£30 million West Midlands bus plan due to come into operation to speed up travel between Walsall, Birmingham and Solihull

More than £30 million is to be pumped into finally getting a long awaited new West Midlands bus scheme into operation.

West Midlands Combined Authority’s Investment Board is being asked to approve funding for the full business case in purchasing vehicles for the Sprint project, when it meets on Monday (February 23).

A total of £26 million will be spent on buying 24 tram-like electric buses and charging infrastructure as well as a further £5.5 million on ticketing equipment.

The aim of the Sprint scheme is to make it quicker and easier to travel between Walsall, Birmingham and Solihull by bus via a continuous bus priority route along the A34 and A45.

Transport for West Midlands said passengers would be be able to easily switch between bus, metro and rail services along the route.

Bosses also said the new vehicles will have easier and faster boarding similar to trams, be accessible with plenty of space for wheelchairs/pushchairs, and provide an all round better passenger experience.

When the scheme was first announced in 2018, it was expected to be completed and open by the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

But the project has been hit with a series of delays due to factors including the Covid 19 pandemic and huge rises in costs.

Work on building the infrastructure such as new bus stops and implementing measures such as extending bus priority lanes and signalling have been carried out in the first phases.

West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker said: “These modern, tram-style buses will make the most of our dedicated Sprint lanes and priority junctions.

“It won’t be just a new service, it will be the region’s first continuous cross-city route in decades, cutting journey times between Walsall, Birmingham, and Solihull.

“By taking back control of the bus network, we are finally able to make the investment needed to provide the convenient, rapid and affordable services our residents deserve.”

The report to Investment Board said: “To date, £158m, has been spent on or committed to, delivering comprehensive bus priority and high-quality bus stop infrastructure, together with carriageway resurfacing along the Sprint corridor.

“Full realisation of the strategic vision for Sprint also includes tram-like articulated buses.

“This fleet will enhance the passenger experience as well as allow for more accessible and efficient boarding and alighting with multiple doors.”