The latest Wolverhampton City Council city centre action plan has seemingly revived plans for a Midland Metro extension to serve New Cross Hospital. Originally on the table as part of the Five Ws line (which would have connected Wolverhampton, Wednesfield, Willenhall, Walsall and Wednesbury) the plans had seemingly been abandoned but the plan from Wolverhampton City Council, which is looking ahead to the 2015-2026 period, is looking at whether the idea of running trams to New Cross is feasible.<\/p>\n
Cllr Peter Bilson, Wolverhampton City Council deputy leader, said: \u201cThere are a lot of discussions about connecting the region from east to west and that includes links across the Black Country as well as further afield to places like Nottingham and Derby. We have already secured a commitment for the Metro extension to the railway station and bus station. The further extension to Wednesfield and to Walsall is being reviewed. Personally I would like to see it go on to Wednesfield and Walsall as it would be a great asset to the community – especially for staff and patients needing to get to New Cross. This is part of our long-term vision but we have to see whether it is deemed a priority for the region and whether the funding is there and whether it is cost-effective.”<\/p>\n
At the current point in time there is absolutely no funding or detailed plans on the table for the line but the West Midlands Integrated Transport Authority are to look at the idea to see whether it is worth pursuing. When the plans were last looked at it was expected the full line would cost \u00a390 million but that was over 10 years ago so today\u2019s figure is likely to be a lot higher.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The latest Wolverhampton City Council city centre action plan has seemingly revived plans for a Midland Metro extension to serve New Cross Hospital. Originally on the table as part of the Five Ws line (which would have connected Wolverhampton, Wednesfield, … Continue reading