Tram passengers who use the Metro to travel to and from Birmingham City Centre are being asked to plan ahead as construction activity to connect newly-laid tracks to the existing tramway are set to get underway from next Saturday (23 March).
Between Saturday 23 March and Tuesday 9 April (inclusive) there will be no tram services between Wednesbury and Edgbaston Village as the Midland Metro Alliance (MMA), working on behalf of Transport for West Midlands (TfWM), begins an 18-day programme to construct complex trackwork which will, within a year, allow trams to travel between Birmingham, Wolverhampton and Dudley town centre.
At the same time, and to minimise disruption for Metro users, Sandwell Council will also take the opportunity to complete the demolition and construction of Dudley Street bridge which spans the Metro line near the Dudley Street Guns Village stop.
These works will continue during the night between Sunday and Thursday each week from 11 April until 16 May (inclusive). To ensure that the team are able to work safely on their activities, there will be no services between Black Lake and Edgbaston Village tram stops from approximately 20:00 on these evenings. There are no changes to services on Fridays and Saturdays during this period.
West Midlands Metro (WMM) are committed to keeping their passengers moving and those who rely upon the Metro for day-to-day travel between Wednesbury and Birmingham will be able to use their tickets and passes on a number of replacement services, including:
National Express (NX) bus services:
- 47 between Wednesbury bus station and West Bromwich;
- 79 between Wednesbury bus station and West Bromwich*;
- 74 between West Bromwich and Birmingham City Centre*;
- 101 between Handsworth and Colmore Row, Birmingham City Centre;
- 80 between West Bromwich and Five Ways, Birmingham;
- All services between Colmore Row and Edgbaston.
* Please note. the timetable for these services has been enhanced to provide a more frequent service and include a connecting service for the first and last tram times.
- West Midlands Railway train services between Wolverhampton and Birmingham, including Five Ways (Metro season ticket holders only).
For more information regarding which alternative arrangements are in place for each specific phase of the works, please visit westmidlandsmetro.com.
Throughout both phases of work, Metro services between Wolverhampton and Wednesbury will be unaffected, ensuring continued provision on this part of the route.
Sophie Allison, Managing Director of West Midlands Metro, said: “We understand the impact that these essential works will have on our customers and appreciate their patience during this period of disruption. We have used this opportunity to plan in some of our infrastructure investment works which will ensure that we are able to continue to provide a safe and secure, reliable and sustainable service for the many people that rely upon us every day. An enhanced timetable will also be in place from Wednesday 10 April, when customers will be able to enjoy a more frequent service throughout the day. We are looking forward to being able to connect even more communities as we take one step closer to being able to deliver a service to Dudley town centre.”
Since announcing the essential activity in February, TfWM has been working closely with the MMA, WMM and Sandwell Council to help communicate the work and publicise alternative travel advice and information, most recently launching a travel advice “toolkit” for organisations close to the route who will be impacted.
Mark Corbin, Director of Network Resilience for TfWM, explains more: “Our Regional Transport Coordination Centre has very quickly established itself as a trusted source of information for public transport users and I strongly urge Metro users to follow our social media channels for updates throughout the works. With the necessary need for Metro construction work this Easter, we are seeking to share as much information as possible in order that the travelling public can keep moving as this key part in our overall transport investment programme continues to be delivered.”
You can visit a dedicated webpage about the works at www.tfwm.org.uk/tramworks and if you would like to receive the Metro travel advice toolkit, please email behaviourchangehub@tfwm.org.uk.
In addition, all partners have teamed up to provide the following advice:
- Plan ahead, especially if you usually use the tram to travel to and from Birmingham, as you’ll need more time for your journey;
- Follow the @wmmetro on social media for real time updates;
- Consider a change to how you travel – such as retiming your journey or walking or cycling for shorter journeys;
The Wednesbury to Brierley Hill Metro extension will boost public transport in the Black Country, providing much-needed links to the existing heavy and light rail networks, and helping to connect people to education, training and career opportunities further afield in the West Midlands. When the first phase of the route opens to the public, an additional nine stops will be added to the West Midlands Metro network linking people in Dudley town centre to both Birmingham and Wolverhampton.