The official word from the Midland Metro Alliance remains that the next West Midlands Metro extension between Wednesbury and Dudley will see its first passengers in 2024 (this is phase one of the Brierley Hill line). With this in mind a lot of work remains to be completed in the next 10-11 months or so, not just limited to significant tracklaying but also the construction of the nine new stops due in this phase. In this pictorial article we head out to see the current state of things at a couple of planned stops on the line.
The Brierley Hill line is due to be built in two phases. The first phase will see up to nine new stops provided between Wednesbury and Flood Street in Dudley. This will then be followed by phase two which will see at least five more stops constructed between Flood Street and Brierley Hill. The total length of the completed extension will be 11km.
The first new stop after the line leaves the current route at Wednesbury will be at Great Bridge and this view shows us looking towards Wednesbury at the location of the stop. With evidence of heavy rain we can see that the trackbed is being prepared for the eventual laying of tracks with the stop construction also awaited.
The next stop along the line as it heads towards Dudley will be at Horseley Road which is where this second photo was taken. Viewed toward Dudley Port (which is the next stop along the line) again there has already been work on preparing the trackbed with earthworks also having taken place. The laying of tracks and construction of platforms is still waited for. (Both Photographs by Chris Allsop-Buckler, 7th January 2024)
If I was a gambler I would bet right nut that we eventually see trams running mid 2025.
2025 !
You abovosley have not seen all of the route from wednesbury to Dudley .
The delta junction at wednesbury is not finished , no track or over head poles have been put down , a new bridge needs to be built ( a large one ) at sedgley over Birmingham road ,
Dudley a bit of a mess up there ,none of the footings for stops have been built or started
the depot sidings aren’t built at the depot or a rail connection from the depot to the line started , the route will need to be tested over head , track , the route certification for passinger use , safety drills mock accidents done , drivers trained in the route ,then you got to find the staff to work on them ( there always short of staff for the wolvs – Edgbaston route
Please correct me if I am mistaken but I believe that they will be using battery power on this line so no overhead needed.
I believe it will be a mix of overhead a battery running,
Well, I wish them all speed to open it later this year, but my impression is an enormous amount of civils along the route from Wednesbury to Dudley. The street section in Dudley may well get finished before the old railway route, which must have seriously deteriorated after abandonment of freight trains in 1993, 30 years of left to rot!