Black Country Living Museum boss has high hopes for West Midlands Metro extension - here's why

The boss at the Black Country Living Museum believes connection to the Midlands Metro will boost visitor number to half a million.

Andrew Lovett OBE, director and chief executive at the Dudley tourist attraction, says the attraction currently gets around 390,000 visitors every year but he is hopeful better public transport will push up attendance.

Mr Lovett revealed 90 percent of people come to the museum by car and research shows poor public transport is putting off potential visitors.

He said: “To have an alternative where they arrive at a tram stop 300 yards from our entrance – that is pretty special.

“We worked hard to ensure there was a stop close to the museum, we have developed the museum and built a new visitor centre, we deliberately turned that towards where the Metro is coming in.

“We were part of the business case for it and took a big strategic decision to recognise the Metro can have a huge impact.”

Mr Lovett’s ambition to break the half-million visitor barrier will be helped by the new Black Country Metro line linking up with the wider region.

He added: “We want to target half a million, being able to do that means we have to reach a little bit further and having a transport connection from the likes of Wolverhampton and Birmingham can help that.

“What we have done here can help change perceptions, if we can change perceptions of Dudley that it is a more natural place for people to come here as a visitor – I’m massively optimistic.”

Dudley MP Sonia Kumar agreed the Metro link will help drive growth in the town however she added there is one attraction which could be better connected.

She said: “It’s a great opportunity for students, it’s a great opportunity for tourism, we have got a lot to offer in Dudley. There is so much heritage and the living museum is a fantastic day out.

“Wren’s Nest is a fantastic geo-park but at the moment it is a little bit isolated.”