Back on track after too many years of neglect
FOR decades the West Midlands suffered from chronic under-investment. We failed to champion our region collectively and as a consequence lost out on funding time and time again to the likes of London and Manchester.
One of the most obvious repercussions of this was our transport network, which stagnated as others revolutionised.
But recent years have changed all that and now finally we are pulling together as a region to fight for common goals.
This approach, which casts party politics aside, has already produced some great victories with the region being named the first 5G test bed and winning the bid to host the Commonwealth Games in 2022.
However, the area where our new approach has seen the biggest impact is transport.
The region is committing more than £4 billion to transport infrastructure – and the results are beginning to be seen.
Our Midland Metro network is undergoing a major expansion with agreement to have trams travelling to Brierley Hill and eventually to Birmingham Airport ; our buses are becoming some of the greenest and most hi-tech in the country; and we are re-opening old railway lines and building new stations to better improve rail connectivity.
This is on top of the new West Midlands Trains’ timetable launched in May offering improved services including more frequent evening trains.
To further emphasise just how fast our transport revolution is moving, in the last two weeks alone we have announced the following:
■ A brand-new University Station featuring modern passenger facilities and platforms in time for the Commonwealth Games.
■ £15 million funding from the Department of Transport towards opening stations at Moseley, Kings Heath and Hazelwell (Stirchley) as part of our commitment to re-open the Camp Hill line to passengers, offering a direct service into Birmingham New Street.
■ £10 million funding, again from the Government, to help open stations at Darlaston and Willenhall in the Black Country as part of our plans to re-open the Walsall to
Wolverhampton line by the end of 2021.
■ A 600-space multi-storey park and ride facility at Longbridge Station to replace the previous 100-space offering that was regularly full before 8am.
■ A new tram stop at Victoria Square as part of the Westside Metro extension out from Grand Central to Five Ways.
Of course these announcements are by no means the end of the line, and there is plenty more still to come.
We have grand visions for the Midland Metro network and we need to make sure Sprint – our rapid bus network – is operating along the Walsall and Coventry Roads in Birmingham in time for the Commonwealth Games.
But crucial to all these improvements is HS2, which is underpinning all of our planning.
With existing train lines running at practically full capacity, HS2 will allow us to move high-speed trains onto a new line, creating space on our network for regional and local services. It is critical to the ongoing revival of the region that HS2 goes ahead – a point I have made personally to the new Prime Minister.
We must see this transport revolution as a golden opportunity to not only update our outdated network, but to connect communities and drive inclusive growth.
The extension of London’s Jubilee line is a fine example of this, as it propelled the regeneration of Southwark and East London.
We have similar visions for areas in our region, including the East Birmingham to Solihull metro route, and Walsall to Wolverhampton rail corridor.
It is imperative our transport funding drives growth throughout the whole region, not just in our city centres.
We also cannot expect the West Midlands to be a serious player on the world stage if we do not have a transport system to match our ambition.
Not only do we need state-of-theart connectivity to help improve our economic output, but it is also key to attracting new businesses and workers to our region.
I believe we are making great strides, as recent data confirms that more people left London for the West Midlands last year than anywhere else in the country.
This is on top of major businesses making the move, such as HSBC UK who cite HS2 as one of the main factors in their relocation.
Finally we must recognise how important our transport network is in supporting the environment.
Climate change is one of the biggest issues facing us as a region, and is a serious threat to future generations.
The West Midlands Combined Authority has declared a climate emergency and set a target of becoming carbon neutral by no later than 2041, but we must now put a plan into action as to how we are going to achieve that.
Around a third of the region’s air pollution comes from our roads, and so any successful climate change plan is going to have to include encouraging people out of their cars and onto public transport.
The signs that people are willing to make the switch to public transport are overwhelmingly positive.
Latest figures show our rail usage is up 8.3 per cent, metro usage is up 3.5 per cent, and bus usage is up one per cent. Commuters are voting with their feet and bucking national trends, particularly around bus use.
There is no doubt we are playing catch-up, but our transport revolution is on the right track.
We cannot expect the West Midlands to be a serious player on the world stage if we do not have a transport system to match our ambition.