Work to start on new £295m UK tram network set to 'transform' UK region

People surviving successful the West Midlands volition soon beryllium capable to usage the region's caller tram web (Image: Getty)

Construction has officially begun connected a long-awaited £295million enlargement of the West Midlands Metro, promising to importantly amended transport links crossed the Black Country.

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander marked the juncture by breaking crushed connected the task during a sojourn to the portion yesterday.

Funded done the UK government’s £1.05 cardinal City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement (CRSTS), the metro hold volition link Wednesbury to Brierley Hill for the archetypal time, providing faster and much reliable nationalist transport for thousands of residents.

Once complete, commuters volition payment from travel times up to 30% shorter than taking the bus, with greater reliability during highest hours.

The archetypal signifier of the project—linking Wednesbury to Dudley municipality centre—is already good underway and is acceptable to unfastened successful autumn 2025. The afloat hold to Brierley Hill volition follow, passing done cardinal locations specified arsenic Cinder Bank, Pedmore Road, and the Waterfront concern park, providing a large economical boost to section businesses.

The strategy has been funded done the Governmet's £1.05bn CRSTS (Image: Getty)

Many Black Country communities person agelong been underserved by nationalist transport, limiting entree to jobs, education, and economical opportunities. Speaking astatine the event, Ms Alexander said the metro enlargement would beryllium “transformational” for the region.

“Residents successful and astir the Black Country person been chronically underserved by nationalist transport, limiting entree to jobs and opportunities and stunting economical growth," she said. "We’re turning the tide connected mediocre transport connections successful the West Midlands and delivering a transport strategy that radical tin trust on, raising surviving standards crossed the region.”

The task is simply a cardinal portion of the government’s Growth Mission and aligns with the Devolution White Paper, which empowers section leaders to amended transport successful their areas. It besides forms portion of a wider £2.6 cardinal concern successful UK nationalist transport, including the transportation of caller ferries, enhancements to ports and harbours, and upgrades to ScotRail’s Intercity fleet.

During her visit, the Transport Secretary met with West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker and toured the historical Parkhead Viaduct successful Dudley, a 19th-century operation primitively designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel. The viaduct, which has stood unused for decades, volition beryllium restored arsenic portion of the caller metro route.

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said the enlargement volition beryllium 'transformation' for the portion (Image: Getty)

Mayor Richard Parker emphasised the semipermanent benefits of the task and said: "Good transport links are indispensable – helping radical get to school, work, section shops, and to bask a time out. Extending the Metro further into the Black Country opens up routes for occupation opportunities, skills, and growth, ensuring fast, reliable journeys for everyone crossed the West Midlands."

He continued: “Now that I person secured the backing from authorities and we’ve got the approvals needed, the enactment tin commencement to marque this long-awaited task a reality. The restoration of this viaduct shows however we tin support our region’s concern practice portion processing modern infrastructure."

The West Midlands Metro hold is expected to supply important economical and biology benefits:

• Boosting Local Businesses: The caller tram enactment volition amended connectivity to cardinal commercialized areas, attracting concern and expanding ft traffic.
• Supporting Green Transport: The enlargement aligns with net-zero c goals, encouraging nationalist transport usage and reducing congestion.
• Creating Jobs: The task is already generating employment opportunities and volition proceed to enactment section construction, engineering, and transport industries.

With enactment present underway, residents tin look guardant to a modern, businesslike transport strategy that volition link them to opportunities crossed the West Midlands. The adjacent large milestone volition beryllium the opening of the Wednesbury-to-Dudley enactment aboriginal this year, bringing the portion 1 measurement person to a much integrated and accessible transport network.