Wednesbury to Brierley Hill: work starts next year

[Stu]

Express & Star report that works on the new Wednesbury to Brierley Hill Metro line will start in 2017:
http://www.expressandstar.com/news/transport-news/2016/10/03/midland-metro-extension-work-across-the-black-country-will-begin-next-year/

It is set to be the first project to be completed under the new West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA). Doesn't say when it will be completed though!

[Stuharris 6360]

That's a surprise, I thought it would have been quietly forgotten about!

[mikestone]

Since when has it been seven miles from Wednesbury to Great Bridge. Presumably it should read Merry Hill?

[Stu]

Since when has it been seven miles from Wednesbury to Great Bridge. Presumably it should read Merry Hill?

Like the Birmingham Mail, E&S never let facts get in the way of a good story!  ;)

[karl724223]

Wonder what will happen to merry hill bus station now as there was a metro /bus interchange planned originally

[Westy]

Well that will slightly bugger up our lunchtime walks!

(Would love a stop near to Golds Hill Way in Great Bridge though!)

[the trainbasher]

Why can't they just put a 20 minute rail service from Worcester to Walsall with a PPM style service from Round Oak to Merry Hill instead. Would save a lot of taxpayers money, plus make my commute easier ;)

[Roy]

Once again, the Express & Star have told only half a story.  There should be an "if" at the end of the headline - i.e. if a successful business case is agreed by the Government.  This business case is currently being prepared and will be presented next year.

If it is agreed, preliminary works should start later next year.  This consists of clearing the trackbed of 23 years of vegetation and diverting utility pipes/cables etc away from the line of route on the on street sections.  The actual construction of the line is scheduled to start in 2019 with the line opening in 2023.  They are also talking about building a new depot to accommodate a new fleet of trams, which may have the ability to run on batteries over part of the route.  The proposed site for the depot is not revealed.

It does make me wonder why they are doing a temporary update to the existing Bus Station at Merry Hill.  Surely they could have built a new one close to the proposed Metro stop (near Marks and Spencer) with passive provision for a link to the Metro stop.

Golds Hill is mentioned as a provisional stop on the line. 

However, I agree with the trainbasher in that a service is needed from Stourbridge Junction - perhaps not to Walsall as he suggests but onwards via Lichfield to Burton and/or Derby.

Details and a map of the line can be found at http://www.metroalliance.co.uk/wednesbury-brierley-hill/ and this website also has details of other planned extensions.
 

[mikestone]

I would suggest the collapse in freight traffic has probably killed reopening as a through route for ever.

[Roy]

The West Midlands and Chiltern Route Study suggests that they do not see the line reopening for freight in the period up to 2043.  However, Network Rail will retain a single track throughout the route from Harts Hill to Wednesbury - the Walsall bound (northerly) line between Harts Hill and Cinder Bank and the Stourbridge bound (southerly) line from there to Wednesbury.  The Dudley VLR will use the Walsall bound line through the tunnel from Cinder Bank to Dudley station. 

However, the WMCA Movement for Growth document favours reopening Stourbridge to Walsall as a tram-train line "in the longer term after 2029".  It would be nice if the section from Stourbridge to Harts Hill was opened earlier to provide connections at Harts Hill to the Metro.  It will be ironic if the only section of track that isn't currently buried under 20+ years of vegetation is the only section not to have a passenger rail service.

[T840MAK]

Work is starting this week: https://www.facebook.com/British.Tramway/photos/a.394223990735238.1073741827.394220774068893/717680501722917/?type=3&theater

[Kevin]

Work is starting this week: https://www.facebook.com/British.Tramway/photos/a.394223990735238.1073741827.394220774068893/717680501722917/?type=3&theater

The fact it's taken this long to start clearing work when the original ideas been there over a decade is a fucking joke

[Westy]

A group of us from work took a walk along the Golds Hill to the Metro depot section at lunchtime today.

Certainly a lot better walking now along there than it was a few months ago.

[Roy]

As some of you know, the Wednesbury to Brierley Hill Metro line is part of the HS2 Connectivity Package, which is a set of improvements to be completed by 2026 to enable people in the West Midlands to access HS2 quickly (either at Curzon Street or UK Central).  An updated HS2 Connectivity Package is on the agenda for tomorrow's West Midlands Combined Authority Board Meeting for approval.  This has seen some proposals dropped because they cannot be completed by 2026 - for instance Shrewsbury to Wolverhampton electrification and Walsall to Aldridge electrification have been delayed because of the Great Western electrification cock-up. 

Thus a few new projects have been added for delivery by 2026 and the good news for those of us in the Stourbridge/Brierley Hill area is a passenger rail service from Stourbridge to Canal Street station (Harts Hill), where it will interchange with the Metro line.  The document does not say whether this will be heavy rail or tram/train and gives no indication about intermediate stations/stops.  The proposals can be found at https://westmidlandscombinedauthority.org.uk/media/1743/adocpackpublic.pdf
(page 226).

[mark114]

If i am not mistaken back in 1999 when the first line opened they did say that line 2 would be this one let's hope they are telling the truth this time