West Midlands Mayor Andy Street says a bid for a share of more than £2billion Government cash can kickstart the next stage of the Metro line along Hagley Road.
Mr Street leads the West Midlands Combined Authority, which has approved bids to the Government’s City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement fund and Bus Service Improvement Plan fund, which could secure investment of around £2 billion over the next five years.
He said: “Since I became Mayor, spending on transport has increased seven-fold, and this latest bid will provide funding to take our plans forward to provide a world-class network for the region.
“The progress we have made so far is there for all to see. Wolverhampton’s new station is now open, Coventry’s is about to join it and there are many more to follow – including Perry Barr in Birmingham, which will serve the Commonwealth Games.
“The Metro extension on the Hagley Road is set to open this year and our teams are powering ahead with brand new routes through Sandwell into Dudley and in Birmingham linking the whole network with HS2.
“This new funding will allow us to kickstart the next phase of the Hagley Road line – looking at detailed planning and building a business case to extend it further and serve more communities in Edgbaston, Harborne and Quinton.”
The money will also be used to extend the Metro network in Walsall and Wolverhampton.
Further investment would see new rapid bus services launched, lower fares, more zero-emission vehicles and the development of miles of cycling routes to support the region’s economic growth and net-zero carbon targets.
Mr Street said: “This bid for transport funding will enable our region to complete some of the huge projects we have already started, but also to crack on with other exciting developments to the network, which will create opportunities for local people, bring in investment and help us achieve our green ambitions too.
“We’re talking about new cycle routes, charging points for electric cars across the region and ensuring lower fares on greener, better buses.
“Starting to explore how the Metro can extend further along the Hagley Road is another big step towards competing my transport plan.”