Sharing tracks hope for Midland Metro expansion

Sharing tracks between freight trains and trams could shave nearly £60 million off the bill for a £289m Metro extension which is in doubt, transport bosses revealed today.

It is hoped that the saving will bring the long-awaited extension between Wednesbury and Stourbridge a step closer to receiving government backing.

Centro spokesman Steve Swingler said: "We are continuing with our plans for a rapid transit system linking the existing Midland Metro at Wednesbury to Stourbridge via Merry Hill and Brierley Hill.

"Running freight trains on the proposed tram tracks will remove the need to build a separate track for freight, cutting overall construction costs by around 20 per cent."

The track-sharing scheme for the Metro extension has been mooted for years but bosses have now calculated the savings they could make.

Proposals hit the buffers in April last year after it emerged that West Midlands councils would need to plug a £252m funding gap if the plans were to become a reality.

And large-scale transport schemes including a new public transport service between Birmingham Airport and the city centre, and a new railway station in Wolverhampton have also stalled through lack of funding.

But Centro chiefs have confirmed that although funding had not yet emerged for the projects, they were still on the agenda.