Government official checks on progress of Midland Metro expansion in Dudley
The leader of the House of Commons visited Dudley today to examine progress on the Wednesbury to Brierley Hill Metro expansion.
Penny Mourdaunt was joined by West Midlands mayor Andy Street, leader of Dudley Council Patrick Harley and West Bromwich East MP Nicola Richards to see some of the tram tracks being laid in Flood Street, the future terminus of phase of the scheme.
The visit came after Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) welcomed a £2.7 billion investment into the region’s transport infrastructure to fund a wide range of improvements to transport infrastructure.
An immediate £100 million of funding will enable TfWM, to complete the second phase of the extension in full, taking trams from Dudley town centre to Brierley Hill High Street.
The Midland Metro Alliance, which is designing and delivering the scheme on behalf of TfWM has been working in the Black Country town in phases since 2020 with the majority of track work now in place and the final elements in Flood Street set to be completed in the coming months.
Throughout next year,, 860 tonnes of track will be laid in the former railway corridor which makes up the majority of phase one of the route.
Andy Street said: “It’s great to see such tremendous progress being made on this much anticipated route – with funding now confirmed from government to enable us to extend the metro route all the way through to Brierley Hill High Street.
"Large-scale public transport projects like this play a pivotal role in boosting our regional economy – creating highly skilled jobs and training opportunities for local people.
"I cannot wait to see residents benefitting from this fantastic new infrastructure in the months and years ahead.”
Patrick Harley added: “The Wednesbury to Brierley Hill Metro extension is just one of the major projects being developed across the borough to improve the life and prospects of those living, working and visiting Dudley.
"It was exciting to see the terminus for phase one of the route really taking shape ready for passengers to experience it late next year.”
Marilyn Grazette, the Metro programme sponsor for TfWM, said: “It is an exciting time in the delivery of this scheme with phase one delivery continuing to move at pace.
"Those in Dudley will start to see how the new route will look when in operation with the finishing touches added over the coming months.”
The first phase of the route is expected to open to the public late next year, with an additional nine stops being added to the West Midlands Metro network.
