Transport bosses: Brexit a threat to Dudley £28m rail system

A light rail innovation centre has been earmarked for the town to transport visitors from Dudley Port station, near Tipton, to the former station at the bottom of Castle Hill.

But transport bosses say the scheme could come under threat should the 'leave' camp prevail in the June 23 EU referendum.

It comes after concerns were raised over the future of the region's rail and tram networks post-Brexit, with plans to extend the Midland Metro reliant on tranches of funding from Europe.

Roger Lawrence, chair of the West Midlands Integrated Transport Authority (ITA), said leaving the EU would be 'unlikely' to affect current plans for the Metro, but it could 'cut off' funding for projects in the fields of innovation and project development, including the Dudley line.

"In the past a lot of EU money has gone towards infrastructure and we have seen those benefits across the region," he said.

"Now more of the focus is centred around innovation, employment skills and training. The very light rapid transit scheme in Dudley is one that might come under threat or be slowed down should EU funding no longer be available."

Around £4.5m of the project's funding has already been offered through the Local Growth Fund, with £9.4million to come from third party private sector investors and £13.9m from the European Regional Development Fund.

It's hoped the passenger service could open within the next five years.

The scheme would see two tracks laid on a disused freight line from Dudley Port to the town, with one used for the passenger service and the second for exclusive use by the tram developers.

Centro is supporting the plans, along with The Black Country Living Museum and Dudley Zoo.

The plans come alongside the extension of the Midland Metro service through Dudley to Brierley Hill, serving the Merry Hill shopping centre.

Dudley Train Station was closed to passengers around 60 years ago and the line to Dudley Port was then used as a freight line until the 1980s.

Pat McFadden MP, who represents Wolverhampton South East and is co-chair of the Labour In group, said the loss of EU funding would be detrimental to prosperity in the Black Country.

"Over the past couple of decades EU money has helped to fund some of the infrastructure projects in the area," he said. "This has been a big benefit and of course if we pull out of the EU we will have no recourse to European Regeneration funding in the future."

But West Midlands MEP Bill Etheridge, who is also a Dudley councillor, said coming out of the EU would allow the country to have greater control over how projects are funded without ' unnecessary interference from EU bureaucrats'.

Recently bosses at the University of Wolverhampton said membership of the EU had allowed the university to 'bring an enormous range of benefits' to the local economy and society.

Professor Geoff Layer, vice-chancellor of the city's university, said European grants totalling nearly £70m over the last 16 years had seen the university flourish and have a positive impact on communities around the West Midlands.