HS2 money 'will allow Brierley Hill tram link to be completed'

A source at the West Midlands Combined Authority said discussions about how the money will be used will take place over the next couple of weeks.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak told the Conservative Party conference on Thursday that some of the money saved from scrapping the HS2 link to Manchester would be used to 'complete' the West Midlands Metro link. But the early signs are that this will simply mean completing the proposed route to Brierley Hill town centre, and it is unlikely that there will be any further expansion of the system in the immediate future.

The Wednesbury-Brierley Hill tram link was originally due to open in its entirety this year, but rising costs led to the announcement last year that the scheme would be broken down into different stages.

The first phase, from Wednesbury to Dudley town centre, is due to be open next year. Funding has now been secured for a second line, which will run to the Waterfront business park in Brierley Hill, which will open 'as soon as possible'. Dudley Council will fund a third stretch, which will connect to the Merry Hill shopping centre. The Prime Minister's announcement now means it will be able to complete the link into the centre of Brierley Hill.

While no decisions have yet been made, it is thought to be unlikely that the money will be sufficient to fund any significant further expansion of the network.

Extending the Metro to north Solihull has been identified as a priority, but it is thought unlikely that the budget would stretch to that.

Other previous schemes include the '5Ws', which would have linked Wednesbury and Wolverhampton to Wednesfield, Willenhall and Walsall, as well as a smaller scheme that would run from Wolverhampton to New Cross Hospital. However, it is thought unlikely that sufficient funding will be available in the foreseeable future.