In the news that will probably come as a surprise to absolutely no-one, the opening of the first stage of the West Midlands Metro Black Country line extension is set to be delayed. The end of August 2026 date will now not be met with no new date set although Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) officials are saying it should be by the end of the year.
In January 2026 it was unusually announced that the extension between Wednesbury and Dudley would open on 28th August 2026 – for an exact date to be announced that far out very rarely happens, and for good reason as we are seeing now!
In reports through the Local Democracy Reporting service it is now stated that the interim Director of TfWM, Sandeed Shingadia, has told Cllr Patrick Harley (who is Leader of Dudley Council) that the August opening date will be missed because of what has been described as “adverse movement” in the overall project timescale. Much of this latest delay is said to be because of delays with signalling commissioning.
The update does confirm that all construction works on the line – which leaves the current Birmingham-Wolverhampton line at Wednesbury and goes as far as Flood Street in Dudley – have now apparently been completed and that they have started the extensive testing and commissioning process.
To say that Cllr Harley has not taken the news well is a understatement. In emails sent to Sandeed Shingadia he said: “This is completely unacceptable. Yet another delay. Excuse after excuse.
“This is wearing very thin now. All you have done since before Covid is create a car park for people to park on Castle Hill. At least we get a revenue from today with the tickets the inspectors hand out.”
“Apart from that I am just in complete dismay at the incompetence and inability of you guys to deliver a project on time and within budget.
“Whoever is accepting responsibility for this shambles only needs to do one thing – clear your desk.”
A spokesperson from TfWM is quoted as saying: “We understand why people are eager to see the new tram route opened. It will bring a major economic boost to Dudley town centre and communities along the line.
“As the longest light rail route currently being delivered in the UK, this is a hugely complex project. It has required repairing Victorian infrastructure, navigating unpredictable ground conditions, and working within a busy town centre.
“The good news is that construction is now finished and we are in an extensive testing and commissioning phase, involving external partner organisations and industry regulators. Testing will require traffic and tram movements to be carefully monitored and managed.
“Our priority through this phase is to ensure that we can guarantee a safe and reliable service for passengers.”
The wait now goes on for trams to run into Dudley. Beyond the current terminus at Flood Street, work is already underway on phase two which will see trams head towards Merry Hill.