Businesses welcome full funding announcement for Brierley Hill town centre tram extension
Businesses have welcomed confirmation that the completion of the West Midlands Metro tram line to Brierley Hill town centre will be among the public transport projects which will now receive full funding.
Details were revealed last week of £2.7 billion worth of public transport projects in the West Midlands following the cancellation of the HS2 northern line.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced that he was scrapping the high-speed rail line from the West Midlands to Manchester, and diverting the £36 billion saved into transport schemes in the Midlands and North.
Transport for West Midlands, part of the West Midlands Combined Authority, will received an immediate £100 million investment for existing tram extensions, including the final phase the Wednesbury to Brierley Hill Metro route.
Firms in Brierley Hill High Street have welcomed the announcement, although some say they remain cautious and fear trade could suffer while the line is being built.
Brierley Hill market manager Steve Bridgwater said better connections would help give trade a boost.
He said: "It's going to be good for the town and bring more people in. People will be able to walk straight into the back of the market."
