West Midlands targets tram extensions

£3.4 billion of tram extensions and new suburban rail lines, as well as other transport improvements, were approved by the West Midlands Combined Authority on September 8.

Schemes include extending Midland Metro to Birmingham Curzon Street HS2 station, then through Digbeth and north Solihull to Birmingham Airport/ HS2 interchange. It will also be extended between Brierley Hill, Dudley and Wednesbury.

The Camp Hill Chords railway project involves returning passenger trains to the Camp Hill line, which last had stopping trains in 1941. This is designed to open new suburban lines for areas including Castle Vale and Castle Bromwich, as well as Moseley and Kings Heath.

A new heavy rail connection is planned from Walsall to Wolverhampton, with new stations at Willenhall and James Bridge.

Also, Coventry station will be redeveloped, while there are plans to improve transport connections between Blythe Valley Business Park, Solihull town centre and the airport/HS2 Interchange station.

The WMCA approved the plans prepared by Transport for West Midlands, the WMCA’s transport division, with the plans set to come to fruition by 2026.

It is the first part of a longerterm, 20-year vision designed to unlock the economic potential of the region.

Roger Lawrence, leader of City of Wolverhampton Council and lead member for the WMCA, said: “Transport is key as we work to ensure the West Midlands punches its weight nationally and globally.”

He said that HS2 (due to open in 2026) would bring the area closer to London and the UK’s other big cities.

The first delivery of the long-term strategic transport plan is based on two principles: ensuring all parts of the West Midlands are “plugged in” to the two HS2 stations, and steering transport investment into priority corridors for new jobs and homes. The latter were identified by WMCA and related to local authority priority areas.