Transport Secretary visits West Midlands Metro to confirm funds for extension

Full-scale construction on the West Midlands Metro line from Dudley to the Merry Hill Shopping Centre is due to begin soon.

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander visited the area on February 6 and confirmed that additional funding has been made available for the construction of the line.

Although building work on the first phase of the route from Wednesbury to Dudley town centre began three years ago, the start on a further extension to Merry Hill was delayed because of a lack of funds.

The extension will cost £295 million to build, and West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker admitted that it’s taken too long to get the scheme under way.

“I’m delighted that we are now starting the work. When the route is complete it will help connect Dudley to the railway network and the rest of the West Midlands,” he said.

During her visit, the Transport Secretary viewed strengthening work that had been carried out on the Parkhead Viaduct, an iconic 19th century structure built by Isambard Kingdom Brunel, ahead of its new use on the tram route (RAIL 1023).

It used to form part of the route of the old Oxford, Worcester and Wolverhampton railway, which closed to passengers in the 1960s.

Plans to build a metro line from Wednesbury to Brierley Hill have been around for more than 25 years, but only received the go-ahead as part of a devolution deal sign by the West Midlands Combined Authority. Cost escalations have been blamed on COVID and inflation.

Alexander said: “A tram network is undoubtedly more expensive than bus rapid transit, but it’s less expensive than heavy rail investment.

“We’re stood next to the Parkhead Viaduct, a beautiful heritage asset which decades ago had trains running on it. I think it’s fantastic that in a few years’ time we will have trams running over this old railway viaduct.”

The first phase of the Black Country extension to Flood Street in Dudley is due to open later this year.

The next section of the route from Dudley to Merry Hill is expected to open in around three years’ time.

Funding for the final section of the route to Brierley Hill town centre has yet to be secured.