With spring now upon us and longer days, progress is truly being made on the construction of the West Midlands Metro extension to Dudley. Now known as the Black Country line, it is due to open as far as Flood Street in Dudley by the end of 2025, but there does still remain plenty of work to be completed before we can be confident that will happen. In this update we see more overhead masts going in and progress on the construction of various tramstops. Andy Walters with the images.
In the distance we can see contractors continuing to install the overhead masts in preparation for the future stringing of the overhead wires. Overhead masts and wire supports are now in place from just off the ramp at Tipton Junction (where the extension diverges from the Birmingham-Wolverhampton line) until just before Great Bridge.
With Dudley Castle dominating in the background work is now underway on Dudley Bus Station, seen beyond the tramstop here. Good progress has been made on the tramstop too although more is to be done.
The one stop which hadn’t had work commence was at Dudley Port. But that has now changed with the first evidence of exactly where the platforms will be situated now obvious.
And this is Tipton Road where the platforms seem complete, including shelters. Work is underway on a lift shaft but track laying has yet to get underway. (All Photographs by Andy Walters, 19th March 2025)