New stations, direct trains and high-speed bendy buses - the £6.5bn vision for future of West Midlands transport

The proposals are part of a West Midlands wide plan to improve the transport network and make the most of the high speed rail line.

If the money is secured from councils and the government for the 20-year project passengers will see rapid transit buses, similar to types used in France and Sweden, connect the city to the i54, where Jaguar Land Rover is based.

The first phase of the programme would see the buses– that are similar to trams – rolled out in the Hagley Road area of Quinton, potentially creating better links for the Stourbridge commuter corridor.

The scheme is also being eyed up by Dudley and Sandwell Councils for Midland Metro connections via Brierley Hill and Dudley.

Other improvements will include long-awaited direct train services between Walsall and Wolverhampton – which will become main interchanges – and between Walsall and Stourbridge.

New rail stations are proposed for Willenhall, Darlaston, Brownhills, Aldridge and Streetly; as well as Alrewas near Lichfield, in Staffordshire, to serve the National Memorial Arboretum, while congestion-busting changes are in the pipeline for the M6 and M5 junctions, and efforts to increase use of the M6 Toll from Laney Green near Cannock to Coleshill.

The draft West Midlands Strategic Transport Plan was unveiled in Wolverhampton at the first of a series of public consultation meetings.

The three-tier vision is for rail, metro, light rail and sprints linked on a single network integrated with bus services in the main towns and cities. It will be underpinned by park and ride, whole system tickets and information.

Integrated Transport Authority transport manager Jake Thrush said: "The scheme would cost around £6.5bn for everything from pothole filling to creating metro lines. The region currently spends £130m on capital transport per year while Greater Manchester currently spends £310m per year. This is an issue for the combined authority and how it can get the West Midlands to punch its weight as a region."

But Roger Davis, of Stourbridge Line User Group told the meeting while he welcomed many of the ideas he had concerns about the introduction of bendy buses that have been scrapped in other parts of the country.

"We are using bendy buses with cladding which I imagine are quite expensive. The problem is they fail in a number of places. They were thrown out of London very quickly when Boris Johnson came to power. They are being replaced by normal buses.

"The problem is they take up a lot of space on the road. Sprints are only going to work if the road infrastructure is going to support it."

Documents included in the proposal state: "Better transport will serve economic growth in the West Midlands by widening labour markets, unlocking sites for development, providing attractive centres for business locations, giving people access to skills, education and training, encouraging high value growth clusters – reducing business costs for links from suppliers to producers to markets and important aspect of the economy with its prized manufacturing assets.

"High Speed Rail Two is the biggest national transport scheme in decades, and the West Midlands will ensure that the opportunities for growth this presents will be maximised."

This will be by effectively "plugging-in" Birmingham Curzon Street and Interchange High Speed Rail Stations in the metropolitan area to local transport networks through the HS2 Connectivity Programme," the draft states.

Transport chiefs say the proposals are also aimed at creating opportunities for residents to travel to jobs and activities across the Midlands. And they say the thinking is that commuters will be able to get to three main towns or the cities within 45 minutes in the morning peak time.

Other public sessions will be at Sandwell Council House, in Freeth Street, Oldbury,on Tuesday; Birmingham Council House on Thursday, followed by Dudley Council House, in Priory Road, on September 21; and Walsall Council House, Lichfield Street, on September 28. Consultation is also being held in Coventry and Solihull.

Integrated Transport Authority chairman Councillor Roger Lawrence and leader of Wolverhampton City Council said: "These plans allow each constituent local authority within the West Midlands to develop individual strategies to suit their needs yet which also fit in with this bigger picture for the region.

"Transport plays a vital part in the prosperity of this region, both now and in the future, and I would urge people to let us know what they think."