MIDLAND METRO EXTENSION WORK WELCOMED
Sandwell councillors have welcomed work to clear land ahead of the proposed multi-million pound extension of the Midland Metro from Wednesbury to Brierley Hill.
Councillor Paul Moore, Sandwell Council’s cabinet member for regeneration and economic investment, said: “We have been pushing for this much-needed extension to the Midland Metro through the West Midlands Combined Authority. “I am delighted to see this initial on-the-ground work is taking place for a scheme that will ultimately bring great opportunities for Sandwell and the rest of the Black Country. “This line will be nearly seven miles long and has the potential to open up a huge regeneration corridor through Hill Top, Great Bridge and Tipton. “It will also provide job opportunities and link residents to the wider rail network, helping to connect people to jobs right across the region and beyond.” The Midland Metro Alliance, working on behalf of West Midlands Combined Authority, is clearing vegetation from overgrown areas of the disused former South Staffordshire Railway line.
Work started on Monday on the line at Bagnall Street, Tipton.
The ground clearance will mean engineers can then carry out comprehensive structural and environmental surveys. It is anticipated the construction of the 6.8-mile route will begin during 2019 and the route will open for passenger service in 2023.
Clearing vegetation should take around two weeks.
All residents and businesses that may be directly affected by the works have been informed. Councillor Elaine Costigan, Wednesbury town lead member, added: “The Metro extension is good news for Wednesbury, and is set to link up the town to other parts of the Black Country and bring new job and regeneration opportunities to the whole area. “It’s great to see this clearance work being carried out now to prepare for construction work that’s expected to start on the route in a couple of years’ time.” The Midland Metro runs between Birmingham’s New Street Station and Wolverhampton city centre. The Wednesbury to Brierley Hill extension will run largely along an existing, disused, heavy rail corridor. It will deviate from this corridor to access Dudley town centre, Merry Hill and the terminus at Brierley Hill.
The route is 6.8 miles (or 11 kilometres) long, and there are 17 stops, including five provisional stops.
The route of the proposed scheme branches off the existing Line 1, east of the existing depot at Wednesbury.
Work is already now under way extending the Midland Metro route from New Street Station to Centenary Square, with services expected to start running in 2019/20. Funding has also been earmarked for the line to go further along Broad Street, past Five Ways and on to Edgbaston (Hagley Road) by 2021.
The route of an extension through Digbeth in Birmingham has also been chosen, running from Bull Street via Albert Street and on to the forthcoming HS2 high speed rail station at Curzon Street. From there it would go along New Canal Street and Meriden Street into High Street Deritend, stopping at Digbeth Coach Station and the Custard Factory.