Bus station demolition starts as travel plans for region announced

The Mayor of the West Midlands Andy Street was in Dudley to oversee the start of the work to demolish Dudley bus station ahead of a new state-of-the-art Interchange in the town.

Mr Street took a crane ride to oversee the scale of work and helped to remove the totem pole sign for the station, before officially unveiling a travel map for the region which shows the current transport links and the new routes planned, including the metro route through Dudley to Brierley Hill.

The work at Dudley bus station is part of an investment by Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) of £6.1 billion to deliver a green transport revolution across the region, expanding Metro, bus, rail, cycling and walking networks to better connect people to job and leisure opportunities.

The funding has been secured since TfWM was formed as part of the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) and will be invested over the 15 years to 2032, funding scores of projects and connecting communities across Birmingham, Coventry, Dudley, Sandwell, Solihull, Walsall and Wolverhampton.

This average annual investment of £406 million is a tenfold increase on the £38 million secured for public transport in the year before the WMCA was formed and TfWM said this shows the region is starting to redress years of under-investment.

TfWM has also confirmed that plans are now being developed for the next five rapid transit routes to deliver new turn-up-and-go Metro or Sprint rapid bus services.

Andy Street said: “It’s no secret that our transport infrastructure was woefully underfunded for decades.

"But since the formation of the WMCA and with the region pulling in the same direction, we have started to redress that underinvestment and increased our funding more than tenfold to deliver a green transport revolution.

“We are already seeing unprecedented investment with construction well underway on the Wednesbury to Brierley Hill and Birmingham Eastside Metro extensions, six new railway stations and our Sprint bus route.

"By building a ‘turn up and go’ network we can make the most impact in persuading people to leave their cars at home and avoid busy, congested roads.

“And, with at least £2.6 billion more to invest over the next few years, we are now turning our attention to what comes next, such as taking Metro further along Hagley Road and extending the tram route from Digbeth through East Birmingham and North Solihull.

“Alongside this we have identified a priority list of further routes so that as we pull in still more funding we have projects ready to go.

"This approach means we can grow our network in a clear and coordinated way to deliver the most benefit for our travelling public.”

Soon to benefit from this investment are the residents and businesses in Dudley town centre where the new Metro tramway, due to open within the next year, will offer direct rapid connections to Wolverhampton, West Bromwich and Birmingham.

Work is also progressing on the first phase of the Metro extension, one of the schemes being designed and delivered by the Midland Metro Alliance.

This will introduce rapid transit services to the town centre, as well as stops for the Black Country Living Museum and Dudley Zoo and Castle, for the first time.

Communities along the route, including Tipton and Great Bridge, will also benefit from better connections.

Construction work on phase two of the extension between Dudley town centre and Brierley Hill will start next year following the confirmation of full funding last autumn in the Government’s Network North announcement.

This phase will link Metro to the Merry Hill Shopping Centre.

Councillor Paul Bradley, deputy leader of Dudley Council, said: “There is a transport revolution underway in Dudley with key projects taking shape.

"The new transport interchange is absolutely central to the gathering momentum to create world-class transport facilities in Dudley borough and I am delighted to see the start of this important project.

“When complete it will bring more people, give businesses and tourism a boost and continue our drive to regenerate Dudley.”

An investment is also being made in payment systems and passenger information to allow people to better plan their journeys and select and pay for their tickets across all transport modes and operators.

This includes development of contactless fare capping across modes, using the region’s Swift scheme, to guarantee passengers the best value fare and create a truly integrated transport system for the West Midlands.

The next two rapid transit routes, for which detailed business cases are now being worked up, are along Hagley Road in Birmingham and on through Sandwell to Dudley and further extending the line from Digbeth, through East Birmingham and North Solihull.

Subject to the business case, construction work could start as early as 2028.

Plans are also being worked up to extend the Wednesbury to Brierley Hill Metro route into Walsall at one end and Stourbridge at the other.

Longer term development of a link from Wolverhampton city centre to New Cross Hospital is subject to a feasibility study.

Three locations have also been earmarked for new railway stations at Castle Bromwich, Coventry East and Tettenhall, with early planning work underway.