From Darlaston, a peak return costs £8 and an off-peak ticket is £5.90.
The stations come with lifts, shelters, ticket machines and cycle racks, plus parking for 300 cars at Darlaston and 33 at Willenhall.
Pat McFadden, the MP for Wolverhampton South East which covers Willenhall, used the new trains recently, describing them as “clean, modern and easy to use”.
He added: “This is going to save people a massive amount of time. It’s going to enable people to take up jobs they probably couldn’t have taken up.
“It’s a transport boost, it’s a morale boost and it’s an economic boost to both towns.”
Walsall Council leader Mike Bird said the openings are “a major milestone for communities and a real boost for the borough’s future”.