Increased costs have been blamed for the decision to split the construction of the West Midlands Metro extension to Brierley Hill into two phases. The news of the re-phasing of the scheme was first unveiled in local media and has now been confirmed on the Midland Metro Alliance website – although not in a press release but just on the project overview page. It has also been confirmed that trams won’t start running on the extension until 2024 – a delay from the previous 2023 date.
The story was first broken in the Wolverhampton Express and Star after leaders at the West Midlands Combined Authority voted to split the project in two phases at a recent meeting. The costs of the full scheme have increased from £449 million to £550 million since the project was approved in 2019 and its said that there is a £290 million funding shortfall.
The project will now be delivered in two phases – probably:
- Phase 1 – Wednesbury to Flood Street with nine new stops at Great Bridge, Horseley Road, Dudley Port, Sedgley Road, Birmingham New Road, Tipton Road, Dudley Castle, Dudley Bus Station and Flood Street
- Phase 2 – Flood Street to Brierley Hill with new stops at Cinder Bank, Pedmore Road, Canal Street, Waterfront, Merry Hill and Brierley Hill
Whilst the page on the Midland Metro Alliance website gives an opening date of 2024 for the first phase, its less certain for phase two with the phrase “at the earliest opportunity” used.
The only official public statement on the decision to split the project is also on the Midland Metro Alliance website: “This phased approach is due to a combination of factors including a rise in construction and energy costs, at the same time as a reduction in the farebox income as a result of the Covid pandemic.”
Phase one is set to cost £385 million to complete with £194 million spent so far. Progress seen so far has included the first track laid on Castle Hill in Dudley as well as the replacement of various bridges with more modern structures.
Presumably the order of more trams – CAF Urbos 100s – will also be altered by this project rephasing, although its not yet known how this will be impacted.
Seeing this bad news, it looks like the effects of the economic downturn will lead to the cancellation of the few meagre projects this country has for rail transport. But this is not new, for the UK’s failure over decades to provide a transport service equal to France and other western modern countries is sadly all too obvious.