West Midlands transport review recommends major changes to help deliver projects on time and on budget

An independent review of transport projects in the West Midlands, including several new railway stations, has made a series of recommendations designed to improve governance and streamline the process of building new infrastructure and delivering it on time and on budget.

The review carried out by consulting group Arup, was ordered by the new Mayor of the West Midlands, Richard Parker, following delays and cost overruns to several projects.

Parker, who was elected in May this year said that he was concerned about a number of “significant issues” that had been brought to his attention regarding funding, delivery and delays to major transport projects.

Arup gathered data and consulted project managers involved with several schemes including plans to open new stations on Birmingham’s Camp Hill line, a new West Midlands Metro line from Wednesbury to Brierley Hill and a new station at Aldridge near Walsall. It’s understood that several schemes are considered to be at high risk of going even further over budget.

The first stage of the review has made eight recommendations to be implemented over several phases, either within six months, between six months and two years, or more than two years. They include a new approach to governance and a delivery focused leadership approach. It also recommends change to information and reporting requirements, following, what authors call, ‘data gaps’ on some projects.  

On funding issues, the review highlights what it terms “strategic blockers” imposed by the funding requirements of the Department for Transport and calls for a study into “key structural blockers” and “untapped opportunities.”

While funding for the new West Midlands Metro line has now been secured as far as Dudley’s Merry Hill Shopping centre following the Budget last month, cash for other projects, including the station at Aldridge, seems less certain. The review has suggested that the new station represents poor value for money with a BCR of just 1.

In a letter to council leaders in the West Midlands, seen by Rail, Mayor Richard Parker said the review highlighted “significant challenges” that had accumulated over time stemming from “decisions made at the political level both locally and nationally.” He also talked about what he called “unrealistic political commitments”, made in the past.

The review will now be considered by the West Midlands Combined Authority board, which may decide to commission further work from Arup.