Express & Star comment: Vital Midland Metro must stay on track

After a slow start following its launch shortly before the turn of the century, the line from Wolverhampton to Birmingham has boasted impressive usage figures as it increased in popularity year-on-year.

This has been partly to do with its reach, as trams stop in places across the Black Country that are not well served by the rail network.

However, new figures showing a fall in passenger numbers are cause for concern.

The network saw a nine per cent drop in customers in January, compared to the same month last year, while weekend travel has been hit particularly badly.

The number of passengers on Saturday was down 18 per cent, and Sunday saw a 20 per cent fall.

Bosses put the decline in passenger numbers down to last year's replacement track works on Bilston Road, which caused havoc for six months for commuters and business owners alike.

While such upheaval will undoubtedly have had an impact on usage of the line, the question must now be how to get those passengers back?

The service has effectively lost more than 50,000 customers in the space of a year.

It would be foolish to assume that they will all simply return now the tracks have been relaid.

We should remember that the Metro has not been without its controversies over the years.

In December Metro trams only covered 92 per cent of scheduled kilometres, which the firm rather politely attributed to 'driver availability issues'.

Meanwhile Wolverhampton city centre is in the process of being carved up for a line extension that is viewed by many as being unneeded.

It is clear that the Midland Metro is considered to be integral to the future of transport in the region, with a new line from Wednesbury to Brierley Hill in the works.

But those behind these ambitious schemes must not rest on their laurels and assume that passengers will always be there.

People can very quickly change their habits, particularly when there are more options than ever as far as transport is concerned.

The Midland Metro must ensure that its success story does not have an unhappy ending.