New West Midland Metro line back on track - but costs are up £100m
A West Midland Metro line from Wednesbury to Brierley Hill, serving attractions including Dudley Zoo and the Black Country Living Museum, is to go ahead – as it emerged costs have spiralled by more than £100 million.
Work is due to start this year, after the West Midlands Combined Authority put forward a new funding package to pay for the biggest project it has ever taken on.
The line will now cost £449m – up £106m – with the shortfall paid for by profits from the Metro, which the WMCA has run since last year. It is set to open in 2023.
It will see 16 new trams operate on a 6.8-mile route, passing through Merry Hill, Dudley town centre, Tipton, and Dudley Port railway station along its 17 stops.
Regeneration
West Midlands Mayor Andy Street said: “This goes through the northern part of Sandwell and into the heart of Dudley, really helping the regeneration of Dudley town centre, and all the way to Brierley Hill.
“The idea is that those communities along the line’s 17 stops will be connected into the job opportunities in Birmingham city centre and in Wolverhampton. This is about linking as many people as possible to the economic opportunities on offer in the region.”
A new depot will be built as part of the scheme, provisionally in Sandwell.
The route, which has been discussed for decades, will run on abandoned railway line in the north and along road in the south.
Bosses are set to sign off on the plans at a WMCA meeting later this month.
