Plans to extend the
Midland Metro in Wolverhampton have been formally approved by transport
secretary Patrick McLoughlin following a Transport and Works Act Order
public inquiry last summer. The go-ahead means preparatory work on the
£18million extension can start later this year with completion scheduled
for 2019.
The route will take trams along Pipers
Row, stopping directly outside the bus station before continuing on to
the railway station which will also be redeveloped as part of the
Wolverhampton Interchange Project.
The Metro scheme is being carried out by
Transport for West Midlands (TfWM), the transport arm of the West
Midlands Combined Authority, in partnership with the City of
Wolverhampton Council and Neptune Developments.
The tram extension aims to improve
passenger connections between bus, train and tram services and also
support ongoing redevelopment of land next to the railway station which
it is claimed could see £120million of investment and 1,400 new jobs.
“Today’s approval is excellent news
because the extension can play a key role in unlocking further
investment and jobs - not just in Wolverhampton but also other parts of
the Black Country,” says Roger Lawrence, leader of City of Wolverhampton
Council and the West Midlands lead on transport.
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| The current terminus is in Bilston Street, some distance from the bus station |
“If we are to succeed in revitalising our
city then we must have the right transport infrastructure in place to
open up new areas for redevelopment and underpin our long term
ambitions.”
Lawrence said the extension would provide
improved Metro links to the wider West Midlands including a route
through to the proposed high speed rail station and the Broad Street
area in Birmingham city centre.
Following a six-week legal challenge
period the Transport and Works Act Order will come into force and allow
work to start on advanced utility diversions. This will be followed by
works to the Pipers Row car park that in turn will create the space
needed to divert the underground pipes and cables buried along the route
of the tram extension.
