05.02.20
West Midlands Mayor Andy Street unveils £15bn transport plan
As part of his re-election campaign, West Midlands Mayor Andy Street has unveiled his ambitious £15bn transport plan for the region.
The plans would represent a huge expansion of the West Midlands’ metro and rail services, creating a transport network in the style of the London Underground.
It would cost an approximate £15bn and take 20 years to complete the ambitious plans, at an annual cost of around £750m, which Mr Street claimed would be met by more funding from central Government, contributions from housing and commercial developers and borrowing against the future income of ticket sales on the Metro.
At 150 miles long, the ambitious transport network expansion would feature eight new Metro lines, 380 new stops and 21 new rail stations.
Those new stations would include the re-opening of the Sutton Park Line, starting with Aldridge station, the re-opening of Pelsall and Brownhills stations and the building of a new station at Tettenhall.
READ MORE: New Camp Hill Line stations receive £15m funding boost
READ MORE: Reopening of Black Country rail stations given £10m funding
Birmingham would see new stations created in Balsall Heath and Dudley Road, while Coventry would see new technologies such as driverless pods utilised to connect key sites around the city; including the University of Warwick, Jaguar Land Rover, Ansty and the city centre. Four new stations at Coundon Road, Foleshill, Coventry South and Binley/Willenhall would be added in the city.
Plans to re-open the Camp Hill line and the Walsall to Wolverhampton line are already further progressed, currently in the planning stage.
The newly created lines would be named after prominent figures from the West Midlands too, including the politician and former Birmingham Mayor, Joseph Chamberlain, and women’s trade unionist Mary MacArthur.
Famous mathematician and scientist Mary Lee Woods and poet Benjamin Zephaniah also have new lines named after themselves in the plans.
West Midlands Mayor Andy Street has unveiled his ambitious £15bn transport plan for the region as part of his re-election campaign (click to view full screen)
According to Mr Street, he wants no area of the West Midlands left behind: “For too long we have been left behind by London and Manchester, and other cities around the world.
"We are a world-class city region and we deserve a world-class Metro and rail network.
“In recent years we have made great progress completing the Metro extension to Centenary Square on time and on budget, and bringing the plans for the new rail stations to life in South Birmingham and the Black Country.
“But now is time for the next stage of ambition.
“This plan will connect communities which haven’t had Metro or rail lines for decades, and restore pride in the West Midlands.”