Commuters and nature lovers have been given a major boost this week with the opening of a new £450,000 Park and Ride facility at a key suburban rail and bus interchange.

A total of 55 spaces have been created at Sheldon Country Park so that passengers using the nearby Marston Green rail and bus interchange can park their car for free before jumping on board.

The new Park and Ride has been built by transport authority Centro in partnership with Solihull Council to ease overcrowding in the rail station’s existing 96 space car park which has proved so popular with commuters that it is often full before the end of the morning rush hour.

The new car park, which also includes softened lighting and safety and security measures including CCTV, will also be available free of charge to visitors to Sheldon Country Park.

Solihull councillor Alan Martin, Bickenhill Parish councillor Linda Poulson and Centro’s lead member for Rail and Metro Operations, Cllr Tim Huxtable, open the new Park and Ride facility at Marston Green Interchange.

Cllr Tim Huxtable, Centro’s lead member for Rail and Metro Operations, said: “This new Park and Ride facility is a significant boost for passengers using the Marston Green Interchange where the existing car park can often fill up very quickly in the morning.

“This is the latest in a number of Park and Ride expansions we are carrying out in the West Midlands to meet soaring demand.

“We now provide more than 6,500 free parking spaces at rail and Metro stops across the region which together help take more than 3.2 million journeys off our roads each year.”

The new car park, whose entrance is off Elmdon Lane, was officially opened by Cllr Huxtable, Solihull councillor Alan Martin (Con Bickenhill) and Bickenhill Parish Councillor Linda Poulson.

Cllr Martin said: “I’m very glad the car park is now open as it should get rid of unnecessary congestion in Elmdon Lane and that’s good news for the residents living there.”

Meanwhile Centro is continuing work on plans for more than £370,000 of improvements to the area around Marston Green Interchange itself.

Work is scheduled to start later this year on the installation of new bus shelters and bays immediately infront of the rail station to improve the movement of vehicles and passengers.

The work will also include a Ring and Ride bay, a drop off “kiss and ride” bay, a new lay over and drop off point for buses and a designated pedestrian crossing.

The interchange’s CCTV system will also be upgraded along with lighting while electronic passenger information screens will be installed at the station and in the new bus shelters.