Transport for West Midlands, which is part of the West Midlands Combined Authority, has revealed that an investment of £2.7 billion has been confirmed by the Department for Transport and will support a range of improvements, including delivery of the Midlands Rail Hub project. The investment comes following the government’s decision to cancel the 2nd phase of HS2.

£100 Million of the investment will be received immediately and will support the existing metro extensions including:

• The second stage of the Wednesbury to Brierley Hill Metro Extension in full
• Progression of major extension work at Arden Cross next to the HS2 Interchange Station.

£1.75 Billion of funding has been earmarked for the transformational Midlands Rail Hub, which, once complete, will see increased capacity on new services supporting improved travel times connecting Birmingham with key cities and towns such as Bristol, Cardiff, Leicester and Nuneaton.

Part of this vast project will see the building of new links which are currently known as Bordesley Chords, which will see further platforms opened up at Moor Street Station. This work will also create greater capacity for the Camp Hill Line supporting the opening of new stations on the Sutton Park Line.

The investment will also support the following projects in the West Midlands region:

• £250 million, which will be made over the next five years to ensure transport network stability
• £700 million will be made for rail, bus, tram, road and active travel infrastructure and will be made to the West Midlands’ allocation for the next round of the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement from 2027 to 2032
• £100 million will be shared across the north and Midlands in order to provide contactless tap-and-go smart ticketing, which comes as an expansion of a project led by Transport for West Midlands.

The investment supporting the aforementioned programmes comes as well as a number of nationwide projects which will see substantial investment in roads and the extension of the £2 single bus fare cap, all of which will support the West Midlands region.

The investment made for the region’s public transport and active travel networks forms a vital part of the West Midlands Combined Authority’s plans to improve connectivity to jobs and leisure opportunities very much supporting the achievement of #wm2041 for a net-zero carbon region over the next twenty years.

The board of West Midlands Combined Authority has expressed their disappointment at the Government’s choice to stop development of phase 2 of HS2 which would have seen much-needed high-speed rail links created between Manchester and Birmingham as well as a leg to East Midlands Parkway. This phase of HS2 would have supported greatly improved journey times between the two major cities whilst freeing up capacity on the regional network supporting both local connectivity and the movement of freight rail services.

The Prime Minister has agreed to Andy Street, Mayor of the West Midlands, offer to work with a private sector consortium and colleagues in Greater Manchester to explore improved transport links to the North of England.

Andy Street, Mayor of the West Midlands and WMCA Chair, said:

“The near £3billion worth of transport investment we have secured for the West Midlands is really significant, and will help to turbo-charge our plans to improve public transport in the region and better connect our communities.”

“From ensuring the Black Country metro extension goes all the way to Brierley Hill, to more capital sums to invest in safe walking and cycling routes, the Government have made a sizeable investment in the West Midlands.”

“And of course, this is all on top of Midlands Rail Hub, our complex plan to increase the speed, reliability, and frequency of local rail services – not least to the East Midlands. This is something we have spent more than four years designing and lobbying for, and so I’m delighted to have got this over the line.”

“However, none of this makes up for the loss of HS2 to Manchester, which I have been clear, I think is a terrible decision. My view on this will never change.”

“What is critical though is that the Prime Minister has personally told me that he will welcome our thinking on improving Birmingham-Manchester links, and I am busy devising the private sector consortium–which will include Andy Burnham and his team in the North – to set about this work. I am convinced that we can revive the case for high-speed rail further north for whoever the next government is.”

Councillor Mike Bird, West Midlands Combined Authority portfolio lead for transport and leader of Walsall Council, said:

“We have as a region developed a pipeline of projects to improve our rail, road, bus and cycling networks and develop new ways to make travel easier – including new railway stations, further expansion of the Metro system and more zero-emission rapid bus services – and we can now bring many of those forward following the new funding announced.”