Wolverhampton Railway Station: Drivers swing into the new entrance greeting train passengers - PICTURES

Railway Drive is now closed off to traffic and major changes began yesterday to the road layout as multi-million pound works at the station gather pace.

A new vehicle access to the site opened yesterday – complete with a 'kiss-and-ride' zone for those dropping off passengers in a hurry.

But the initial response from drivers using the station is that it will take some getting used to, and some argued the new layout is worse than before.

The work, which has seen a team of 80 people on the site at any one time, is part of the city's £132 million Interchange improvements.

Council chiefs said the new entrance, accessible via Corn Hill, will enable travellers to be dropped off right at the entrance to the station, with more space for motorists to drive around the one-way drop off system.

The 'kiss-and-ride' zone is the one right by the entrance but only allows a five-minute quick farewell. Nearby is a 25-minute drop-off zone for those who want to have a long goodbye.

Taxi driver Balbir Singh, 52, from Wolverhampton, was critical of the new layout.

He said: "I think it's dangerous and very tight – it's narrow.

"They need to have a big rethink. It's busy on a Sunday afternoon, so I don't know what it will be like at 5pm in the week.

"Passengers getting out of their cars will be straight into the flow of traffic."

However, fellow taxi driver Shammi Khanna, from Sedgley, said the new access was an improvement.

The 51-year-old told the Express & Star: "I think it's nice – better than the other side.

"People can see the taxis properly and there are more spaces."

Meanwhile Beverley and Ivor Green, from Bewdley, were among the first new users of the layout yesterday. Sixty-year-old Mrs Green, a private carer, said: "It was well sign-posted and I think it's an improvement as you have 25 minutes to leave your car and drop people off. I think everyone will get used to it."

Her 64-year-old husband, a metal fabricator, said: "It's better than the old one because you always had to queue there. The turn is quite tight, but better than the other one as you always had a job reversing out of there."

However glazing firm owner Anthony Roden called the new system 'ridiculous'. Mr Roden, 44, from Wolverhampton, said: "I much preferred the old way.

"I'd like to see what this is like at rush hour.

"They need to think again, they honestly do – it's ridiculous."

Amie Koner, a 52-year-old housing officer from the city, said: "It's going to cause frictions.

"I've already seen people unloading on the bend and it's congested, which you want to avoid."

Railway Drive has now closed to motorists and eventually the works will also see a Metro line extension running down the drive to a new stop.

A total of 13 taxi spaces are available, whilst the number of spaces available in the extended multi-story car park has almost doubled – going from 450 to 800.

The access changes are the first phase of the new state-of-the-art station, with works due to begin soon on demolishing the existing station building and replacing it with a new one. This will have an enhanced Birmingham New Street-style ticket office, larger passenger concourse, more ticket barriers to ease flow on and off platforms, and improved retail and café facilities..