Express & Star

Crucial new junction will mean Easter disruption for Metro services

The Wednesbury-Birmingham stretch of the West Midlands Metro will close for more than two weeks over Easter to allow for major works at its junction with the new Dudley line.

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Tom Mablethorpe of Midland Metro Alliance, with mayor Andy Street, Councillor Peter Hughes and Sophie Allison, managing director of West Midlands Metro

There will be no trams between Birmingham and Wednesbury from March 23 to April 9 to allow for the tracks to be connected between the existing Birmingham-Wolvehrampton line, and the new extension which will run from Wednesbury to Brierley Hill, via Dudley town centre.

There will also be some disruption to evening services between Wednesbury and Edgbaston Village while Sandwell Council demolishes and replaces the Dudley Street bridge, which spans the Metro line near the Dudley Street Guns Village stop. This work will continue for up to a further six weeks after Easter.

The operator stressed that services from Wolverhampton-Wednesbury would not be affected by any of the disruption.

The West Bromwich-Birmingham stretch of the line will be subject to a further closure on May 5 to allow for the installation of bridge parapets. Trams will operate as normal between Wolverhampton and Black Lake, where a replacement bus service will continue the journey into Birmingham.

The 'delta junction' at Wednesbury, a 20ft concrete ramp joining the new, low-level line to Dudley with the existing higher-level Wolverhampton-Birmingham route, is now nearing completion.