An important milestone in the expansion of West Midlands Metro will be reached over Easter, and plans are in place to minimise inconvenience to customers while the new line to Brierley Hill is connected to the existing network. Starting from Saturday, March 23, until Tuesday, April 9 (inclusive) there will be no tram services between Wednesbury and Edgbaston Village as the Midland Metro Alliance (MMA), working on behalf of Transport for West Midlands (TfWM), begins complex trackwork to connect the network.
At the same time, and to minimise disruption for customers, Sandwell Council will also take the opportunity to complete the demolition and construction of Dudley Street bridge which spans the Metro line near the Dudley Street Guns Village stop. These works will continue during the night between Sunday and Thursday each week from 11 April until 16 May (inclusive). To ensure the safety of the team, there will be no services between Black Lake and Edgbaston Village tram stops from approximately 20:00 on these evenings. There are no changes to services on Fridays and Saturdays during this period.
The new infrastructure is being delivered by Midland Metro Alliance, the organisation designing and delivering Metro expansions on behalf of Transport for West Midlands (TFWM). When completed, it will stand over 6.2m tall and serve as the junction between the new extension and the existing operational route.
Sophie Allison, Managing Director of West Midlands Metro, said: “We understand the impact that these essential works will have on our customers and appreciate their patience during this period of disruption. We have used this opportunity to plan in some of our infrastructure investment works which will ensure that we are able to continue to provide a safe and secure, reliable and sustainable service for the many people who rely upon us every day. An enhanced timetable will also be in place from Wednesday 10 April, when customers will be able to enjoy a more frequent service throughout the day. We are looking forward to being able to connect even more communities as we take one step closer to being able to deliver a service to Dudley town centre.”
We are committed to keeping our customers moving between Wednesbury and Birmingham. Metro tickets and passes will be valid on the following alternative transport options outlined below:
National Express (NX) bus services:
- NX47 between Wednesbury bus station and West Bromwich
- NX79 between Wednesbury bus station and West Bromwich*
- NX74 between West Bromwich and Birmingham City Centre*
- NX101 between Handsworth and Colmore Row, Birmingham City Centre
- NX80 between West Bromwich and Five Ways, Birmingham
- All services between Colmore Row and Edgbaston
For more details and route maps pls click here.
West Midlands Metro is working closely with the MMA, TFWM and Sandwell Council to help minimise disruption while the works are underway and has teamed up with them to provide the following advice:
- Plan ahead and leave more time for your journeys, especially if you usually use the tram to travel to and from Birmingham, as you’ll need more time for your journey.
- Follow us on @wmmetro for real-time updates.
- Consider working from home, if possible, during the works.
- Consider a change to how you travel – such as travelling using an alternative mode or walking or cycling for shorter journeys
- To receive the Metro travel advice toolkit, kindly reach out via email at behaviourchangehub@tfwm.org.uk.
