The Wolverhampton Express and Star have recently run a story where they have received confirmation from Transport for West Midlands that a public service will not get underway on the Black Country line to Dudley until 2026. Already delayed due to funding concerns, it had been planned that it would open in late 2025 but with construction works not fully completed yet it would now appear that you will have to wait a few more months to take the tram into Dudley.
The Black Country line (once known as the Wednesbury-Brierley Hill line but considering there is no funding to get it as far as Brierley Hill currently the official name change was revealed earlier this year) is already being constructed in two phases. Phase one – which is the part which had been due to open later this year – will see nine new stops added to the West Midlands Metro network as it runs between a new delta junction at Wednesbury to Flood Street in Dudley. Then coming later (construction work is underway and a 2028 start date is envisaged) will go through to Merry Hill Shopping Centre with a further five stops.
In a recent update on the Midland Metro Alliance website it is stated that construction work is approaching an end for phase one. All structures have now been installed, whilst work to finish track and infrastructure installation is well underway. There will be some overnight works on Castle Hill later in October and Birmingham New Road is also due to see overnight work on 16th and 17th October for planning and resurfacing works.
Work has also progressed on phase two with trial hole work beginning on the verge of Duncan Edwards Way ahead of piling activity which needs to take place before track installation. There will be a work embargo around Merry Hill Shopping Centre between 27th October 2025 and 12th January 2026).
The Express and Star article states that it is planned that public services will start as early as possible in 2026, although no guarantees of dates are given from an Transport for West Midlands spokesperson. A full commissioning, testing and training process will need to take place once construction is finished and although that is expected to be within the next month or so, it will take some time to do the commissioning hence why 2025 is now not going to be met.
The start of the new line is at Wednesbury where a delta junction – to be known as Tipton Junction – has been installed. This will allow trams to go onto the line from both the Birmingham and Wolverhampton directions. This view is the Birmingham side of the junction. (Photograph by Ken Jones, 9th October 2025)