Plans to revolutionise transport in the West Midlands with new suburban , and have been agreed by transport chiefs.
Representatives from councils across the region have agreed a long-term strategic transport plan, called Movement for Growth, to help the West Midlands unlock its full economic potential.
Extending the Metro through east Birmingham to the airport, a wider and train lines in Castle Vale, Castle Bromwich, Moseley and Kings Heath are on the list of priority infrastructure projects for the next 20 years.
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None are new projects, but they have now been adopted by the region-wide West Midlands (ITA), which will now drive through transport schemes for the region.
Coun Roger Lawrence, chair of the ITA, said the vision was to create a fully-integrated train, bus and rapid transit system, a comprehensive cycle network and better roads and rail.
He added: “Movement for Growth will be the transport strategy for the forthcoming West Midlands Combined Authority and the region will be speaking with one voice in support of it. We have a clear path to follow so now is the time to move forward and deliver these schemes.”
Coun Lawrence said a key aim of the plan was to help the West Midlands unlock the full economic potential of the HS2 high speed rail line which will link Birmingham to London in 2026 and later to Manchester and Leeds.
Movement for Growth sets out the transport infrastructure needed to best feed and connect into HS2 including enhanced rail and tram links and a bus rapid transit system called Sprint using high capacity tram-style vehicles.
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Much of the proposals include smart technology, including ticketless travel and real time information.
The approval for the plan follows last month’s announcement by Government of a 10-year £8 billion devolution deal for the emerging West Midlands Combined Authority.
This includes funding for transport schemes including an expansion of the Metro tram system with a new east-west route from Brierley Hill to the HS2 Curzon station in Birmingham city centre and on to Birmingham Airport and the nearby HS2 Interchange Station.
The Wednesbury to Brierley Hill tram extension was a key recommendation of the recent Black Country Rapid Transit Review which has also helped shaped Movement for Growth.
The review sought to take a fresh look at what sort of rapid transit network was needed to best connect the area’s key towns and cities with each other and Birmingham.
The Movement for Growth schemes
Birmingham
- Extending the Midland Metro tram system from the city centre, through east Birmingham to the airport, connecting the region’s two high speed rail stations
- Fast, limited-stop Sprint services along the city’s main roads
- Improved road junctions at traffic jam hot spots
- New cycle routes linking to a metropolitan-wide strategic cycle network
- New suburban rail lines and stations for northern suburbs like Castle Vale and Castle Bromwich and Moseley and Kings Heath in the south
Black Country
- Midland Metro tram route between Brierley Hill, Dudley and Wednesbury connecting to the existing line to Birmingham and Wolverhampton
- Improved M5/M6 motorway junctions
- New cycle routes linking to a metropolitan-wide strategic cycle network
- Tram-train services between Walsall and Stourbridge
- New heavy rail or tram-train connection to Wolverhampton, with new stations at Willenhall and James Bridge
- Sprint rapid transit service between Walsall and Birmingham city centre via the A34
- Sprint rapid transit to the i54
Solihull
- Improvements to M42 Junction 6
- Sprint rapid transit service between Blythe Valley Business Park, Solihull town centre and the airport/HS2 Interchange station
Midland Metro in Birmingham