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Publish Date : 09-Jul-2014

British government has allocated over Ł100 million in funding for proposal to develop the Midland Metro light rail network in Birmingham and Wolverhampton.

The British government's Local Growth Fund and the region's three Local Enterprise Partnerships have granted the finance for the project. The funding comprises Ł100 million towards the construction of two extensions in central Birmingham.

First project includes the 1.3km extension from Centenary Square in Birmingham City Centre to Five Ways and Edgbaston. It is scheduled to be concluded in 2021. The cost of the construction is Ł68 million.

At the same time, the Ł105 million 2.5km Birmingham Eastside extension to Digbeth and the planned High Speed 2 station at Curzon Street is due to open in 2023.

In addition, the funds cover Ł4.5 million towards the Ł18m 0.8km northern extension to Wolverhampton Bus Station and Wolverhampton Railway Station. It is expected to be concluded in 2019.

The connection between Stephenson Street (for Birmingham New Street Station) to Centenary Square was financed in earlier funding rounds. It is set to be completed in 2019. The project of an extension from Snow Hill to Stephenson Street is presently in progress.

West Midlands transport authority Centro stated that new LRVs will be needed for all of these extensions if the full funding indicated in this announcement becomes available.

Wolverhampton City Council leader Mr Roger Lawrence commented "This funding is a great start but we now want to see the government provide the West Midlands with a solid, 10-year transport funding settlement. That is something London has enjoyed for some time now and we need the same here. It would enable us to plan and deliver new projects much more quickly and provide certainty around future transport schemes, helping to attract more inward investment."

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