The Midland Metro expansion project

Light rail in the UK has suffered a number of blows in recent months with funding and support for the Merseytram and the South Hampshire Rapid Transport System being withdrawn by the Department for Transport. However, transport bosses in the West Midlands are still confident that their proposals to expand the Midland Metro system will be accepted.

Development of the Midland Metro light rapid transit system has been a key transport priority for the West Midlands Passenger Transport Authority (WMPTA) and the West Midlands Passenger Transport Executive, Centro, for a number of years, following the completion of Line One from Birmingham to Wolverhampton in 1999.

While Line One has already proved its merit in its six years of operation – having the enviable record of being the region’s most reliable public transport system, with over 98% of trams being on time, and carrying five million passengers a year – it was always envisaged as part of a much wider and integrated network in a bid to help tackle congestion in the region.

Plans to expand the network are now gathering steam, with the first stage of the extensions (Phase One) being given the green light by the government in December 2004. Public inquiries have been cleared with the inspectors agreeing that the schemes would bring transport, regeneration and socio-economic benefits to the region, that they were supported by transport and planning policies at all levels, and that the impact on local people and the environment would be acceptable.

Agreements have also been signed between Centro and the councils of the two major boroughs of Sandwell and Dudley, which one of the new lines will pass through. The contracts detail the respective roles each body will play in the funding, construction, operation and maintenance of the route. They also contain sections about the role the councils will play as the local highway and planning authority, smoothing the way for detailed aspects of the tram stops to receive planning permission, and to keep risk and construction costs down.

It is hoped that further agreements with Birmingham City Council, Westfield, and Network Rail will be signed in the near future.

Phase one of the extension falls into two distinct parts: The expansion of Line One from Wednesbury to Brierley Hill via the town of Dudley and, at the other end of the current line, expansion from Birmingham Snow Hill, through Birmingham city centre to Five Ways – a popular business and residential area of the city.

The Metro extension from Wednesbury to Brierley Hill in the west of the West Midlands county, will be 11km long and will run through the town centre of Dudley past local attractions including the zoo and castle, and past the popular Merry Hill shopping centre. The line will have 13 easy access stops, four of which will be served by park and ride facilities and trams will cover the distance in just 23 minutes.

The proposed street-running tramway through the city of Birmingham would be 3.2km long and would enable people to journey from city centre rail and metro station, Birmingham Snow Hill to Five Ways in just 13 minutes. There would be ten easy-access stops at street level, which would serve key shopping and business areas of the city including the main rail interchange, Birmingham New Street Station, and the International Convention Centre (ICC).

Centro are confident that their hopes to extend the network will become a reality and play an important role in cutting congestion in the West Midlands. The city centre tramway will run through one of the city’s worst bottlenecks and public response is positive with 79% of residents saying they are in favour of the scheme.

Research and inquiries have also shown that it has clear environmental advantages, and will bring transport, regeneration and socio-economic benefits to the West Midlands.

Plans to expand the metro through the city are a key part of a future citywide tram network to meet the growing needs of Birmingham, which is often heavily congested – particularly during rush hour. Nine out of ten people think congestion has got worse in the last few years and it is estimated that there will be an extra 165 million journeys on the regions roads by 2011 – the year that metro operation on the extended lines will begin if approved. Surveys show the West Midlands public see an improvement in public transport, such as more tramways, as a key factor in reducing these jams, and the metro extensions have added support from leading members of Birmingham’s business community.

Orders have now been made under the Transport and Works Act (TWA) giving powers to extend the Midland Metro both from Wednesbury to Brierley Hill and through Birmingham City Centre.

Additionally, in early December last year, Centro, which is responsible for the metro expansion bid, announced that plans for extension of the region’s tram network made an excellent case for government funding, boosting confidence in the bid even further.

It has been calculated that the new routes would provide at least 150% return on investment by government, local councils and businesses.

Even allowing for cost increases through inflation over the 12 year life of the project – a factor which hampered the South Hants bid – and design upgrades, the Midland Metro expansion is expected to show a benefit-cost ratio of between 1.5 and 2.0 when the business case is submitted to the Department for Transport (DfT) this year.

Should funding be approved, the government will invest 75p for every pound that is required for the project. It is anticipated the bid will satisfy Government criteria because, when developer and local contributions are included, it will get a minimum double return on investment: £1.50 for every 75p it invests.

The government requires the remaining 25p in the pound to be found from local contributions, but this has already been earmarked according to Centro. The majority will be funded by developers of major sites that will be served by the 14.2km (9 mile) route. The leaders of West Midlands city and borough councils have agreed for the remaining balance to be financed from prudential borrowing.

The West Midland’s bid to the DfT also clears other hurdles that have held back similar schemes in Leeds, Merseyside and South Hants. Instead of opting for the design-build-finance-operate method of procurement, which has been heavily blamed by transport experts for the latest light-rail rejections, Centro has decided to have separate contracts for infrastructure, trams and operations.

This means the organisation, as the promoter, will have to manage the interface between the operator and infrastructure, but it can manage the risk for a much lower cost than the private sector would put on it.

Centro says that the new procurement approach has already received a warm welcome from Whitehall officials and is in line with the views of Transport Secretary Alistair Darling. Its success was proved during the development of the Docklands Light Railway extensions and Centro has already had a number of positive approaches from major companies who could potentially tender for the contracts.

Councillors from the West Midlands Passenger Transport Authority, which sets policy for Centro, have unanimously approved the new method of procurement. They have also agreed to the replacement of existing Midland Metro trams as part of the scheme with a new fleet of around 40 modern, higher-capacity trams to operate the expanded network. The new trams will also run on the existing Wolverhampton to Birmingham route from 2011. By this date the existing rolling stock would be more than 12 years old and due for a major overhaul.

Bigger trams are needed as the current vehicles running into Birmingham Snow Hill are struggling to cope with rush hour demand. Calculations show that replacing all trams with the new, higher-capacity models would save money compared to waiting for the mid-life refurbishment of the existing vehicles.

Midland Metro is an important part of the integrated public transport system in the West Midlands Local Transport Plan and a key to the continued economic growth of the region.

In the future, Centro and the PTA hope to expand the Midland Metro as part of the envisaged citywide tram network. Plans include a line north from Birmingham city centre to the residential area of Great Barr, south west from Five Ways to Quinton, and east to Birmingham International Airport and the NEC. Additionally there are plans to extend the Line One route from Wolverhampton via Wednesbury, Willenhall and to the town of Walsall linking back to Line One at Wednesbury.