Tram depot expansion costs increase by £7.65m

Bosses at West Midlands Combined Authority are increasing the total budget for the scheme in Wednesbury to £76m

Costs of an expansion to cater for increased tram services at a West Midlands Metro depot have risen by more than £7.65m.

West Midlands Combined Authority bosses have agreed to increase the total budget for the scheme in Wednesbury to £76m.

The upgrade was necessary as projects to increase Metro lines across the region continued at a pace, they said.

They added that extending the depot would allow for extra stabling for the increased fleet, a new control room, extra workshop and engineering facilities as well as an improved training academy.

Current Metro works include the extension of services from Wednesbury to Brierley Hill, with phase one of the scheme expected to completed later this year and phase two launched in February.

Work is also continuing on the Birmingham Eastside Extension, which will provide links to HS2 at Curzon Street and Digbeth.

This extension is seen as crucial to unlocking a new line from Digbeth to Birmingham City FC's £3bn Sports Quarter plans in Bordesley as well as going on to serve north Solihull, the airport, NEC and surrounding Arden Cross regeneration zone.

"The depot improvement works, which include upgrades to power supplies and overhead cables, will future-proof the Metro ahead of further growth of the network," said Jo Shore, from Transport for West Midlands.

She added: "We regularly review projects to add additional scope or reflect operational changes.

"The budget for these works reflects changes in specifications and scope in several areas to improve durability and lifespan as well as a review of wider project costs."

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.